Food pop-ups, trucks and carts are blossoming all over Seattle – but not all of them are above board. The city is seeing a huge spike in mobile food vendors that aren’t permitted. Today we tell the story of how Tan found out about this trend thanks to the hottest food truck of the summer, and talk to Seattle Times reporter Jackie Varriano about how to tell if a food vendor is following health rules.

Plus, Seattle is having an al pastor taco moment. Tan shares tips for where to get a great bite. 

Read Tan and Jackie’s story in the Seattle Times.

Recommendations in this episode:
Tacos La Cuadra – Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, Northgate
Tacos Extranjeros – inside Fair Isle Brewing, Ballard

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.

Food pop-ups, trucks and carts are blossoming all over Seattle – but not all of them are above board. The city is seeing a huge spike in mobile food vendors that aren’t permitted. Today we tell the story of how Tan found out about this trend thanks to the hottest food truck of the summer, and talk to Seattle Times reporter Jackie Varriano about how to tell if a food vendor is following health rules.
Plus, Seattle is having an al pastor taco moment. Tan shares tips for where to get a great bite. 
<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/unpermitted-food-vendor-violations-have-exploded-in-seattle-in-2024/">Read Tan and Jackie’s story in the Seattle Times.</a>
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/la_cuadra_tacos/?hl=en">Tacos La Cuadra</a> – Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, Northgate</li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://fairislebrewing.com/location/tacos/">Tacos Extranjeros</a> – inside Fair Isle Brewing, Ballard</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 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 other Thursday.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW, part of the NPR Network

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 other Thursday.
<hr>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes">https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes</a> 
Seattle Eats is a production of <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/">The Seattle Times</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/">KUOW</a>, part of the NPR Network

Seattle Eats with Tan Vinh

Illegal food pop-ups are booming in Seattle

Teriyaki as we know it was invented in Seattle in the 1970s. It’s why there’s a teriyaki joint almost every other block across the city. On this episode, we join author and food influencer J. Kenji López-Alt on his mission to eat at every single teriyaki restaurant in Seattle (and some outside) and discover the ultimate form of this native Seattle cuisine. 

Plus, Kenji and Tan discuss one of the best restaurants in Colombia that may soon be making an appearance in the Seattle area. 

Recommendations in this episode:
Rainier Teriyaki, Columbia City
Grillbird, West Seattle
Prudencia, Bogota, Colombia


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.

Teriyaki as we know it was invented in Seattle in the 1970s. It’s why there’s a teriyaki joint almost every other block across the city. On this episode, we join author and food influencer J. Kenji López-Alt on his mission to <a href="https://www.kenjilopezalt.com/alltheteriyaki">eat at every single teriyaki restaurant </a>in Seattle (and some outside) and discover the ultimate form of this native Seattle cuisine. 
Plus, Kenji and Tan discuss one of the best restaurants in Colombia that may soon be making an appearance in the Seattle area. 
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li>Rainier Teriyaki, Columbia City</li>
<li><a href="https://www.grillbird.com/">Grillbird</a>, West Seattle</li>
<li><a href="https://www.prudencia.net/">Prudencia</a>, Bogota, Colombia</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>.

A Teriyaki Quest with J. Kenji López-Alt

Pho and Banh mi shops are ubiquitous in Seattle, but Vietnamese food here is evolving far beyond these two dishes. In this episode, Seattle Times Food Writers Bethany Jean Clement and Jackie Varriano join Tan for a taste test of their favorite Vietnamese dishes in the city, courtesy of the Times’ Vietnamese Food Guide. 

Plus, a neighborhood in Seattle with great cheap eats that you’ve probably never heard of. 

Read the Vietnamese Food Guide: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-best-of-seattles-vietnamese-food-scene/



Our favorite Vietnamese dishes in Seattle:

Paté Chaude — Q Bakery, Hillman City

Bún Chả Hà Nội — Ba Bar, multiple locations

Banh Mi Nem Nướng Hà Nội — Voi Cà Phê, Georgetown



Other recommendations in this episode:

The Tin Hat, West Woodland – 99¢ Taco Tuesdays

Molly Maguires, West Woodland – lunch buffet

The Dray, West Woodland

Anchovies and Salt, Renton — try the fish sauce coffee

Hello Em, Little Saigon — try the Caphe Trung (egg coffee)

Phin, Little Saigon — pick up some pandan waffles

Voi Cà Phê — try the Miso Caramel Latte or Pho Spice Latte 



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.

Pho and Banh mi shops are ubiquitous in Seattle, but Vietnamese food here is evolving far beyond these two dishes. In this episode, Seattle Times Food Writers Bethany Jean Clement and Jackie Varriano join Tan for a taste test of their favorite Vietnamese dishes in the city, courtesy of the Times’ Vietnamese Food Guide. 
Plus, a neighborhood in Seattle with great cheap eats that you’ve probably never heard of. 
Read the Vietnamese Food Guide: <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-best-of-seattles-vietnamese-food-scene/">https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/the-best-of-seattles-vietnamese-food-scene/</a>
 
Our favorite Vietnamese dishes in Seattle:
Paté Chaude — Q Bakery, Hillman City
Bún Chả Hà Nội — Ba Bar, multiple locations
Banh Mi Nem Nướng Hà Nội — Voi Cà Phê, Georgetown
 
Other recommendations in this episode:
The Tin Hat, West Woodland – 99¢ Taco Tuesdays
Molly Maguires, West Woodland – lunch buffet
The Dray, West Woodland
Anchovies and Salt, Renton — try the fish sauce coffee
Hello Em, Little Saigon — try the Caphe Trung (egg coffee)
Phin, Little Saigon — pick up some pandan waffles
Voi Cà Phê — try the Miso Caramel Latte or Pho Spice Latte 
 
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>.

The best Vietnamese dishes in Seattle

Only one spot in Washington state made the New York Time’s list of 50 best restaurants this year: familyfriend. The Beacon Hill eatery’s menu is filled with stand-out meals from Guam and other Pacific Islands, but the one responsible for its meteoric rise is all American.

In this episode, Tan chats with familyfriend owner Elmer Dulla about the restaurant’s sudden success and its Guamanian roots. Plus, tips for enjoying fresh hop season in Seattle, even if you’re not a beer fan. 

Read more about Elmer Dulla and familyfriend in The Seattle Times. 

Recommendations in this episode:
Familyfriend, Beacon Hill – try the corn soup, the shrimp and octopus tostada or the La Beacon Bachoy (if you’re feeling adventurous)
Cloudburst Brewing, Downtown
Single Hill Brewing, Yakima
The Dray, West Woodland
Chuck’s Hop Shop, Central District / Greenwood / Seward Park

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.

Only one spot in Washington state made the New York Time’s list of 50 best restaurants this year: familyfriend. The Beacon Hill eatery’s menu is filled with stand-out meals from Guam and other Pacific Islands, but the one responsible for its meteoric rise is all American.
In this episode, Tan chats with familyfriend owner Elmer Dulla about the restaurant’s sudden success and its Guamanian roots. Plus, tips for enjoying fresh hop season in Seattle, even if you’re not a beer fan. 
Read more about Elmer Dulla and familyfriend <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/review-the-burger-isnt-the-best-dish-at-this-hot-new-seattle-restaurant/">in The Seattle Times</a>. 
Recommendations in this episode:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/familyfriend20671/?hl=en">Familyfriend</a>, Beacon Hill – try the corn soup, the shrimp and octopus tostada or the La Beacon Bachoy (if you’re feeling adventurous)</li>
<li><a href="https://cloudburstbrew.com/">Cloudburst Brewing</a>, Downtown</li>
<li><a href="https://singlehillbrewing.com/">Single Hill Brewing</a>, Yakima</li>
<li><a href="https://thedray.com/">The Dray</a>, West Woodland</li>
<li><a href="https://www.chuckshopshop.com/">Chuck’s Hop Shop</a>, Central District / Greenwood / Seward Park</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>.

Illegal food pop-ups are booming in Seattle

In 1 playlist(s)

Seattle Eats with Tan Vinh

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips