Seattleites are so tight-lipped about their hidden gems! 😤

I’ve been to Seattle several times but never stopped in Lakewood — this time, while visiting Tacoma, I decided to explore some local eats 🍽️. 1️⃣ Ho Soon Yi 📍 8501 S Tacoma Way, Lakewood After getting chilly by the water, I was craving some soondubu jjigae (soft tofu stew). This place has a 4.4⭐️ on Yelp! Their #1 Tofu Soup comes packed with seafood and beef slices 🥘. The portion wasn’t huge, but the flavor was great — the tofu was super silky and smooth. I finished the whole bowl without even realizing! The galbi (short ribs) were also tasty with a nice grilled aroma 🔥. They serve six different banchan (side dishes) — each had its own character and didn’t feel like an afterthought. 2️⃣ Yi's Traditional Korean Beef Soup Restaurant 📍 8797 S Tacoma Way A clean, bright chain restaurant with several locations. Their beef soup comes unsalted — you season it yourself 🧂. The broth was decently rich. The naengmyeon (cold noodles) were perfect for summer, though the portion was pretty big 🍜. The dumplings (mandu) were well-seasoned — even better with the dipping sauce! The two kinds of kimchi they served were just okay. 3️⃣ T-town Cafe 📍 8515 S Tacoma Way (right behind Ho Soon Yi) Came here for drinks after dinner and noticed everyone was having bingsu (shaved ice) 🍧! The servings looked huge and tempting… but we were too full to try. The Passion Fruit Ale was refreshing with lots of real fruit pulp at the bottom 🍺. The kids got ice cream and were super happy with it 🍦. 4️⃣ Emish Market 📍 2040 70th Ave E, Fife A Ukrainian supermarket I’ve had on my list forever — packed with all kinds of European goods 🛒. Picked up several types of European candies and cookies — no regrets! The Honey Cake was super caramelized and went perfectly with coffee ☕. They also had these new strawberry-flavored Dubai chocolate cups… a bit pricey though 💸. Also sells local berries, black currants, hazelnuts — definitely worth a visit! #SeattleEats #PNWLife #DubaiChocolate #FoodExplorer