Nuggets: Sully’s closes, LA Korean barbecue chain opens in Lynnwood, Katsu Burger reopens in Lake Stevens

It’s time for a new Nuggets. Read on for the latest restaurant news, including our new eatery feature, a famous Korean barbecue chain opening in Lynnwood, an upcoming Salvadoran food truck, other restaurant openings and fun food-related library happenings.

New eatery feature: The Korean street foods at Bapmukja in Lynnwood

Bapmukja, a new Korean fast-casual restaurant, opened back in July. After trying their kimbap and street toast last week, I’m not sure how I missed their summertime debut.

The shrimp tempura kimbap ($10) is very good. A Korean lunchbox staple similar to Japanese maki rolls (rolled sushi wrapped with nori), Bapmukja fills theirs with a fluffy egg sheet, asparagus, carrots and a burst of pickled radish. Don’t eat around the crunchy, delicious and perfectly edible fried shrimp tail. Bapmukja’s sweet honey sauce — a play on honey walnut shrimp — is glazed over top along with toasted sesame seeds.

But it was Bapmukja’s steak toast ($11) that lingered on my tongue hours after I scarfed it down. Imagine a patty melt with a thick layer of mouthwatering, thinly sliced short rib. Slightly fatty and juicy with an easy chew, just how biting into short rib should be. The sweet-and-spicy marinade comprises a scratchmade teriyaki barbecue sauce, gochujang and a few good secrets. Co-owner TJ Duffy’s created the recipe (it took him over a decade to master). You’ll find the sandwich’s melted cheese and overall heft are tempered by crunchy shaved cabbage and a Korean chili pepper sauce that will leave a lovely little fire on your lips. This sandwich works for both a quick weekday lunch and a hangover meal.

In South Korea, traditional street toast is stuffed with smoked ham, an egg patty, melted cheese, shaved veggies and sauce, which Bapmukja also offers for $10.

Choose from three iterations of tteokbokki, a Korean rice cake dish: The original swims in a sinus-clearing gochujang sauce, accompanied by fish cakes, cabbage, green onion and one boiled egg. Duffy serves Korean-Italian matrimony with his garlic oil-slicked, bacon-topped aglio e olio tteokbokki. Finally, sauce lovers can enjoy the delightfully chewy rice cakes in a bath of creamy rose sauce, sprinkled with bacon and green onion. Each version is $10. This is a clear choice for lovers of spicy and satisfyingly chewy foods.

Duffy runs the Lynnwood eatery with his business partner Thomas Hur, who dreamed up the idea of serving elevated Korean street foods in south Snohomish County.

Bapmukja is tucked in the corner of a strip mall at 18623 Hwy 99 Suite 110 in Lynnwood. The eatery is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday.

New Salvadoran food truck to open in Everett

If you haven’t yet experienced the glory of pupusas — Salvadoran griddle cakes stuffed with a combination of beans, cheese, pork, squash, jalapeño and/or more — Pupuseria y Tienda Latina’s upcoming food truck in downtown Everett will help get you there.

The food truck was poised to open Monday but experienced a slight delay. While you’re waiting for the food truck to open, you can visit Pupuseria y Tienda Latina’s brick-and-mortar location at 409 State Ave. in Marysville. We wrote about the Marysville eatery/grocery store back in March.

Pupuseria y Tienda Latina’s food truck will soon open at 3027 Broadway in Everett. Follow them on Facebook for updates on their opening day.

Alderwood attracts popular Korean barbecue chain

One of Los Angeles’s top Korean barbecue chains made its PNW debut Sept. 19 at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood.

Baekjeong offers a classic and interactive Korean barbecue experience, with banchan (side dishes) to go with a choice of premium meats such as boneless short rib, thinly sliced brisket, pork jowl and pork belly. Organ meat offerings include beef tripe, beef small and large intestines and spicy intestine combo. The lofty, modern industrial dining area can seat 200+ people, though its opening week saw two to three hour waits.

Baekjeong means (unsurprisingly) “butcher” in Korean. Operated by Kijung Hospitality group, the chain has locations in Koreatown NY, Koreatown LA, Irvine and elsewhere in SoCal.

You can find Baekjeong’s Lynnwood location at Alderwood Mall, 3000 184th St SW #3500. The restaurant opens at 5 p.m. everyday, and closes at midnight on weekends, 10 p.m. on weekdays.

Katsu Burger reopens in Lake Stevens

Katsu Burger reopened its Lake Stevens location Sept. 22. The local chain had opened its Lake Stevens location last June but closed this summer due to an “uphill battle” with the pandemic.

“We originally decided to shut down this location but something happened we did not expect. All of the love and support from you!” the owners announced on Facebook. “We got emails and a flood of Katsu fans wanting us to stay in the Lake Stevens community. So it is with a lot of Joy we are happy to announce that Katsu Burger Lake Stevens is back! Thank you all for the support!”

Katsu Burger offers Japanese flavors in mouthwater burgers and sandwiches, such as its pork loin katsu curry with American cheese, tonkatsu sauce and curry mayo. Veggie options include the crispy honey miso tofu burger. Challenge your stomach and jaw with the Mt. Fuji, a glorious stack of chicken and grass-fed beef patties, pork katsu, egg, bacon, cheddar, American and pepperjack cheeses, wasabi mayo, spicy mayo and Tonkatsu sauce. The nori fries are a mandatory side.

Katsu Burger’s Lake Stevens eatery is located at 512 91st Ave NE and is open Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Tuesday.

Sully’s Pizza & Calzones in Mukilteo closes

Sully’s Pizza & Calzones closed after it was sold last month. The Mukilteo family restaurant dished out its last pizza Sept. 30.

Former owners Dick Haines and Brian Sullivan made the announcement Sept. 28 on Facebook, stating that the new owners will close their doors for about a month to remodel for their upcoming business.

“Dick & Brian want to thank everyone for your support over the ten plus years of building and operating Sully’s,” the owners wrote on Facebook. “It was fun and challenging at times, especially the past two and a half years, but we leave with fond memories and great friendships. We appreciate you all. We’ll see you around the Muk!”

Haines and Sullivan, who served as Mukilteo’s mayor from 1990 to 1997, opened the neighborhood joint in 2015. Together, they re-established Sullivan’s first restaurant that he ran in the 1980’s and 1990’s, called Riley’s Pizza. They remodeled the restaurant for a year before reopening.

Sully’s was named after Sullivan. According to the website, “While Dick was working on the remodeling of the new concept, locals would always stop by and ask if Sully was around and from there the name just stuck.”

In a Facebook message, Haines and Sullivan told The Herald that the new owners haven’t yet announced what they will be doing with the space. We’ll look out for upcoming developments.

Bao Boss begins rebuild after fire

Five months after a fire damaged parts of Bao Boss in Everett, owner Dan Deconinck announced he will start the rebuild process. Deconinck created a GoFundMe page for those who want to make a donation as he begins reconstructing his sandwich shop at 2814 Hewitt Ave.

“I plan on remodeling and updating the interior and I’ll be taking off the brunch menu and replacing it with more lunch items,” Deconinck told The Herald.

New menu ideas include an Indian-style Monte Cristo, with hot honey and homemade chutney. He also wants to focus on car meets he used to hold, as well as more interactive experiences.

“I can’t say too much but we will be glad to be back once the rebuild is done,” he said.

Those unfamiliar with Bao Boss may remember Noodle Nation, Deconinck’s former concept at the same location on Hewitt Avenue. He switched up carbs earlier this year to focus on inventive sandwiches, including togarashi-seasoned country fried steak, stacked burgers, lox on a steamed everything bun (bao) and more fusion sandwiches.

Follow Bao Boss on Facebook, where Deconinck keeps his fans updated and posts fun menu ideas (like his “grilled peanut butter and jam with a banana marshmallows fluff sandwich on brioche”): https://www.facebook.com/baobosseverett

Tulalip Resort Casino opens “fiesta for the taste buds”

Salish Sun Taqueria, Bar & Burgers is the resort casino’s newest casual dining attraction and is open to guests 21 and older. The dining venue, which opened Sept. 23 at the former Eagles Buffet location, offers south-of-the-border influenced dishes, signature burgers and a selection of agave craft cocktails.

Menu items include tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas and more, along with breakfast dishes like egg and meat-stuffed burritos and huevos con chorizo. Salish Sun tops its Tequila Sun burger with chorizo chili and tequila burger sauce. For dessert, order the Mexican-spiced dark chocolate pudding and horchata panna cotta. Hand-blended shakes are also on the menu, including Northwest berry, chocolate and vanilla flavors.

Salish Sun offers a variety of draft beers, wines, a premium whiskey selection and craft cocktails such as the prickly pear margarita.

Salish Sun Bar is open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Salish Sun Burgers is open Friday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. The casual dining attraction is located at 10200 Quil Ceda Boulevard in Tulalip.

Everett Public Library welcomes chef, new spice club

Reem Assil, a Palestinian-Syrian chef and the author of the cookbook/memoir “Arabiyya: Recipes from the life of an Arab in diaspora” is presenting this evening, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave. The event is free to the public. Assil’s cookbook “Arabiyya” explores her activism, her Southwest Asian identity and the joy of Arab hospitality and cooking in short vignettes. Artisans PNW will provide copies of the book to purchase at the event, and Assil will be available for book signing after her presentation. Joining Assil on stage will be Nechirvan Zebari, owner of Everett’s Alida’s Bakery.

Through fall and winter, the library will present a variety of programs under the theme “Food for Thought,” including a spice club, a youth writing program, a community-built cookbook, and presentations from chefs, foragers and other food experts. For more information on One Everett One Book: Food for Thought, visit epls.org/OneBook.

Take your taste buds on a trip around the world through Everett Public Libary’s new monthly Spice Club. Sponsored by Sno-Isle Food Co-op, spice club kits can be picked up every first Wednesday of the month through February 2023. Those interested can visit either library location to pick up a new spice kit and brochure with recipes, book recommendations and more. October’s spice is sumac, and the October kit includes an accompanying turnover recipe from chef Reem Assil’s cookbook “Arabiyya”.

Toggle’s closes

An Everett taproom and beloved neighborhood hangout poured its last beer Oct. 2. Toggle’s Bottle Shop’s owners had planned to sell their business this summer but but a conflict with their landlord prevented the sale from going through. The Daily Herald is keeping an eye on any developments from Toggle’s and the future of the 1420 Hewitt Ave. building.

Share your local restaurant industry nuggets with reporter Taylor Goebel at taylor.goebel@heraldnet.com.