Ramen-Ya Teinei serves the city's best ramen, let alone South Lake Union's. After cutting sushi from the ramen-and-sushi menu in early 2023, the cozy restaurant's new focus is Japanese soup, and it clearly shows—from spicy tonkotsu broth that lights up with fiery chili oil to an exemplary duck-based version with perfect richness and salt content that shines when slurped by itself but also doesn't get in the way of chewy noodles and melty chasu. We love a glow-up, and Teinei nails it.

On the side, there are tasty appetizers that include but are not limited to homemade pork or chicken gyoza complete with great pan-seared crust and a dipping sauce that brings those juicy morsels to life. Use Teinei for a solo meal, quiet date at the bar while sipping pineapple whisky sours and watching anime on TV, or pile in with coworkers at lunch on a chilly day. In other words, it's a winner for all occasions.