This was my very first time in Seattle and I totally fell in love with the city and the food choices Seattle had to offer.
Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks coffee. Their very first commercial store is located in Pike Place Public Market. I went at 8 a.m. on a weekday and the queue was already long. I did pass by also on a Sunday before lunch and the line was almost a mile long! Customers obviously want to go where it all started as well as get Starbucks merchandise only available in this first store. There are also limited-edition coffee drinks.
It was a dream come true when I finally made it to Pike Place Public Market! It’s a place where I could stay for hours and I actually went here daily.
We took a guided food tour with @eatseattletours. Why take a guided tour? You skip the (sometimes very long) queues and you get to sample food in roughly nine establishments without having to order a whole portion (so you’ll know what you like and order the full portion another time).
We had sampled food such as curd and mature cheese from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese; delicious soft tacos from Maiz Seattle; salmon jerky, ube and coconut cultured cream from Hellenika Cultured Creamery; and the best clam chowder from Pike Place Chowder, which has the second longest queue after the original Starbucks.
We also had pizza from Pizza and Pasta Bar, excellent pulled pork with slaw from Pike’s Pit, and chocolate-covered cherries at Chukar Cherries. A highlight was excellent Filipino food from Oriental Mart, a Filipino joint established in 1973 that won an “America’s Classics” James Beard Foundation award.
It is now run by Leila Rosas, who serves the best salmon collar sinigang. Leila’s mother opened Oriental Mart that stocked Filipino ingredients and eventually started a kitchen in the 1980s. Leila took over handling this family business after her mother’s retirement in 2008.
Oriental Mart is very popular with the locals. Leila is very friendly and seems to know everyone in Pike Place. She even let me sample the salmon sarsiado she made when she was given fresh salmon by the fishmongers, and it was one of the best I’d ever tasted.
Beecher’s makes cheese in their store and serves one of the best versions of macaroni and cheese (also sold frozen and ready to bring back to Manila) I’ve ever tried. Pike Place has won almost every major chowder competition and it is understandable why.
Eater’s Lucas Peterson said they “began entering chowder cook-offs in the 1990s on both coasts and absolutely destroyed the competition with their secret recipe.” Pike Place Chowder specializes in New England clam chowder; other varieties include clam, crab and oyster, salmon, and scallop, and can be served in a sourdough bread bowl. Check out their “market chowder” which changes daily. I was lucky to have one with lobster, crab, and shrimp.
Do check the Russian bakery Piroshky Piroshky, which has been featured in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and try one of their delicious savory and sweet piroshky that includes varieties such as beef and cheese and chicken pot pie, and Swedish meatballs with mushroom.
Another attraction of the market is “fish throwing,” where vendors throw salmon to each other rather than passing them by hand. Fish throwing is a tradition of fishmongers who throw fish that customers have purchased before they are wrapped. After nearing bankruptcy in 1986, the fish market owners decided to become “world famous” by introducing their flying fish, games, and customer performances.
Another one to queue up for is the famous Triple Cream Coconut Pie at Dahlia Bakery. They open at 8 a.m. but again, there’s always a queue. Excellent coconut pie. Also try their carrot donut and gluten-free mochi donuts.
Seattle is home to several Vietnamese immigrants and Ba Sa in Bainbridge Island (it’s worth a half day trip) is where I got one of the best pho I’ve had outside Vietnam. Get their aged ribeye beef pho and their chili truffle pork and shrimp dumplings.
Also check out Ivar’s Acres of Clams for great clams and fish and chips. Have the true cod fish or if you prefer, choose battered oysters, scallops, clams…all served with fries. Ivar’s has a fish shop right outside this restaurant and is much cheaper than dining inside the main restaurant. They also have a food stand inside the Washington Ferry.
I had to stop by one of Seattle’s iconic restaurants — Canlis. It is a Relais & Chateaux fine-dining restaurant serving New American and Pacific Northwest cuisine. The family-owned institution was built by Peter Canlis in 1950 and is now run by brothers Brian Canlis and Mark Canlis.
I wanted to try the Canlis Burger because The Seattle Times wrote that “In its nearly 75 years in operation, Seattle’s storied bastion of fine dining has never offered a hamburger on its official menu — until now. Available only in the lounge, this upscale version of the standard features two patties of American Wagyu beef, for a total weight of a little over five ounces, prepared smash-burger style with cheddar cheese on a house-made roll.
A notable innovation here: Some of the classic Canlis salad stands in for the usual lettuce. Would you like truffle-oil fries with that? They’re included. I didn’t want to spend on the tasting menu so we got a booking at their Lounge to have the famed burger with the equally famous Canlis salad (made with lettuce, scallions, mint, oregano, bacon, lemon juice, olive oil and more). I have to say that burger was worth it.
The chef responsible for the excellent food here is Philippine-born Aisha Ibrahim. She is part of the Time100 Next 2024 list and is the first female executive chef in the restaurant’s more than seven-decade history. We also had the delicious shigoku oysters with sudachi granita and sea water gel and the scallop toast with takimiso and scallions.
The Canlis brothers took us around their massive kitchen and impressive wine cellar. Aisha, as busy as she was in the kitchen, took time out to warmly welcome us and explain her dishes in the popular Seattle restaurant. She does incorporate some Filipino influences in some of the dishes she prepares at Canlis, one of the most award-winning restaurants in the greater Northwest, ranked one of the top 20 restaurants in America by Gourmet Magazine and hailed by The New York Times as “Seattle’s fanciest, finest restaurant for over 60 years.”
Canlis has been a recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award. It has 15 James Beard Foundation nominations with three wins.
Seattle is truly a destination for food lovers and now easier to go to, what with the new direct flights offered by Philippine Airlines. There’s so much more food to explore in this city and I definitely want to go back.
Seattle, till we eat again!
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Philippine Airlines flight to Seattle three times weekly every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Visit www.philippineairlines.com.
Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.