Plopped on the corner of North 36th ST and Phinney AVE sits Revel, a casual Korean street food restaurant owned by chefs Rachel Yang and her husband Seif Chirchi. These partners also own Joule, Quoin and Trove, which contribute to the couple's mission to add more diversity to Seattle's restaurant scene. Revel, the older middle child, just celebrated its five year anniversary.
Revel first greeted me with invigorating smells from the open kitchen to the left of the entrance. For a Wednesday evening, it was lightly packed but buzzing with chatter under the upbeat music.
The host immediately sat my party of three down at a small table with barely any elbow room–and that’s coming from someone who gets mistaken for a small 14-year-old on the daily.
Upon my father’s recommendation, I ordered the beef short rib, sambal daikon, and mustard green rice bowl ($16). Both he and my boyfriend ordered the albacore tuna, fennel kimchi, and escarole rice bowl ($15). In addition, we ordered pork and short rib dumplings for the table.
Service was quick and attentive though the dumplings took longer to make (a warning we were aware of when we ordered). It was a surprise when the server brought out two bowls of the short rib dish, but it’s understandable why she misheard our orders. The volume of our neighbors’ chatter combined with the music echoed off the concrete floor and made the noise level barely tolerable. Nevertheless, once we dug into our food, the main sense that mattered to us was taste. Plus, one look at the colorful dish forgave any misunderstanding.
Underneath the vibrant layer of meat and vegetables lay the rice, fresh and hot from the cooker. Once you mix the raw egg yolk with the rice, you’re ready to dive in.
The short ribs were so tender they were still pink in the middle and easy to chew without strings of beef caught in my teeth. The sambal daikon gives a soft kick to your palate with its acidity and slight crunch. The mustard greens provide a nice balance to the savoriness of the meat and sambal.
Top: Moo shu pork dumplings
Bottom: Short rib dumplings
The dumplings came out halfway through our meal. The short rib dumplings ($11) pretty much tasted like my main dish but tucked into softly pan-seared dumpling wrappers. What really set it apart were the pickled shallots and scallions that offered a slight sourness that dance with your tastebuds. The moo shu pork dumplings ($10) were more fragrant yet less flavorful compared to its beef counterpart.
Though a bit pricey, its portions were perfect for my party. By that I mean the servings were more than enough for one sitting, but you'll never see me complaining about boxing up great food and taking it home. Revel proves to be a great place for date nights, celebrations, and casual dining whether you're with a group or going solo.
I'll be returning to try out more items from the menu such as the pork belly, kimchi and bean sprout pancake and one (or all) of the homemade noodle dishes.
Location: 403 N 36th ST Seattle, WA 98103
For hours and directions, refer to their website.
