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7 Great Places to Eat With Kids in Seattle’s International District

Our favorite spots for family takeout and tasty treats

Published on: January 19, 2023

7 Great Places to Eat With Kids in Seattle’s International District

A boy holds two Dochi doughnuts over his eyes like eyeglasses in Seattle's Interational District
Photo:
About-to-be-devoured Dochi doughnuts. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

My restaurant nightmare is the pretentious dinner where the plating is exquisite but the portions are so teeny-tiny that you are still hungry when you leave. Eating out in the International District is my busy family’s dream come true: We get large servings of yummy food — for cheap. The one thing these restaurants tend to skimp on is the ambiance, which is fine with me. I have hungry kids and a Seattle mortgage. I want to pay for full bellies, not for pretty décor.

In my 15-plus years of pigging out in Seattle’s International District — the ID — I’ve seen this neighborhood shift. There are still lots of little mom-and-pop shops, but now they’re neighbors with trendy newcomers such as Iron Chef Morimoto’s Momosan Seattle.

Here I’ll reveal my favorite old hole-in-the-wall spots along with some interesting newcomers. 

A close up of a child’s mouth about to eat a dumpling from Dough Zone in Seattle’s international district best eats for families
An about-to-be-devoured dumpling from Dough Zone. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

1. Dough Zone Dumpling House

Dough Zone is a Seattle-area chain that specializes in dumplings. This is a good place to start if you’re new to eating in the ID. It is modern and reassuringly clean — and the food is authentically tasty. You can even buy frozen premade dumplings to take home (a lifesaver on a busy weeknight).

While Din Tai Fung is the gold standard for the xiao long bao (soup dumplings), Dough Zone is a little less expensive and almost as good. In addition to the ID location, find Dough Zone restaurants at Ninth and Pine by The Paramount, in the U District and in six Eastside locations. 

Find it: 504 Fifth Ave. S., #109, Seattle

A happy kid abou to eat a mini purple cheesecake made of ube from Hood Famous Cafe in Seattle
Purple ube cheesecake at Hood Famous. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

2. Hood Famous Cafe + Bar

The ID’s swanky Publix building houses a triple threat: It’s home to Dough Zone, Momosan and the Filipino-inspired Hood Famous Cafe + Bar. Hood Famous offers coffee and all-day breakfasts, but we’re all about the mini cheesecakes: purple ube, coconut pandan, white chocolate guava and Vietnamese coffee cheesecake? Mmmmmmm. You won’t find these flavors anywhere else.

Tip: The Ballard outpost of Hood Famous is currently closed to the public, but keep your eye out for reopening info.

Find it: 504 Fifth Ave. S., Ste. 107A, Seattle

Banh mi sandwiches from Saigon Vietnam Deli in Seattle’s Little Saigon International District great places to eat for kids families
Tasty bánh mì sandwiches on offer at Saigon Viet Nam Deli. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

3. Saigon Viet Nam Deli

I debated about whether to put Saigon Viet Nam Deli on this list. The place has somewhat sketchy surroundings, as in burglar bars on the windows and the occasional used needle in the parking lot. Fancy Vietnamese ladies squish into the tiny shop right next to workers on their lunch breaks and families with kids. We’re all there for the same reason: a delicious and filling $6 bánh mì sandwich. Put in your sandwich order at the tiny service window; everything else is laid out on the counter on Saran-wrapped foam trays. We always pick up fresh spring rolls, glutinous rice cakes, flan and wide rice noodles with chả. Saigon Viet Nam Deli has always been takeout-only, so take your feast home or to the park to enjoy with the kids!

Find it: 1200 S. Jackson St. #7, Seattle

The display case at Dochi doughnut shop inside Seattle’s Uwajimaya market in the international distrcit
Dochi deliciousness. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

4. Dochi

When the Japanese mochi doughnut stand first opened inside Uwajimaya, you were looking at a two-hour line for fried rings shaped like a baby teether. Thankfully, the wait is now down to a kid-friendly two minutes. Dochi doughnuts are made from rice flour, which gives them an unusual chewy texture. Toppings include intriguing pairings such as matcha Oreos, strawberry Pocky and taro pebbles. They’re easy to break apart and share, so no fighting over who gets to taste which flavor. Dochi is now (thankfully!) open seven days a week, but note that the goods sometimes sell out before the posted closing time so don’t go at the last minute. (Tip: There’s a second local spot to pick up your Dochi — inside Lam’s Seafood Market in Tukwila.)

Find it: 600 Fifth Ave. S., Ste. 102, Seattle (in Uwajimaya’s food court)

A boy holds a takeout bag from Ton Kiang Barbecue Noodle House among great places to eat for families in Seattle’s International District
Ton Kiang takeout. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

5. Ton Kiang Barbeque Noodle House

I love this place! Ton Kiang has the juiciest meat you can get for your money in the ID. Buy barbeque pork, roast duck, roast chicken and roast pork by the pound. The woman at the front counter is fast and friendly. You can pick up housemade zong zi (sticky rice dumplings) here, too. The eating area is small, and generally filled with elderly Chinese people eating — a mark of excellent quality and value! Huge portions, great prices, authentic food — for me, Ton Kiang hits the spot every time.

Find it: 668 S. Weller St., Seattle

A boy sips a glass of soy milk from Northwest Tofu
Sipping the lightly sweetened soy milk from Northwest Tofu. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

6. Northwest Tofu

In Taiwan, we start every morning with fresh soy milk and fried dough. Breakfast of champions? Unlikely, but it’s tradition. I have searched for the perfect soy milk in Seattle for years; most of it is cloyingly sweet or oddly thick. The soy milk at Northwest Tofu is the real deal and it’s made fresh daily. Ask for a half-gallon of the lightly sweetened soy milk to go (cash only).

Find it: 1913 S. Jackson St., Seattle

Enjoying a drink from Bambu at the park
Enjoying a drink from Bambu at the park. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

7. Bambu Seattle

Bambu went through a renovation a few years ago and now its menu is heavy on the chè — a Vietnamese dessert drink filled with chunky jelly bits. My recommendation: Ask for their roasted milk tea with boba — depending on which menu you’re looking at it may no longer be posted — but they will probably still make it for you. Bambu’s version is the classic drink at its very best.

Find it: 516 Seventh Ave. S., Unit A, Seattle

Chef sets out the day’s pastries at SUSU Dessert Bar in Seattle’s international district
Chef Muhammad Fairoz A. Rashed sets out pastries at SUSU Dessert Bar. Credit: JiaYing Grygiel

Bonus: SUSU Dessert Bar (temporarily closed)

SUSU Dessert Bar transformed into a walk-up window at the beginning of the pandemic, selling a menu-less chef’s choice selection of delectable pastries — and regularly selling out each day. The ID bakery window is now closed, and SUSU is in the process of returning to its original vision of serving desserts, small savory plates, beer and wine in an indoor restaurant setting. 

While temporarily closed, this spot is worth keeping your eye on. In the meantime, sample the baked confections, such as durian desserts for the daring and a crowd-pleasing kouign-amann (a caramelized croissant), at its second location in Bothell, T55 Pâtisserie, located at 18223 Bothell Way N.E. The menu rotates weekly and items are limited.

And where, you might wonder, does the name SUSU come from? Chef Muhammad Fairoz A. Rashed is from Singapore, and “susu” means “milk” in Malay. (The business started out as an ice cream stand at farmers markets in 2016.)

Find it: 665 S. King St. (Keep checking the website for updates on reopening plans.)

More tasty eats for families ...

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in early 2020 and updated most recently for 2023.

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