The best of Seattle’s Vietnamese food scene

Vietnamese food is so much more than just pho and banh mi.

From the first refugee restaurateurs who came to the Northwest following the fall of Saigon to today’s restaurant owners, generations of Vietnamese American chefs in Seattle have honored the breadth of Vietnamese food while pushing the cuisine forward with their own innovations.

From established family businesses to ambitious new projects in the Seattle area and a wave of Vietnamese cafes, these Western Washington chefs are showcasing the richness of Vietnamese cuisine. You’ll find those stories and more in this special edition of The Mix, the Vietnamese Food Guide.

SEATTLE’S VIBRANT VIETNAMESE FOOD SCENE

How Seattle became a hot spot for Vietnamese food

The Emerald City has a rich Vietnamese food scene. For decades, Vietnamese American restaurateurs have cultivated a spirit of innovation that pushes the cuisine forward.

These cafes are the Seattle coffee scene’s hot new trend

New independently owned cafes celebrate the thriving coffee culture of Vietnam, bringing our city classic drinks as well as wildly inventive ones.

14 new Vietnamese cafes to try in and around Seattle

There’s a new wave of Vietnamese cafes in the Seattle area, and there’s much to taste all over the place. Find one of more than a dozen spots near you.

Our critic reviews ‘the largest Vietnamese restaurant outside Vietnam’

Renton’s Anchovies & Salt is the buzziest Vietnamese restaurant debut in recent memory. The menu has highlights but the restaurant doesn’t quite meet the hype.

Our food team picks the top 10 Vietnamese dishes around Seattle

The Vietnamese food scene in Seattle is rich. From the classics to lesser-known dishes, our food team picked their favorite Vietnamese meals around town.

This restaurant changed the game for Seattle Vietnamese food 25 years ago

When the Banh siblings opened Monsoon in 1999, they raised the bar for Vietnamese food in Seattle by preparing the cuisine expertly — and selling it for more.

Many Seattle Vietnamese restaurants have this secret menu item

Do you know about the “baby shark” available at Vietnamese restaurants around Seattle — that might not be on the menu? Our food writer has the 411 on this dish.

Food critic Tan Vinh ate at 100 banh mi spots in the Seattle area. Here are his 12 favorites.

You know what works well as takeout? A banh mi. The classic Vietnamese sandwich generally contains a trinity of pork, some crisp, fresh herbs and pickled veggies and creamy pâté. Our food critic tried 100 of them to declare his favorite 12 places to get a banh mi in the Greater Seattle area.

Banh mi battle: Where to get 2 great sandwiches

After a head-to-head sandwich smackdown, our food writer calls it a tie: You can’t go wrong with either of these West Seattle banh mi shops. Here’s the scoop.