Top Thai in Seattle

Kin Len takes its name from the Thai phrase for 'eat and play' - which captures the spirit accurately. The restaurant is modeled on the night market tradition of Bangkok, where stalls stay open late and the food is designed for sharing: charcoal-grilled skewers, boat noodles, fried chicken that doesn't apologize. Fremont, Seattle's self-declared 'center of the universe,' has always had an appetite for this kind of independent, late-running spot. Kin Len keeps the kitchen going past when most of the neighborhood has closed, which in Seattle is a genuine distinction.

Pak mor is a Thai steamed rice dumpling, usually filled with seasoned ground chicken and eaten as a humble snack - but in the International District, E-Jae has turned it into a destination dish, hand-pleating each one and drawing lines that spill onto 5th Ave. The Guay Tiew Gaeng, their take on khao soi, gets its silky depth from a curry broth that's clearly not rushed. The owners work the floor themselves, greeting regulars by name and steering newcomers toward the right order.