About Soyon

Soyon's tips for Seattle, Washington

• Eat at Old Village, which is actually in Shoreline, a few miles north of the city. It's a casual Korean restaurant, a great place to go with a bunch of friends and stuff yourselves. (Skip lunch in preparation.) Their miso-based stews are wonderful as are the barbecue beef dishes which you cook yourself and the hae-mool pajun, which is a thick pancake filled with seafood. The waitresses aren't the best, but they do serve dozens of ban-chan, savory side dishes that come with your dinner.
• Eat at Ray's Boathouse--it's at the end of a road that leads to a beach in Ballard. There are fabulous views and the seafood dishes are very flavorful with Asian and Mediterranean influences. An excellent dish is the cod with sake marinade--the fish is very tender and just melts in your mouth. Another good choice is the seafood cioppino, with lots of shellfish, salmon, and crab legs in a tomato-based broth. Wait staff is very attentive.
• My favorite bakery/cafe in Seattle is La Panzanella on the corner of 14th and Union, a few blocks away from the busier sections of Capitol Hill. They have some wonderful, crusty breads which you can get toasted with butter and strawberry jam. I'm also addicted to their almond biscotti which are thick and lightly sweet. The decor is very elegant yet homey--they've got two long communal tables, and you feel like you're in a dining room in some Italian villa. There's usually beautiful dark-haired women tending the counter and they keep very European hours--they close by 5:45 and they're never open on Sundays.
• Travel tip: Come in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Or the summer when it's sunny and crisp.