17 new restaurants near Seattle, from Federal Way and Kent to Lynnwood

Our latest roll call of restaurant openings from the South End to the North End includes a little bit of everything. Many Asian and Mediterranean cafes have opened recently, as well as a buzzy Salvadoran restaurant in Renton, a Somali teahouse and much more.

Before we cover those notes, there's more big news coming: Raising Cane's is training 170 employees in preparation for its June 23 opening in Lynnwood at 1232 164th St. S.W. It will be the chain's first drive-thru in Puget Sound.

But for many in the North End, the summer's big chain restaurant has already debuted. More details below.

North End

We start in Lynnwood, where Paik's Noodle has diners excited. To the uninitiated, this Seoul-based chain does Korean favorites with some Chinese fusion (like mapo tofu), drawing big crowds at its Bellevue location. The follow-up is a bigger, 72-seat noodle house in Alderwood Plaza.

(Psst: The wait for a table is shorter in Lynnwood than at the Bellevue haunt, management said.)

Here's a primer of what regulars order: jajangmyeon, bouncy wheat noodles coated in black fermented soybean paste ($12.95). The younger, hip crowd steers toward the spicy, stir-fry version with pork, shrimp, squid and vegetables ($22.95). The latter dish comes in a bigger portion, served family-style.

The other dish served on most dining tables at Paik's is the Korean-Chinese noodle dish jjamppong ($15.95), served in a spicy, red-chili broth with mussels, shrimp and pork. Use the shears provided at the table to cut these long strand noodles before you wolf down.

Other customers have been ordering the deep-fried pork nuggets ($18.95), which get coated in a chewy, mochilike batter that doubles as a sponge to soak up the accompanying sweet-and-sour sauce.

Speaking of Asian chains: Another big name in Bellevue, Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle, has also expanded to Lynnwood. The Chinese noodle house serves a variety of broths, some spicy, from tomato soup to pork bone broth.

About 5 miles north of there, T-House cranks out banh mi and pho, but the Vietnamese cafe also shows off a brunch menu with banh uot: steamed rice rolls with grilled pork.

And in Shoreline, the halal cafe Crespella specializes in Dubai chocolate. The large dessert lineup includes crepes, tres leches and pancakes alongside fresh-squeezed juices, milkshakes and mocktails.

South End

In Renton, Mi Chalateca Restaurant specializes in pupusas and other comfort food from El Salvador. This popular cafe started in Federal Way and has now expanded with a 100-seat dining room in a strip mall in Renton.

Favorites include the sopa de gallina, with grilled chicken served with rice that you dunk into the accompanying soup. For newbies, try the sampler platter of Salvadoran classics, the plato tipico, which includes many bestsellers like tamales, empanadas, fried pork with beans and fries.

About 2 miles south of there, the Somali American community is raving about Shaah & Sheeko, a cafe that specializes in shaah cadays milk tea and qaxwo coffee with ginger and cardamom. Order by the cup or by the pot, adding on its signature rooti farmaajo dessert, which is a honeycomb-shaped bun laminated in condensed milk and a cream cheese filling (you can also order it with honey instead of condensed milk). On the savory side of the menu, there's a lamb-and-beef gyro alongside big hits like the beef, chicken and veggie sambusa and the deep-fried empanadas.

For kebabs and kofta meatballs, hit Afghan Restaurant & Market.

In Kent, a popular hangout for teens is the Chinese street-food crepe spot Master Bing x Firebite Burger in the Great Wall Shopping Mall.

Three miles northwest of there at Westfield Southcenter mall in Tukwila, the San Francisco chain Eggslut has opened its second Puget Sound sandwich branch in as many years. This megamall has been aggressive in luring restaurants to its retail hub over the last couple of years, aiming to become a foodie destination like Great Wall. Westfield recently formed its Northside Restaurant Row with Mr. Dim Sum, Marugame Udon and Gen Korean BBQ House, and next year, the popular Asian hot pot chain Haidilao will also open in the mall.

Also in Tukwila is Memo's Mexican Restaurant, which slings tacos 24/7. Memo's adds to the 24-hour taqueria trend that's been popping up around Seattle and its suburbs the past 18 months.

Farther south, Federal Way gets two halal spots: the Central Asian cafe Uzbek Plov & Kebab and 3 Guys Gyro and Burgers.

Also on the South End, the local hot pot chain Broth & Bowls opens two branches, in Kent and in Burien.

Speaking of Burien, Nelle's in downtown serves burgers, steak frites and chicken Parmesan meatballs; Santy's Eatery does bar grub like sliders and tacos; and, for a cup of Joe, there's Luxe & Lattes.

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