Hallelujah! Let’s take a moment to thank the beautiful state of Hawai’i and the heavenly influence of Korean cuisine, because the combo of those elements produced an incredible dish called “Aloha Tots”. If the demi-god Maui vacationed in Seattle he’d definitely stop by Marination in South Lake Union (2000 6th Avenue) to fill up on these. Take note, Marination has multiple locations around Seattle with slightly different menu options. I can only guarantee that South Lake Union carries these tots.
The Aloha Tots start off with a base of perfectly fried tater tots. Nothing too special there, but they’re executed well. Throw on a fair amount of OUTSTANDING Kalua pork, japanese mayo, kimchi sauce, scallions, a glorious runny egg, and some sort of furikake seasoning…total win.
The kimchi sauce and the furikake both add some deep flavor profiles to the meal. The kimchi sauce has a sweet fermented spiciness to it, and the furikake brings in elements of the sea (there are bits of seaweed flakes). Whoever is frying the eggs knows exactly what they’re doing, because the yoke was left at a perfect runny glob of sunshine. I’d put this egg on par with my backyard chicken eggs. Great stuff.
You’d probably expect to pay $50 for this plate of food. Nope. It’s actually only $8. Plus, if you get there between 2 and 5 it’s reduced to $5. That’s a killer deal. To make it even better, you can get this delivered via Amazon Prime. I’m not sure how long it’ll maintain its level of perfection, but you could try.
I give this dish a very solid 9 out of 10, but it could almost be a 10. I wish that there was a bit more sauce because it struggles to penetrate the first layer. The japanese mayo is great, but it’s thick. I’m tempted to order a side of their proprietary Nunya sauce to dip the final third of the tots.
I highly recommend checking these guys out. Their other menu items are equally delicious and it wouldn’t be a waste of your time. They’re located in Amazon country, so be prepared for a line.
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Visited and tasted on 8/15/2016
The Sodafry 