International District

Seattle's Asian community presents exciting getaway

By JEFF WALTON, Features Editor

Published: April 12, 2000

Djin Kwie Liem has run his pet shop since 1979. It's small, in the middle of an alley of all places, and smells like a chicken coop. Not that the smell is surprising -- he does sell hens after all.

"One man came in the other day to see if I sold hens to eat. I said, 'I just sell them as pets; what you do with them is your business,'" Liem says with a chuckle.

In many ways, Liem's Pet Shop is representative of the International District. It's crowded, mysterious, and at the same time, hours could be spent exploring the 200 to 300 varieties of fish, reptiles, and birds Liem estimates he carries.

The district is a mosaic of Asian communities in south Seattle, including Chinatown, Little Saigon, and most of the area east of the former Kingdome. It's not as tourist-oriented as San Francisco's Chinatown or as big as Vancouver's. Visitors are more likely to run into a man hawking Japanese animation on the street corner (Pokémon included) than a gift shop selling cheap figurine knockoffs.

Liem's small shop on Maynard Alley, just off King Street, is probably as kitschy as combined Asian and western culture come. Before he rises to greet you and proudly display his new family of iguanas, the electronic door will greet you first with a computerized "Welcome."

The shop is organized like a long corridor - fish, gerbils, scorpions and hamsters all live just inches apart, with tanks rising from the ground to the top of the barely 7-foot ceiling. Eight to 10 inch long Hong Kong catfish can be acquired for $35, the aforementioned iguanas for only $25. They're only a few inches long now, but give them 20 years and they'll reach up to 4 feet in length according to Lien.

Shoppers with small budgets and smaller fish tanks can acquire betas (Japanese fighting fish) for only $5. Just don't mix them in the same tank, or you'll end up with an aquatic version of a Jet-Li movie.

Hing Hay Park

Hing Hay Park sits in the center of the district, next to the hotel wall featuring an extensive mural of a Chinese dragon on New Year's Day. There is also a memorial in remembrance of Seattle Chinese who died in World War II and enough pigeons to rival Trafalgar Square. In the middle of the park is an ornate red pavilion given to Seattle by the city of Taipei in 1975. Intended as a celebration of the friendship between Taiwan and the United States, the pavilion now hosts elderly men playing chess and small children chasing resident birds.

Hing Hay is a good place to start a walking tour, as local merchants have provided a hanging map and street guide for visitors. Just keep the King Street Station in sight, and you won't get lost.

Educational Tours

Ever wonder where fortune cookies are baked? Tsue Chong Company is one of the leading West Coast producers. In the International District since 1958, Tsue Chong makes multiple flavors marketed under the Rose brand. Make sure to try the piña colada, almond, and coconut-flavored varieties. Large grocery bags of "unfortunates" (those cookies that met with a less than perfect result) can be acquired for only $5. There's nothing quite like throwing a flat fortune cookie instead of a Frisbee; why not take the opportunity to do so? Tours of the factory are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The tours take only about 20 minutes, and the factory is at 800 South Weller St. -- just three blocks from Hing Hay Park.

The Wing Luke Asian Museum, located at 407 Seventh Ave. South, is also a valuable place to spend an hour. Admission is only $1.50 for students who bring their I.D., and Thursdays are free. Wing Luke showcases everything from ancient Asian and Pacific art to modern exhibits on Asian-American history. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. on the weekends.

Food Time

One of the great things the International District is known for is its collection of affordable Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants. (See side column.) If you are a student who is tired of shelling out $15 every time you eat at an expensive Queen Anne Bistro, the International District is a good alternative. Your fellow patrons may not be as trendy or image-conscious as their Queen Anne counterparts, but they still know where to go for good food, and lots of it.

Some restaurants serve lunches in the traditional family style (a few large dishes shared among a large group); others offer "Dim Sum," a sort of roving buffet. After you sit down, a server will come by with a food preparation cart. Various goodies will be steamed or fried before your eyes and served a la carte. After you request a serving, the server will present a ticket. When your lunch is complete, take the tickets up to the cashier, where your bill will be added up. It's that simple. Best of all, if you don't like a dish, you've only spent around $2 on it, not $10, so there is little to fear when experimenting.

Dim Sum isn't the only dining option in the district. Small barbecues and open-air groceries sit along the streets, displaying fresh produce and roasted poultry (beak and all) for sale. Ordering some barbecued pork and heading to the park is a great way to snack at the beginning of an exploration.

Afterward, stop off at one of the several Chinese bakeries. A Piece of Cake, around for the last 20 years, is one of the largest. Owners Basil and Teresa Lee stock their bakery with cream puffs, cookies and breads. A Piece of Cake employs four generations of bakers, including a master baker who has worked in first-class hotels in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Uwajimaya

Many Northwesterners are already familiar with Uwajimaya, the Japanese grocery store that has expanded into Bellevue and Beaverton, Ore. First opened in 1928 as a small storefront, Uwajimaya has grown to one of the largest businesses in the district, selling everything from campy "Hello Kitty" waffle irons (only $70) to live sea cucumbers, scallops, and intimidating king crabs.

Upstairs, shoppers will find an Asian bookstore and gift shop. Uwajimaya sells expensive ikebana vases and prints alongside inexpensive lanterns and colorful origami folding paper.

Even if you aren't interested in buying that huge king crab, skipping the grocery section would be a missed opportunity.

Touching the slimy namako sea cucumbers ($3.99 each) is an original experience, as is the fresh octopus (12.99 a pound). Shoppers can purchase an entire octopus or just a few tentacles.

The daring can buy whole fish; the meek or less adventurous can partake by purchasing prepackaged sushi. Skip the wimpy California rolls for the local Seattle ones, which consist of salmon lox, cream cheese and cucumber ($3.99 for 6 pieces).

The International District isn't physically far away, but its remarkable diversity and excitement make it an adventure to explore. If an escape from campus is needed, but no car is available, keep the district in mind as a budget-conscious getaway. Djin Kwie Liem and his iguanas will be happy to see you.

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