Japanese restaurants/markets in Seattle (Bellevue, Kirkland: appointed, neighborhood, live)

[wygalar]

Hello! I am considering a move from Los Angeles to Seattle, and my main concern lies not in weather or neighborhood...but in FOOD!!!!

There is a HUGE amount of Japanese restaurants (authentic mom and pop Japanese restaurants, not just sushi chains or yoshinoya...restaurants that remind me of being in Japan) in Los Angeles and surrounding south bay suburbs, as well as many Japanese markets..I can't bear the thought of losing my favorite ramen shops!!

So, what's the situation in Seattle? Will I be crying myself to sleep, dreaming of my beloved Japanese meals? Or will I be able to find some new favorites in a beautiful new city?

Thanks!

[Xeon1210]

uwajimaya. hands down, period.

for authentic ramen umm..well..i've never been to japan nor am I japanese so I would probably get my butt kicked if I tried to pontificate about tru ramen.
But I do like Samurai noodle.

[tobester]

i'll add one more period to uwajimaya ... why go anywhere else? You will also learn about the Seattle 'teriyaki' phenomenon ... not authentic I know, but a favorite.

[eskercurve]

Not sure it's LA level, but I third'ed Uwajimaya for groceries and other markets. Don't forget Maruta Mart in Georgetown. Simple, fast, and cheap bento!!! Also a grocery.

(and yes I know it's Korean, but there's a couple H-mart's around here if you have a craving for something Korean)

Maneki (MANEKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT) has excellent Japanese food. For killer sushi there's a place called Tsukushinbo (if you want quality traditional style and american-traditional sushi). If you want fusion, there's a place on Mercer Island called Yuzen.

There's izakaya places in Belltown and international district (Maekawa bar ... my Japanese wife liked it but I was disappointed in it), and for desserts there's Fuji bakery that will reopen soon, and Ft. St. George. There's also a karaoke place called Bush Garden also in the ID. Near the Denny triangle there's a place, aptly named, "Seattle's Best Karaoke." There's also a place called Rock Box in Capitol Hill. Note: when I say karaoke, I MEAN karaoke, not american-style "get drunk off your ass and sing in front of everyone" karaoke, I mean "go with your friends to a place where you can embarrass yourself in private" style karaoke.

For ramen, I enjoy Dozo cafe in Bellevue / Factoria. There's Samurai Noodle, but I've not been in over a year and a Japanese friend of mine has been disappointed in it lately. Can't really comment more about it, I'm not a ramen kinda guy.

I've been to Japan three times, and will be for a fourth soon. I don't claim to know the ins and outs of Japanese food, but the tastiest and best places I've found in Seattle are those above. Others may dispute me, that's fine, to each their own.

[Kayela]

Uwajimaya is one of my favorite grocery stores. I mainly live on produce 'n protein and their produce is excellent (not sure about ID location, I go to the Bellevue one) and I love all the unusual (to me) things you can get there in addition to all the regular items. It's definitely made my cooking more adventurous! They also have very reasonable, high quality seafood. When I want sashimi-grade tuna I head straight there. For example they are the only place I know of that keeps their clams in a tank of water that keeps circulating so you don't have to soak the grit out. I don't think I've ever had a single one not open.

It's not authentic (but it is fresh and well-prepared), but I love Riki Riki in Kirkland. They have a sweet happy hour and an extensive saki list.