By Tan Vinh / The Seattle Times
The splashy headliner in this fresh list of Greater Seattle restaurant openings is a Japanese chain, which has landed in Bellevue — and is seeing wait times of up to five hours for tables. The restaurant continues the trend of big-name Asian chains opening Eastside outposts, from Daeho Kalbijjim to Sun Sui Wah.
But there are other new dining options to try without waiting in line, from al pastor tacos to shrimp dumplings and beyond. Also in this roundup: a buzzy bistro at which Kirkland denizens are dying to book a table is close to opening, but not ready yet.
We have the opening date on that restaurant, and details on 25 others that have already opened below, starting with that Japanese tempura spot.
Eastside
Tendon Kohaku is the renowned tempura house, open now in Bellevue, that treats deep-frying as a high art. Its secret medley of flours forms a crispy batter that is good enough that folks wait up to five hours for a table.
The silver lining is that you don’t have to stand in line. Here’s the deal: Go into the restaurant, sign in and then run your errands until the host calls. You’ll have 20 minutes to high-tail back or you’ll lose your spot in the virtual line.
Now, as for the food: The crackly, light tempura batter dresses up veggies and seafood, including shrimp, fish, eel, squid and crab sticks. The 76-seat restaurant also serves udon and pork katsu curry rice, but other customers might look at you funny if you don’t order the signature tempura.
A spokesperson for the Tokyo-based chain said it will open more branches in the “Greater Seattle area and other states” but was mum on any further details.
Also in Bellevue: At Lake Hills Village, Lin Handmade Dumplings offers two dozen buns, wontons and other morsels stuffed with different combos of pork, beef, shrimp and veggie fillings. Many customers fortify their dumplings with stir-fries, noodles or congee.
Restaurateur Danny Meyer’s burger chain Shake Shack expands to the first floor of Bellevue Square, its sixth branch in Washington state. One of the burger shop’s more distinctive burgers is the Shack Stack, a cheeseburger topped with a deep-fried portabella mushroom that’s filled with gooey Muenster and cheddar cheeses.
And last but not least in Bellevue, Cafe Joy serves espresso along with breakfast egg dishes and the croffle, a hybrid of a waffle and a croissant that gets filled with matcha and other toppings.
In Redmond, ā mā chicken rice specializes in the trendy poached Hainanese chicken rice dish and also serves Cambodian noodle soup. Taste of Hyderabad offers a dozen South Indian vegetarian curry and masala entrees, along with biryanis and dosas. And Shawarma Time, popular in Seattle for its kebabs, shawarma and gyros, expands to Redmond Town Center.
The French bakery Crumble & Flake has opened in Issaquah, bringing all the greatest hits from its Capitol Hill menu to Gilman Village, from kouign-amann to croissants. Unlike its tiny Seattle shop, this expanded patisserie includes a lunch menu with quiche and sandwiches, such as a croque monsieur. You can read more about this bakery from my colleague Jackie Varriano.
Now, back to that buzzy Kirkland opening. Those who have been waiting for the downtown debut of the Italian bistro Rimini Restaurant, initially expected in July, will need to keep waiting. The planned opening date is now Aug. 15.
Until then, open now nearby is Philly Ya Belly, doing its signature Philly cheesesteak along with other sandwich fusions, such as a bulgogi steak sub.
In Bothell, Modoo Hansang is a new Korean restaurant where you can find tteokbokki, bibimbap and japchae.
And in bubble tea news: Hub Boba bills itself as the first bubble tea shop to pop up on Mercer Island, while Mauritius Brown Bubble Tea debuts in Kenmore.
South End
The summer’s most talked-about new pho and noodle house, 3 Bros Vietnamese Cuisine, is open now in Burien, headed by a former sous chef from the critically acclaimed Ba Bar. Note that parking is limited.
Nearby, Kirkland’s Chicko Chicken brings its spicy Korean drumsticks to Burien Plaza. And a half-mile north sits Paco’s Tacos, doing al pastor, carnitas and asada.
The Landing in Renton, the swanky mall that has been steadily upping its restaurant roster, lands the high-end contemporary Indian restaurant Clove.
In Kent, Sofra Turkish Grill serves comfort fare, such as the flatbread pide, and also meze, with various small bites and dips. The sweet baklava is also a specialty.
The chain Paris Baguette opens two branches: in Parkway Village Southcenter in Tukwila, and also north of Seattle, at Alderwood mall in Lynnwood. A spokesperson for the restaurant said it plans to add more branches on the Eastside in the future. The French fusion chain cranks out dozens of different breads and pastries, including savory and sweet croissants, from a jalapeño cheddar version to ones with chocolate filling.
And more bubble tea: Jay Tea opens in Westfield Southcenter mall and 32 Below, which also does soft serve ice cream, debuts in Renton.
North End
You can find Bangkok Boulevard, which does Thai noodle dishes, curries and the Northern Thai chicken soup, khao soi, along Highway 99 in Edmonds.
In Lynnwood, the Korean-Chinese cafe Modoo Banjeom specializes in noodles, including the jjajangmyeon black bean sauce version and the jjamppong spicy seafood soup. Meanwhile, K-Cafe Dabang makes Korean desserts.
Finally, in Shoreline, Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken has opened, serving their monstrous, souped-up sammies, like The Ultimate: a fried chicken patty topped with mac and cheese, fried battered onions and a roasted garlic-BBQ aioli sauce.
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