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Bellevue, Kirkland, and Woodinville are theoretically easy to get to from Downtown Seattle: the 520 (toll bridge) and I–90 bridges both are accessible from I–5. However, traffic is always an issue and grinds to a halt during rush hour. Don't plan a culinary expedition unless you already plan to visit this side of things—unless, of course, you have reservations at Café Juanita, the beloved and critically acclaimed restaurant that is more than worth the trek.
There are many ways for a pricey "destination restaurant" to go overboard, making itself nothing more than a special-occasion spectacle, but Café Juanita gets everything just right. This Kirkland space is refined without being overly posh, and the food—much of which has a northern Italian influence—is perfectly balanced. One bite of lauded chef Holly Smith's tender saddle of Oregon lamb with baby artichokes, fava beans, and lemon emulsion and you'll be sold. The seven-course tasting menu comes in omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan versions. The restaurant is extremely accommodating for gluten-free guests and other special requests. To top it all off, the restaurant has an excellent wine list.
An organic café with everything you need for a picnic to-go or a leisurely lunch, Deru Market has something for everything. The bright, modern space starts the day with excellent coffee and pastries, with filling brunches on weekends. Lunch brings pizza, sandwiches, and salads, plus a few larger plates, while dinner brings a few extra main dishes. Vegetable side dishes compete with excellent French fries for table space, and most diners save room for a slice of the layer cakes that sit temptingly on the counter.
Bubble tea shops exist around the world, but this just might be the only "farm-to-straw" boba shop. The owners source their tea and the produce to make all their flavors directly from farms, and make all the boba in-house, too. The creative coffee and tea concoctions change seasonally, and once a month the line stretches down the block as people line up for the coveted boba-stuffed doughnuts.
Watch dumplings being pleated by hand through the large glass windows in the waiting area for this restaurant on the second floor of Lincoln Square mall—it's a good thing the sight is so entertaining, because there's often a long wait. The xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are the famous attraction at Din Tai Fung, a U.S. branch of the famed Taipei-based chain. The rest of the lengthy menu is nearly as enticing, from shrimp-stuffed wontons to fried rice. The large restaurant is busy and brisk, but a fun experience and worth the wait. There are additional locations in University Village, Pacific Place Mall in Downtown Seattle, and Southcenter Mall in Tukwila.
This home-grown chain that started in Bellevue lives up to its name, serving freshly made carb-filled delights of many types: noodles, flatbreads, crepes, and dumplings. The signature steamed juicy pork dumplings and fried jian buns, both filled with a meat and soup filling, have earned it a reputation and helped it expand to locations around the city and along the entire West Coast. This flagship location opened in 2021, not far from the original, and is the only one with a bar (plus accompanying happy hour) and expanded options.
Come for the giant dosas, stay for the sweet service at this delightful South Indian restaurant tucked into a suburban strip mall. Rich colors adorn the walls and the plates, the latter in the form of vibrantly flavored chutneys, masalas, and curries. Many of the specialties come from the state of Kerala, but the deep vegetarian menu and exciting seafood options bring in dishes from around India. Waits can get long on days that don't take reservations, so either come earlier in the week with a reservation or earlier in the evening on a weekend.
The Eastside sibling of Capitol Hill's darling Vietnamese eatery is utterly polished and sleek— much fancier than the original restaurant. But the favorites remain the same: diners love the bo la lot beef, crispy drunken chicken, catfish clay pot, and barbecued hoisin pork ribs, and all go impressively well with the specialty cocktails. In signature Bellevue style, diners dress up a bit more than in, say, Capitol Hill or Ballard, though the weekend dim sum brunches draw more casual diners. The free parking in the garage behind the restaurant is a boon on busy Main Street.
Luxury touches take the hot pot experience upscale with personal broth bowls, an extensive sauce buffet, and high-end ingredients like A5 Miyazaki beef, live prawns, and house-made noodles. This local outlet of a chain that began in Macau knows that you eat with your eyes first, and everything here comes out looking straight out of a glossy magazine photoshoot. The fancy ingredients can make the a la carte orders add up fast, but customers can either order judiciously and save room for the free ice cream at the end, or go all-in on a splurgy feast.
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