Paju

Paju

Damn Good
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Paju outgrew its old Queen Anne footprint and built something with room to show off: an open kitchen anchored by a wood-fire grill, a full bar, black marble laid on with real conviction. The bigger room could have diluted the cooking. It didn't.

The seafood pancake still leads, thick with bonito flakes that move when the plate hits the table, and it's smart enough to pair with a chili lime martini rather than something safe. The kimchi fried rice is the showpiece — squid ink turning it black, bacon working underneath, a raw quail egg cracked on top for a finish that reads as confidence, not gimmick. The yellowtail crudo, brightened with lemon verbena and tart apple, proves the kitchen can do delicate as well as it does smoky.

Not every new addition to the expanded menu lands, but the core dishes that built this place's reputation haven't slipped now that there's more square footage and more temptation to sprawl. Robb Report Best New Restaurants recognition and a spot on a national list confirm what the plates already argue: this is a Korean kitchen that got bigger without getting worse.

The Spot
Paju takes its name from the South Korean city, building a menu that applies Korean culinary tradition to ingredients sourced from the Pacific Northwest. The kitchen describes its guiding philosophy as balance — harmony of flavor, texture, and color — carried through contemporary presentation rather than straight, traditional plating.

Two formats are offered: an Experience Menu and a more involved Chef Reserve sitting. The kitchen's stated background spans both Seattle and New York restaurants, an influence reflected in a menu that reworks Korean fundamentals rather than presenting them plainly.

Paju has been named to Eater Seattle's list of 38 essential restaurants and scored 8.9/10 from The Infatuation, with regulars pointing to inventive ingredient pairings and tightly balanced flavors as a through-line. Robb Report included Paju among its Best New Restaurants selections in 2025.
THE FACTS
Damn Good
RATINGS4.4 stars across 602 reviews4 sources
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City

Seattle

Neighborhood

South Lake Union

Price

$$

Cuisine

Korean

Chef

Owner