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Capitol Hill food+drink | U:Don Fresh Noodle Station planning Capitol Hill expansion

(Image: U:Don)

(Image: U:Don)

There is a cluster of activity around the teen aves and E Pine set to create an Asian delights hot spot on Capitol Hill. Slated to join the crowd is U-District fave U:Don Fresh Japanese Noodle Station.

“We are excited to bring our hand-made, fresh Sanuki-style udon noodle bowls and sides, fast and friendly service, and best value to the Capitol Hill district, its residents, and surrounding neighborhoods,” U:Don founder Tak Kurachi tells CHS via email. He cautions that he’s still finalizing the lease for the space “but if all goes smoothly, we should be starting our build out this summer,” he writes.

U:Don is slated to be the first of the food and drink tenants to become resident in Capitol Hill Housing’s under-construction 12th Ave Arts project near 12th and Pine. The project includes more than 80 affordable apartment units, office space, retail space and a theater facility above parking that will also be utilized by Seattle Police’s East Precinct. CHH will utilize a portion of the office space along with smaller organizations like Three Dollar Bill Cinema. Meanwhile, three theater groups are teaming up to put the facility’s 6,000 square feet of theater space into motion.

Kurachi says the new U:Don “will have a similar service system as our U-District store, but with a larger array of food selections and we will be serving Japanese beers and sake as well.”

It joins an area with already established Asian eateries like sushi outposts Octo and Momiji with Chinese options Chungee’s and Regent only a few blocks away. Nearby, the former Boom Noodle is being transformed into a Blue C sushi. On the other side of its block, meanwhile, Shibumi Izakaya is being readied for an opening in coming weeks. Down the Hill, the Greenus Building is being readied for another new Asian cuisine-centered project as the creators of Revel and Joule plan to open a Korean BBQ, noodles, ice cream *and* beer complex.

Expect U:Don Capitol Hill to open in fall when 12th Ave Arts is slated to be completed and ready for new residents, tenants and theater-goers.

You can learn more and follow progress at freshudon.com.

Capitol Hill food+drink notes:

  • Tuesday afternoon at Molly Moon’s Capitol Hill HQ: Senator Patty Murray and Representative Suzan DelBene to talk raising the minimum wage at the *national* level. On President’s Day, the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce gathered members in a closed-door meeting to discuss the best path to raising the minimum wage and how to best protect small, local businesses in the process. CHS attended the meeting as a member and agreed to treat all conversation as confidential. However, we plan to cover many of the issues and ideas raised at the meeting in coming weeks. Recent polling showed that 71% of Capitol Hill-area voters support a $15/hour minimum.
  • In case you missed it, Travis Rosenthal — the owner behind Tango and Rumba — is taking over Broadway’s Panevino. “Ultimately, I really do want to have a neighborhood hangout with fantastic Italian food and cocktails where the staff knows you by name,” Rosenthal says.
  • Reminder: Linda’s marks 20 years on Capitol Hill with a party this Wednesday night. CHS wrote about the anniversary and what’s next for the Linda’s family here.
  • Speaking of Linda, she’s one of a handful of Hillebrities and Seattle stars tapped to help promote the arrival of the Sosh service in Seattle. You can learn Linda’s answer to “What’s the best way to spend a drizzly day?” among other illuminating details.
  • Speaking of celebrities, here’s what Alicia Silverstone — yes, Alicia Silverstonehas to say about Ayinde Howell of the Capitol Hill Plum family Howell.
  • Skillet and Cone & Steiner co-creator Josh Henderson’s next project under his Huxley Wallace banner will be a Pioneer Square sports bar.
  • This week’s happy profile of Volunteer Park Cafe’s Ericka Burke comes from Darling Magazine:
    I’m inspired by the natural and organic shapes of produce and their accompanying proteins… sounds corny, but I look at a beet or root vegetable and think how can I honor its natural shape and integrity and preserve it on the plate to really let the ingredient shine. 
  • Speaking or Rumba — up top! — meet new bar manager Jim Romdall.
  • Meanwhile, the Stranger also introduces you to the work of Poppy dessert savant Matt Bumpas.
  • Buy one delicious dinner at Annapurna, receive a free stroll through the light rail tunnel.
  • Queen-Bee-Color-Logo-large-600x285CHS reader and inspired reviewer of all things coffee+the area around 23rd and Madison Anthony writes:
    Opened on President’s Day (2/17/2014): Queen Bee Coffee at E Madison & 22nd Ave E in the retail space of Aegis Memory Care facility. Queen Bee is associated with and financed by Aegis but it is open to the public.Very good coffee (Stumptown beans) and awesome crumpets. Super-friendly staff. Lots of daylight from the expansive windows which makes it great for reading the paper or talking with a friend, less great for viewing one’s laptop screen.Proceeds during the month of February will be donated to the Meredith Mathews YMCA. Each month a different charitable organization will (be selected to) receive the profits.
    CHS wrote about the Aegis facility — complete with the Queen Bee and a “Memory Care Deck” — here.
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10 Comments
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drew
drew
10 years ago

Yes! Please have beer and happy hour!

KP
KP
10 years ago

Annapurna meal gets you a CHANCE to get the tunnel walk. The way it is written now it sounds like a meal gets you the tunnel walk.

Tom
Tom
10 years ago

Gone just like that? This sucks!

Any other places on Capitol Hill where I can get Mexican sandwiches?

Liz
Liz
10 years ago
Reply to  Tom

I like Fogon. I haven’t tried their torta yet and it’s not quite the variety of Barriga Llena, but they are $5 at happy hour, so perhaps worth a shot?

r
r
10 years ago
Reply to  Liz

Fogon’s totas are great! I personally like the ones at Rancho Bravo also.

Tom
Tom
10 years ago
Reply to  r

Thanks for the reco’s! I am going to try them both.

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[…] Fresh Noodle Station is slated to be part of the building’s restaurant and retail […]

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[…] in the artistic elements set to inhabit the new 12th Ave Arts building when it opens this fall is the expansion of this U District favorite. […]

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