By Sarah Valenta
March 6, 2023
Seattle, WA — What brings a community together better than a meal? From March 24 to April 9, food lovers are invited to stretch their legs and their palates by taking a trip to SE Seattle and experience an inclusive array of cultures and flavors at local, independently owned restaurants as part of the 12th Annual Plate of Nations.
This year’s Plate of Nations will feature 40 eateries in Southeast Seattle, offering a taste of Seattle’s global food scene from the East Coast to Eritrea and Vietnam to Somalia. Each restaurant will offer a specially designed shareable plate to visitors for $25 and $35.
Diners can sample Chicken Korma at Saffron Spice, Vermicelli Bowl at Huong Duong, and Misir Wot at Kaffa Cafe, among dozens of other dishes. Check www.plateofnations.com for a full list of restaurants and menus.
Plate of Nations is more than a restaurant event — it’s about bringing community together over shared plates, supporting locally owned businesses in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods, and drawing epicures from all across Puget Sound to get a taste of what Othello, Beacon Hill, Mt. Baker, Hillman City, Rainier Beach, and Columbia City have to offer.
In a time of small business recovery from the effects of the pandemic Seattleites are looking for meaningful ways to spend local and support small businesses. Plate of Nations supplies the opportunity to support immigrant- and BIPOC-owned restaurants that are the backbone of the South Seattle community, bolstering the neighborhood’s position as a thriving local business district and building unity among new and longtime Seattleites.
This year’s Plate of Nations is set to be the best yet, with participation from El Quetzal Cloud Café, Outsider Pizza, Recetas De Abuelita, Cafetal Quilombo, Dim Sum House, Niko’s Gyros, Emma’s BBQ, Emerald City Fish and Chips, Saffron Spice, Buddha Bruddah, Royal Cafe Delish Ethiopian Cuisine, Habesha Cafe (Amy’s Merkato), Alem, Taco City, Mawadda Café, City Teriyaki, Kaffa Coffee and Wine, Massawa, Banh Mi Deluxe/Boss Tea, Taco Ortiz (Food Truck), Huong Duong, Eyman’s Pizza, Original Philly’s, Bananas Grill, Wicked Chopstix, Vientiane Grocery, Taco Street, Othello Wok & Teriyaki, Hoang Lan, Ding Fung (Joy Palace), Bang Bang Kitchen, The Comfort Zone, Safari Njema, Creamy Cone Café, Le’s Deli, Lil Red’s, Castello Pizza & Pasta, and Bua 9 Thai
On top of feasting at participating restaurants, Plate of Nations-goers can participate in a variety of contests including the popular Passport Contest and fun social media contests. Follow, https://www.facebook.com/plateofnations, https://www.instagram.com/plateofnations/, https://www.tiktok.com/@plateofnations23, https://www.linkedin.com/company/plate-of-nations/about/, for 40 chances to win $20 gift vouchers to participating Plate of Nations restaurants. Download a passport from www.plateofnations.com or pick one up at participating restaurants and don’t forget to collect stamps when dining at Plate of Nations restaurant for a chance to win many fun prizes.
The MLK Business Association held its first Plate of Nations in 2011, when MLKBA Director Asari Mohamath, a Vietnamese refugee and former owner of Salima restaurant, devised plans for an event to highlight the unique restaurants in his vibrant, culturally rich neighborhood.
Plate of Nations 2023 is sponsored by HomeSight, the MLK Business Association, Beacon Business Alliance, Mt Baker Hub, Rainier Ave Business Coalition, Rainier Beach Merchants, Essential Southeast Seattle Collective, Amazon, and Seattle’s Office of Economic Development.
The MLK Business Association was formed in 2008 to organize and promote businesses along Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in Seattle with the vision of fostering a strong, vibrant, and culturally diverse community that is a destination, second to none, in the Pacific Northwest.
