Revel – Back in Fremont!

Revel – Back in Fremont!

Recommended by:  Nobody.  Our favorite Seattle restaurant, Revel, moved to South Lake Union temporally while it’s new digs were being built in their original neighborhood, Fremont. We reviewed their temporary location in this post, but now that Revel is in their brand new location, we were giddy to check it out.

Description on the Revel’s website: Originally opened in 2010, Revel is a lively, casual space filled with bright art and music offering a new approach to everyday Korean comfort food. The large butcher block counter in the open kitchen has always been the heart of Revel inviting guests to be part of the family.

Neighborhood/Type:  Fremont

Address: 401 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103

What we ate/drank:  Albacore tuna, fennel kimchi, escarole $18, Pacific cod, spicy tsuyu, hot ginger oil $17, Pork dumpling, mapo, pickled leek $14, Green noodle, chanterelle, spicy miso $16

Comments:   It’s hard to believe that Revel’s been open for 10 years now. When it first opened a few doors down from it’s new current location, we remembered what a different experience it was to sit at the large counter with it’s open kitchen. It was both exciting to see the kitchen in action, but interesting to see how the dishes were made and put together.  It was almost like a symphony.

When they moved to South Lake Union we were saddened knowing logistically that lunch was most likely the only meal we’d be able to eat at Revel. We’d occasionally meet up for lunch and were happy to see that they kept the counter with the open kitchen concept at the temporary SLU location, but there were far less seats. Instead of the long counter, it was more of a square and only two sides could be used for seating.

We visited the new Revel location on a Saturday evening. They don’t take reservations for parties under six, so we provided our cell# and headed next door to Aslan Brewing for a beer. When our seats became available, we were happy to see the long large counter with the open kitchen had returned and we were being seated there.

We are huge fans of Relay Restaurant Group, which is the creation of wife/husband chef team of Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi. The group includes Revel and Joule.  Sadly, their third restaurant Trove closed down last year.  And as you can see here, they are either a nominee or semifinalist for Best Chef in NW by the James Bead Foundation nearly every damn year.

And if you needed any further evidence of our love for Joule and Revel. One of their dishes was in our top 15 Of 2018 and three of their dishes made it into our top 10 of 2019 with one of their dishes being our #1 dish of the year!

Well, we are happy to report the quality of Revel’s dishes have not skipped a beat.

We tend to always order the same things when we come to Revel, but we changed it up this time. And Revel is always changing up dishes on their menu, so no matter how many times you come, there is bound to be a dish you’ve not tried before.

The pacific cod was a generous portion that sat on a layer of tsuyu, which is typically a mixture of mirin, soy sauce and fish stock(bonito based). The other three dishes we ordered were savory, while the cod dish was on the sweet side, which was a nice change up and good complement. There must be a good batch of Enokitake mushrooms in Seattle. This is the second restaurant we’ve seen this week that prominently features the mushroom in a dish.

Similar to what we said in our Trove(R.I.P.) review, the noticeable thing about Revel’s dumplings is that there is no wasted space between the wrapper and the filling of the dumplings. Normally with dumplings, there is the filling and then a bunch of space between the wrapper when the filling inside shrinks when it’s steamed. Not only are the dumplings on the bigger side, so you really get your moneys worth, but they are so tasty we don’t even use any of their dipping sauces.

The green noodle with chanterelle and spicy miso was actually a suggestion from our server at Aslan Brewing. She had eaten at Revel the week before and raved about the dish. She did not steer us wrong. Just the right amount of spice, ample bits of chantrelle, subtle flavors.

We had to order at least one of our favorite repeat dishes. You can read about the dish on our Best Dishes of 2019. This was our #1 dish of the year in 2019!

There were a couple of dishes that we will definitely order the next time we visit Revel. One was the Brick Chicken and the other was the trout with achiote fish sauce & leek oil.

Now on to the new space. It’s definitely more spacious than the previous Fremont location. There were times in the previous location, where you felt you were right on top of each other due to the tables being rather close together. No such problems here.  Where before the bar area was in a totally separate room, the bar area now is right off to the side.

Where before there was a narrow patio in the back, the new patio is out front although not being used now due to the weather.  The lighting is a lot brighter than before, which doesn’t bother us. Perhaps it’s the higher ceilings that make it feel less intimate than the prior location. Also, not a big deal to us, but just noting the difference in feel to us.

Overall we’re happier for the bigger space, which means less wait times and for the larger counter section with the open kitchen.  I’m also grateful that Aslan Brewing is right next door so if the bar area is packed, we can have a beer as we wait for our table.

Service as always was attentive, dish suggestions provided and taste profiles explained.

We’re so happy that Revel is back in Fremont.  The dishes are as good as they’ve ever been. The larger space, means less wait time. Selfishly, the location is way better for us than it was when it was in SLU.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: 4.75

Service: 5.00

Food/Drinks: 5.00

Bang for the Buck: 4.50

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:   We were raving about Revel and how the quality hasn’t changed 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.

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