Tan Vinh has been a food journalist and restaurant critic for 12 years. Some parts of the job are glamorous (Eating for work! Meals on the company card!) But...there are loads of ups and downs that don’t make it onto the front page. Today, Tan answers questions from listeners about being a food critic — from how he picks restaurants to review, to dealing with heartburn on the job. Plus, he shares tips on how to see Seattle’s restaurant scene through the eyes of a critic.

Read more about being a critic in The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/life-of-a-food-critic-our-writer-takes-readers-behind-the-scenes/

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

Tan Vinh has been a food journalist and restaurant critic for 12 years. Some parts of the job are glamorous (Eating for work! Meals on the company card!) But...there are loads of ups and downs that don&rsquo;t make it onto the front page. Today, Tan answers questions from listeners about being a food critic &mdash; from how he picks restaurants to review, to dealing with heartburn on the job. Plus, he shares tips on how to see Seattle&rsquo;s restaurant scene through the eyes of a critic.
Read more about being a critic in The Seattle Times:&nbsp;https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/life-of-a-food-critic-our-writer-takes-readers-behind-the-scenes/
Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at <a href="http://kuow.org/eats">kuow.org/eats</a> and <a href="http://seattletimes.com">seattletimes.com</a>.

Seattle is a buffet of great food... if you know where to look. Seattle Times journalist Tan Vinh invites listeners to the area's hottest restaurants, road-side food stalls and everywhere in between to find the best meals in the city and to meet the people who make them sing. New episodes every Thursday.

 

Seattle is a buffet of great food... if you know where to look. Seattle Times journalist Tan Vinh invites listeners to the area's hottest restaurants, road-side food stalls and everywhere in between to find the best meals in the city and to meet the people who make them sing.&nbsp;New episodes every Thursday.
&nbsp;

Seattle Eats with Tan Vinh

Tan answers questions from listeners about being a food critic — from how he picks restaurants to review, to dealing with heartburn on the job. Plus, he shares tips on how to see Seattle’s restaurant scene through the eyes of a critic.

Confessions of a Seattle food critic

While Seattle food lovers flock to Richmond, BC, Bellevue is steadily becoming home to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most diverse and authentic Chinese food. The dishes you’ll find there tell the story of a community cooking for itself, not just the tourists. From braised goose to smoked tea duck, Tan highlights the regional specialties worth crossing the 520 bridge for.

Read more of Tan’s reporting on the Bellevue food scene here: How Bellevue became an international hub for Chinese food | The Seattle Times 

And here: Bellevue’s best Chinese restaurants: 10 picks from our food team | The Seattle Times 

Recommendations in this episode:
Mr. Huang Claypot Braised Chicken
Master Bing
Nuodle
Shaoshan Impression 
Little Garden Restaurant 
Dan Gui Sichuan Cuisine
Looking for Chai

While Seattle food lovers flock to Richmond, BC, Bellevue is steadily becoming home to some of the Pacific Northwest&rsquo;s most diverse and authentic Chinese food. The dishes you&rsquo;ll find there tell the story of a community cooking for itself, not just the tourists. From braised goose to smoked tea duck, Tan highlights the regional specialties worth crossing the 520 bridge for.
Read more of Tan&rsquo;s reporting on the Bellevue food scene here: <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/how-bellevue-became-an-international-hub-for-chinese-food/">How Bellevue became an international hub for Chinese food | The Seattle Times</a>&nbsp;
And here: <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/bellevues-best-chinese-restaurants-10-picks-from-our-food-team/">Bellevue&rsquo;s best Chinese restaurants: 10 picks from our food team | The Seattle Times</a>&nbsp;
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Mr. Huang Claypot Braised Chicken</li>
<li aria-level="1">Master Bing</li>
<li aria-level="1">Nuodle</li>
<li aria-level="1">Shaoshan Impression&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Little Garden Restaurant&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Dan Gui Sichuan Cuisine</li>
<li aria-level="1">Looking for Chai</li>
</ul>

While Seattle food lovers flock to Richmond, BC, Bellevue has steadily become home to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most diverse and authentic Chinese food. Seattle Times food writer Tan highlights the regional specialties worth crossing the 520 bridge for.

A guide to Bellevue's best Chinese food

From hot pot to dim sum to made-to-order crepes, T&T Supermarket is a treasure trove of delicious food. Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh, tried 300 items and shares his favorites with KUOW producer Brandi Fullwood.

Read more about T&T Supermarket in The Seattle Times:

T&T Supermarket: 12 best things to eat from the Asian grocery chain 

How T&T’s Bellevue food court became our writer’s office for a year 

More stories about T&T Supermarket

Recommendations in this episode:
Mango anything (seriously)
Portuguese Custard Tarts
Taiwanese sticky rice rolls
Peking Duck Kits
Fried Fish Skins

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

 

From hot pot to dim sum to made-to-order crepes, T&amp;T Supermarket is a treasure trove of delicious food. Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh, tried 300 items and shares his favorites with KUOW producer Brandi Fullwood.
Read more about T&amp;T Supermarket in The Seattle Times:
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/?p=19185650">T&amp;T Supermarket: 12 best things to eat from the Asian grocery chain&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/?p=19140751">How T&amp;T&rsquo;s Bellevue food court became our writer&rsquo;s office for a year&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/?p=19140756">More stories about T&amp;T Supermarket</a>
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Mango anything (seriously)</li>
<li aria-level="1">Portuguese Custard Tarts</li>
<li aria-level="1">Taiwanese sticky rice rolls</li>
<li aria-level="1">Peking Duck Kits</li>
<li aria-level="1">Fried Fish Skins</li>
</ul>
Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/eats">kuow.org/eats</a> and <a href="http://seattletimes.com">seattletimes.com</a>.
&nbsp;

From dim sum to fresh to made to order crepes, T&T Supermarket is a treasure trove of delicious food. Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh, tried 300 items and shares his favorites with KUOW producer Brandi Fullwood

 I ate 300 items at the best Chinese supermarket

 Seattle is a big coffee town. It's also known for its literary scene. So it's only natural that reading and coffee go hand-in-hand. Seattle Times arts and economy reporter Margo Vansynghel joins Tan to share her favorite cozy coffee shops to grab a warm beverage and read a good book. 

Read more about cozy coffee shops in The Seattle Times: 

https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/6-cozy-seattle-coffeeshops-that-are-great-for-reading/ 

Recommendations in this episode:
Open Form
Espresso Vivace
C&P Coffee Company
Yeobo Cafe and Bar
KUOW Book Club

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at kuow.org/eats and seattletimes.com.

Seattle is a big coffee town. It's also known for its literary scene. So it's only natural that reading and coffee go hand-in-hand. Seattle Times arts and economy reporter Margo Vansynghel joins Tan to share her favorite cozy coffee shops to grab a warm beverage and read a good book.&nbsp;
Read more about cozy coffee shops in The Seattle Times:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/6-cozy-seattle-coffeeshops-that-are-great-for-reading/">https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/6-cozy-seattle-coffeeshops-that-are-great-for-reading/</a>&nbsp;
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://openform.space/pages/about">Open Form</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://espressovivace.com/retail/brix/">Espresso Vivace</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://candpcoffee.com/">C&amp;P Coffee Company</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.yeobosea.com/">Yeobo Cafe and Bar</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/kuow-book-club-seattle-public-library-partner-winter-2026-live-author-series">KUOW Book Club</a></li>
</ul>
Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible. Please consider joining and subscribing at <a href="http://kuow.org/eats">kuow.org/eats</a> and <a href="http://seattletimes.com">seattletimes.com</a>.

Seattle Times arts and economy reporter Margo Vansynghel joins Tan to share her favorite cozy coffee shops to grab a warm drink and read a good book. 

Confessions of a Seattle food critic

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