Local Restaurants From SW Washington to Oregon
Want to find a new place to eat out? There are some of my favorite places to go whether it's by myself or with my family and friends.
Click on each icon to view a restaurant. Each will display a link so you can visit their website.
Richard © 2022.
Kenji's Ramen and Grill
I found out about this place on a visit to the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center for a printing job before the pandemic a few years ago. Since it was so close by I decided to stop by for lunch. They have a large variety of appetizers and entrees you can choose from but I recommend trying out their reman as you're able to customize which toppings you can have ranging from corn, green onions, pork belly, and a soft-boiled egg. If you like something spicy I recommend the Kaizen Ramen but if you want meat or egg with your ramen that cost extra so that's something to keep in mind.
K-Town Korean BBQ Restaurant
My cousin told me about this place and invited me to have dinner here and the food and service was great. The style of this restaurant is different compare to other restaurants you're used to as it's setup as a Korean BBQ where you have to cook the food yourself, but they provide everything you need and everything is setup for you. Each table have a grill setup within arm's reach so everyone can reach out and grab your food. It's a similar experience when you're using a grill for BBQ at home so it's easy to pick up and every table have air vents right above them to keep the smoke away. If you're interested in going to this restaurant, it's a good idea to make reservations ahead of time as this restaurant is popular so you made end up waiting a while before you can sit down. Last time I ate here I had to wait for over an hour before we were seated so plan accordingly.
SHO Restaurant
One of my friends work here and told me about this place. What's special about this restaurant is they serve authentic Japanese cuisine with a bar where they serve drinks like sake and a sushi counter that serve a large variety of sushi. Their menu consist of ramen, udon, bento, salad, curry rice, and sushi. They have catering options available for anyone interested and they have a variety of sauces and dressings for sell. I went here a few times and I enjoyed their pork katsu curry and their sushi. Be sure to try their desserts before you leave.
Ramen Ryoma Beaverton
This restaurant is located inside the Asian grocery store Uwajimaya Beaverton with their own business hours. I've been here a couple of times, both times with my cousin. Be prepared to wait in line as this restaurant is usually packed so making reservations ahead of time is a good idea. You can go shopping in the grocery store as it carries products unique to Asian markets not to mention it also has a bookstore carrying products from different countries. Just like the other restaurants, any selection off their menu is offers something for everyone, but if you love spicy food, they have three items you can try out. If you're feeling really daring, check out the Killer spicy, the spiciest ramen they have. Putting the Killer ramen aside (not discussing how I actually tried this dish out), if you decided to try this restaurant out, I recommend going for the shoyu or soy sauce broth for your choice of broth (there are two other options: miso or soy beans and shio or sea salt) and for the toppings: a soft boiled egg and chashu.
Zen Ramen & Sushi Burrito - Downtown Tacoma
There's an interesting story about this restaurant. It was about two weeks before the start of the fall 2021 term at WSU Vancouver, I was looking through a social media site when I came across a ad discussing a ramen restaurant with a interesting theme that caught my attention. The fact it's a ramen restaurant isn't what caught my attention is the fact that a) it's located in Tacoma so I get to go on a fun little trip and b) it featured a anime theme throughout the restaurant. Out of all the restaurants mentioned here, this is by far the farthest I've traveled for a meal. This place has a lot of variety you can choose from and since I've only eaten here once the onl y recommendation I can offer is try the Tonkotsu chashu spicy ramen, spicy but delicious. If you want something different, try out their sushi burrito the next time you're in Tacoma.
