The '''International District''' is the name given to Seattle's Asian Neighborhood. It is located southeast of downtown, bounded by 4th Avenue S. and S. Dearborn Street, just a few minutes' walk from Pioneer Square.

While the old Chinatown stops around the Interstate 5 freeway, the area to the east is called '''Little Saigon''', centered on 12th and Jackson. From there, going south along Rainier Avenue, the stores transform from Vietnamese to Cambodian, though by then you're pretty far from downtown Seattle.

See

  • Hing Hay Park. ttp://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/hinghaypark.htm. A small park in the center of Chinatown. Though you're not too likely to see old folks doing ''tai chi'' or playing checkers, it still has character.
  • Seattle Buddhist Church. In the summer the community hosts a Japanese ''bon odori'' festival on the street out front.
  • Wing Luke Asian Museum. 19 S King St. ttp://www.wingluke.org. The first Smithsonian affiliate in the Pacific Northwest, this museum features exhibits and programs related to pan-Asian American art, history, and culture as well as historic immersion and neighborhood walking tours. </see>

    Do

  • Venus Karaoke. 01 S King St, Ste 102. Apparently, the only karaoke rooms in the city. Rented by the hour, a good selection of Cantonese, Mandarin, and English songs. Open late, with two bars upstairs. In the lobby, view the Anime models with exceedingly unrealistic presentations of the female body.

    Buy

  • Uwajimaya Village. 00 5th Ave S. ttp://www.uwajimaya.com. The commercial, if not cultural, hub of the I.D. is Uwajimaya Village, a huge Japanese supermarket with many smaller eateries and a branch of the Kinokuniya bookstore. If you need anything at all from Japan while in Seattle, this is the place to find it.

    Most of the older businesses in the I.D. are, of course, Chinese, and there are a few general stores where you can pick up good woks and other imported items. Over in Little Saigon, the Viet Wah supermarket has Asian foods for a lot cheaper than Uwajimaya.

    Eat

    Uwajimaya

    The food court at Uwajimaya, and the accompanying Uwajimaya grocery store, deserve special mention. The grocery store offers specialty items for almost all forms of Asian cooking: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, etc. They have great produce, though not always the best prices. But most importantly, they have obscure items like Kafir lime leaves or entire lotus roots, labeled in English.

    The food court offers a wide variety of Asian cuisines, ranging from Hawaiian BBQ to Hong Kong style baked goods, and everything in-between. The Thai offering is not so good. The Chinese steam tables offer reliable, western-style treats in large quantites for cheap. There is no real Japanese offering, but the grocery store deli has plenty of sushi and other Japanese lunch items available. The Korean establishment, Shilla Korean Bar-B-Q is probably the best out of the entire court, with very reasonable prices and large portions.

    Uwajimaya is located at 600 5th Avenue South.

    Chinese

    While tourists and most non-Asian Seattleites stick to the large Chinese restaurants, the smaller places serve mostly locals and offer quite authentic atmosphere as well as food.

    Seafood

    Chinese seafood restaurants are a Seattle institution popular with locals, many with "live tanks". Not particularly elegant, but the food is great (if a bit venturesome for some tastes).
  • Ho Ho.
  • Hing Loon.
  • Sea Garden.
  • Honey Court.
  • Chau's.
  • Sun Ya.

    Dim Sum

    Aside from the seafood places, try '''dim sum''' lunch, even on weekdays. Roving servers bring steam carts of exotic (e.g., chicken feet) but often delicious food, then stamp your meal ticket for each dish. When you're done, take your ticket up to the register and pay. If you aren't a complete master of chopsticks, bring your own fork for the slippery shrimp and rice noodles, because the staff will rarely get around to bringing one. If you're not getting what you want, or you don't see it, ask the staff - you may have to be a little aggressive.
  • Jade Garden. Authentic Dim Sum. While very popular, don't let the seemingly long wait for a table sway you -- it is usually less than 30 minutes.
  • House of Hong. While more expensive, they do have parking on-site, which is a good clue that this is not very authentic. Their Lo Mai Gai is larger than other restaurants, as you are served only one bundle per order instead of the standard two or three. This makes sharing your Lo Mai gai awkward, and it tends to stick to the leaves in a glutenious unnatural manner.
  • Purple Dot Cafe. Despite the name, this is pretty good Dim Sum, (I thought much better than the House of Hong) and not as expensive.
  • Vegetarian Bistro. 68 S King St. Vegetarian dim sum. Includes the use of faux meats.

    Cantonese

  • Canton Won Ton House. 08 S Weller St. -Sa 11AM-Midnight. Hong Kong-style noodle soup and congee (''jook''); great with a side order of Chinese donuts (''yau tiu''). Very inexpensive.
  • J & B Cafe. lso confusingly called J & L. 70 S Weller St. Cheap, simple Hong Kong food, but don't expect dim sum (or English) here; it's Westernized dishes like curry and Portuguese baked fish. They even have Horlick's.
  • Purple Dot Cafe. 15 Maynard Ave S. This is not a fusion restaurant, but rather a Seven Stars Pepper. 207 S Jackson St, Suite 211 (Ding How Plaza). Great hand-shaven dandan noodles, chonggin hot chicken, hotpot.
  • Sichuanese Cuisine. 048 S Jackson St. The name in Chinese is Lo Sichuan. Great dry-fried beans with chicken. Simpler hotpot than at Seven Stars Pepper, with tasty dumplings.

    Vietnamese

  • Saigon Bistro. 032 S Jackson St. The noodle soup with duck and plums is delicious. Also try the sea snails (or slugs?).
  • Pho Bac. 240 S Jackson St. An oddly-located pink shack serving Vietnamese noodle soup. Don't ask for a menu; the only choices are regular or large, and what kind of beef you want.
  • Tamarind Tree. 036 S Jackson St. It is worth the awkward crawl through Seattle's steepest and most congested parking lot to relax with a Tamarind Soda next cool contempo style fountain. Tamarind Tree is an anomoly in Little Saigon, to say the least. Three Vietnamese brothers created an atmosphere that feels like it should be located in a Belltown Hotel rather than a Vietnamese ghetto. Tamarind Tree packs in more flavors for under $9.00 than any other restaurant. Try the Fish Paste with Bacon, or the Seven Courses of Beef. Be amazed at how high quality service, sauces, and appetizers can be served up artfully for Little Saigon prices. Eat your spring rolls with a side of fresh peanut sauce.

    Cambodian

  • Phnom Penh Noodle House. 14 Maynard Ave S. Cambodian noodles and rice dishes which are considerably more exciting than Al Gore, who appears in a photo with the owner.

    Malaysian

  • Malay Satay Hut . 12 12th Ave S. Worth trying mango chicken.

    Japanese

    While most of Seattle's immigrant Japanese population has long since moved out to the suburbs (as have the upscale sushi bars), a few restaurants still stick it out in the I.D.
  • Fort St. George. 01 S King St. A restaurant/bar that serves Japanese-style Western foods like spaghetti and curry rice. Popular with exchange students and occasional Seattle Mariners.
  • Maneki. 06 6th Ave S. ttp://www.manekirestaurant.com. Very good sushi, as well as many non-sushi Japanese dishes. The restaurant claims to be at least 100 years old, although it has moved since its estimated founding date in 1904, and is considerably smaller than the grand space it occupied prior to World War II. Their sushi pieces are very large, and their prices are very reasonable. Only open for dinner.
  • Fuji Sushi. 20 S Main St. Open for lunch, just around the corner from Maneki. Smaller pieces, a bit pricer, but fresh and tasty.

    Bakeries

    If it's a snack rather than a meal you want, the I.D. has some good Chinese bakeries with treats like almond cookies and pineapple buns.
  • Mon Hei Chinese Bakery. 69 S King St. A one woman show with lots of variety at a reasonable price. Eat your sesame roll while chatting with the old timers sitting in the back.
  • A Piece of Cake. 14 S King St.

    Drink

    [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea Bubbletea ] arrived in Seattle's ID around 1998. It was originally served in basic plastic cups with the signature dome lids. All the bubble tea cafes in the ID now vaccum seal the tops of each cup with a semi-permanent plastic covers. <BR>
  • Ambrosia. 19 S King St. 1 206 623-9028. This was Seattle's first bubble tea establishment. Well known for its long lines and the curt Taiwanese "bubbletea nazi" that ran the cash register. Other bubble tea cafes followed suit, thus thinning out Ambrosia's clientele.
  • Gossip Espresso & Tea. 51 S King St. 1 206 624-5402. This prime corner storefront used to be Seattle's oldest meat market. Gossip is now a popular hangout for bubbletea drinking neighborhood teens. A spiral staircase leads to a second level lounge where the original ornate ceiling panels still exist. Cash only, also has karaoke downstairs.
  • Oasis Tea Zone. 19 6th Ave S. 1 206 447-8098. Pool tables, Ikea furniture, and music videos entertain a mostly younger crowd of bubbletea drinkers. Oasis is known for its more fragrant tasting bubbleteas.
  • Pearl Cafe. 74 S Weller St. 1 206 287-9000. A basic, low overhead establishment that quietly competes with the jazzier neighborhood cafes. Older folks sit and watch whatever Hong Kong movie or gameshow that is constantly playing inside. Icecream, Lotto tickets, and public internet access available. Credit cards accepted.
  • Maekawa Bar. 01 S King St, Suite 206. Seattle's only Izakaya. Serves Japanese pub grub, which is delicious. Generally busy, it is a good place to spend an evening eating and drinking. Have an award above the bar for being Seattle's best Izakaya. They do not appreciate you pointing out they are the only one. Go downstairs for Karaoke. Next to Ft. St. George. Other places to drink in the ID
  • Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House. 07 S Main St. 1 206 515-4000. A unique renovation. Panama Hotel is both a teahouse and historical museum. Fine tea connoisseurs appreciate the wide selection of teas served with a high standard of quality. The Panama Hotel once housed the personal belongings of interned Japanese Americans who had to sell their homes and abandon their businesses. The belongings that were never claimed, including pieces of furniture and a piano are on display here.

    Guides

  • '''[http://msg150.com MSG150]''' - A blog following a group of folks trying to eat lunch at and review all of the restaurants in the ID.