This week in food news, a new mochi donut shop Like List comes to town, Seattle gets two new options for the comforting chicken and rice dish khao man gai, and the beloved sandwich shop HoneyHole Like List has new owners. Plus, restaurants are likely to return to indoor dining on Monday, and Li'l Woody's annual Burger Month Past Event Like List lineup is here. Read on for that and more culinary updates. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.
NEW OPENINGS AND RETURNS
Drunken Chicken
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This new pop-up in the Juisala
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storefront serves two varieties of the popular Hainanese dish chicken rice: classic khao man gai (poached chicken) and the eponymous "drunken chicken" (chicken marinated in rice wine), both served with seasoned rice, cucumber slices, and a side of chicken broth. For vegetarians, there's also a meatless option with deep-fried tofu.
Wallingford
Pickup or delivery
Mochinut
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The fanatical turnout for the opening of the mochi donut shop Dochi
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proved that Seattle has a hunger for chewy-crisp rice flour donuts, and now another place serving the increasingly popular treat has landed. Mochinut had its grand opening last weekend and currently offers flavors like strawberry, churro, black sesame, chai tea latte, Nutella almond, and mango. The shop also serves chewy Korean-style mochi corn dogs (similar to the ones available at Chung Chun Rice Dog
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). According to the website, locations in Bellevue, Lakewood, Edmonds, and Westfield Southcenter are coming soon.
South Lake Union
Pickup
Khao Man Gai Thai Chicken Rice
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In a strange coincidence, another new place serving khao man gai has appeared on the Seattle food scene. In addition to the Hainanese chicken rice dish with either poached or battered chicken, this ghost kitchen in West Seattle offers Thai dishes like spring rolls, fresh rolls, chicken satay skewers, chicken wings, green chicken curry, chicken fried rice, ginger chicken stir-fries, and chicken rama.
West Seattle
Pickup or delivery
FUTURE OPENINGS
Dough Zone Dumpling House
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The rapidly expanding dumpling chain appears to be expanding with an upcoming location on the Eastside: Signs announcing a new outpost "coming soon" have been spotted in the windows of the former space of Swiftwater Cellars
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in downtown Bellevue. The chain currently has two other locations in Bellevue.
Bellevue
CLOSURES
Yoroshiku East
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The Bellevue outpost of this Japanese ramen and yakitori joint closed permanently on January 24. The original Wallingford location
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will remain open.
Bellevue
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Restaurants reopen at 25% capacity on Monday
Governor Jay Inslee is planning to loosen COVID regulations so restaurants can reopen for indoor dining beginning Monday, February 1, and stay open at least through February 15. Rich Smith has more details on the new plan.
HoneyHole gets new owners
According to a press release, the endearingly weird watering hole and sandwich shop HoneyHole
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has been sold to new management after nearly 22 years of business. New owners Kristin and Patrick Rye plan to change as little as possible about the enduring Capitol Hill institution's original location (they promise the floating shark and hang-gliding lizard aren't going anywhere) and plan to expand with more locations around the Seattle area. Today, they also brought back the fan-favorite Corleone sandwich, which features house-made pastrami and hasn't been on the menu since March—the sandwich sold out within 15 minutes (!), but the restaurant posted that they had a second round of pastrami ready to go around 2:30 pm this afternoon.
Li'l Woody's announces Burger Month plans
The popular local burger joint chain Li'l Woody's has revealed the lineup for its annual Burger Month series
Past Event
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, which features burgers dreamed up by local chefs. This year's specials include a burger with fry sauce and Yubeshi onions from Canlis
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chef Brady Williams (January 26-February 1); a yogurt-marinated chicken burger with cilantro chutney from Aakanksha and Uttam Mukherjee of Spice Waala (February 2-8); a "Cochiloco Burger" with salsa macha aioli, chorizo, and avocado from Raiz
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chef Ricardo Valdes (February 9-15); a beef and lamb burger with harissa red pepper mayo and whipped goat cheese from Cafe Campagne
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chef Daisley Gordon (February 16-22); and a "Neon Torta" with pulled pork, avocado mayo, cabbage cilantro slaw, sauteed onions, and jalapeños from chef Monica Dimas of Little Neon Taco
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(February 23-March 1).
POP-UPS AND EVENTS
Anniversary Week Pop-Ups
Past Event
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Fair Isle Brewing is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a week full of excellent local pop-ups. The remaining lineup includes smash burgers from Rough Draft Burgers (January 29), "Texas-ish" barbecue from Bootleg BBQ and Himalayan food from Kathmandu Momocha (January 30), and "Pakistani soul food" from Karachi Cowboys (January 31).
Fair Isle Brewing, January 29-31
Back Patio Grand Opening
Past Event
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The cozy Ballard brunch standby Wild Mountain Cafe will unveil its new heated patio and celebrate with happy hour specials all weekend, including $3 Mimosas and $5 Bloody Marys.
Wild Mountain Cafe, January 29-31, 7:30 am-3 pm
Lola's Greek Dinner for Two
Past Event
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Miss the fresh, modern Mediterranean flavors of Tom Douglas's Belltown restaurant Lola? Hearken back to pre-COVID times with a takeout meal of freshly griddled pita bread, a hearty Greek lamb or mushroom stew, halloumi and fig kebabs, fennel and green olive salad, olive oil cake, and spoon sweets (preserves served in a spoon at the end of a meal).
Serious TakeOut, January 29-31
The Season Opener: Wild Game Feast
Past Event
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Tavolàta invites you to "embrace the call of the wild" with a multi-course meal that includes elk tartare, boar ribs, nettle soup, braised rabbit and foraged hedgehog mushrooms campanelle, quail, and venison chops.
Tavolàta Belltown, January 30-31, 4:30-8:30 pm
A Conversation About Food Justice
Past Event
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Chefs Tarik Abdullah, Ariella Bangs, Melissa Miranda, and Jimaine Miler will discuss the rise of community kitchens, as well as activism and empowerment through the food justice movement in Seattle.
Online, Sunday, January 31, 7-8:30 pm
SPECIALS
Mamnoon
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This weekend, Capitol Hill's acclaimed Middle Eastern restaurant is selling brunch kits packed with English muffins, lamb sujuk sausage patties, halloumi cheese, brown butter toum, fermented hot sauce, house pickles, herb salad, labneh with Sam’s rose jam, baklawa granola, hummus, marinated olives, crudite, and pita.
Capitol Hill
Pickup
Petite Soif
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As a Friday special, the cozy Beacon Hill wine bar is offering a hot spicy pork sandwich with melted provolone and pickled fennel on house-made focaccia. Add on a bottle of wine.
Beacon Hill
Pickup or outdoor dining
Slab
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Looking for some midwinter comfort? John Sundstrom's Capitol Hill sandwich shop has a new savory pot pie filled with slow-cooked pork cheeks and winter root vegetables, clocking in at a hefty two and half pounds.
Capitol Hill
Pickup or delivery
South Town Pie
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The South Park pizzeria's newest one-off "unicorn pizza" special is Seoul Food, a Korean-inspired pie topped with kimchi, scallions, and sesame seeds.
South Park
Pickup or delivery