10 Best Restaurants 2009
Shiro’s Sushi Restaurant
2401 Second Ave, Belltown, 206-443-9844; shiros.com
THE VISION
“Twelve years ago I opened Shiro’s. I’ve tried to do here what I did at [my first restaurant] Nikko—present real and simple seafood. It’s a traditional sushi house, like in Japan. I trained in Tokyo. I don’t do fusion. This area has the best seafood in the world, and every day I can get the best local ocean smelt, the best spot prawns, the best local albacore. That’s why I say don’t use too much soy, don’t use too much wasabi. You want to taste the healthy fish taste.” — Shiro Kashiba, chef, Shiro’s Sushi
Restaurant
THE VERDICT
The room is boxy and vanilla flavored; the servers unremarkably gentle and efficient. The place is no longer the only game in town for sushi, like it was four decades ago, when Kashiba cut Seattle its first piece of raw fish. But there is no more exhilarating seat in all of Seattle than Shiro Kashiba’s sushi bar.
The fish itself is thrilling: in its pristine freshness, in the traditional precision of its cuts, and in the sure-handedness with which it’s presented. Many pieces come with just the right amount of wasabi tucked between rice and flesh, along with clear instructions from the maestro about how much, if any, soy sauce should be applied. (“Soy sauce cheap. Fish expensive.”) Defy the maestro at your peril. When it’s done according to his instructions, the flesh of the albacore will be velvety, its flavor rich and vivid. And Kashiba’s boyish smile ebullient.
He has trained his colleagues well, just like he trained half the folks who would go on to become his competitors, now flashing knives from Chiso to Shiki to Hana. And he’s not even sole owner anymore, having partnered with the I Love Sushi people a couple years ago.
Still, it’s Kashiba’s exacting sensibility and old-country standard that set the tone at the restaurant that bears his name. (Pssst: Look for him behind the bar Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.) No trendy rolls here; this is a place for freshest ocean smelt and maybe even monkfish liver, best enjoyed as part of the chef’s-choice multicourse feast, omakase, which is really the only way to eat at this legendary place.
Published: October 2009
Serious pie is amazing! We try to treat ourselves every month.
Fairly new to the Seattle area, and this list was great. I am excited to knock out all 1-10!
We are from Wisconsin. While visiting our son in Seattle this summer, we celebrated my wife’s birthday at the Boat Street Cafe. A nice ambience. A varied menu. Fabulous food. The service was excellent.
I love this list! We’ve enjoyed a few of the Top 10 before, and look forward to going to the rest. Good to see Seattle classics on here like Canlis and Rovers, as well as some of the newer places like Spring Hill.
I agree with Jefferson…great list. Classics deserve to stay on the list if they continue to innovate and impress! Can’t wait for the parentals to come to town…going to Boat Street and Crush for sure!
I went through the whole list wrote them down and I want to try them all. Your reviews were great. My birthday is in feb and we are going to try one of these fabulous sounding restaurants. Thankyou Sherry in south king county.
Hey,
how are you?
i’m coming into seattle and was wandering if a pro like this blog could help me out in terms of…
1. best breakfast – i’m coming in on thurs, so cant do the corson building- so depressed
2. best lunch/dinner place to eat good seattle grub fare.
thanks so much!!! anything else i must eat etc like donuts just let me know too – yum yum.. i’m so jealous you have it all at your fingertips!
michelle
you should update for the best restaurant in 2009, don’t you think ?
Serious Pie is pretty damned good, but it says a lot about Seattle that one of it’s best restaurants is a pizza joint.
If Rovers can nail it’s consistency problem down, it would probably be a strong candidate for top spot in WA, maybe even contend for a michelin star.
For serious foodies, hop a ferry to Bainbridge (half an hour, great for visiting relatives) and walk to “The Harbourside Pub.” Looks like a fun, happy Pub joint with lots of micro-beers. What it really is that’s different is locally grown foods, highly creative seasonal choices of organic and grass-fed beef. The foodies will be happy and so will the whole family (no kids). There’s even a sunny deck. The owners have made this possible by working directly with local farmers—you can really taste the difference in the food. Best list for 2011?
Great list! will try some of those.
Serious Pie is seriously UN-amazing. None of Tom Douglas’s restaurants are at all impressive compared to chef owned restaurants in Seattle including most that are on this top ten list. Tom knows how to market himself and make money. Cooking great food with authenticity and sustainability? He doesn’t have it. Serious Pie is a step up from Pagliachi, but not anything I would write home about. I miss Brasa’s fig pizza…. that is worth writing home about.
“Welcome to our site onslko.org!!! Friends today the world is facing uncounted problems in life, and happiness is the need of everyone. So visit here and full fill your life with happiness. Here is one solution of your all problems. Kindly visit www.onslko.org (The place of Miracles)”
“Welcome to our site onslko.org!!! Friends today the world is facing uncounted problems in life, and happiness is the need of everyone. So visit here and full fill your life with happiness. Here is one solution of your all problems. Kindly visit www.onslko.org (The place of Miracles)”
Hi, this is a good post, indeed a great job. You must have finished good research for the work.
Today, however, the most important cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in all departments, and even if you have visited recently, you can be sure that the next time you go, there will be more new restaurants and attractions in what could visit.
nice article enjoyed reading.
ok I am going to Seattle next week to visit a friend and I think we are definitely going to try some of the restaurants!!!!
I’m not much into reading, but somehow I got to read many articles in your webpage.
Its fantastic how interesting it is for me to visit you very often.
I think you reviews were great and good. I already bookmarked this website and shared with my friends on facebook.
Hi,
These are all great. Are there any michellin star restaurants in seattle?
Hi,
Are there any michellin star restaurants in seattle?
The photos made me go in the kitchen and grab something to eat.
Great… Excellent list of restaurant… thanks for sharing this…
Thank our extravagance of edible resources, entrepreneurial enterprise, and culinary exuberance.
Wow man, it is interesting.
I feel hungry