Filipino
Adobo is a staple Filipino dish that I first fell in love with in college. I made a pretty good pork adobo by marinating pieces of pork shoulder in 1 part white vinegar and 1 part soy sauce (I recommend the Filipino brand Datu Puti if you can get your hands on it) along with bay leaf, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, salt, and lots of garlic. Then, braise the pork until tender (around 1.5 - 2 hours) along with the marinade and 4 parts of water. Serve over white rice with scallions.
If you’re looking for a hearty plate of food in Pike Place Market, check out Oriental Mart. Take a seat at the counter and wait patiently for some delicious Filipino food! A big portion of pork adobo with white rice and pancit cost me around $20.
Italian
Named after the town of Amatrice, 65 miles away from Rome, Amatriciana is one of the four staples of Roman pasta (along with carbonara, cacio e pepe, and pasta alla gricia). Elevate a simple tomato sauce with traditional guanciale (cured pork jowl) or bacon (in a pinch).
Mexican
I took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island for an easy and stress-free Saturday day trip. The ferry is very pedestrian-friendly and downtown Bainbridge (Winslow) is only a five minute walk from the ferry terminal! While there, I had good al pastor tacos at Bainbridge Tacos.
Carnitas (literally meaning “little pieces of meat”) are made by simmering pork its own fat, and are a must-have when I make tacos. Making carnitas from scratch is not a quick process, but it is worth the wait. I cut a whole pork shoulder into pieces and braise the meat for two hours in lard with onion, orange, coca cola, evaporated milk, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and cumin (along the lines of this example). If you desire crispiness, sear the pork after braising and before shredding.
Tip! Save your leftover carnitas (if there are any left) to make quesadillas for lunch!
Located in downtown ballard, El Moose is a great spot for authentic Mexican food. The carnitas tacos are somewhat small, but delicious nonetheless.
Thai
If you find yourself hungry for Thai food in Belltown (or Seattle Center), you have to go to Bangrak Market. This restaurant serves delicious (and authentic) Thai street food, including staples like spring rolls, chicken satay, and pad see ew. Plus, most appetizers are half off during happy hour!
I first had Pad Kra Pao—stir fried minced chicken with chilies and Thai basil—when I visited Bangkok in March 2025 (I was reliably told that this, and not pad thai, was the true national dish of Thailand). I discovered it’s surprisingly easy to make, provided you can get your hands on some niche ingredients. Stir fry shallots, bird’s eye chilies, ground chicken, Thai basil, green beans, sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and (the secret ingredient) Golden Mountain sauce.
Tip! You can find Thai chilies, Thai basil, and Golden Mountain sauce at H Mart or your neighborhood Asian grocery store.
After finally getting around to buying a wok, I wanted to try my hand at making pad see ew, a Thai dish made with wide rice noodles and chinese broccoli that I’ve been ordering a lot recently. I used this NYT Cooking recipe for the measurements and this video tutorial for the technique. I still need to perfect the sauce ratio to emulate the exact taste, but this dish was surprisingly easy to put together, provided you get your ingredients ready in advance (including soaking the rice noodles for 30+ minutes).
Tip! If you plan to make many Thai dishes, invest in some authentic Golden Mountain sauce, available at an Asian grocery store.
My first attempt to make pad thai (almost two years ago) was a complete disaster—clumpy noodles, poor execution, a taste that completely missed the mark. After my first-try success with pad see ew, I decided to conquer my pad thai-making demons. The keys—once again—are to pre soak your noodles for a long time (it took me 1 hour), have a wok (it makes a difference!), and use the right ingredients, which includes tamarind paste and palm sugar. This recipe from Hot Thai Kitchen was my north star, and I used a 1:1:1 ratio of tamarind paste, palm sugar, and fish sauce to make the pad thai sauce. The taste is almost there, but at least I finally have a solid foundation on which to improve.
Tip! I had to make tamarind paste myself by soaking a block of tamarind concentrate from H Mart following these instructions.
Vietnamese
A well-made bánh mì is probably my favorite sandwich ever, so I’m very happy to finally be able to make a good one at home. I make grilled lemongrass pork (thịt nướng) from pieces of pork shoulder and a marinade of fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a 3:3:2 ratio, plus garlic and lemongrass (paste). If you have access to a grill, this is the time to use it! (And don’t forget the pickled carrots and daikon!)
Tip! The “Parisien” baguette at Le Panier in Pike Place is the perfect combination of crispy and fluffy, making it well-suited for a bánh mì.
Bò lúc lắc (“shaking beef”) is a tasty dish that is less common on menus at Vietnamese restaurants in the U.S., but is surprisingly easy to make. With leftover pork from making bánh mì, I made a marinade with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Sear the pork pieces on medium-high before resting, then soften the onions and bell peppers in the same skillet (you still want some firmness). Right before serving, add back the pork—plus scallions and tomato quarters—and combine. Serve with rice and garnish with lime and cilantro.
Tip! If you have an air fryer, sear the pork less in the skillet then finish cooking in the air fryer while you soften the onions for extra crispy pork pieces!
If you don’t want to go through the (admittedly time-consuming) process of making your own bánh mì, I’d recommend Crackle Mi, with locations in Ballard and Fremont. The grilled pork bánh mì was only $10 and had a very generous portion of meat. Their fresh spring rolls are also great!
Seattle Adventure! Visit Crackle Mi before or after exploring downtown Ballard. Highlights of my recent weekend trip include the fish ladder at the Chittenden Locks and a free ticket to the National Nordic Museum through my Seattle library card.
When it’s cold and wet outside, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of Vietnamese phở. Phở Bắc has locations in Little Saigon (next to Chinatown / International District), Downtown and Rainier Valley, serving mostly just phở at reasonable prices. Their phở dặc biệt features six different cuts of beef.
Seattle Adventure! Stop by Chinatown or Little Saigon before or after a trip to watch the Seahawks, Sounders, Reign, or Mariners play!
Vietnamese spring rolls are the perfect appetizer to accompany a bánh mì or phở, or just to eat by themselves. You’ll need rice paper wrappers, vermicelli noodles, pickled carrots and Daikon, letuce, and mint in addition to an optional protein (like shrimp or tofu). Briefly soak the rice paper wrapper in water, let sit for a second, then work quickly to wrap up the filling before the wrapper becomes too thin to work with.
Chinese
Chuan House is one of many highly-recommended Chinese restaurants on the Ave in the UDistrict. I ordered garlic string beans and the mapo tofu, which gave me my first encounter with Sichuan peppercorn and its famous tounge-numbing sensation.
Originating in China’s Sichuan province, Kung Pao chicken has also solidified its place in Chinese-American cuisine. I found it surprisingly easy to make (following this recipe), although I’m still trying to perfect the balance of Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and MSG.
With the goal of branching out my cooking, I was excited to try making Taiwanese three cup chicken (“san bei ji”), named for the (roughly) equal parts soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese cooking wine. I followed this recipe, adding ginger, garlic, dried chilies, and finishing with basil, scallions, and—because I had them—peanuts.
Japanese
It’s always a good week when Japanese-style katsu is on the menu. I prefer to use chicken thighs over pork cutlets (tonkatsu) to achieve a good balance between crispy exterior and perfectly-cooked meat. Dredge the thinned-out chicken thighs with flour, egg, and panko breading before shallow frying. But the crispy katsu isn’t complete without white rice and a heavy drizzle of specialty katsu sauce (e.g. Bulldog brand).
Teriyaki has deep roots in Seattle. On my recent trip to Bainbridge Island, I got a plate of chicken teriyaki at Teriyaki Town. The lunch plate is reasonably priced at $14.
Peruvian
Among the many culinary masterpieces of Peruvian cooking, lomo saltado is simply unbeatable for me. Stir fry thin strips of steak in soy sauce, oyster sauce, and aji amarillo paste along with red onion, scallions, and tomatoes. Don’t forget to serve with both white rice and french fries!