Instagram-Thirsty Boba Tea Shop with Bearyaki Already Drawing Long Lines

Welcome to the Eater Seattle restaurant tracker, a regularly-updated post with intel on the latest openings from around the city. In this update, Lake City has a buzzy Chinese restaurant, Capitol Hill gets a trendy boba tea cafe and a Korean drinks destination, and U District welcomes a new Taiwanese spot.

February 28, 2020

CAPITOL HILL — Those into Instagram-friendly boba tea shops may want to check out Drip Tea, which is already drawing lines after quietly opening on 10th Avenue in the space formerly occupied by a Sweet Iron outpost. The cafe serves various flavors of bubble tea, has a giant statue against a backdrop of plastic marijuana leaves, and features a small retail area that sells trendy clothing brands such as Supreme. But the biggest draw right now may be the “bearyaki” cones — soft-serve ice cream in bear-shaped taiyaki waffles, a close cousin of the fish-shaped ones that have been popular around town in recent years. Status: Certified open. 1416 10th Ave.

LAKE CITY — The fast-casual Chinese restaurant Mount and Bao opened several weeks ago, and is now building some positive chatter over its soup dumplings and other dishes. One Yelp reviewer wrote “the portions are much larger, less expensive, and the environment much cozier” than the popular chain Din Tai Fung, and another praised the wontons in spicy sauce that were the “perfect blend of acid, heat, and salt.” The Seattle Times also recently has good things to report on its hand-pulled noodles, and said that the place was already “drawing crowds.” Status: Certified open. 12534 Lake City Way NE.

U DISTRICT — A new Taiwanese spot called Capsule Cafe has hit the Ave, catering mostly to the UW kids, with dishes like popcorn chicken and braised pork over rice. The prices are wallet-friendly and the service goes for something a little different than other places in the neighborhood: customers take baskets and then “shop” around the cafe for whatever dishes they want, buffet-style. There’s even a raffle for those who order more than $20 worth of food, with prizes that may include free drinks. Status: Certified open. 4507 University Way NE.

CAPITOL HILL — The spacious new Korean drinks destination Soju Anju Bar from Musashi’s Jun Pak and his cousin Jae Shin has opened in the Velocity Dance Building, with limited hours at first (extending in March). The Seattle Times reports that the spot (which seats around 120) pairs soju with a menu of small plates, including squid tempura, blood sausage and the rice cake tteokbokki. There are also complimentary banchan sides with orders of soju or beer, and K-Pop videos on the TVs around the bar. Status: Certified open. 1621 12th Ave.

February 13, 2020

BELLEVUE — The popular U District Korean chicken spot Chi Mac has just opened its long-planned Eastside outpost at Factoria Village, its second location in the area. For those unfamiliar with the restaurant, the menu consists mostly of wings with a variety of glazes, ranging from gochujang to soy garlic or a Sichuan pepper option (among the best in the city), along with fried chicken dishes. For now, the Bellevue spot is only open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but dinner hours are coming soon. The restaurant had also been known to serve a variety of Korean beer, but unfortunately neither this new spot, nor the U District original, has a liquor license at the moment (a manager tells Eater Seattle they are working on it). Status: Certified open. 3640 Factoria Blvd SE.

CAPITOL HILL — A&A Organic Tamaleria and Cider House — an offshoot from an Everett, WA, restaurant, which draws long lines its namesake dish — has officially opened its new Seattle location at 212 Broadway E. The menu includes both savory (pork, beef, chicken, and sauteed zucchini) and sweet options (strawberry and mango), reflecting ingredients and techniques passed down from the co-owner’s great-grandmother, who grew up in Mexico City. There will also eventually be selections of cider on the menu from Everett purveyor Soundbite, but a liquor license is still pending. Status: Certified open. 212 Broadway E.

WEST SEATTLE — Fast casual teriyaki restaurant Grillbird just opened today on 35th Ave SW and Morgan Street. Owner Matthew Parker — a West Seattle resident — told Eater last month that the menu would be “small, but efficient.” All the teriyaki selections are gluten free, along with some vegan options, including grilled mixed mushrooms, tofu sourced from Vashon Island, and Chinese greens. There will be online ordering and a delivery app as well. Diners may want to take selfies in front of the eye-catching mural on the building by local artist Sam Trout. Status: Certified open. 6501 35th Ave SW.

CAPITOL HILL — Small batch ice cream shop Sweet Alchemy opened its third location in Chophouse Row recently, taking over for fellow hyperlocal ice cream specialist Kurt Farm Shop, which closed in December. Sweet Alchemy sources ingredients from area farms, and has recently been in expansion mode, opening up a second location in Ballard last April. Owner Lois Ko told Eater Seattle, “We will carry organic dairy ice cream which we make from scratch much as Kurt had, as well as coconut cream-based vegan ice creams, ice cream cakes, pints, scratch made waffle cones, and some fun kombucha/nitro cold brew floats.” Status: Certified open, 1424 11th Ave Ste C2.

January 23, 2020

CAPITOL HILL — For those looking for a taste of nostalgia, Batch Baking Company recently opened on 12th Avenue, near Seattle University, specializing in twists on sweet childhood favorites like Squareos, Nutter Butters, elephant ears, snickerdoodles, and S’mores. It also sells coffee and limited espresso drinks, in addition to cold brew and tea (all from Caffe Umbria). “Over time, our plan is to expand our food offerings to include some savory puff pastry options, as well as serve beer and wine, particularly those that pair will well with our treats,” says co-owner Scot Partlow. Status: Certified open. 808 12th Ave.

WALLINGFORD — The oddly-named Dumpling the Noodle has opened on N 45th Street, serving a selection of, yes, dumplings and noodles in the former Wallyburger location. Though it’s still early, most reviews on Yelp have been positive so far, with some praising the restaurant’s pan fried noodles and the array of vegan and vegetarian options, including the tofu garlic soup. Owner Sen Mao used to run the dry hot pot place Fun DJ on Aurora Ave. Status: Certified open. 1719 N 45th St.

U DISTRICT — Pizza Pi Vegan Pizzeria (the restaurant that bills itself as “America’s oldest vegan pizzeria” at 18 years in business) just relocated to some new digs, from University Way to Roosevelt Way NE. The new location looks a little more polished than the previous one, with slick booths and moody lighting, while the menu is mainly the same, featuring a selection of vegan pies in varieties that include mac ‘n’ cheese, Buffalo chicken, and Hawaiian. Status: Certified open. 5301 Roosevelt Way NE.

January 2, 2020

CAPITOL HILL — After a few delays, the highly anticipated new American restaurant Olmstead has officially opened on East Broadway. Owner Gregg Holcomb and chef Jesse Elliott (from nearby Witness) have revamped the old Broadway Grill space, with a menu of elevated bar bites and brunch specials, such as Dungeness crab deviled eggs, marmalade bread pudding with blood orange anglaise, and housemade pastrami hash with mirepoix. The roomy space also has plenty of TVs to watch the NFL playoff games, a shuffleboard table, an extensive beer, wine, and cocktail list, and a large rotisserie oven that’s all fired up. Plus, there are owl goblets. Status: Certified open. 314 Broadway E.

SOUTH LAKE UNION — The cozy new coffee shop Cafe Hagen, specializing in Scandinavian brews and light snacks, such as salmon toasts and pastries, opened recently in SLU. It wants to bring the Danish concept of hygge to the Seattle area — while the word doesn’t have a direct English translation, it refers to the art of finding comfort. That will come in the form of cups of lattes and espressos for now, as well as brunch, beer, and wine soon. Status: Certified open. 1252 Thomas St.

CAPITOL HILL — Iconic Seattle-based pizza chain Pagliacci — which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year — has opened its new restaurant on East Pike Street. The spot features beer and wine, a slice bar, a training facility, and a pizza testing kitchen in the building that currently houses Pagliacci’s headquarters and phone center. It also has murals from renowned graphic designers Ames Bros, who worked on the chain’s distinctive pizza boxes. Status: Certified open. 415 E Pike St.

SODO — New Year’s may have already passed, but the champagne is still flowing in SODO. A new tasting room cheekily called House of Pagne is now open in the Urban Works Building, which has a bunch of wine-related tenants, as well as the popular Nine Pies Pizzeria. The new spot features 30 different types of champagnes, with prices ranging from $7 per glass to $25 flights, as well as bottles for retail. It’s early, but the reviews on Yelp so far have been sparkling. Status: Certified open. 3861 1st Ave S.