Ooink Capitol Hill
Ramen restaurant · First Hill
1416 Harvard Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Highlights
Inventive ramen bowls with rich broths & spicy Malaysian chicken
Inventive ramen bowls with rich broths & spicy Malaysian chicken
"The low-key ramen counter above the QFC on Harvard Avenue serves some seriously terrific bowls of soup, with silky broths and noodles that soak up the flavor nicely. The shoyu variety is a favorite, but for those that don’t mind a little more heat, the spicy kotteri ramen certainly delivers." - Sophie Grossman, Jade Yamazaki Stewart, Eater Staff
"Ooink references chef-owner Chong Boon Ooi’s name and signature silky pork broth, though he doesn’t call it tonkotsu. This inconspicuous spot above a QFC grocery store in Capitol Hill serves some of Seattle’s best ramen, rich and wonderful from the variety of tares and their thin, straight noodles. Shoyu is an excellent choice, while the mala (numbing and spicy) ramen offers heat levels that get serious as you climb from one to four. Ayam goreng (Malaysian spiced chicken) serves as a great side dish to a noodle bowl. In 2022, Ooink opened another, larger location on Stone Way in Fremont/Wallingford. (Frallingford?)" - Jay Friedman
"One of Seattle’s best ramen shops is owned by a Malaysian chef, Chong Boon Ooi, and he serves an excellent rendition of ayam goreng (Malaysian fried chicken) at his Capitol Hill restaurant (and new Fremont offshoot.) The chicken here has no marinade, and hardly any flour, but is powerfully fragrant with a mix of spices like turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, chilies, garlic, and curry leaf. An order of this chicken makes a good shared appetizer for a ramen meal. You can also order Ooink’s $10 spicy fried chicken sandwich if you want fried chicken to be the whole meal." - Jade Yamazaki Stewart
"For ramen that goes beyond standard shoyu options, head to this tiny shop on Capitol Hill. And while Ooink has some great shoyu to take the edge off on a particularly frigid day, nothing beats their mala kotteri ramen—a double whammy of both high heat index and intense spice, made with funky black garlic and numbing Sichuan peppercorns that could thaw out the Vatnajökull glacier. Plus, it doesn't hurt that they have some of the best gyoza in the city to dunk into the broth. " - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo
"Slurping noodles requires you to hang your head down in silence, so that’s always an option. It takes care of not having to make eye contact, and it also takes care of not having to physically speak. Ooink serves delicious bowls of ramen that you won’t mind having your face nearly submerged in for 15 minutes while both of you refrain from talking to each other. Split an order of gyoza to keep your mouths full while you wait for your soup." - aimee rizzo
