The diversity of Seattle’s Asian community is best captured in its name. In 1999, a city ordinance changed the neighborhood previously referred to as Chinatown to the Chinatown-International District (C-ID). After all, the neighborhood technically comprises of Japantown, Manilatown, and Little Saigon, in addition to its Chinatown.
“This is one of the only cities where it’s really called the international district,” chef Melissa Miranda, founder of Seattle’s Musang and Kilig, told Travel + Leisure. “It’s really beautiful to see that there’s the move to represent all the different communities.” (Miranda herself mindfully chose the location of Kilig, which opened in the fall of 2023, in an area where there once was a thriving Filipinotown, as part of the efforts to revive the C-ID’s Filipino community.)
It’s small businesses like hers that play such a crucial role in the rich culture of the neighborhood, especially as the C-ID was named one of America’s 11 most endangered places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation last year, constantly under threat from infrastructure and public transportation projects. That’s why it’s been so important to spotlight and support the local shops, as Laura Clise has been doing through Intentionalist, a robust online resource to guide people toward more intentional spending at small businesses in diverse communities.
Clide guided me through C-ID, starting with a taste of the delectable flavors of Miranda’s Kilig, where the Sinigang wings were a highlight, followed by a stop at Mam’s Books, one of the only Asian American independent bookstores in the country, which double as a cozy living room-like community gathering space.
We also visited the historic Kobo shop and women-owned Sairen, both with thoughtfully-curated gifts and specialty products, reflecting the Asian community. We ended with the Thai street food at the bustling E-Jae Pak Mor, with people all clamoring for its namesake dish, a steamed rice flour wrap. Afterward, I venture off to Henry’s Taiwan Kitchen, in search of stinky tofu, and am welcomed by the chef who has perfected the recipe to the point that the scent doesn’t radiate, but is robust to the taste.
Taken by the diversity of experiences, I returned the next day, starting at Hood Famous for its rice porridge and an ube latte and then visiting the Wing Luke Museum, where I fortuitously caught the Historic Hotel Tour, on which our group was led behind locked doors into an old convenience shop and hotel. I topped off my visit with a plateful of dumplings at Ping’s Dumpling House, served with a dose of welcoming hospitality.
“Exploring the C-ID through the lens of local businesses is an opportunity not only to experience different flavors and cultures but also to connect with and get to know the people and stories behind them,” Clise told T+L.
Denise Moriguchi, president and CEO at Uwajimaya, a family-owned Asian supermarket chain with four locations in the region, agrees, and told T+L: “Everyone has a different background and story but we all love the neighborhood and come together to support its health and vibrancy.”
So we talked to insiders like Clise and Moriguchi to recommend their top eight favorite spots to visit in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. Here are their picks.
Clise said that what makes Ping’s Dumpling House stand out from the other dumplings and dim sum spots is that Ping Liu makes every dumpling by hand every day, using a family recipe passed down through three generations from China’s Qingdao. The nonchalant eatery right by the Historic Chinatown Gate also serves stir-fries, noodles, and chow mein on top of a wide variety of dumplings.
Insider Tip: “The xiaolongbao and potstickers are delicious, but be sure to also try the lu bao, a fried filled bun from Qingdao, Ping’s hometown,” Clise said.
Courtesy of Visit Seattle
One of the buzziest shops in town these days, Clise said that owner Chera Amlag describes her business as a “small bakery with a big heart.” The diverse offerings include chicken arroz caldo rice porridge, ube sugar toast, and turon mochi waffle, as well as Instagram-friendly signature drinks like the tri-colored iced ube latte and the brightly-hued iced match lilikoi. At brunch, cocktails are served, like a ceremonial matcha martini and calamansi mimosa. “Beyond celebrating Filipino flavors, her cafe and bar is a vehicle for educating people about Filipino culture and the history of the community in Seattle,” Clise added.
Insider Tip: “The delicious reputation of the signature ube cheesecake is well-earned, but on the savory side, Hood Famous also serves one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches,” she said of the pad de sal, simply dubbed the PDS.
After moving to Seattle from Thailand in 2008, Pum Yamamoto learned from a friend’s grandmother how to make a Thai street food delicacy — a steamed rice flour wrap called kao kreab pak mor — and was immediately obsessed. The problem: The intricately-made dish took a particular precision to get just right. But she was so taken that she toiled away at perfecting the recipe and technique until her friend’s grandma approved. In April 2021, she started selling them online and last spring, opened up the brightly colored E-Jae Pak Mor. (E-Jae means “older sister” in Chinese Thai.) ”The food is delicious and unique — not your typical Thai food menu,” Moriguchi said. “And the owners are the nicest people.”
Insider Tip: While the shop serves a variety of entrees, from spicy Thai beef noodle soup to ba mee hang ba teng (pork shoulder on egg noodles), Moriguchi says not to miss the signature dish, pak mor yuan, with pork wrapped in steamed wide noodles, topped with mint along with a tangy dipping sauce.
Alan Alabastro/Courtesy of Visit Seattle
“More than a museum, the Wing is an experience,” the National Park Service said of its affiliate site, adding that it’s “a chance to truly understand what it was — and is — to be Asian American in the Pacific Northwest.” Established in 1967, the Wing Luke Museum “offers a Pan-Asian view into the culture, art, and history of local Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,” Moriguchi said. On-site are rotating exhibits, including an ongoing Be Water My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee, as well as a hearty events calendar, which includes neighborhood tours.
Insider Tip: Admission includes the Historic Hotel Tour, which Moriguchi says not to miss. Only those on the first-come basis tour offered Wednesdays through Mondays at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. will be guided through the 1910 East Kong Yick building, including visiting the Yick Fung Store, Freeman Hotel, and Gee How Oak Tin Family Association.
One of the most beloved spots in town is the Hong Kong-style dim sum at Jade Garden, which tops the list for Angela Shen, who was the founder of Savor Seattle Food Tours and now runs Savor the Wild Tours. “I particularly love their flaky BBQ pork pastries, and shrimp and chive dumplings,” she told T+L.
Insider Tip: End your dim sum feast with a sweet egg tart.
RYAN BRIEN/Courtesy of Visit Seattle
You can feel the legacy of the former Higo Variety Store the moment you step into the Kobo shop and gallery. After all, the Murakami family had run the Japanese store here for nearly 75 years. Now owned by Binko Chiong-Bisbee and John Bisbe, the current shop “juxtaposes the historical with the contemporary when it comes to both art and design,” Clise said. “In addition to curating a variety of home goods, jewelry, art, clothing, and more made by Japanese and local artists and artisans, Binko can also share a wealth of information about the history of Seattle’s Historic Japantown.” Also inside the shop is a display in conjunction with the Wing Luke Museum.
Insider Tip: Whether you’re looking for sleek porcelain tableware or clever greeting cards, there’s something for every need on its well-curated shelves. “I have yet to visit Kobo and not walk out with the perfect gift — refined, whimsical, functional or otherwise,” Clise said.
Opened in 2011 by Thanh-Nga “Tanya” Nguyễn. ChuMinh Tofu Veggie Deli’s robust menu is exclusively vegan, from banh mi and summer rolls to vermicelli salad. “It is both a delicious destination, and on Sunday, transforms into a volunteer-supported community hub that provides free meals for those in need,” Clise said.
Insider Tip: “Try any of the faux meat banh mi sandwiches, and your tastebuds will be rewarded as they’re all made with delicious tofu from her family’s factory,” Clise said.
In the Little Saigon section of the C-ID, Phin owner Bo Nguyen follows traditional Vietnamese techniques to brew the coffee here, including using, a traditional metal filter called a phin. “Their standard Vietnamese coffee is so good,” Shen said. “And I love that they don’t charge extra for alternative milk, like oat.”
Insider Tip: While the OG item is the Viet iced coffee, other twists include Pandan latte and black sesame coffee.
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