What Seattle restaurants serve 'authentic' non-American cuisine?
July 23, 2015 12:12 AM Subscribe
Looking for recommendations for Seattle restaurants serving cuisine from other countries that are notably popular with people from that country. Chinese restaurants loved by people from China, Swedish restaurants frequented by people from Sweden, Italian enjoyed by Italians, Ethiopian patronized by Ethiopians, et cetera.
We're hosting someone from out of town who requested restaurant suggestions based on this criterion, so I figured I would take it to the hive mind. Centrally located is a bonus, though we could maybe hit Bellevue for something really exceptional.
We're hosting someone from out of town who requested restaurant suggestions based on this criterion, so I figured I would take it to the hive mind. Centrally located is a bonus, though we could maybe hit Bellevue for something really exceptional.
Best answer: Tofully in the International District is pretty solid home-style-ish Korean. It's not the super best most authentic or the fanciest but it is really delicious and the tofu soups hit the spot, especially the mixed seafood which seems to always arrive with a crab claw sticking out of the pot like "eat me first!" And I've never been there without a couple actual Korean people (or at least, Korean-speaking people) also eating there, even at 3 on a Wednesday. It's very "if your auntie ran a restaurant" sort of food.
posted by Mizu at 3:04 AM on July 23, 2015
posted by Mizu at 3:04 AM on July 23, 2015
Best answer: Larsen's Danish Bakery in Ballard is the best Scandinavian bakery in the area, according to every Scandinavian immigrant I've ever met in Seattle. Since it's not a restaurant, you could go there during the day and buy some cake or desert type thing, and then come home after dinner and have coffee and desert.
posted by colfax at 3:28 AM on July 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by colfax at 3:28 AM on July 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
[derail]
As someone who lived in China in recent times for several years, Din Tai Fung is purgatory. It might arguably be Taiwanese and popular in some big Chinese cities but not for being something that reminds someone from the mainland of home.
Full disclosure, DTF had a shop two blocks from my place in Shanghai and finally opened a place in Melbourne. It's a machine and full of domestic and international tourists. The food was nothing like the many wonderful local shops on the side streets.
Full, full disclosure. I have no knowledge about local shops in Seattle.
Full, full, full disclosure. DTF makes some tasty food. It's the Starbucks of dumplings
[/derail]
posted by michswiss at 6:03 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
As someone who lived in China in recent times for several years, Din Tai Fung is purgatory. It might arguably be Taiwanese and popular in some big Chinese cities but not for being something that reminds someone from the mainland of home.
Full disclosure, DTF had a shop two blocks from my place in Shanghai and finally opened a place in Melbourne. It's a machine and full of domestic and international tourists. The food was nothing like the many wonderful local shops on the side streets.
Full, full disclosure. I have no knowledge about local shops in Seattle.
Full, full, full disclosure. DTF makes some tasty food. It's the Starbucks of dumplings
[/derail]
posted by michswiss at 6:03 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Salumi in downtown Seattle is a great place to go for charcuterie/lunch, it can be crowdy for dinner. Italian place full of Italians.
posted by jessamyn at 6:41 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 6:41 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Salumi is great for charcuterie but get there early at lunchtime, too. Unless things have changed (it's been a couple of years since I've been there) there was reliably a line out the door and around the block at lunch peak.
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:11 AM on July 23, 2015
posted by Nerd of the North at 7:11 AM on July 23, 2015
Best answer: I was talking with a group of coworkers from Taiwan yesterday and the consensus was that Facing East is the most authentic Taiwanese food in the Seattle area.
posted by joan_holloway at 7:20 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by joan_holloway at 7:20 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Ethiopian: Chef Cafe (Jackson at 22nd) and Saba (12th at Yesler)
posted by esoterrica at 8:04 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by esoterrica at 8:04 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I know some Japanese folks who say that Kukai in Bellevue is just like going to a ramen place in Tokyo. One of my acquaintances brings his Japanese friends there when they visit.
posted by isthmus at 9:15 AM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by isthmus at 9:15 AM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Don't miss the Ethiopian food; Seattle has a large and well-established Ethiopian and Eritrean community. I'll second esoterica's suggestion of Saba and throw in Sunset Cafe down in Rainier Valley.
posted by mhum at 9:45 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mhum at 9:45 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'll throw my hat in the ring for 663 Bistro in the International District. I've been there going on 15 or so times and invariably there is a large, multigenerational Asian family eating all manner of tasty looking dishes around a large table. Plus, the menu is round about 400 items so I'm sure that you can find a dish for everyone.
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:14 AM on July 23, 2015
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:14 AM on July 23, 2015
Best answer: If you don't mind a drive to Lynnwood: Todamgol, for Korean food.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:47 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:47 PM on July 23, 2015
I wouldn't commit to this, since I'm white as they come, but I'd guess that Rainier BBQ (Vietnamese) fits the bill.
posted by wotsac at 5:20 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by wotsac at 5:20 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the great answers! I'm not going to mark a best answer quite yet as I'd love to get as many recommendations as possible (question: does marking a best answer and therefore adding an 'answered' checkmark actually reduce traffic to AskMe questions? I should ask the data mavens over in MetaTalk.)
posted by fermion at 6:36 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by fermion at 6:36 PM on July 23, 2015
Another Taiwanese suggestion: Boiling Point. There are a few locations in the area, including the ID and next door to Facing East (in Bellevue.) Personal-sized servings of hot pot.
posted by cdefgfeadgagfe at 8:52 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by cdefgfeadgagfe at 8:52 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Tacos Chukis for mexican food. Gotten multiple independent confirmations on this one, and also it's just mindblowingly good. Only place i've had tacos as good as the ones i've had in LA. The nearby Neon Taco just opened but it already picking up the same clientele and is arguably better, but with a tiny menu.
Shawarma King on university way just north of 50th st near UW. NOT the one with the same name below 45th st, which isn't even 3/4 as good. I forget who recommended it to me, but it fits the bill.
Heidelberg Haus is the best german food, according to the german side of my family. Bratz was better(IMO) and had a hilariously awesome atmosphere but it recently closed :'(
I ♥ NYC Deli was the jewish deli spot, but it closed. The general consensus is that there is no particularly great option for a reuben now, just a bunch of mediocre to slightly above average ones. Market Meats is good, but not great at being authentic. It's still really good though.
Maneki used to be the legit japanese restaurant. I don't know if it still is, but it was.
Ethiopian: Chef Cafe (Jackson at 22nd) and Saba (12th at Yesler)
Can confirm, both from trial and error and multiple Ethiopian friends/my partners coworkers, these places are legit. Like, people drive from way up north just to go to them after work. Used to live next to Saba and i still miss just walking in to it without making a trip out of it.
I know some Japanese folks who say that Kukai in Bellevue is just like going to a ramen place in Tokyo.
There's a kukai on capitol hill now! You don't have to go across the water to find the place.
posted by emptythought at 4:20 AM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Shawarma King on university way just north of 50th st near UW. NOT the one with the same name below 45th st, which isn't even 3/4 as good. I forget who recommended it to me, but it fits the bill.
Heidelberg Haus is the best german food, according to the german side of my family. Bratz was better(IMO) and had a hilariously awesome atmosphere but it recently closed :'(
I ♥ NYC Deli was the jewish deli spot, but it closed. The general consensus is that there is no particularly great option for a reuben now, just a bunch of mediocre to slightly above average ones. Market Meats is good, but not great at being authentic. It's still really good though.
Maneki used to be the legit japanese restaurant. I don't know if it still is, but it was.
Ethiopian: Chef Cafe (Jackson at 22nd) and Saba (12th at Yesler)
Can confirm, both from trial and error and multiple Ethiopian friends/my partners coworkers, these places are legit. Like, people drive from way up north just to go to them after work. Used to live next to Saba and i still miss just walking in to it without making a trip out of it.
I know some Japanese folks who say that Kukai in Bellevue is just like going to a ramen place in Tokyo.
There's a kukai on capitol hill now! You don't have to go across the water to find the place.
posted by emptythought at 4:20 AM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
I will totally second wotsac on the Rainier BBQ suggestion. I live within walking distance and can't believe I forgot it! Also, on the other side from Graham is a place called the Q Bakery, which has pretty good banh mi and Vietnamese iced coffee if you're looking for something a little more grab and go. Their French bread is amazing and barely makes it off the racks before it is snapped up by those waiting.
posted by friendlyjuan at 12:00 PM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by friendlyjuan at 12:00 PM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: On MLK by the Othello and Rainier Beach Light Rail stops, there are a variety of tiny Somali coffee houses, that serve coffee, tea, and Sambusas.
Also, by the Othello stop is Tammy's Deli, which is one of the best Vietnamese delis around. You also can't really go wrong with any of the Pho shops around there, nor Cajun Crewfish, which is a Vietnamese/New Orleans hybrid crawfish boil restaurant.
Hell, just take the Light Rail to Othello, and eat. Anywhere. It will be authentic, and it will be outstanding. With maybe Safeway as the great exception. I believe that I'm going to nab some pho for lunch.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:03 PM on July 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, by the Othello stop is Tammy's Deli, which is one of the best Vietnamese delis around. You also can't really go wrong with any of the Pho shops around there, nor Cajun Crewfish, which is a Vietnamese/New Orleans hybrid crawfish boil restaurant.
Hell, just take the Light Rail to Othello, and eat. Anywhere. It will be authentic, and it will be outstanding. With maybe Safeway as the great exception. I believe that I'm going to nab some pho for lunch.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:03 PM on July 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Tacos Chukis for mexican food
Seconded. You want to order the pork tacos.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 1:48 PM on July 24, 2015
Seconded. You want to order the pork tacos.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 1:48 PM on July 24, 2015
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posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:06 AM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]