When I think about going back to my roots, specifically my Japanese ones, I think about going to temple on New Year’s Day, spending time with my extended family, and food. Going to temple is something we only do for the New Year but something I do actually enjoy, especially when we go on any day other than the first (the line is literally like an hour long otherwise). I love the energy around the area and of everyone there; it’s refreshing, like a brand new start. As for my extended family, most of us are Japanese and I associate Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve gatherings with them.
I’m not really sure why I associate food with my roots. There’s a psychological explanation here that I’m not privy to, but regardless, food is a big part of what I consider “my culture”, Japanese or otherwise. For this reason (and my own motivations) I’ve decided to talk about some Japanese comfort spots on The Ave!
You may be wondering, what counts as Japanese comfort food? Ramen? Sushi? Donburi? For the purposes of this piece, I’ve decided that it means anything with Japanese roots or intertwined with Japanese culture. The restaurants here have a lot of your typical Japanese fare like ramen and sushi with some added curveballs like Korean fried chicken: this should tell you how fast and loose I’m playing with the definition of “Japanese comfort food” for these restaurants. Among the places I visited for this piece are an udon shop, an Asian Fusion restaurant, a traditional ramen joint, a tiny plate lunch shop, and an izakaya. I hope this inspires you to try one of these lovely places!
Disclaimer: I’ve only been to these places once or twice because I’m an unemployed college student (somebody let me wash dishes!) and these are all $15-$20 a pop. My spending money consists of what I made over summer break plus graduation goodies and it needs to last me at least until Spring Quarter if not the end of the year.
U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station - 9/10
Absolute peak. Soft noodles, cheap sides, great taste, not to mention generous portions. Oh, and 49 cents per gyoza, which is the best rate I’ve ever seen. U:Don sits on the block just above 45th street in between a tattoo parlor and Don’t Yell At Me Tea, a bubble tea shop, and across from Reiwatakiya, an Asian beauty store.
I first got U:Don with my family when we arrived in Seattle for move-in week and we were looking for a place to get takeout from. We picked U:Don because we figured ramen was a safe bet. I’m sorry to say none of us enjoyed our meals very much that night, though I now suspect that was due to us getting takeout instead of having it fresh. My complaint back in September was that while the sides were great, my udon had an odd texture, the katsu was stiff and the flavor of the curry was lackluster (I’d had the Katsu Curry Udon).
A friend and I went back to U:Don the other week and to my great pleasure U:Don has fully rectified themselves in my eyes. This time, I went for the On-tama udon: their signature dashi broth, hand-made noodles and a soft boiled egg. I also piled on my tray an assortment of tempura and gyoza- gotta take advantage of that sweet sweet 49 cent gyoza. This udon was perfectly soft and chewy, with the broth fresh and on the right side of almost boiling. I was reminded of the large portion sizes when I almost found myself unable to finish the bowl. This trip was a resounding 9/10 and I know that whenever I go back I’ll be satisfied.
My favorite things: 49 cent gyoza, big portions, super fresh, a la carte sides.
U DupBop Asian Fusion - 8.5/10
One of the things that stands out U DupBop from the dozens of other tiny restaurants on the ave is their unaesthetic, but incredibly useful parking lot. Well, not useful for me, a dorming college student who hasn’t driven a car since they got their license, but probably incredibly convenient for the ten or so cars we saw pick up takeout while we were there.
I’ve been to U DupBop twice now and each time I’ve taken home leftovers the size of a second meal. Most of the meals are pretty pricey, with the minimum average hanging around 19 or 20 dollars if not more, but the portions about make up for that. UDupBop is on the lower side of The Ave, right around where the twinkle lights begin and the UW buildings stop. If there’s no space inside, there’s a cute little porch for larger parties, though it is definitely cold this time of year.
Each time I’ve been to U DupBop I’ve had the combo fried rice and each time I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. U DupBop is also one of the not-entirely-Japanese spots on this list: it is, after all, called U DupBop Asian Fusion. I’ve had their Korean fried chicken, which was good despite my dislike of wet rubs on chicken, and my friends thoroughly enjoyed their bibimbap and hot stone bulgogi.
My favorite things: BIG portions, variety of options, space
Samurai Noodle - 7.5/10
I moseyed on down to Samurai Noodle after a lengthy fight with a CVS self check-out machine for cashback. That morning I’d headed to my 10:30 quiz section only to find it’d been canceled, taken the 15 minute bus ride to CVS for my cash, fumbled around inside the CVS trying to figure out how Seattle cashback worked, then finally hopped on the return bus to meet my friend, who beat me there despite coming from their own class. Regardless, I went in with a good feeling. The place had good reviews, a variety of ramen types, and the friend I was meeting a friend I hadn’t seen for a week or so. I was excited and ready to eat.
My hunger and excitement made the wait undoubtedly worse. When our food finally came, I’m happy to say I loved it. I’d ordered the Chicken Lover’s ramen, which was a chicken based broth with karaage and more shredded pieces of chicken. I finished the whole thing in about fifteen minutes and enjoyed sitting at our window seat yapping with my friend until we left for the University Bookstore. I forget what my friend got but I do remember the sentiment being; “Good”.
I think my only gripe with Samurai Noodle was the prices. It was about the same as many of the other restaurants on the list and on the Ave, but I felt I got less for my buck than I had at other places. That being said, I did thoroughly like my ramen.
My favorite things: Quality broth and meat, fun menu choices
Nasai Teriyaki - 7.5/10
Nasai Teriyaki was by far the emptiest restaurant I’d entered for this list, though that may have been because it was around 2:30 and past lunchtime. Wedged into a slip of a building, Nasai Teriyaki is a plate lunch kinda joint. If you don’t recognize the term, it just means a meal that comes in a divided, usually styrofoam, container with rice and other sides. I’m not sure how common plate lunches are outside of Hawai’i, where they’re a local staple, but Nasai Teriyaki feels straight out of a local eatery.
I was having a hankering for some chicken katsu, so that's what I got. It was kinda pricey for just katsu, but I’m finding that's the norm for Seattle. There was only one other person inside eating and I received my food in under five minutes. The elderly lady who checked me out reminded me of the various aunties back home.
For me, Nasai Teriyaki reminded me the most strongly of these restaurants of home. The plate lunch, the chicken katsu, the sides, even the old lady and the smell of the restaurant. If you’re from Hawai’i or just looking for a good plate lunch, make sure to head to Nasai Teriyaki.
My favorite things: The home-yness of the place.
Ku Sushi and Izakaya - 9/10
Boy was I surprised by my final trip for this blog. For this restaurant, I’d enlisted two friends to help judge the sushi as I’m not a big sushi fan. We walked and waited some twenty minutes at a cold bus stop until eventually the 45 bus arrived, and we made it to Ku Sushi’s somewhat eerie spot at the top of The Ave past where the Saturday farmer’s market is held. I was tired, frazzled, and not at my peppiest. Nevertheless, I had a job to do.
Me and my friends were lucky to snag one of the only tables in the place to fit all three of us and our disproportionate bags. I picked my udon fairly quickly while my friends deliberated over their sushi and donburi. The udon I picked was nice and soft and came with an unexpected 9 pieces of tempura. My gyoza was crispy on the outside and cooked to tender on the inside.
Now for the sushi. I’m going to try my best to succinctly convey what my friends told me. The fish was really fresh, and the salmon donburi was buttery. The rolls weren’t overwhelming and the sauce that came with it was good. I’d also like to cite my friend from back home in Hawai’i’s high standards for raw fish as proof that Ku Sushi is the real deal.
My favorite things: Nice bang for your buck, good fish (taste and portion)
To conclude; if you’re feeling a hankering for Japanese comfort food, make your way down to the Ave and check out any of these five excellent restaurants! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
