Umami Kushi

"The panko-coated, deep-fried okazu pan at this Rainier Beach shop makes for a $7-or-under lunch that’s just as quick as it is tasty. The dough succeeds on its own, with a crackle on the outside and airiness on the inside. But then it gets packed with fillings like chicken adobo, beef curry, and smoked salmon in a potato cream sauce topped with furikake. The limited specials are where Umami Kushi gets creative, and those end up being our favorites, particularly the pan loaded with tangy crumbled pork and garlicky homemade kimchi. For dessert, they serve puffy beignets topped with things like cocoa powder and berry dust." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"The stuffed panko-crusted dough buns at this Rainier Beach shop are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with fillings that range from jerk-spiced chicken and plantain to smoked salmon in a potato cream sauce topped with furikake. The classic beef curry and the BBQ pork are the pans not to miss here, but we're also a bit smitten with the Japanese hot dog. And on Saturdays and Sundays only, Umami Kushi serves excellent beignets covered in everything from cocoa powder to strawberry dust." - aimee rizzo

"When it comes to portable pockets of delicious stuff, Umami Kushi in Seward Park has it all. Their okasu pan are glorious fried pastry puffs filled with everything from BBQ pork to smoked salmon with bacon and potato. They make an excellent snack or lunch, especially when followed by homemade beignets loaded with powdered sugar. " - aimee rizzo

"Umami Kushi specializes in okazu pan, and they do it well. These light and fluffy panko-fried dough balls are stuffed with fillings like citrusy lentils, kimchi pork, and jerk chicken. The beef curry pan is consistently our favorite, but seasonal flavors like coconut curry chicken and a five-spiced short rib keep us coming back. Their dough ventures don’t stop at savory—Umami Kushi also serves beignets dusted with powdered sugar. " - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo

"Your Order: Beef Curry Pan After dusting off the crumbs from the wings at Seward Park Market, it can’t hurt to grab another budget-friendly meal next door. Umami Kushi makes light and fluffy okazu pan stuffed with fillings like citrusy lentils and kimchi pork—all $8 or less. The beef curry pan is our favorite, but seasonal flavors like coconut curry chicken and a five-spiced short rib keep us coming back, too. " - kayla sager riley