Two successful duos in the local Vietnamese culinary scene headline this robust roll call of recent Seattle restaurant openings. That’s no surprise: We’re in the crest of the neo-Vietnamese food movement, with many ambitious projects headed by second-generation Vietnamese American restaurateurs who are focused on much more than banh mi and pho.
Check out our recent guide on local Vietnamese dining here, covering the scene’s genesis, the recent expansion of Vietnamese coffee around the Sound and more. And read on for details on those recent restaurant openings and dozens more around Seattle.
New Vietnamese food
Set to officially open May 22, Ramie on Capitol Hill is the latest from Trinh and Thai Nguyen, the siblings behind the contemporary Vietnamese bistro Ba Sa on Bainbridge Island. Their Seattle concept is inspired by the drinking culture of their homeland; expect many shared plates, from a fried branzino with chili sambal, chimichurri, kimchi cucumber and an onsen egg fish sauce, to twists on classics, like the cabbage rolls with pork velouté and coriander oil. The craft cocktails skew toward Southeast Asian themes and ingredients, from pandan to tangerine. If you want an early peek of the swanky 3,000-square-foot digs, you can book a reservation now during Ramie’s soft opening phase.
And a big name in the booming Vietnamese java business, Coffeeholic House, expands into the food scene with its offshoot, M Cozy Fusion Cafe, just outside University Village. The 80-seat cafe serves Vietnamese classics such as fish sauce wings and luc lac shaking beef along with fusion dishes, such as the fried chicken with pandan waffles. Popular Coffeeholic drinks are also served, including its signature cheese foam espresso and the Hanoi-inspired tiramisu egg coffee. A cocktail menu will be added soon, with Asian-inspired drinks such as a dragon fruit margarita along with the trendy espresso martini.
Around downtown
More lunch options for the Amazon busy bees and downtown office workers: The chain Sweetgreen expands to South Lake Union, and west of that is Doce Donut Co.
Near Pike Place Market is Musubi Kai, doing Pacific Island rice bowls like poke and loco moco along with a dozen riffs on Spam musubi. A half-mile north is Mama Chavez’s Tamales & More, which runs a $1.50 Taco Tuesday special.
Also in Belltown: From the chef behind Ballard’s Secret Savory comes Kalabaw Bar & Kitchen, an Asian fusion shared plate concept with Malaysian curry paste chicken, garlic soft-shell crab and ground chicken lettuce wraps on the menu
Or head to the Chinatown International District, where UmmaDak does boneless Korean fried chicken.
In Pioneer Square, SuperKim Crab House specializes in seafood boils and bar wings dressed up in eight different sauces, from Cajun to chili garlic. Speaking of wings, remember Cookie’s Country Chicken, the pop-up hit that turned into a Ballard brick-and-mortar? It’s adding a second location, taking over the old Pioneer Square D&E space.
Central, South and West Seattle
More from Central Seattle to the South End: Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken does Nashville-style fried chicken in Sodo, while in Georgetown, Bloom Bistro & Grocery serves bagel sandwiches. Mahder Cafe does Ethiopian food near the corner of South Jackson Street and 23rd Avenue South in the Central District; nearby, Kanom Sai Cafe does Asian fusion. And La Herradura does tacos in Rainier Valley while Sma5h flips halal burgers near the Othello light rail station.
Spice Waala, which just celebrated its sixth anniversary, brings its Delhi and Kolkata street food concept to Columbia City. The local chain runs one of the best under-$10 menus in Seattle with its kathi rolls.
Near the Columbia City light rail is The Station, a coffeehouse on the ground floor of the Sonata apartments that hopes to get a liquor license by summer to serve wine. Joining both soon in Columbia City will be a tasting room from one of the biggest beer names in Seattle, Fremont Brewing Co.
Uptown has seen a restaurant renaissance due to heavy foot traffic from nearby concerts and sporting events. The latest openings include the natural wine bar La Dive, Sushi Ave, Skybowl Café and Big Mike’s Sandwich Co., which features Italian beef sandwiches and wagyu beef fat fries.
On Capitol Hill, Bad Chancla, which brands itself as a “love letter to millennial immigrants and first-gen Latinx Americans,” serves bodega-style sandwiches and late night bites inspired by the cuisines of Puerto Rico and Miami, such as its achiote beef stew and other rice bowls.
And there’s more Korean fried chicken on Capitol Hill, as Bon Restaurant opens upstairs inside the M2M Mart along Broadway East. Nearby, Shikorina Bakeshop & Cafe takes over the old Ben & Esther’s space.
Residents around Madison Valley get another takeout option with the arrival of Hanuman Thai Cafe, located across from Cafe Flora.
And in West Seattle, the Asian fusion spot Lotus on the Beach opens on Alki, the taqueria Little Donkey opens two blocks south of PCC Community Markets on California Avenue Southwest, and Bel Gatto, a bakery and pizza spot, debuts in Fauntleroy.
North of the lake
Along the evolving restaurant row on Stone Way North, restaurateur Brian Clevenger opens Haerfest, a 59-seat bar and restaurant similar in concept to his popular Vendemmia and Autumn bistros in Seattle. Expect lots of handmade pastas along with a New York steak, pork chop and grilled wild salmon. It’s a generous happy hour, with dinner pasta portions including an excellent campanelle brightened with pesto, pea vines and mint ($17).
A half-mile south sit two new Japanese spots: Midnite Ramen and Ooshiba Yakitori & Sushi, both located in the new tasting room of Figurehead Brewing Company.
East of there, MoRA serves coffee and natural wine in Roosevelt.
Three miles up, Rachel’s Bagels & Burritos expands to Lake City, next to Elliott Bay Brewing. That’s great news for this Northeast Seattle neighborhood, which is getting one of the best New York-style bagels in town. Its brunch menu also features its popular breakfast biscuits and 1-pound burritos. The Lake City branch has plenty of indoor seating and parking outside, unlike its crammed Ballard counter.
Speaking of that historical Scandinavian ‘hood, Cardoon opens in the Ballard Yards with German- and Chinese-inspired drinks and snacks, such as bratwurst spiced up with a Sichuan sauerkraut slaw and served on a house-baked brötchen German roll. Just west of there, El Taco Loco opens inside the Ballard Liquor Store. Maria Luisa Empanadas moves into the former Schmaltzy’s Delicatessen space on Leary Way, offering meat and vegetarian versions of its namesake dish. And 1.5 miles north sits Maiz Taqueria, which also has branches in Pike Place Market and Belltown. And My Ballard blog reports the taco truck Bautista is now parked in front of the Budget Truck Rental on 15th Avenue Northwest
Finally, the University District lands Easy Caribbean and the sushi spot Sumo Express.
Odds and ends
In related restaurant resurrection news, reopening are HoneyHole on Capitol Hill, Julia’s of Wallingford and The Kraken Bar & Lounge in North Seattle. Meanwhile, the Rancho Bravo branches on Capitol Hill and Wallingford are now rebranded as Teto’s Cantina.
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