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Paju, a little Korean spot in Queen Anne, looks simple. The walls are a plain shade of oatmeal. The lighting is bright. The concrete floor has a huge crack in it. Instead of an actual bar, there’s a portable two-tap kegerator. It seems like the last place you’d have an extraordinary night.
But the experience at Paju is, in fact, exceptional—from your first bite of crunchy chicken wings to the friendly servers holding the door open for you on your way out.
Paju’s food makes us feel like we’re living in a country ballad—suddenly, it’s easy to love again, everything pairs well with a cold beer, and we can’t help but get emotional over the small details. Things like bulgogi with crispy quinoa and a subtle hint of truffle oil, and squid ink fried rice topped with bacon and a smoked quail egg that we daydream about whenever we hear Shania Twain’s, “You’re Still The One.” Paju doesn’t need any flashy decorations in the dining room or cocktails in ritzy glassware to keep us coming back—they just need to keep making phenomenal food.
photo credit: Nate Watters
You’ll want to come with a group so you can try as many things on the menu as possible, though the soy garlic-coated wings are so great that we also endorse exclusively filling your table with those. While some plates have smaller portions, everything (for the most part) is under $21—including gochujang-infused beef tartare, salmon carpaccio with lemon dashi and kimchi caviar, and a crispy seafood pancake with Japanese mayo, sweet tonkatsu sauce, and a fistful of bonito flakes.
Plus, Paju now takes reservations, so it’s never been easier to sit down, order a bunch of dishes, and have some of the best Korean food in the city.