Paju – Queen Anne
Recommended by: We were raving about Revel and their brand new location to some friends. They had just tried a new Korean inspired restaurant in Queen Anne that they claim had some similarities to Revel called, Paju.
Description on the Paju’s Google page: Snug, simple restaurant offering contemporary, inventive takes on traditional Korean cuisine.
Neighborhood/Type: Queen Anne
Address:11 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109
What we ate/drank: Paju Fried Rice – Kimchi, bacon, squid ink, smoked quail egg. Yellowtail(Mul Hwe) – Fennel-Cucumber Gazpacho, Gochujang Granita. Mushroom – parmesan cheese, white kimchi, truffle aioli. Rib-eye Steak Bulgogi w/truffle flavor-crispy quinoa scallion, enoki mushroom. Blue Moon Beer.
Comments: Three of our favorite Seattle restaurants fall into the Korean fusion genre – Chan, Joule and Revel. Even Watson’s Counter, one of our favorite breakfast places, can sorta be put in this category. So when we found out another such restaurant had opened to rave reviews and long waits, we had to see for ourselves.
Paju opened in August of 2019 in lower Queen Anne near the Seattle Center and quickly garnered a following that has kept the small industrial space packed. Paju doesn’t take reservations, so when we went on a Friday evening after getting the kids situated with the babysitter, the wait was already an hour long.
We put our cell phone# on the waitlist and headed next door to good ole T.S. McHughs for drinks. We mentioned to our bartender that we were just having drinks while we waited for our seats at Paju. He said he’d hadn’t had a chance to eat at Paju but he was happy to hear that it was doing well. He lamented the demise of the previous business in the location, a nondescript sushi joint.
About an hour later, we received a call from Paju asking us if we could arrive within 5 minutes. We settled our tab at T.S. McHughs and walked over. You could still feel the remnants of that nondescript sushi joint, a very simple rectangular layout with what appears to be a former take-out counter in the back. It’s a bit dim with Edison lights and votive candles providing the lighting. The vibe is industrial and in the way of decor, it’s pretty sparse. No need to fancy up the place. Let the food do the talking. In total Paju probably seats around 40 people max.
The two co-owners have quite the pedigree, having met while working at an New York City, 2 Michelin Star, Korean restaurant. There are a total of only 11 dishes that are served at Paju, but there is a wide variety and should be something for everybody in your party. The dishes are meant to be shared and eaten family styles, so we ordered 4 dishes:
All the dishes have a few things in common. These are traditional Korean dishes with a twist. Like quinoa and truffle with bulgogi, gochujang granita and smoked quail and squid ink with kimchi and rice. Also, none of the dishes are heavy on sauces that overpower. The combination of all the flavors in each dish is very subtle, but works extremely well together.
Our first dish and the one we were most underwhelmed by was the Mul Hwe(Yellowtail). It was sort of like a ceviche. The dish was fine as a starter and the gochujang granita was innovative, but the portion was small for the price or maybe the presentation of the yellowtail spread on the outside of a large bowl just made it seem small.
Beoseot(Mushroom) is a mountain range of seasonal mushrooms with white kimchi and parmesan cheese acting as the snowy peaks. The truffle aioli adds some richness that complements the parmesan. We really enjoyed this one.
The rib-eye steak bulgogi with crispy quinoa, scallion and enoki mushrooms was a beautifully presented dish. We decided to get the optional truffle flavor. We were skeptical of the pairing of truffle and bulgogi, but it really works. Who would have guessed? We also enjoyed unusual addition of enoki mushrooms and quinoa to the dish. We really appreciated the creativity of this one.
Saving the best for last. The Paju Fried Rice contains bacon, kimchi, rice immersed in squid ink with rice with a smoked quail egg yolk in the middle. So many different textures -gooey egg yolk, crunchy kimchi, sticky rice. So many different flavors – smokey, sweet, savory, but none overpowering the others. Such a distinctive dish both visually and taste-wise. You won’t find anything like this in Seattle. This is the dish we’ll get over and over on return visits. I’d love it if they could add more quail eggs. The egg is only able to be mixed with a small percentage of the rice. Definitely, an early contender for top 2020 Dishes of the Year.
The service was attentive and friendly and when my wife mentioned we were there for my birthday, they comped my beer!
Not every dish was a home run, but we really appreciate the updated interpretation on these Korean dishes. When chefs are pushing the envelope creatively and continually experimenting there are bound to be misses, but when a dish hits, the payoff is big. They’ll be dishes so unique that patrons will want to come back over and over to see what new inventive dishes have been created.
Paju is the perfect spot for a dinner prior to going to the Seattle Rep or any other event at the Seattle Center. It will most likely be a Seattle hot spot for sometime if we had to guess.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.60
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
Overall: 4.60
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future:
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Toulouse Petit – Queen Anne
Recommended by: Our server at The Hi-Life, a recent transplant to Seattle, was really friendly and engaging. She tried to give suggestions on where some of her favorite restaurants in Seattle were, but she was so new to the area that she hadn’t gone to a lot of places and the ones she suggested, we’d already been to. She actually went to the co-worker who suggested Toulouse Petit.
Description on the Toulouse Petit’s website: Toulouse Petit brings the Big Easy to Seattle. Located in Lower Queen Anne, It’s known for having Seattle’s favorite happy hour, New Orleans and cajun creole cuisine, and an amazing cocktail list. Its texturally rich and intricate décor and the general desire to deliver the various possibilities of dining, drinking and adult escapism to others leaves everyone better off for having had the experience.
Neighborhood/Type: Queen Anne
Address: 601 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
What we ate/drank: Spicy Creole Andouille Hash- Potatoes, tasso, housemade Andouille sausage, mama lil’s peppers and tomato confit. Cured Pork Cheeks Confit Hash, Spicy Shrimp Creole & Eggs over Creamy Grits. Chicken Fried Chicken w/Spicy Creole Sausage Gravy. Two eggs, homemade buttermilk biscuit
Comment: Toulouse Petit claims to be Seattle’s Premier and Most Visited Brunch for the Past Ten Years. We’ve got to admit it’s hard to argue. For us, it’s just such a difficult place to get to on weekday mornings being in lower Queen Anne and it’s always packed on the weekend. But once you get there, they have such a huge variety of dishes and interesting things to try, that you could go here every week and still try something new each week. Besides their claim mentioned above, they also have a few other accolades:
- Their Cured Carlton Farms Pork Cheeks Confit Hash was featured on Food Networks’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”.
- 2012 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Award – 5th Favorite Restaurant in the US
- 2012 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Award – 10th Favorite Restaurant in the world
Yes, you read that right – 10th Favorite Restaurant in the world! Toulouse Petit specializes in Creole food.
Unlike most Seattle brunch places, Toulouse Petit is open early every day(not just weekends). There’s even a happy hour breakfast from 8-11 on weekdays and a 10pm-1am late night happy hour every day including the weekends. We’ve mainly been to Toulouse Petit for the brunches, but their dinners are equally delicious. The space is huge by Seattle standards.
The tables in the booths have really intricate details as does the tiling on the floor. And you can’t ignore the ornate lighting and 270 candles on the wall, which makes for some romantic dinners. Large windows let in as much light as possible, but certain areas of Toulouse Petit are dark due to it’s size.
One nice touch about Toulouse Petit is if you order coffee, they will give you a French press and a warmed up coffee mug. I love this. No need to request refills. The menu has so many interesting choices. The best way to try a variety is to get a group of friends and order family style so you can get a taste of multiple dishes. For this visit we got the four dishes below:
Spicy Shrimp Creole & Eggs over Creamy Grits. Score: (5.0/5.0)
This is not a your normal greasy spoon diner and prices are on the higher side for brunch, which is why you should really try to go during the weekday happy hour. It made many of the dish prices go from $17 to $12. Toulouse Petit is not a place I’d suggest to friends on a struggling artist’s income, but it really is an out-of-the-ordinary spot that stands out in Seattle and appropriate for special occasions or impressing out-of-towners. It’s not like anyplace else in Seattle. In fact, if you were blind folded and dropped inside, you’d have no idea you were in Seattle.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
Overall: 4.80
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Our server, Angela(?) suggested Portage Bay Cafe as having really delicious locally sourced brunches.
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The 5 Spot – Seattle’s Best Diner?
Recommended by: When we asked our server(Brian) at Citizen Cafe for other breakfast spots in Seattle, he recommended The 5 Spot right up the hill in Queen Anne as a suggestion.
he 5 Spot’s website: Home of the “American Food Festival Series“, 5 Spot’s menu offers big flavored food and kitsch from all points of the continental U.S. Our menus are inspired by our nation’s cultural roots and history that’s found on kitchen tables across America. Our roaming menu might find us parlez vous-in’ down Bourbon Street, two steppin’ into Texas, or soakin’ up those lazy, languid days along Florida’s Gulf Rim. Not feelin’ like goin’ too far outta town? 5 Spot highlights its regular Melting Pot Meals from 5 defined regions (or spots) year-round for those who like to stick with a sure thing.
Neighborhood/Type: Queen Anne
Address: 1502 Queen Anne Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
What we ate/drank: Bag O’ Beignets, Kids Waffle and Fruit, The Big Nashty Sandwich, Enchilada De Desayuno, Coffee
Comments: First thing we want to point out is The 5 Spot is not to be confused with The 5 Point, which we mentioned as our “Drive Off the Date Bar” in our Seattle Bars For Each Stage of Dating post
Now that we have that service announcement out of the way let’s get to The 5 Spot. Brian at Citizen Cafe recommended The 5 Spot. It has been over 10 years since I’d been there and my wife had never been. The 5 Spot is out of the way for us being up on Queen Anne Hill, but after going here my wife may insist on putting it in our restaurant rotation.
As mentioned I’d not been here for over 10 years, but it’s been a Seattle institution since I can remember. More than 20 years? The 5 Spot’s claim to fame is their roaming menu of American cuisine, so you can always get new dishes no matter how many times you’ve been there. Also, if there is a particular dish you’ve enjoyed, you better go back quickly if you want it again because it might be gone once they change the menu. They do have their standard dishes that always remain on the menu though.
The 5 Spot is one of the bigger diners you’ll find in Seattle. It doesn’t matter, you’ll most likely be waiting for a seat due to it’s popularity. In totality, it probably seats over 100 people.
Another thing you’ll notice is that it’s very kid-friendly. They provided our two year old with crayons and a kids place mat. They provided a car seat stand to put our 4 month old in. And they have a kids menu, which is greatly appreciated for us parents on a budget. More than half the parties at the 5 Spot on a Monday morning had kids, so it shows you how kid-friendly they are.
One of the nice things about many of the brunch/breakfast places we’ve visited lately is that they are open on the weekdays. The 5 Spot is no exception opening every day at 8:00am. They are also open til 11pm on the weekdays and til midnight on the weekends.
The atmosphere is nostalgic diner. It has the old-style coat hangers at each booth and also has individual lighting at each booth. It’s bright, airy and busy.
On this particular visit they have a Nashville theme going on. So a huge Elvis cut out met us at the door and guitars hung from the ceiling.
At home, the best our 2 year old gets are microwaved French toast, so getting real ones was a treat for her. The Enchilada De Desayuno is from their normal menu and was prepared in an iron skillet. It came with black beans, pepper jack and Oaxaca cheese and two over easy eggs with massive potatoes on the side. I also went with an addition of smoked pork. The portion is huge, but you definitely pay for it at $16.50($13.50 for the dish + $3.00 for the addition of the smoked pork). It was a delicious dish overall and I think the potatoes paired well with the enchilada sauce, pork and cheese.
We agreed the definite favorite was the Big Nashty off the Nashville menu. It’s a “Big ass shpicy breakfast sandwich” with chicken thigh, bacon jam, vinegared greens, pair of over easy eggs, and pickles on Ciabatta. Take a look at the picture below. As you can see the chicken is massive and impossible to fit in your mouth. The sourness of the vinegared greens and pickles mixed with the bacon jam and chicken was so flavorful.
Although the portions were big, there were no left overs. The sign of a delicious meal. Bag of Beignets accompanied with a chocolate dipping were a good way to top off the meal, especially with a coffee.
Below are our the ratings of some of our dishes from our visit.
Egg dipped and griddled golden brown slices of country white bread with Vermont maple syrup, powdered sugar and fresh fruit. Score: (5.0/5.0) <<<based on our daughter’s empty plate
Enchilada De Desayuno $16.50. Score: (4.75/5.0)
The Big Nashty $13.50
Score: (5.0 / 5.0)
Summary:
The food is a bit on the expensive size but the service was top notch and over accommodating to our family and the atmosphere and everchanging menu is a very rare treat in Seattle. So the higher prices are justified in our opinion. This is a great places to bring visitors out of town and any large group. The size of the diner and the number of choices on the menu means you can accommodate all.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.75
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
-
- Most locals know about it
-
- Locals “in the know” know about it
-
- Only those who live close by know about it.
-
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Our server Marissa suggested Wandering Goose(RIP 2020) in Capitol Hill to try out. She advised they had breakfast everyday and had some of the best fried chicken in the city.
Related Articles:
Citizen Cafe – Queen Anne
Recommended by: Our Server at Square Knot Diner is a resident of the Queen Anne neighborhood and mentioned a little known and underrated spot called, Citizen Café.
Description on the Citizen Cafe’s website: Welcome to Citizen Cafe and Bar. We are located in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Washingon in the shadow of the Space Needle. We love our neighborhood and the people that we see everyday, as well as those who might be passing through, looking for a place to grab a bite or a sip. We also love creating food and drinks that are fun and delicious. Things are always changing with new specials for every season and creative new ideas for cocktails and dishes. Be at home in our cozy cafe or on our sun-drenched patio and let us take care of you.
Neighborhood/Type: Queen Anne
What we ate/drank: Pulled Pork Tacos, Korexican Tacos, Macchiato
Comments: Until our server at Square Knot Diner had told us about Citizen Café, we’d never heard of it. Maybe it’s because when going to Queen Anne we’re familiar with the businesses on Queen Anne Ave on top of the hill and the businesses on lower Queen Anne on Mercer Ave. Citizen Café is located on the lower western part of Queen Anne. When we did arrive, we were quite shocked how big the property was. In addition to the two story café they had a huge adjoining outside portion. Citizen Café is a bit of a unicorn in Seattle in that they serve 7:00am breakfast not only on the weekends, but also on weekdays.
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The bottom portion of the space is the café portion, where a lot of commuters are just ordering coffee to go. There is some counter space along the window and a few stools near the cashier, but the second story is where the main seating area is. Our server told us that the second story was added on only a few years ago. The space has a lot of character. You’ll notice the exposed brick throughout and the exposed wooden beams. Our server advised that prior incarnations of the space were a fire station, a horse stable and more recently storage for the auto repair business next door. An original touch is the pages of Anna Karenina wallpapered along the wall on the second floor.
We both decided on tacos for breakfast, the pulled pork tacos and the Korexican Tacos(see details in the picture below). I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t expecting much when we ordered our meals. Maybe we thought that they were mainly a coffee shop first and food would take a back seat in quality. We were happily surprised that their tacos were really good. I especially like their pulled pork tacos. I thought for the portion size and quality, the dishes were also reasonably priced.I’m more of a savory person than a sweet person, so the Korexican tacos were not a hit for me, but my wife loved them.
Our server was accommodating and friendly. I point this out because we were there with two kids-(2 yr old and a 3 month old). The place is really unique and we’ll be sure to add it to our list of places to take visitors or local friends. Just a warning, it’s not a place that can accommodate larger groups. I would say maybe 6 people max and even that’s pushing it. Citizen is coffee cafe/brunch spot by day and bar/cocktails in the evening.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.65
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.50
Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.
-
- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!
Servers recommendations to visit in the future: Our server(Brian) mentioned The 5 Spot as another option for breakfasts in the area when asking for suggestions.
Related Articles:
**********9/20-Unfortunately, EL Diablo Coffee Has Closed Down**********
El Diablo Coffee
Description on El Diable Coffee’s website : El Diablo Coffee Co. has been a fixture in the Queen Anne neighborhood for 15+ years, providing a gathering place for locals and more. We’ve partnered with Tony’s Coffee out of Bellingham, Washington, to serve El Diablo Coffee Co. customers unique, artisan coffee roasts, including carefully composed blends and single-origin offerings.
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Address: 1825 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
What we ate/drank: Cortado, Strawberry/Banana smoothie, Cuban Toast, Breakfast Burrito with bacon.
Comments: We had never been to El Diablo Coffee prior to them moving into their new digs earlier this year. We were very familiar with Cloud City Coffee, which shares the same owner. I can’t imagine that the old location was nicer than this one.
To give some history behind El Diablos Coffee’s almost soap opera-ish move to a new location we only need to go back to this spring. Although we’d never been to El Diablo Coffee before, we did hear about the impending closing due to the landlord kicking them out within a short time period and the uproar it caused in the Queen Anne neighborhood. At the time it had been open for close to 20 years, so it had been a staple in the community for quite some time. They were given less than a month to vacate and find a new spot. Of course El Diablo Coffee wanted to stay in the neighborhood that made them successful, but also wanted to keep their employees. They tried to work with the landlord to no avail. Luckily there was a space a few doors down that had been vacated by a restaurant and that’s where they’re located now.
One of the reasons we had never been to El Diablo Coffee is that it’s on Queen Anne Hill and we don’t venture out that way too often. On this particular morning, we were meeting somebody who lived there, so we came here for breakfast. It’s basically a café inside of a house. This place is spacious both on the outside and inside. I counted 8 tables just on the front patio which is elevated so you don’t feel your right on the sidewalk/street. The patio also has tons of greenery and huge umbrellas for shade/protection from the rain. As you enter on the left there’s a living room with a group table that can seat 6 and a love chair. Right next to that is the counter/cashier where you order.
In the back is a bar counter and few individual tables, but one thing that may interest parents is a separate room with loads of toys for kids. It was nice enjoying our breakfast and drinks in peace while our daughter was occupied with all the books and toys. We’d pay extra for this amenity alone. What sets El Diablo Coffee apart from other cafes is that the first floor is already spacious for a Seattle café, but they also have a huge area upstairs that includes another patio. I believe the second floor is not yet complete, but it already has various tables, a couch with coffee table and a fireplace. The second floor is also really bright due to the skylights. I can see this being a perfect work area. They also have signage that the space is available to be rented out for things like baby showers, work get togethers, birthdays and even weddings. I believe they said that max occupancy is 100 people, so that tells you how big the area is.
If I’m comparing to Cloud City Coffee, they don’t have nearly the variety of food options. I had the breakfast burrito with bacon which was your standard egg, potato, bacon, cheese. I do appreciate that they toasted the outside. Couple of issues though. We ordered a Cuban Toast, which is tomato, cheese and ham, but they forgot the ham. We returned it and they apologized and fixed it right away. We also ordered a strawberry/banana smoothie, which they forgot to make. At the drink handoff area, they saw me standing there waiting and they asked what I was waiting for and realized they hadn’t made the smoothie yet.
The prices are slightly higher than Cloud City, which I understand, because the space is way nicer than Cloud City. Both places use Tony’s Coffee. One of the main differences is that El Diablo Coffee serves beer while I don’t think Cloud City does. They had locally breweries, Georgetown, Fremont and Figurehead brews on tap. They also had Two Beers and Georgetown Lucille IPA in cans along with, cider and wines.
I love the quirky blue peacock wall paper throughout along with the home touches like French doors, chandeliers and wall sconces for light.
In summary, this is a great place if you have a big group to meet up for coffee. It’s also an ideal location if you have kids since they can be separated in the kids room and you don’t have to worry about them bothering the other patrons. I always appreciate when coffee shops(and breweries for that matter) have dedicated spaces for kids, but El Diablo Coffee goes a step further with an actual room.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Tons of space both on the front patio, inside the “house” and out on the back patio.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4.25
Food Options: 4.50
Overall: 4.65
Eavedropping Convo: Guy was sitting by himself and a guy with an Australian accent came over.
Guy from Australia(GFA) – How have you been?
Guy from here(GFH) – I’ve been good, how about you? It’s been a while.
GFA-I like this place you picked to meet up.
GFH-Yeah, I like it a lot. It’s very decorative and I just work down the block, so I come here a lot.
GFA- Simplistic more so than decorative cafes are all the rage back home at the moment. I do notice all the cafes here have avocado toast like back home though. Comment: El Diablo has a Guacamole toast that’s on Cuban toasted bread
GFH- You feel right at home then, huh?
GFA/GFH- laughs
Related:
Name: La Marzocco Cafe
Description on the La Marzocco Cafe website: A cafe that serves as a stage for specialty coffee. Featuring monthly, rotating coffees and coffee service, designed and curated by leading coffee voices from around the world.
Neighborhood: Queen Anne-Seattle Center
Address: 472 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Music playing: Whatever is playing on KEXP
What we ate/drank: Doppio Espresso
Comments: La Marzocco was founded in 1927 and is best known as the premier manufacturer of espresso machines. You go into any coffee shop and chances are you’ll see a La Marzocco espresso machine. The company is so respected amongst baristas, that once La Marzocco decided to open their first ever cafe in Seattle, they got applications from all over the world.
La Marzocco Cafe is a relatively new space(4/16) and located in the Seattle Center. You may say to yourself, that only tourists go to the Seattle Center to see the Space Needle, EMP or Chihuly Garden, but there’s gotta be times where you are there some time throughout the year. What about visiting during Bumbershoot, events at Key Arena, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Bite of Seattle, International Brewery Festival, Folklife Festival or having a bite out in lower Queen Anne?
The place is huge with tons of seating, which makes it perfect for big groups. It’s like a big airy mess hall. They have cool displays of various La Marzocco espresso machines over time, a record store onsite and the coffee and menu are ever-changing. Why? This is the concept of the cafe-“Each month, a new, renowned coffee roaster or coffee brand from across the US or elsewhere in the world will take over our cafe space, implement a new menu, train our staff on their coffees and drink preparation, and curate a new experience for guests. Join us for something refreshing and new during each visit.”
This concept of a revolving door of roasters is what makes this cafe different. You’ll get to try different roasters each month, so every monthly visit will be a new experience. Caffe Umbria had a turn in the cafe last year and Kuma Coffee will being taking over some time in the future.
Ratings(Scale 1-5)
Favorite Thing: I like the concept of having a different roaster from all parts of the world showcase their coffee.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.75
Eavesdropping Convos: None. Too difficult to hear