This recently opened Eastside outpost of the Cho Dang Tofu chain specializes in the volcanic, bubbling Korean delicacy of sundubu: custard-like soft tofu served in a superheated stone dish with any number of broths, meats, vegetables, and other ingredients. Cho Dang Tofu offers 14 sundubu varieties, from the classic mushroom soup to the gopchang sundubu that comes with small strips of chewy, saucy tripe. Accompanying banchan include fried mackerel and a luxurious gamja (potato) salad served from a cart that roams around the restaurant.

A perennial favorite, Frying Fish serves some of the best Sichuan food in the Seattle area. Bring some friends to this bright space, order a wide sampling of cold appetizers, noodles, soups, seafood, stir-fried vegetables and dry-fried meats, and enjoy the characteristic spicy, numbing, and sour flavors of Sichuan cuisine. On-site tanks that hold live fish and other seafood allow for a la minute processing and a fresh dining experience.

Afghan food is nearly impossible to find on the Eastside outside of home kitchens, but thankfully Afghan Cuisine is here to fill that void. The concise menu is a collection of greatest hits: start with an order of the tender mantoo (Afghan dumplings), add one or two stewy vegetable dishes (the borani bademjan is eggplant slowly cooked to a sultry, almost dip-like tenderness), and round out the meal with a subtly brined and gently cooked lamb shank on top of long-grain rice with raisin and carrots in the qabili pallow (a famed Afghan rice and meat dish).

Located steps from Bel-Red’s Asian Family Market, MonGa Cafe’s expression of Taiwanese cuisine is an homage to Old Taipei. Vegetable dishes like pickled cucumbers and bean sprouts sauteed with chives are bright and restrained, wonton and noodle plates are delicate and springy, and braised pork trotters and other meats are succulent and gelatinous. Open since 2013, MonGa Cafe currently has take-out and limited dine-in options.

Xiao long bao, the focus of Supreme Dumplings, are always a good choice for a celebration. Rich broth and supple fillings blend together in a platonic ideal of saucy, emulsified flavor — on a first visit, scan the menu for the marked signature items that include an earthy black truffle and chicken dumpling and a bright Sichuan spicy dumpling.

A true full-service outfit, Regent Bakery and Cafe offers a thrilling bounty of Cantonese food: rich buns, aromatic barbecue, delicate pastries, and much more. The Bel-Red location opened in 2000 and has since expanded to two other locations in Capitol Hill and Factoria (bakery only). The wood-paneled Bel-Red space is cozy, so make a trip there into a full meal, savor one of the numerous teas, and then get the buns and pastries to go.

Sukhothai specializes in vegetarian and pescatarian Thai offerings, honoring the agrarian legacy of the Southeast Asian kingdom. Try the crunchy taro patties, toasty and bitter pomelo and crispy rice salad, and the hoi tod (crispy mussel and egg pancake). Sukhothai is located on Bel-Red Road just below NE 20th Street and is open for dine-in and take-out.

This sleek spot for all-you-can-eat shabu shabu opened in late 2019 and has cultivated a hungry fan base in the years since. Shaburina offers a variety of broths, noodles, dumplings, tofu, and premium vegetable and meat options, as well as a beloved soft serve ice cream to finish a meal. Located just next to151 Days, Shaburina expands the variety of Japanese offerings along the Bel-Red corridor and is open for on-site and takeout dining.

當地的機構,馬來沙爹小屋提供了一個挑戰nitive survey of Malay cuisine. Menu options range from effortlessly satisfying roti canai and murtabak (egg or meat stuffed pancake) to crispy pork intestines and black pepper crab, not to mention the wide laksa (curry noodle soup) selection.

Dosa House serves excellent, affordable dosas. Walking into the restaurant, the honed performance of vegetarian South Indian cookery is evident from the bustle in the kitchen and glow among diners at this counter-service, cafeteria-style spot with extensive seating. There are varieties on varieties of dosas here — all the rava dosas are toasty-tangy and extra crispy — but also so many other chaat, uthapam, and Indo-Chinese dishes to peruse. For another perspective on vegetarian Indian snacks, head to sister restaurant Chaat House just down 20th Street.

Open since 1996, Mayuri Indian Cuisine and its affiliated bakery and grocery stores have been integral to and indicative of the growth of the Eastside’s vibrant Desi population. Mayuri offers dishes from nearly the entire Indian subcontinent, from Kerala’s fiery dry-fried seafood and the gongura of Andhra Pradesh (various proteins, often goat, cooked in a sour sauce of red sorrel) to rich Mughlai gravies and sweet carrot halwa (a dessert pudding of gently cooked carrot, condensed milk, sugar, and cardamom). Mayuri’s ornate space sports a full bar as well, and is open for takeout and in-person lunch and dinner.