Started in 2009 as a humble food truck, this Hawaiian-Korean eatery has expanded to four brick-and-mortar locations (including Super Six, an offshoot in funky Columbia City). Get messy—and delighted—tucking into Spam sliders, kalbi short ribs, and miso-ginger chicken tacos. Vegetarians, don’t despair: Marination ladles “sexy tofu” onto four-inch corn tortillas along with its usual slaw; tangy, creamy Nunya sauce (a secret recipe); homemade pickled jalapeños; and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. There’s also the spicy kimchi fried rice bowl, topped with furikake, green onions, and a sunny-side-up egg. Wash it all down with a Hawaiian Sun tropical juice or shockingly cheap draft beer.
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Get Saucy at Marination Station
If you’ve never had Hawaiian-Korean fusion, you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Marination. Started in 2009 as a food truck, Marination has since opened a couple of brick-and-mortar locations in Capitol Hill and West Seattle, but still sends their blue truck around town regularly; check their website for details. The miso ginger chicken tacos, spicy pork torta, and kahlua pork sliders are all delicious, but my favorite is the flaming-hot spicy kimchi rice bowl with kalbi beef and an egg on top. Buy a jar of their Nunya secret sauce and get a taco or slider free. Marination Station is a bit tricky to find at first. On the corner of Broadway & Pike is the QFC supermarket; Marination is located on top of QFC, upstairs on the rooftop parking level. Just take the stairs and you’ll see them at the top.
