This Week in Seattle Food News: Taku Reopens For Indoor Dining, Matcha Man Opens A Shop, and Oaky’s Tex-Mex Plans a Restaurant – EverOut Seattle

Top Chef: Portland contestant and fan favorite Shota Nakajima has finally reopened Taku for indoor dining. In addition, the Omakase sushi spot LTD Edition Sushi take-away hits Capitol Hill, and the taiyaki and soft serve pop-up Matcha Man has opened a store in Georgetown (just in time for National Ice Cream Day on Sunday). Read on to find out all that and more of this week’s food news. You can find more ideas in our food and drink guide.

NEW OPENING AND RETURN

LTD Edition Sushi
This new take-away-focused restaurant specializing in to-go omakase boxes of Edomae-style sushi opened in the former Cure area on July 1st. The place only makes 20 boxes a day to make sure it is as fresh as possible.
Capitol
Pick up

Matcha man ice cream & taiyaki
The popular pop-up, known for its eye-catching specialties like taiyaki (Japanese fish-shaped waffles) and soft ice cream in flavors like matcha and ube, recently opened a brick and mortar store in the former Seattle Freeze in Georgetown.
Georgetown
Pick up

Taku
For the first time since it opened in March 2020, you can actually take a seat in the Japanese fried chicken eatery owned by top chef: Portland star Shota Nakajima. Taku reopened for indoor dining Thursday, according to a press release, and the menu is largely the same as the take-away menu that was available, with watermelon salad, fried rice sides, and rice pudding with cardamom, fresh fruit, and cereal for dessert. Now that guests can sit at the bar, the drinks menu has expanded to include draft cocktails, kettle makers and suntory whiskey highballs made with a Toki highball machine (similar to the magical ones in the Tamari Bar, owned by The Stranger’s Rich Smith raved about). They will continue to offer Jell-O-Shots in alternating flavors such as creamsicle and watermelon.
Capitol
Collection, delivery, interior seating

FUTURE OPENINGS

Oaky’s Tex-Mex
Oaky’s Tex-Mex barbecue pop-up, run by Wood Shop BBQ owners James Barrington and Matt Davis, is set to open a permanent Central District restaurant on the same block as Wood Shop this summer. (If you’re experiencing some deja vu, it may be because the pop-up previously had a short-lived residence at the Batch 206 Distillery, which is currently home to Dantini Pizza.) The place that was originally supposed to open in February 2020, however Delayed due to the pandemic, specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired smoked meats such as carnitas, brisket barbacoa and chicken verde, which are found in tacos, burritos or quesadillas. An opening date has not yet been set, but the restaurant had its first pop-up preview on Monday.
Central district

Serious 18 drinks and food
A new restaurant and bar called Serious 18 Drinks and Eats will take over the former Hi-Life area in Ballard. The former fire station recently housed Valentinetti’s Italian restaurant / puppet theater, an unfortunate turnstile for Hi-Life owners that closed after just three months. The coming incarnation will be a casual, family and dog friendly neighborhood hangout with draft beer, cocktails, and a selection of pub and home cooked meals.
Ballard

OTHER FOOD NEWS

Pike Place Market is expanding its outdoor seating
Following last year’s outdoor sidewalk cafe street initiative, launched in July 2020 that accelerated businesses and offered free permits to close streets to make room for outdoor seating, the iconic downtown center and tourist-popular Pike Place Market has its outdoor seating expanded by 19 new picnic tables around the market and on the newly opened MarketFront deck. The seats are available daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until September 7th.

POP-UPS AND EVENTS

World Whiskey Day in Seattle
Over a dozen craft distilleries in Washington will showcase their brown liquors, including whiskeys, bourbons, and rye. Plus, listen to music, sample food truck dishes, and browse for items from vendors.
Redmond Downtown Park, Saturday, 1-8pm

Pier 62 Beats & Eats
Kick your summer weekends on the pier by grooving to live DJ sets from Reverend Dollars, Supreme La Rock, and other seasoned Seattle crackers as you graze from food trucks.
Pier 62, Fridays through September 3, 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Phinney Food Truck on Fridays
Make your way to Phinney Ridge every Friday this summer for food offers from mobile vendors like Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max, Panda Dim Sum, Bumbu Truck, Bean Fish Taiyaki, Delfino’s Pizza, Kiss My Grits, Falafel Salam, Seoul Bowl and Off the Rez posted in the parking lot.
Phinney Center, Fridays through August 27, 4-8pm

SPECIALTIES

Crumbly
Are you feeling decadent? The recently opened sandwich shop offers a weekend special: a four-cheese double-stack truffle grilled cheese sandwich.
Fremont
Pick up, go out to eat

Seattle Pops
The Frozen Pop retailer has introduced a summery new vegan and dairy-free Lilikoi taste.
Wallingford
Pick up