008: Faux Spring got all of us this week. Every year, we have this incredible sunny weekend that makes us all think we made it past the rainy season. Only to be disappointed a few days later when that rug is ripped right out from under us.

I read this quote recently that said “Be as accepting as the weather” and it really impacted me. Obviously we can’t control the weather, so when we look at our weather app, or step outside, we just accept our reality and move forward. But why don’t we do that with more things in our life? So much that is out of my control still gets me down. I’ve been telling myself this quote over and over again recently. It’s just a reminder to be more accepting of people, problems, and especially small inconveniences.

Now, onto the newsletter. There’s a new logo in the image above. That’s pretty cool. This week I went to three restaurants in South Seattle to preview their menus for Plate of Nations. I also published a promotional video for them across social media land. If you’re looking for something new to try, this is the week (2 weeks) to do it. Thanks for watching and sharing!

— Conner Cayson

Plate of Nations starts now! The community event is from March 22 - April 7, 2024.

One of my longest running clients is in Columbia City, so I’ve been coming down this way every week for the past 6 years. That exposed me to the area. It helped us decide to move down here in 2021. Along with many other aspects, the South Seattle food scene is underrated, and under recognized. It’s not where you’re going to find fancy, “Instagrammable” businesses. These aren’t the businesses getting nominated for James Beard Awards, Times write ups, or even posts on social media from other foodie influencers. Many of these restaurants are opened by families of the South end or immigrants with a dream. They feel more like going into someone’s home kitchen or living room. That scares away many people. Heck, I have felt skeptical in some places too.

Plate of Nations (PoN) is designed to break that stigma. It invites us all to find a new local favorite. To explore out of our comfort zones. When the team at PoN asked me to collaborate with them, I was super excited. Everyone knows about Seattle Restaurant Week, but everyone in Seattle needs to know about Plate of Nations.

How Plate of Nations Started

In 2013, South Seattle’s MLK Business Association came up with an idea to help gather attention towards restaurants in Rainier Valley. Plate of Nations was Asari Mohamath’s idea. He owned Salima Restaurant (now Salima Specialties), and wanted a collective marketing campaign to highlight the many unique and eclectic cuisines in the area.

PoN in 2024

The first Plate of Nations (PoN) was small, only a dozen or so restaurants were involved. This year, Plate of Nations (PoN) is bigger than ever. They have over 50 businesses participating. The diversity of food is what really sticks out to me. These are not the same businesses you see during Seattle Restaurant Week. Many of these restaurants are owned and ran by immigrants who rely on a close-knit group of neighbors to survive. Some are ran by families, with multiple generations running front and back of house. A few are brand new, others have been around for years. And I bet most of you have never been to any of them.

How it Works

Every restaurant is offering a special lunch menu ($25) and a special dinner menu ($35). Every meal I’ve seen is shareable for 2 people. For those prices, I think you are getting a great deal. The menus I previewed below were A LOT of food.

3 Restaurants I Previewed this Week

Kebena Ethiopian Restaurant
7636 Rainier Ave S, Ste A, Seattle, WA 98118

I had to start with Kebena because they are a true representation of this event. I wouldn’t have walked into Kebena if it weren’t for PoN. I’d driven by their blue sign on Rainier Ave S hundreds of times in the past year. When I wanted Ethiopian food, I had my regular recommendations. This visit was a reminder that there are so many stories to uncover here.

I have so much to say about the owner of Kebena, Muna, because she’s delightful. She greeted me with open arms and was excited that I had walked in. It was like we had been long time friends, and hadn’t seen each other for years. I think I am going to do a newsletter all about her.

Kebena is showing off their Vegetarian and Meat Combos for both dining sessions. If you’re not familiar with any of the item names below, like I was, please don’t be intimidated. The vegetarian dishes are mostly pickled vegetables and chickpeas. The meats are are all beef and stews. The spongy bread below is called Injera.

Lunch $25:
Vegetarian Combo is a huge sampler plate on top of Injera with 9 vegetarian items including: veggie Yemiser Wot, Kik Alicha, Defin Miser, Gomen Wot, Shiro Wot, Key-Sir, Tikile Gomen, and Fosolia Bekarot.

Dinner $35:
The Meat Combo has Kitfo with Ayeb, Key Wot, Alicha Wot, and Gomen Besiga. Comes with Ethiopian beer or wine.

For those uninitiated, you’re going to eat this with your hands. Tearing off a piece of injera, and using it to pinch the items, making yourself a little handheld bite.

Buddha Bruddah
2201 Rainer Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

Buddha Bruddah is so good. I love this place. I don’t know of another Seattle restaurant like it. They are a fusion of Thai and Hawaiian. I didn’t realize how well those two go together until I ate here.

The family who owns this restaurant have a unique legacy to live up to. The owner’s mother opened one of the first Thai restaurants in Seattle in the 80s. It was called Rama House, and it was down the street from Pike Place Market in Post Alley. She was known as “Rama Mama.”

Here is their Plate of Nations menu:

Lunch $25:
2 Vegetable Spring Rolls, Gra Pow Gai with 2 Fried Eggs, and Jasmine Steamed Rice.

Dinner $35:
4 Vegetable Spring Rolls, Basil Garlic Fried Rice, Drunken Noodles, Steamed Jasmine Rice

Sma5h Burgers
7101 Martin Luther King Jr Way S #107, Seattle, WA 98118

Sma5h Burgers is technically a brand new business. They opened 3 weeks ago in the Othello neighborhood (next to the Link Station). The restaurant used to be called Olympic Express (OE), and they were open for 30 years. They served a mix of Halal Asian dishes. After closing down OE, they opened under a new name and menu.

Sma5h Burgers is 100% halal too. There aren’t many burger options in the area, so I think it’s a good pivot for the family-owned business. They also have an entire fridge full of Mtn Dew Baja Blast. I will be coming back to try their Chopped Cheese. When I walked in, there was this guy howling about how good it was.

Lunch $25:
Cheeseburger, Super Smash Burger, and Loaded Fries

Dinner $35:
Supreme Smash Burger, Chopped Cheese, Smash Fries, Sweet Loaded Fries