Nue — Restaurant in Seattle

I normally don’t write reviews, but I didn’t have a good experience at Nue. Prospective diners, especially diners of color or those who grew up within diverse food cultures, should know what they’re getting into before coming here.

I came here with a group of eight to facilitate a dinner conversation group, and introduced myself as the leader of the group upon arrival to get ahead of comms since reservations were made on my behalf by the company I work for. I introduced myself to the waitress to coordinate on timing & ordering hopes that it would make communication more clear, but I was avoided almost every turn throughout the evening, and I truly don’t know why. It was one of the most frustrating & confusing dining experiences I’ve had in the city — and I’ve lived here three years. I was having trouble scanning the menu and get up to the waitress to ask if there was a paper menu. She said nope sorry good luck. I started an activity and the waitress came in and interrupted the group to ask if there was anything to order this was after I had already introduced myself as the point of contact for the group to pace orders. We weren’t ready to order so the waitress left. After 15-20 minutes I had to get up to find the waitress again to have her take down our order. During the meal no one came around to check in on the meal so when I needed more ketchup, I had to get up and ask the bartender to ask the waitress in the back to bring out ketchup. When the ketchup did come out it was placed in front of someone else who also ran out. I had to ask them for ketchup again because they totally had missed giving it to me even though I was the one who initially got up to find someone to bring it to the table. I probably had to get up 4 times for help during the course of the dining experience, while also trying to facilitate a group conversation.

If this was a busy weekend brunch, I’d understand, but this was after 6pm and we were the only big group in the restaurant. Aside from one man sitting alone, my group was basically the only party giving them business on a very, very rainy day. The waitress came back the table to ask us if we wanted dessert we said no. She then came back with a single check placing it on the opposite side of the table from where I was sitting. It had to be passed across the group of women I had come there who paid for a dining experience through the company I work for. I had to get up again to ask that the check be split with drinks on a separate tab. I got a lot of sighing and rolled eyes from the waitress when I asked for that. She said that I should’ve let them know at the beginning and what I should do “next time” (there won’t be a next time). That’s generally something I could have shared if it weren’t for the fact that I was avoided at every step of the entire dining experience. The food is OK at best but the staff were generally aloof and unhelpful which makes eating here not really worth it. You’re better off teaching yourself how something out of a cookbook with bae or with friends. As a Black woman who grew up in and around cultures Nue’s menu is inspired by, I was truly looking forward to eating here — I hyped up the whole group about the restaurant before we came that evening. The restaurant profits from selling “global cuisine” — dishes from countries with strong traditions of hospitality and care — so I was pretty underwhelmed with interactions with the staff that evening. My most recent experience and treatment here has left me feeling what Nue is doing is culturally...

I was so excited to come to this restaurant when I found it online during Seattle restaurant week since I was visiting. I decided to go with the three course restaurant week menu where you could pick from several items. My starter was Danish Tarteletter. It was a mix of chicken and mushrooms in a flavorful gravy served in a small tart crust. I have to admit that the look was not very appetizing however the tart crust was Crisp flaky and delicious and the chicken and mushroom filling had a lot of gravy and was gray and unappetizing looking but when you tasted it it was delicious. My next course was the Sri Lankan squash curry. Now, by the way it was described and my love of all things spicy and curry, I was expecting chunks of squash and onion and all the other ingredients that were mentioned in the description topped with pumpkin seeds and toasted coconut. I was super excited. What I got was a small crock with what I can best describe as a curry squash soup with a consistency of a bisque and four or five small diced pieces of squash with no pumpkin seeds, no coconut and I was thoroughly disappointed. I asked the server if this is the way the dish was supposed to be served and she said yes. I will admit though, the roti was absolutely delicious, flaky, and addictive but again, there was no curry to be found in the sense of what anyone would think of Curry. I will say this, the sauce that I got or soup as I would describe it was amazingly flavored and tasty but not what was advertised and not garnished at all. My final course was described as a Caribbean pineapple cornbread topped with toasted coconut and served with coconut butter cream. What I received was dry dense cold cornbread with no pineapple to be found and the coconut butter cream hadn't been blended well enough and was completely granular and super sweet. The center of the cornbread didn't seem thoroughly baked and was a little too dense. Maybe, it would have been better if the cornbread had been warmed up a touch and the coconut cream been properly prepared. Before I left I asked if the owner was around because of course the server and the staff are supposed to be serving what the owner has approved as a menu. And, as a visitor to Seattle during restaurant week I would imagine if your restaurant is on this list that you'd want to put your best foot forward. The owner was not around so I paid my bill and left.

I am still intrigued by this restaurant concept and will give it another try before leaving town. Maybe it was a bad day. I will try again maybe for brunch where I can have the Israeli shashushka and try some other dishes.

I'm actually sad to be writing this but I really don't think the $35 I paid for the restaurant week three course meal was worth the money. I could have had cold cornbread and curried squash bisque elsewhere...

This place totally blew my mind!

The ambience was quirky, upbeat, and fun. At a first glance the menu looks like an eclectic mishmash of random dishes from all around the world, from China to Africa to South America. How can a single restaurant produce authentic dishes from that many different cuisines, you ask? The answer is it doesn't! Food here is not bound by the restrictions of authenticity, rather it surprises and delights with fresh and interesting combinations of ingredients and spices. It's fusion done right!

Tip: family style is highly recommended. Go with a bunch of friends and order the whole menu so you can try everything Nue has to offer!

5 of us shared 8 dishes and every single one was delicious and satisfying. The prices were very reasonable too. I think our tab came out to just over $25/person before tips, and that includes a few drinks!

We ordered:

Syrian Kale Carrot Salad. I have to admit, I am not a salad person at all. I find most salads hopelessly boring. But this one was surprisingly tasty! It was full of flavorful goodies like dates, feta, toasted almonds, and pomegranate dressing, combining for a sweet & tart & umami & nutty dish!

East Indies Brussels Sprouts. So much umami in this one little dish! Lovely texture, crispy edges with a little caramelization magic to bring out those amazing aromas.

Taiwanese Chicken Heart Poppers. Gamey, rich flavors, springy & tender & crispy textures, these were delightful and so fun to pop one into your mouth!

Grilled Octopus Skewers. The octopus was soooo tender! Chunks of pineapple were a great idea to add a pop of sweetness to an otherwise smoky and savory dish.

We tried both types of chicken wings and both were unbelievably tender. We all liked the Chengdu Spicy Jumbo Chicken Wings better - actually, this was my favorite dish of the night! It had such complex and deep flavors. The seasoning was just perfection and so well rounded too. I definitely ate more than my share of this dish and I can't even bring myself to feel any guilt over it.

Pineapple Cornbread with shredded coconut. This dish was sweet and fragrant and buttery. It tried to put a twist on the classic recipe, but in my opinion it was the least successful innovation. Sometimes you just can't beat the tried and true!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Another favorite! Absolutely worth the extra wait time, and it wasn't crazy long anyway. Crispy skin, tender meat, so so so incredibly tasty. The deep, smoky flavors permeate each mouthful and linger over your taste buds and make you want more! The black bean dirty rice was amazingly flavorful too - I could have happily eaten a heaping plate of just that.

Our entire group was in love with this place. We can't...