Edmonds neighborhood restaurant impresses Seattle restaurant critic

Let’s Eat host and Seattle Times restaurant critic Providence Cicero has found a hidden gem up in the north end.

Providence lives in Edmonds and says after hearing praise from her hairdresser and best friend, she decided it was time to check out Bar Dojo.

From the outside, she says it doesn’t look like much. The restaurant is in a strip mall and doesn’t really draw the eye. But once inside, she says things are entirely different.

“When you go in, it’s nothing that you expect from the outside,” says Providence. “They have created this lovely, restorative dining room. You go in and it’s a place where you can have a conversation.”

Providence says the menu is short, casual and approachable, but the food is very well executed.
They have selections of small plates and noodle bowls inspired by Executive Chef Shubert Ho’s Italian training and Taiwanese roots.

“His background has all been in Italian kitchens since he was cooking professionally, but his heritage is Taiwanese and here he’s really leaning on some of the recipes he enjoyed as a kid,” says Providence. “One of the most popular noodle bowls, which is a braised beef noodle bowl, is based on his grandmother’s recipe and it’s delicious.”

For co-host Terry Jaymes, who lives in Seattle, Providence says she found one dish he should definitely make the drive north for.

“There’s a reason for you to go all the way up to Edmonds, and that would be the wings, the chili lime wings. You would love them.”

Providence visited the Edmonds spot three times to write up her Seattle Times review, and says she’ll definitely be visiting again.

“I’ll be going more because I live very close.”

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