Oceanaire Seafood Room diving into 'best' derby
 |
|
||||||||||
If I had a buck for every time I've been asked which Seattle seafood restaurant is "best," I could plop myself down at the most expensive sushi joint in town and buy a round of toro for the house. I'm always dumbstruck by that question, which I eventually answer with, "Well, that depends. ... "
Seattle has its fair share of high-quality, high-end restaurants devoted to seafood — a list that includes, among others, Anthony's Pier 66, The Brooklyn, Chandler's Crabhouse, Elliott's Oyster House, Etta's Seafood, Flying Fish, McCormick & Schmick's, Ray's Boathouse and Waterfront.
Soon there will be another. The Oceanaire Seafood Room, set to make a splash downtown when it opens later this month, is banking on becoming the definitive answer to the best-seafood-restaurant question.
The Oceanaire's striking steakhouse ambiance and steakhouse-style slabs of fish should contribute to the draw of this 9,100-square-foot restaurant in the Clise Building (1700 Seventh Ave., Seattle).
Ditto for its oyster bar, complimentary relish dishes, private dining room and a daily-changing menu offering 30 varieties of seafood caught and served within 12 to 24 hours — a logistical feat that has helped bring acclaim to Oceanaire Seafood Rooms in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C.
At the helm in the kitchen is executive chef Kevin Davis, late of Sazerac, who spent two years at Napa Valley's vaunted Tra Vigne and five years as chef-exec at New Orleans' venerable Arnaud's. Managing the 285-seat dining room is Edward Grandpre, a 12-year veteran of Canlis' management team.
The Oceanaire will be open 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays; and 5-11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Opening date is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 19. Reservations are being accepted at 206-267-2277.
Can't wait 'til March: Malay Satay Hut to reopen
A few weeks ago, I was barely awake and drinking my first cup of coffee when a small item in this paper caught my eye. "Family focuses on opening tailor shop after fire" read the bold print accompanying the report.
It wasn't the tailor's misfortune that caused me to choke; it was the last paragraph, quoting a Fire Department official who said the fire started next door at Malay Satay Hut, when a plastic tub left on a burner was ignited by the pilot light.
First The Herbfarm and then Twin Teepees. Now this.
Few restaurants have been capable of ringing my chimes quite as loudly as Malay Satay Hut (212 12th Ave. S., Seattle), where an order of roti (flatbread) and a plate of garlicky sambal squid are my idea of heaven on Earth — the tiny restaurant's funky strip-mall venue notwithstanding.
On a recent visit to this hole in the wall beloved by many, I dipped folds of flaky-sweet roti into a cup of potent curry and chatted with chef/owner Sam Yoo, who eyed the lunch crowd, shook his head and said, "This place! Always a line!"
When asked about a rumor I'd heard regarding a second Malay Satay Hut, Sam gladly launched into details. A much-larger Eastside version of his popular Malaysian restaurant was in the works. It would seat more than 100 and was scheduled to open soon, he said. On the back of a business card, Sam drew me a map leading to the new (and as-yet-unopened) Malay at 15230 N.E. 24th St. in Redmond.
I left, happily reeking of garlic, never guessing my next visit to this Little Saigon cafe would leave me sadly reeking of smoke.
Two days post-fire, I was back surveying the damage, traversing broken glass as a construction crew picked through Malay Satay Hut's remains in preparation for gutting and rebuilding.
Today a handwritten sign posted on the door says Malay Satay Hut will reopen in mid-March. I expect to be among the first in line when it does.
Nancy Leson can be reached at 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com.
More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.