Walking Seattle’s International District

This week's excursion was to the International District in Seattle, a residential and commercial area of Asian Americans which is roughly bounded by 5th Avenue to the west, Yesler to the north, 8th Avenue to the east and Dearborn to the south. And, like many other Seattle neighborhoods, my wife and I had never taken... Continue Reading →

Cocktail Bun at Your Peril: Mon Hei Bakery — CLOSED

Mon Hei Chinese Bakery is the oldest in the International District, having started business in 1979, the same year that I moved to the Seattle area from Southern California. We had never been customers here until we came with friends only a few years ago. I have to admit that I don't remember much from... Continue Reading →

Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee

Not many realize that the Panama Hotel in the International District has a tea and coffee shop. Though it was set up to serve its clientele, it is open to the public. The space is not very large but is nicely decorated with old historic black-and-white photos on the walls and memorabilia of the Japanese... Continue Reading →

Shaved Ice at Happy Melon

My experiences with Hawaiian shave ice have been dismal in the Northwest. (Hawaiians do not use a "d" at the end of "shave.") As recently as two weeks ago at Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle, the ice has always been crushed into pellets, tiny to be sure, but pellets nonetheless, crunchy rather than snowy... Continue Reading →

Genki Sushi (Bellevue)

The popularity of kaiten-zushi has revolutionized the eating of sushi since its inception in Japan in the late 1950s. No longer do customers have to sit at a bar with limited seating and order from the sushi chef who promptly and expertly makes it while you wait. Instead, a conveyor belt with ready-made sushi snakes... Continue Reading →

Late Lunch at Harmon Brewery (Tacoma, WA)

After the high-calorie dim sum meal at Jade Garden this morning, we weren't very hungry even in mid-afternoon. We walked up and down Pacific Avenue during a respite from the Washington State History Museum to find a place to have a quick bite. Nothing appealed to us until we came across Harmon Brewery that was... Continue Reading →

Is There More to Tacoma than Aroma?

Tacoma don't get no respect. At least, not from its big sibling to the north. Even if it's the third most populous city in Washington, and only a half hour away by car, Tacoma has been playing second fiddle to Seattle for, what, forever? This situation is not helped by Tacoma's public relations problem—the sulfur-like,... Continue Reading →

Lunch at Southgate Garden Restaurant

I enjoy chiropractic adjustments not only because I feel better afterward but because my chiropractor is a good friend and fellow foodie. At our sessions, my wife and I wind up talking to him more about food than our spinal health. So, it was with great surprise and excitement that today we were given the... Continue Reading →

By and By: Alki and West Seattle

In a place like the Pacific Northwest, good weather poses certain problems. If you're the type who enjoys the outdoors, a sunny day might force you to consider postponing chores or indoor activities, even running errands, in favor of doing something outside. The Seattle area continued to have the longest streak of warm weather in... Continue Reading →

Lunch at Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub (Seattle)

After 4 hours of trekking in warm and humid weather on our urban walk in West Seattle, I was ready for a cold beer. Already 2:00 in the afternoon, we hadn't yet had lunch, actually nothing since breakfast at Marination Ma Kai at 9am. It wasn't that we were hungry so much as we needed... Continue Reading →

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