“Local” and “fresh” have been touchstones among foodies for so long that it seems sacrilegious to suggest that the seafood we eat should be anything else. But sometimes the sashimi we slice and the fillets we grill taste better when the fish is aged and imported. How could a fish caught halfway around the world end up tasting better than one pulled from local...
Sushi Kappo Tamura in Eastlake was the only restaurant in Washington state to make the Open Table list of the top 100 restaurants in the US in 2018. Open Table, an online reservation system, uses feedback from diners to compile the list. The restaurant has an exceptional rating on Open Table with 97% of the 993 reviews recommending it. For more on Sushi Kappo...
Every month, wa’z owner and head chef Hiro Tawara assembles a menu that puts seasonal local and Japanese ingredients front and center. He takes great care to make sure his diners sense the seasonality of each dish. He also ties his menu closely to Japanese traditional events. The result is a memorable meal of Japanese haute cuisine thoughtfully presented in kaiseki fashion. This July,...
On any given afternoon around 3 or 4pm, you may spot a septuagenarian Japanese man walking around Yesler and 1st Avenue in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood diligently picking up trash. He can be spotted anywhere from the Underground Tour entrance to the area near Alaska Way where cars get off the ferries. This would be Susumu “Sam” Takahashi, a longtime restaurateur who says this...
Mutsuko Soma’s hit soba-and-tempura restaurant, Kamonegi, keeps getting accolades. Eater called it one of the best new restaurants of 2018. Seattle Met magazine named it restaurant of the year. And Seattle Times food critic Providence Cicero put it at 1st and 11th on her 20 Best Bites list.
Ever the innovator, Chef Shiro Kashiba has found a new favorite fish. He’s been serving nishin (Pacific herring) sushi lately at his restaurant in Pike Place Market. Kashiba wasn’t much of a fan of the traditional pickled herring, so he freed the fish from the pickling process and found out it is quite delicious as a sushi topping. For more on Chef Shiro Kashiba,...
This is a great Izakaya in Capitol Hill for a casual gathering with special friends. The restaurant is loaded with the owner’s kodawari and is super cool. We always have fun drinking here. Every dish on the menu is carefully selected to go with alcoholic beverages (like sake) and brings joy to the table.
If you are curious about sake and have an adventurous palate, stop by Hannyatou and explore. This unique sake bar tucked into a backstreet of Fremont (and right next to sister restaurant Kamo Negi) has a fun, inspired menu and an excellent list of sake and Japanese microbrews. A sake sommelier will guide you through the drinks menu to find the right match for...
Makoto Kimoto, owner of Suika and Tamari Bar, has added to his growing Capitol Hill empire with yet another restaurant: Rondo, a dragon’s lair full of Kimoto’s playful inspiration. Kimoto explains that the famous Japanese folktale “Urashima Taro” gave him the inspiration for Rondo. In the story, Urashima Taro is invited to a dragon’s palace under the sea. He receives a warm welcome from...
