Queen Anne Sushi Land and Silver Platters Shopping

Sometimes Queen Anne can be an all day event, sometimes it's enough just to go over to Silver Platters in jeans and a hoodie and stop by what's arguably the city's best fast food Sushi place, Sushi Land. Silver Platters is a great place for all kinds of shopping now that the holidays are approaching, as you are bound to find something for literally everyone on your list. This is not the downtown glitzy rush, it's more an understated, laid back, Seattle cool kind of a twilight visit.

Silver Platters is a music and movie store with four locations in Seattle. The one in Queen Anne is where the old Tower Records used to be. It's a great store with so much atmosphere they should charge admission, but instead you find great stuff at reasonable prices, and that includes used DVDs and CDs, and they still do videos. Even more fun, take a few of your cast-offs (in good condition) and get part of what you'll be spending in credit for the old DVDs and CDs that you no longer want on your shelves. They have great selections in every category you can think of, friendly staff and a great deal of knowledge if you have questions or are looking for something. They can also fill you in on various aspects of the Seattle music scene!

We found some cool t-shirts, a documentary about living with wolves, a classic Marilyn Monroe movie, a modern spy film I've been wanting to see, two kids' movies (dragons and transformers, what else) and a kung fu moive...something for everyone! Checking out we got into a fun conversation with the woman at the register which ranged all across the board and included ways of saving bags, whether they still take and sell used videos (they do) and my friend's son's electric guitar. It felt a little strange to walk out without at least inviting her over for dinner some time, but that's how Seattle is, laid back, friendly, eclectic, and people are just plain interesting and pleasant.

We walked down Roy Street there in lower Queen Anne where there are at least four Asian restaurants to choose from all in a row, Thai (Pahn Thai in an old Craftsman), Upscale Pho and Curry (Pho Viet Anh), a Vegetarian Chinese (Bamboo Garden), and another interesting looking Thai one (Thai Heaven) that served cocktails, but finally decided to go back to an old favorite, Sushi Land. It was so early there wasn't even a wait, which there usually is. Three sushi chefs rapidly arranged delicious maki (rolls) and negiri (the sliced fish on rice), as well as edamame (salty boiled soy beans to pop out of the pods), fried wontons, octobus bites and rolls, and other little treats onto plates color coded as to price. Waitresses brought drinks, miso soup and whatever else we ordered from the kitchen. Perched on stools at the counter in front of the conveyor belt, we had a ringside seat!

The prices are really great too! The green plates are $1, the pink ones are $1.50, the blue ones are $2, and the purple ones (the really special stuff!) are $3. These include bowls of Udon (fat noodles in broth), small and tasty. Wow, unbeatable. We had 5 green plates, four pink plates, two blue plates, and my son had the Shrimp Tempura Udon on a purple plate. We also had a Sapporo and green tea, all for under $25.

How does it work? All the little plates are loaded onto a conveyor belt and they circle around in front of the delighted diners who are lined up on stools at a counter in front of the stream of passing sushi! There is the added pleasure of watching the sushi chefs prepare the different dishes and anticipating what's coming around next. You just reach out and take whichever ones you decide you can't resist. Great fun, easy on the pocketbook, and something for everyone!

Down 5th Avenue the other direction you will find Crow Restaurant and Bistro, well-known and well-beloved Seattle dining spot, but you'll probably need a reservation several days or weeks in advance, although sometimes it's possible to find an impromptu seat at the chef's counter where you can watch them prepare and assemble the artful plates of heavenly fare. You know who you are, take me there for my birthday!










Edy Kizaki
Realtor & Team Leader
SeattlePowerSearch.com