My mother’s food follows the teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which advocates eating specific ingredients and dishes to ease us into seasons and build resilience during transitions. I believe this is a practice we can do intuitively with all cuisines. Whether you’re cozying up to a cocktail or pulling your first sweater of the season from the closet, there are dishes that impart that “first sweater of the season” feeling—a similar sense of warmth, rootedness, and slow savoring. You don’t need ancient manuscripts to prescribe a menu. There will be dishes you crave as the season turns. You will feel it in your gut. 

The dish that tells the restaurant’s story: Mofongo at Lenox

Chef Jhonny Reyes opened Lenox in 2024 after running it as a successful pop-up. Its namesake pays homage to Lenox Avenue, which Reyes calls “the heart of Harlem,” and Lenox’s mofongo is at the heart of its menu. Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish of seasoned mashed fried green plantains and chicharrones served with proteins like chicken, pork, or seafood, and topped with a mojo sauce. Lenox’s version includes Pacific blue prawn and a lighter shrimp criolla broth. The dish is highlighted on the dinner and weekend brunch menus.

“At the core, it is still the same comfort food, but with ingredients and flavors that connect to both our New York upbringing and life here in the Pacific Northwest. It is really our way of honoring those roots while also telling our story,” says Brian Mar, operations manager at Lenox. 

Choose your own khao soi at Ginger & Scallion

There are many restaurants in Asia that make their mark serving a single dish. Here, with the high rent and other prohibitive costs of running restaurants, this seems like a risky move. This is why, when brothers and restaurant owners JP and Boss Siris shifted their concept to focus on khao soi, I gave an internal round of applause for such a ballsy move. It’s a move that paid off. 

Pho may always be Seattle’s primary noodle soup, but thanks to Ginger & Scallion, we now have an equally comforting bowl of noodles of a totally different nature. Instead of a clear herbal broth, we have a rich creamy one, and buttery egg noodles instead of rice noodles. Ginger & Scallion offers khao soi with a variety of unique proteins like duck and oxtail. 

I opt for the goat, because while khao soi is rising in popularity across the country, this may be the only spot offering goat khao soi. I enjoyed the tender pieces of bone-in goat, heightened by the squeeze of lime juice and slices of fresh red onions, so much that I almost forgot to enjoy them with the noodles. It’s almost like two meals in one, which I had no problem finishing.

Cookbook-worthy cavatelli at Spinasse

At Spinasse, the tajarin gets all the attention, and for good reason. Its underrated cavatelli with short rib ragu has a humble appeal in its simplicity—rich and hearty with just a few ingredients. The one I enjoyed recently included the last of the summer’s sweet cherry tomatoes, lightly blistered before serving. Chef Stuart Lane of Spinasse is writing a cookbook and this cavatelli will be included along with other recipes celebrating Piedmontese cuisine and Pacific Northwest artisan growers and producers. The cookbook is in its early stages, but will be available next year in time for us to recreate this dish at home next fall. 

The ultimate bar food: Crab dip at Phocific Standard Time

There is so much variety with bar food, but most of the time, I just want a shrimp Cup of Noodles with a chilled gin martini. The folks at Phocific Standard Time read my mind and introduced the Phocup, Pho Bac’s signature pho in a hilariously branded foam cup for that instant noodle feel. I’ve always loved that this bar includes Asian comfort foods, but the fun surprise on the menu is the crab dip, a twist on the American spinach and artichoke dip. 

And what are we dipping? Bahn mi baguette slices and SkyFlakes crackers. Be still, my little Asian heart. It also adds fresh basil and fried shallots on top, which bring an herbal touch that complements its herbaceous, floral cocktails. The team at PST doesn’t take itself too seriously, but even with a fun riff on a dish, there are these thoughtful touches that bring culinary flair and amusement. 

Pass the egusi at Pass D’ Jollof

There’s more to order at Pass D’ Jollof than just jollof rice. Co-owner Rue Idayi recommends the fufu with egusi soup and describes egusi as “the culinary emblem of Nigerian identity and tradition.” This soup is a West African delicacy, especially for the Igbo tribe in Nigeria. The restaurant makes its egusi with ground melon seeds imported from Nigeria. It is prepared with fresh vegetables, palm oil, and a blend of spices. Idayi recommends enjoying the dish with clean hands to get the true experience. Grab a bit of fufu, pounded yam, between your fingers and dip it into the egusi to craft each satisfying bite. 

Tiffany Ran is a writer and the chef behind Babalio Taiwanese Pop-Up, a Taiwanese food pop-up, and the food editor of TaiwaneseAmerica.org. Much of her food exploration includes jumping between catering, restaurants, and the pop-up world. Her writing has been featured in Vice Munchies, Lucky Peach, Goldthread, JoySauce, Northwest Asian Weekly, and more.