Two racks of Xia Long Bao (soup dumplings)

Wrapping platinum dumplings

Soup goodness

Noodles with meat sauce

Spicy Wonton

Rice cakes with prawns

Shao Mai (shrimp on top, a little soup and pork at the bottom)

Din Tai Fung

This place is the real deal Holyfield. I love Din Tai Fung and glad that they chose Seattle (Bellevue) as their 2nd US location. My moms was kind enough to take the fam out to Din Tai Fun for my bday. Since my mom only eats asian food, she makes the decisions where to roll.

Words cannot express how much I love DTF……. xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and spicy wontons that is! I usually order two different kinds of soup dumplings, the pork and then the chicken & truffle. Also it’s a must to get two orders of spicy wontons as they could be Seattle’s best wontons. Balance the meal with some chinese broccoli and green beans. Instead of rice, it’s rice cakes with prawns. And you can’t have asian food without noodles, so you have to go with the spicy noodles and the noodles with meat sauce. 

If there’s room, the shave ice desert with fruit and red bean hits. DTF is loaded with goodness, flavors, freshness, and quality. The downside are the lines and the $$$ status, definitely not an everyday thing. DTF holds it down and I consider it a treat each time I visit. To note they have beer on asian beer on draft. 

Fried Chicken (regular & Korean style)

Bone Marrow

Wood grilled kalbi short ribs

Curry bacon fried rice

Brown butter mochi cake

Pumpkin shake

Ma’Ono Fried Chicken & Whisky (formally Springhill) 

Can’t express how much I love fried chicken. Ma’Ono is one of my go to friend chicken spots in Seattle and along with popeyes (don’t hate). Ma’Ono originated from the Springhill Monday pop up and then chef Mark Fuller converting to fried chicken and progressive Hawaiian/Asian inspired food full time. 

Ma’Ono serves their fried chicken three way and your choice of two - regular, korean (spicy), and chinese (sweet mild mustard). All of them are definitely cracking so I recommend going with original and asking for the other two sauces on the side (sampler style). The other dishes that also hit home were the woodfired kalbi short ribs, clams, bone morrow, and curry bacon fried rice. I have yet to make my way through the whole menu but I plan to. Also, the burger gets a lot of attention as one of the best in Seattle. Occasionally they will serve the red velvet shake which is money and can compete with any desert in town. 

To me the Ma’Ono concept of fried chicken and whisky theme is a perfect harmony. I’ll warm up with some whisky and close out with some draft beer. The hardest decision is not wanting to order everything.

Revel 

Hands down Revel is one of my favorite Seattle restaurants. It serves a korean urban inspired cuisine that is done with a modern touch. Also you can see influences in their dishes from all of asian flavors. My favorites are the short rib dumplings, mussel pancakes with pickled coconut, argula corned lamb salad with fish sauce (spicy), dungeness crab with seaweed noodle, oxtail ragout noodle, and the earl grey truffle dessert (all shown above). It has an industrial modern setting that is complimented by hip pop art, which in all promotes a fine social experience. For busy dinner nights, hop into Quoin next door for cocktails. 

Foie Gras

Waygu 

Sea Bass

Truffle Fries

Creme Brulee

Macarons

Canlis (birthday dinner)

Thank you GF!  I had the most fine, classy, exquisite dinning experience ever in my life. We enjoyed the fois gais, waygu steak, sea bass, truffle fries, crume brulee, and parting macarons. If you know Canlis, it is Seattle’s most finest dining experience with many accolades such as James Beard, Food & Wine, and other foodster recognitions. FYI for fellas, your blazer most remain on at all times.

Eggs Benedict

 Quiche

Poached Eggs Ragout

Spring Hill killin the Seattle Brunch Game!

One of Seattle’s most progressive american cuisine food gamers. classic dishes with a modern execution. ingredients are top notch and most dishes I’ve had.. harmonize well.  Hands down, my fave brunch spot in Seattle.