Seattle Restaurant Week is back, from Oct. 23 through Nov. 5, with dining deals that are literally all over the place: promotional menus priced at $20, $35, $50 or $65 at 150-plus participating restaurants, food trucks, bars, pop-ups, etc. located all around the Seattle area. Here are a half-dozen best-bet recommendations from Seattle Times food writers. But, we note, be sure to read the fine print on the specific offerings, look up the restaurant’s regular menu and do the math — many places are only serving their SRW menus on certain days, and you may end up saving just a few dollars while having to choose from a limited menu.
Bethany Jean Clement’s recommendations:
Revel offers tastes of chef Rachel Yang’s supertasty modern Korean food in a fun/casual format in Fremont, and her $35 SRW dinner menu offers two choices each for three courses — e.g., a sweet chicory salad with golden beets, pistachios and sesame buttermilk vinaigrette; an albacore tuna rice bowl with escarole and fennel kimchi; and black rice pudding with white chocolate syrup and jackfruit for dessert (SRW menu available nightly from 5-9 p.m. except Fridays and Saturdays, with reservations recommended).
Spice Waala on Capitol Hill and in Ballard, known and loved for its world-class Indian street food, is making butter chicken specially for SRW, starting Nov. 1 — it’s served with basmati rice and a side of their crunchy, colorful papdi chaat, aka Indian nachos, for $20 (both locations).
El Gaucho in Seattle and Bellevue is always a solid SRW bet — menu details on the $65 Tuesday-Thursday dinner are not yet available, but the classic steakhouse renowned for excellent service generally offers three courses, making this a relative steal (reservations recommended).
Tan Vinh’s recommendations:
Chengdu Taste makes the undisputed best mapo tofu in the Chinatown International District. It’s creamy from the silky tofu and salty from a medley of different fermented beans, with a big dose of the tingling Sichuan peppercorns to let you know you’re alive. If you have never tried the signature mapo tofu or other stellar Sichuan entrees from Chengdu Taste, this $35, three-course meal showcases its greatest hits, from its toothpick lamb to stir-fry beef with crispy rice.
If you prefer takeout, Bok a Bok is your best bet. Most restaurant food turns mushy in a takeout container. This fried chicken seems to defy science with a batter that holds its crispiness even when the drumsticks and wings sit in those steam chambers of to-go containers. Even 30 minutes after pickup, the chicken still has an audible, potato-chippy crunch. The crackling, tempura-like batter that enrobes the brined dark and white meat is thick but still obtains an airy lightness. The $35 chicken dinner for two includes salad and side. Or get the family pack (feeds 4 for $60) with 18 pieces with eight dipping sauces, two sides and a salad.
Jackie Varriano’s recommendation:
Kirkland’s Fan Tang Asian Cafe specializes in Hunan-style cuisine. Head there for lunch or dinner for the pork belly bowl, which features seared belly with just enough of that lip-smacking fat, lovingly layered atop rice and mustard greens plus rice and a tangy chili sauce. It’s available as one of the lunch sets for $20, served with a salad, or as a dinner set for $35. Dinner comes with crunchy, seared umami vegetable green beans and the toothpick lamb. Additional options include beef noodle soup, delicate spicy wontons, and Thai chili beef stir fry.
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