Marination Ma Kai — Restaurant in Seattle

With an unbeatable view of the Seattle skyline across the Sound, Marination Ma Kai is positioned for instant success. Previously, only Salty's commanded such a magnificent vista paired with a desirable dining destination on the Alki peninsula, but their dominance has at last come to an end, with the emergence of this affordable, and incredible, alternative!

Parking is limited, both in available spaces and duration, but Salty's modus operandi is ostensibly grab-and-go system; queue up, place your order, wait for your number to be called, pick 'em up and head on out, with goodies in tow. Despite a small dining area within and a spacious, illuminated patio area without, Marination Ma Kai lacks the capacity to contain the endlessly amassing hordes of eagerly expectant edacious epicureans, swarming and spilling over onto the surrounds docks and boardwalk. In short, you'll have to fight for a table.

You'll also have to give Marination Ma Kai a little grace, especially near the end of the day, as certain items tend to run out of stock during their busiest times. We were unable to order the spam musubi, the taco salad or the fish tacos during our evening foray, the lack of musubi being a tremendous disappointment for my wife. However, we were able to pivot to an order of kalua pork sliders, kalbi beef tacos, and for our kids in tow: the fish sando, miso ginger chicken and rice, a cheese quesadilla, and some fries with Nunya sauce. A lucky turn on the patio made a table on the patio available to us, so mom and the kids locked it down, while I ordered us a Jalapeno Fizz and a whiskey mule for is grown-ups!

Kids fare aside (serviceable, but not particularly compelling to percipient palates), this is how "fast food" should be: humble, delicious, filling, a little familiar, and a little on the wild side. Of course, kalua pork on Hawaiian sweet rolls is a perennial staple, but that Nunya sauce gives it a pleasant kick and ties everything together, including the abundant slaw. Similarly, the fusion of Korean kalbi beef in taco form is a genius collision of worlds that I have gushed over ever since first discovering it at a Koi Fusion food cart back in Portland. Toss some pickled jalapenos on there, and that mysterious Nunya sauce (seriously...what is it? Nunya business, I guess!), and you have savory, sweet, spicy and sour in equal measure, for your eating pleasure! As to the fish sando, our oldest devoured it before I had much chance to analyze it, which is high praise in itself, but leaves me in the dark as to its particular charms.

Our cocktails were simple, strong and solid, served in plastic cups, a little pricy for the amount of alcohol involved, but likely a wise choice, considering just about everyone leaving here has to drive away. Service, where it was offered (as there are no actual servers to speak of in a joint like this), was remarkably pleasant, with everyone seemingly in a good mood, knowledgeable about their station and products, and keeping the line moving at a good clip. Despite this (rather welcome) lack of human interaction/interruption, on a warm spring evening (as was the case during our visit), the encroaching sunset and that aforementioned stunning skyline (even prettier after dark) are the only true companions to share this dining experience with, other than those you bring with you. But with great food, close family, and unbeatable ambiance, what more could you ask for?

Well, besides some...

Got the Kimchi Fried Rice, Aloha Fries, Fish n Chips, and Loco Moco.

Kimchi Fried Rice (~$16 after tax + tip): I feel as if the Kimchi Fried Rice's portions are off. The meat to rice ratio almost always leaves me with spoonfuls of just plain rice, unlike if you went to a teriyaki place where their portions are typically 1:1. Flavor is great, but the rice is often a hit or miss for me in terms of being good or way too dry.

Aloha Fries(~$17-18 after tax and tip): By far my favorite items on the menu. Super flavorful, filling, and portions of all the items are fairly even. The one downside is, I wish the fries were crispier. They have no crunch in them whatsoever and become soggy after being drenched from the sauce and oils from the meat if you don't eat quickly.

Fish n Chips (~$17-18 after tax and tip): Fish has a crispy outside, but the crust layer is extremely thin, so it ends up just mushing away with the meat. Trying to cut it up left me with shredded fish all over. Same story with the fries as the Aloha Fries. If you didn't have sauce, everything was ultra plain, didn't even taste salt. The one savior for the dish was their tartar sauce which was absolutely delicious and paired well with the fish and chips. Without it, dish is below average, especially for the price. Also only comes with 2 pieces of fish.

Loco Moco (~$16 after tax + tip): First impression is how tiny the bowl is when you get it. After paying $16, you expect something bigger, but the bowl is small enough to hold with just my palm, and it's not deep either. Other than that, flavor of everything is great. Gravy was a tad on the salty side, but it counteracts with the dry rice issues the Kimchi Fried Rice had. The portion issue still remains where you end up with too much rice, too little everything else.

Customer Service is also a hit or miss. A lot of the time I come, great, friendly service. On a few occasions, service was below mediocre, made me want to not tip, but I'm aware it helps the kitchen staff, so I still do. A female, older lady, sort of frizzy, slightly orange hair, blue eyes, gave terrible service. Didn't make eye contact, didn't try to be friendly, simply just stood at the register and just repeated orders. No bare minimum, "Hi, how may I help you today.", no "Thank you". But, I did notice her stare at her machine after the tip screen went up, and still didn't say anything after I tipped which was really rude. Luckily, the kitchen staff were super nice when I went to pick up my order, so I was happy I tipped in the end.

Overall, food is a hit or miss a lot of the time, same can be said for the service. Decent restaurant atmosphere, but the trash being close to the front door is super unappealing, as well as the smell of the Sound if it...

Location: It's on the main road of Alki. Very easy to find, and a very nice location if you want a view.

Ambiance/ View: It has an actual view of seattle and the ocean. It is right on the water and has a little park you can sit at and enjoy. It is very busy most of the time and has a good hawaiian vibe. If you love the ocean and want a good view from inside or out; this is the spot to come too.

Cleanliness: The outside is always clean and presentable. The inside is always clean and in order. The bathrooms. counters and floor are always clean. ( the times I have been there) . There is always staff there making sure there is no mess and that it is looking proper.

Customer Service: So far, it is always a pleasant experience ordering from Marination Mai Kai. Everytime I go if i'm not sure what to order, they are friendly and informative as to what they have and are good at making suggestions. ALways a smile and a hello when I enter with quick service and good communication!

Taste: Aloha Fries: From what I know, they only serve this in the Winter time. These fries are sooo damn good! The aloha fries are super loaded and filling. It comes with with kalua pork, kimchi sauce, furikake, scallions, chicken fried katsu, mayo and a sunny side up egg. I always get a little bit more spice and mayo to be able to mix it all up evenly. First bite, you get the crunchy saltiness of the fries, the creaminess of the mayo with the spice from the kimchi sauce and the meaty goodness of the pork and chicken fried katsu.( and the added freshness of the scallions.) It has so many different flavors that you can taste individually, yet blend together so well; making it one big bite of dreamy goodness. :)

Malasadas: A fluffy, sugar-dusted, doughnut like pastry. You can get the Malasada in a few flavors; Ube, Coconut, or plain. A little expensive for it, but very worth the price because they make it to order. The coconut is my favorite. As you bite it you get a perfect sugar dusted, perfectly fried dough with creamy super coconut flavor that will export you to the hawaiian paradise! Definitely recommend!

Overall: If you want some good Hawaiian fusion food, this is the place to go to. The customer service is quick, friendly and informative. There is plenty of seating inside and out. You always get a smile and always have the smell of good food hit your soul when you walk in. It makes you want to buy more than you should. lol! I've had there tacos, and kimchi rice and more. So far the consistency stays fresh,delicious and wanting to come back for more! HIghly recommend you come here if...