I won't be travelling to the states any time soon in the foreseeable future (never 51!), but let's recap my short trip to Seattle this past winter. Growing up, my family would take road trips to Vancouver, and from there, the occasional day trip into Washington. I wouldn't say we ever explored Seattle in depth. Most of our cross border trips involved the Outlets in Tulalip. So I was excited to finally experience the city in the 4 short days we were there.
Getting to Seattle involved a layover in Vancouver. Layovers are always annoying but we decided to take advantage of the time to check out the airport lounge (Plaza Premium in the US Departures).
The lounge was busy and a lot smaller than I expected. We managed to find some free seats at the bar but it wasn't the most comfortable experience. We didn't have breakfast at this point so we grabbed some plates at the buffet. There was a limited selection of hot food and a refrigerated section with salads, yogurt, and cakes.
We had arrived at the end of breakfast service, just as they were changing over the chafing trays. Sad, because I would've preferred breakfast. The hot food included: sweet and sour pork, hunter chicken, vegetable gratin, and corn fried rice. Um, yeah. The food was edible but the meats were so, so dry. If our lounge visits weren't free (credit card perk), I would've been quite disappointed with our whole experience.
We finally arrived in Seattle after some delays. To be economical, we took the Link light rail ($3/person) from the airport to downtown. It was pretty convenient, although a bit of a trek from the airport to the station. The air was cool and crisp, but much nicer than the weather back home.
The train ride took about 40 minutes to reach downtown. Public transit is always a gamble in the city but it did feel quite safe because of patrol officers at each stop. We exited the train at Westlake, which was just a couple blocks away from our hotel.
After dropping off our bags and freshening up, we simply walked across the street to Chan for happy hour (4-6pm). Chan is a contemporary Korean restaurant located in the Paramount Hotel. Their creative menu pairs Korean flavours with modern cooking techniques.
We started off with the steak tartare ($18.00). During happy hour, this dish is only $10, so it's a really good deal. On top of crunchy brioche toast, the raw beef is mixed in a garlic soy marinade with Asian pear, jalapeno, and scallions. This had a very strong sesame oil flavour. Nutty and aromatic. The raw egg yolk provided additional creaminess.
Another appetizer we got was the deep fried rice cake ($8.00). These were fun little bites to pop back. Crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. They had a sweet, spicy glaze with some peanuts and scallion. A generous portion as well.
Surprisingly our favourite item of the night was the Brussels sprouts ($16.00). Brussels sprouts, bulgogi pork bites, fish sauce vinaigrette, sweet potato puree. I thought it was a very balanced dish. Sweet, salty, umami. The Brussels sprouts were tender but still had a good bite. The bulgogi pork bites mimicked bacon while the sweet potato puree was smooth and creamy.
The American wagyu coulotte ssam ($28.00 for 5oz, $49.00 for 9oz) was served deconstructed with a bunch of components to make your own lettuce wraps. The beef was marinaded galbi-style, so it was a touch sweet. I did find it to be a little chewy. Other accompaniments included kimchi, oyster mushroom, raw garlic slices, jalapeno, and ssamjang, a fermented bean paste.
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Our last dish was the smoked duck sot bap ($39.00). Sot bap in Korean translates to pot rice. Here, it's made and served in a cast iron pot which allows a crunchy rice crust to form at the bottom. There's a few variations but we chose the smoked duck. The rice is cooked with chicken stock and perfumed with king oyster and truffle. Super earthy. It didn't wow me, but it's a dish that warms your soul.
The night was still young so off we went exploring. We walked to Capitol Hill, one of Seattle's most trendy, vibey neighbourhoods.
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First stop was K-Pop Nara to browse some merch. Super cute but the USD-CAD conversion rate did stop me from making any impulse purchases.
I can never say no to a sweet treat so we stopped at Baiten Bakery, a dessert offshoot from Tamari Bar, a Japanese izakaya. Baiten offers an array of Japanese-inspired sweets including fruit sandos and soft serve.
Their soft serve only comes in vanilla but you can choose between different syrup flavours. They have matcha, hojicha (roasted green tea), yuzu (Japanese citrus), and kuro-goma (black sesame). I'm a fan of all those flavours but we ultimately went with the kuro-goma ($6.00). The black sesame was concentrated and nutty and paired well with the creamy soft serve. It would be *chef's kiss* in the summer months.
A few blocks away, we stopped into Elliot Bay Book Company. A gorgeous book store with two levels. I could have spent hours exploring.
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I love the handwritten slips written by staff members scattered through the shelves. It reminded me of Powell's Books in Portland.
My brother saw that Dave's Hot Chicken was nearby, so requested that we stop by for a late night snack. (How he wasn't still full from dinner is beyond me.) Dave's Hot Chicken is a fast-growing chain that specializes in chicken tenders and sliders. The chicken can be ordered in 7 different heat levels, from zero spice to reaper (you have to sign a disclaimer to order it). Their Seattle location had recently opened so it was quite busy with a line out of the door. We probably waited 45 minutes in total.
My brother ordered Dave's #3 combo ($14.99) which comes with 1 chicken tender and 1 slider with a side of fries. Tenders are served with sliced bread and pickles, while sliders are served on a potato bun with kale slaw and pickles. Both come with a side of Dave's sauce. I believe he ordered mild spice. I only had a bite and it was quite flavourful. Not spicy at all. I could probably (comfortably) go up to a medium. Now that Edmonton has a location of their own, I'll have to give them a try again!
And that concludes day 1 in Seattle!
- CT
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