Raskin Slurps Ramen; BJC Cuts Shanik Some Slack

In this week's review round-up, Hanna Raskin devotes her Seattle Weekly restaurant critique to two new ramen restaurants: Kukai in Bellevue and 4649 in Wallingford. Says Raskin:

Kukai and 4649 are very different restaurants. But both are worth a visit by eaters wanting to better understand ramen, fast and slow.

The dual-review is much kinder, and clearly much more enjoyable for Raskin, whose review last week was almost a Dear John letter to Shanik — the SLU Indian restaurant Bethany Jean Clement seems to be cutting some slack in her review this week.

BJC, who admits to never having been to Shanik's much more renowned BC sibling, Vij's, says:

Maybe—just maybe—some initial letdown was inevitable. When Shanik opened at the beginning of December, disappointment was rampant.

She adds that she's glad she waited until the place sorted itself out before reviewing it. And when she finally went with a Vij's fanatic-friend on a chilly winter day, "We ordered more food than god, and it was good."

· The Slurping Spectrum [Seattle Weekly]
· Shanik is Not Vij's [The Stranger]
· All Week in Reviews [~ESEA~]

Keisuke Kobayashi, owner of 4649 Yoroshiku [Photo: Joshua Huston/SW]