Restaurants in Kirkland

Soybeans that make the journey to Hosoonyi Korean Restaurant have a tasty future ahead of them. The young beans, once matured and fermented, are infused with hot pepper, pulverized into paste, or strained and aged to make soy sauce. Not many restaurants make their own soy sauces in-house, but Hosoonyi’s team prefers to individually monitor the flavors to ensure that they retain their beneficial nutrients and pair perfectly with the eatery's specialty Korean cuisine. The flames of a Korean-style barbecue fire pork, rib-eye steak, and chicken, and a cushion of steamy rice supports the vegetables, beef, and egg that comprise classic bibimbap. Pancakes veer from their traditional breakfast role by incorporating stalks of green onion, slices of squid, and refusing to get out of bed until lunchtime. The restaurant's authentic selection has caught the eye of media outlets such as Sunset Magazine, the Seattle Times and Seattle Met, which lauded the popular sundubu jjigae—a soft-tofu soup brimming with seafood and kimchi—as "pungent, filling, and satisfying."

The aroma of smoked pork belly draws guests into Butcher Shop Café, a butcher shop that sells fresh cuts of meat as well as café food such as sandwiches, burgers, and barbecue ribs. A case containing foie gras, duck confit, and Nueske's bacon rests next to a café, which serves a menu of burgers made with fresh-ground American Kobe Beef, hot dogs, and Carolina-style pulled pork shoulder. With advance notice, butchers can fulfill customer requests by smoking suggested meats and carving beef slices into birthday messages.

On the sign that denotes the entrance to Rain Modern Japanese Cuisine, twisting neon lights outline a blue fish with a cartoonish grin and an orange umbrella. This colorful introduction extends inside to the dining room, where Rainbow rolls, golden tamago nigiri, and ruby-red salmon roe add pigment to each stark white plate. Sushi dominates the menu, which boasts nigiri by the piece as well as maki wrapped in soy-paper or bundled with tempura and glazed with sauces such as avocado salsa and housemade teriyaki. Chef Takashi Ogasawara and his staff's other handcrafted creations include the namesake Rain roll—shrimp tempura capped with creamy scallops—and the Sasquatch, a meaty morsel of shrimp, tobiko, and tuna nestled in seared salmon. In addition to sushi, diners can sample beef-short-rib appetizers or play cat's cradle with hungry spirit animals via udon and yakisoba noodle dishes.

The flavors of the Old World are never far away at Taverna Mazi, where tender lamb, imported Greek cheeses, and pungent garlic populate a menu of inventive Mediterranean eats. A diverse array of small plates encourages sharing and sampling of drunken prawns drowned in an ouzo-tomato-and-cream sauce or garlicky fries sprinkled with ample heaps of feta and oregano. Patrons can also dunk pitas into dips including caper skordalia—greek yogurt blended with parsley, garlic, and capers—or a pot of feta whipped with mint and peppers and topped with a black-cherry reduction. A roster of larger plates features a braised lamb shank in orzo and tomatoes that Seattle Weekly designated “the standout entree,” opining that “the lamb would probably fall off the bone if a gentle gust of wind blew through the dining room.” The Weekly also praised the fizzy Eos Lemon cocktail on Mazi's drink menu, which also features greek margaritas that replace limes with cucumbers and affectionate cheek-pinches from Yia Yia.

Mirrors flank Taverna Mazi's walls, reflecting cheerful ochre hues, deep-blue tablecloths, and urns of statuesque palm fronds. On the ceiling, strings of party lights fan out from a chandelier, which curls its wrought-iron tendrils into complicated curlicues that grasp small candle-like lights.

Owner Mike Salimi mans the counter at Nova Restaurant most days, opening and closing the cash-register drawer and handing over pizzas, homestyle burgers, sandwiches, and seafood to hungry customers. He has finely tuned his pizza recipe throughout the past 20 years, using trial and error to arrive at his current series of steps: hand-making pizza dough, homemade sauce, and toppings that are purchased each day. He also whips together an array of seafood dishes, including oysters, prawns, and Irish-style fish 'n' chips made with halibut or cod and coated in a specialty batter. He hangs colorful abstract paintings on the eatery's yellow walls, which is the closest humankind will ever get to decorating the sun.

Crafted to complement a selection of wines hailing from Washington and beyond, Village Wine Bar and Bistro's menu brims with gourmet appetizers and entrees made every morning with a retinue of fresh ingredients. While chefs ensconce baked salmon in a parmesan crust or slice up portions of turkey breast, havarti cheese, and avocado for the layered Wine Country club, smaller plates take on arrangements of toasty bruschetta or seasonal gems of fruit and cheese. Meanwhile, guests swirl local wines as they nestle into antique love seats in the warmth of the parlor’s fireplace, listening to a pianist tickle the ivories until they confess where they left the wine list.