Gastrolust

Paseo, Salumi and many Vietnamese delis selling BBQ pork banh mi: All are superb places for a sandwich in Seattle. Now it’s time to add Katsu Burger to that elite list. Hajime Sato, (sustainable) sushi chef at Mashiko, recently opened this bustling eatery in Georgetown, and I’ve already heard rumors of [...]

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Last week, Sexy Feast sized up 8 Oz. Burger Bar, one of the newest entries in Seattle’s burger boom. But the boom isn’t just about traditional burgers. Hajime Sato of Mashiko and sustainable sushi fame recently opened an incredibly popular and delicious new restaurant in Georgetown called Katsu Burger, serving “Japanese [...]

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Dish: Tokyo Ramen
Place: Boom Noodle, Bellevue (also in Capitol Hill and University Village)
Price: $10.95
In the bowl: Chashu (braised pork butt), tamago (egg), menma (bamboo shoots), green onion, and a piece of nori (seaweed) in soy seasoned chicken-pork broth
Supporting cast/What to do: You can order fried garlic chips or fried shallots for an [...]

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Dish: Kitsune udon
Place: U:Don, University District (”U” is pronounced “You”)
Price: $5.75 for a medium bowl
In the bowl: From the menu: “Udon noodles served hot with our extra thick fried and marinated tofu (Atsu-age), sliced green onions & grated fresh ginger.”
Supporting cast/What to do: Grab a tray and slide along the line, cafeteria-style, [...]

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One year ago, I was at 107-year-old Maneki restaurant eating soba to debut the start of The Mein Man noodle column. Several months ago, I returned to watch as Andrew Zimmern shot a portion of his television program (due to air sometime next month) there. The “Bizarre Foods” he ate ranged from fermented [...]

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If you go to Setsuna in Northgate, you’ll see that this Japanese restaurant has both a dinner menu and an izakaya menu. For those not familiar with izakaya dining, you get shareable small plates that are a perfect accompaniment to beer or sake. Think yakitori, potato croquettes, karaage (fried marinated chicken), [...]

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So far this week, there have been Andrew Zimmern sightings at The Walrus and the Carpenter, Fu Lin (not a place I’d recommend for ramen), and Marination Mobile, a few of the places he’s visiting while shooting a Seattle-area episode of Bizarre Foods. Perhaps most bizarre was his visit to Sea Breeze Farm, where he [...]

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When I attended the Culinary Institute of America’s annual Worlds of Flavor conference last year, one speaker cited a report that there are 25,600 ramen restaurants in Japan. Those are dedicated ramen shops, selling little more than gyoza on the side.
Seattle has two such shops.
To learn more about my favorite Japanese noodle [...]

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Dish: Inaka Udon
Place: Showa, Fremont
Price: $7.50
In the bowl: From the menu: “chilled udon, daikon oroshi and tempura crunch in cold dashi broth.” There are also green onions and nori (seaweed strips) on top. I opted to add a raw egg for fifty cents more.
Supporting cast: Just what’s in the bowl.
What to do: [...]

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Dish: Tonkatsu Ramen
Place: Yoe’s Noodles, Bellevue
Price: $7.80
In the bowl: Ramen noodles, half of a hard-boiled egg, corn, thinly sliced green onion, mushrooms, and bean sprouts in tonkotsu broth.
Supporting cast: A plate with sliced tonkatsu, a lemon wedge, and some tonkatsu sauce with karashi (spicy mustard).

What to do: Try to eat the noodles quickly so that [...]

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