Seattle Eats

Memorial Day is behind us, meaning summer has officially started. The Seattle Eats team is taking a short summer break to cook up new shows. To get the vacation vibes going, we asked friends of the show to send us their favorite patio to enjoy the summer weather. Seattle Eats will be back with regular episodes June 12.  Patio recommendations:  Marination Ma Kai – West Seattle (Rach...

The Pacific Northwest is a great place to hunt for clams of all types: Razor, manilla, butter, and even the elusive geoduck. But one bivalve flies under the radar: horse clams.  Horse clams are the little cousin of the geoduck and share many of the qualities that make geoduck a delicacy. But while geoduck costs upwards of $40 a pound, horse clams aren’t available in stores. The only way...

Roy Choi is best known as the father of the Korean fusion taco. His food truck Kogi went viral in 2008, making him one of the first food influencers on social media.  But in his new book The Choi of Cooking, Roy offers a look into a different part of his life: His journey to eat healthier while still having the comfort foods he loves.  Tan interviewed Roy in front of a sold-out audience...

Mexican Seoul is making waves among Seattle foodies. But instead of traditional carne asada or cheesy quesadillas, the food truck in Roosevelt is serving up a meld of Korean and Mexican flavors. Their menu features bulgogi-style pork cooked al pastor, kimchi pico de gallo and steak marinated in spices from Korean kalbi. Tan tastes two of Mexican Seoul’s most popular tacos with local Korean f...

Seattle has some truly stellar food that draws on cultures from around the world, but not all cuisines get equal time in the limelight.  At a recent live event at Town Hall Seattle for the Splendid Table podcast, Tan and Seattle chef Melissa Miranda joined Splendid Table host Francis Lam to put a spotlight on fine dining in Vietnamese and Filipino cuisines.  Recommendations in this episo...

Two big-name Washington breweries are expanding with new locations in Seattle, complete with food offerings from local chefs. Tan explains how the news points to two trends shaping the city’s brewery scene. Plus, Seattle Times editor Trevor Lenzmeier tells the story of an acclaimed sushi restaurant that shut down this month, and not for reasons you would expect.  Tell us about your favo...

There are plenty of good hot sandwiches in any town. But making a great hot sandwich is something of an art form. There are too many ways for things to go wrong: Sharp crusts that scratch the roof of the mouth; one-note fillings; sad lettuce; etc. Seattle Times journalist and restaurant critic Bethany Jean Clement joins Tan to discuss her criteria for a stellar hot sandwich, and they taste three f...

Like many cities, Seattle has a long history of turning pre-made cacao into chocolate confections. But there’s a new kind of chocolate maker in town: Small, artisanal makers that are crafting “bean to bar” chocolates that retail for as much as $13 a bar.  Seattle Times food writer Jackie Varriano dug into this shift, and the kind of chocolate these new operations are churnin...

Tahini is a simple ingredient — toasted sesame seeds, ground into an oily paste. It had a moment in the food fad cycle in 2016, but has since faded into the background. Local writer and cookbook author Rachel Belle thinks that is a mistake. In her new book  Open Sesame! , she argues that tahini deserves a spot in the center of every kitchen.  In this episode, Tan visits Rachel for...

This month, Seattle lost three iconic restaurants, including one in the heart of Chinatown. At the same time, the two hottest new restaurants in the region are Chinese spots in cities outside Seattle. On this episode, Tan and dining partner and writer Chris Solomon share some of their favorite bites at these new restaurants and discuss what this shift says about the region.  Read more about t...

Eating out is getting pricier. But if you’re looking for a great deal at Seattle-area restaurants, all you have to do is adventure out on a quieter day. Many local eateries run deals during their slowest hours, like Monday evenings or mid-week lunch times. In this episode, Tan explains his list of the 5 best meal deals in the region. Read more about Tan’s meal deal picks in The Seattle...

There is a new trend popping up all over the Seattle Pizza Scene: Fusion pizzas. And we’re not talking about controversial toppings like pineapple or olives. Instead, think pizza topped with ingredients for a Seattle Dog, or a crust slathered in mac and cheese. Tan is joined by Seattle Times Food Editor Trevor Lenzmeier for a breakdown of the best and wildest fusion pies in the city.  R...

You’re not imagining it: Restaurant prices are soaring, particularly in Seattle. A combination of food inflation, bird flu and the city’s recent minimum wage hike mean many restaurant owners are raising prices and getting creative to stay in business. Tan explains how things might be changing at your favorite spot, and what budget-friendly dishes to look for if your wallet is feeling t...

Our town was made for soup. The sooty dusks of December. The dampness of March. We dive into caldrons of smoking pho and ramen. So, why not udon? On today’s episode, Tan ventures out to find some of the best udon in Seattle. He visits Azuki in Madison Valley to learn about how Chef Ryuji Miyata makes his noodles by hand. Later, Tan recommends some more casual and budget-friendly udon places....

There are 15 new bars and restaurants that Tan check-marked as must visit this year. But there’s one opening that just might be the most anticipated. It’s called My Friend Derek’s. A hotspot for Detroit-style pizza, run by self-taught baker Derek Reiff. It’s in the Tangletown neighborhood, just south of Green Lake. On today’s episode, Tan visits Derek at his restauran...

There are thousands of restaurants all over Puget Sound, and each of these restaurants serve different dishes. So how do you know which ones to pick? Well, The Seattle Times food team tried over 1500 dishes in the past year, so you don’t have to. In this episode, Tan talks with Times food writers Jackie Varriano and Bethany Jean Clement about the best dishes they ate last year. Read more abo...

Costco is a great place to stock up on holiday staples, and nowhere is that more true than its wine selection. Tan and sommelier Owen Bargreen break down their picks for this year’s best wine offerings, and share tips on how to find them.  Plus, a loophole at restaurants that lets you save money by bringing your own bottle of wine to dinner.  Recommendations in this episode: Sparkling wine: Kirkla...

$20 burgers. $50 pizzas. Eating out in Seattle has never been so expensive – and there’s lots of reasons why. In this bonus episode of Seattle Eats, we share a conversation about the economics of restaurant prices with four local chefs and restaurateurs.    Panel: Kristi Brown (Communion) Victor Steinbrueck (Local Tide) Ethan Stowell (Ethan Stowell Restaurants)  Rachel Yang (Revel, Joule) Moderate...

Food pop-ups, trucks and carts are blossoming all over Seattle – but not all of them are above board. The city is seeing a huge spike in mobile food vendors that aren’t permitted. Today we tell the story of how Tan found out about this trend thanks to the hottest food truck of the summer, and talk to Seattle Times reporter Jackie Varriano about how to tell if a food vendor is following health rule...

Teriyaki as we know it was invented in Seattle in the 1970s. It’s why there’s a teriyaki joint almost every other block across the city. On this episode, we join author and food influencer J. Kenji López-Alt on his mission to eat at every single teriyaki restaurant in Seattle (and some outside) and discover the ultimate form of this native Seattle cuisine.  Plus, Kenji and Tan discuss one of the b...

Pho and Banh mi shops are ubiquitous in Seattle, but Vietnamese food here is evolving far beyond these two dishes. In this episode, Seattle Times Food Writers Bethany Jean Clement and Jackie Varriano join Tan for a taste test of their favorite Vietnamese dishes in the city, courtesy of the Times’ Vietnamese Food Guide.  Plus, a neighborhood in Seattle with great cheap eats that you’ve probably nev...

Only one spot in Washington state made the New York Time’s list of 50 best restaurants this year: familyfriend. The Beacon Hill eatery’s menu is filled with stand-out meals from Guam and other Pacific Islands, but the one responsible for its meteoric rise is all American. In this episode, Tan chats with familyfriend owner Elmer Dulla about the restaurant’s sudden success and its Guamanian roots. P...

Where can you get the best slice of pizza in Seattle? That’s what the Seattle Times asked readers in its Summer Pizza Smackdown — and the Times’ food writers happen to agree with the answer. This episode, Tan counts down the 4 best pies in the city with fellow Seattle Times food writers Jackie Varriano and Bethany Jean Clement Plus, tips on getting a table at the hottest new restaurant this fall:...

Where should I take a date for dinner? What’s up with that taco stand down the street? Is the hottest new restaurant really worth waiting in line for an hour? Whatever question you have about Seattle’s food scene, Tan Vinh has the answer. Join him on Seattle Eats, a new podcast that pulls back the curtain on the dishes – and the people – that make Seattle’s food iconic. Episodes drop every other T...