Cheap Lunches in the International District

Sure, it’s easy enough to eat on a budget in the International District, an area chock-a-block with tasty bargain bites. But to eat really, really well in a part of town with so many options? That’s not so simple. Enter Geary Eppley, Emmett Doerr and Adam Phillabaum, aka the MSG150.com guys, who,  for the last year, have made it their mission to eat at every single restaurant in the I.D. They’ve tried it all and picked the best, down to the exact dish to order—now go taste for yourself.

Lunch Sushi Special at J Sushi
[ 674 S Weller St.; 206.287.9000 ] One of the few sushi places in the I.D., J Sushi’s Hawaiian-born chef, Dave Nakamura, delivers an interesting choice of rolls and fresh sushi at affordable prices. The $7.95 lunch bento comes with three pieces of nigiri, such as salmon, yellowtail and shrimp, with a choice of chicken or salmon teriyaki.

BBQ Pork & Dumpling Noodle Soup at Ocean City II: Noodle Cafe
[ 609 S Weller St.; 206.623.2333 ]  Take a left at the top of the stairs, avoiding the dim sum dining room to the right, and head into the Noodle Cafe. You will be rewarded with the goodness of the barbecued pork and dumpling noodle soup ($6.25), by which all other noodle soups should be measured. The ample slices of barbecued pork are melt-in-your-mouth tender and have a rich, smoky flavor. An added bonus: The fresh dumplings, filled with tasty shrimp and crisp vegetables, don’t fall to pieces in the soup.
The $3.95 Lunch at

Golden City Seafood
[ 520 S Jackson St.; 206.382.3368 ] Really?! For $3.95, it’s easy to step out of your kung pao comfort zone and choose one item from a selection of 40 congees, noodle soups, and simple rice and noodle dishes. Our favorites include the black pepper beef on spaghetti, spaghetti-sized rice noodles with beef in tangy pepper sauce; and Singapore-style fried vermicelli, thin rice noodles with a fragrant dry curry, chopped veggies and barbecued pork.

Stone Pot Congee at Homestyle Hong Kong Cuisine
[ 612 S King St.; 206.748.9168 ] A hot, bubbling Chinese rice porridge ($4.75) is delivered in a molten stone bowl with your choice of meats, seafoods or various options for the adventurous eater, including frog legs and 1,000-year-old chicken eggs. Be sure to get an order of Chinese doughnuts ($1.50) to share. These unsweetened fried rods of dough are the perfect complement to congee. Trust us.

Dim Sum at Jade Garden
[ 424 Seventh Ave. S; 206.622.8181] The best dim sum in the city is also the most affordable. Avoid the spendy honey walnut prawns and the salt-and-pepper calamari, and instead stuff yourself with favorites like shu mai, a pork dumpling with an outer shell of cabbage, and sticky rice in lotus leaf for around $8 per person. The widest and freshest selections are available during the busiest times—lunch and weekend brunch—so it’s worth waiting in line. And don’t be shy: You don’t have to know what each dish is called. Just point at what looks good. Stick with the pork and shrimp dim sum, though, and the costs won’t get too out of control; going for lobster or other types of seafood could make this a pricey brunch.

Familystyle Lunch at Ho Ho Seafood
[ 651 S Weller St.; 206.382.9671 ]
For a party of four, the Pearl Lunch Special ($6.95/person) gets you set up with a spread of freshly cooked dishes, with highlights that include shrimp (with heads), tasty tofu, good General Tsao’s chicken and savory egg rolls.???

Vietnamese Bun Noodles at Pho Bac
[ 415 Seventh Ave. S; 206.621.0532?] The pho is great, but we keep going back for the bun heo xao (grilled pork on vermicelli noodles). Seven dollars gets you a large bowl of cold rice noodles, hot, thin slices of grilled pork, crisp veggies and a sweet, tangy fish sauce. Our rule of thumb: Pho on cold winter days, bun on warmer days.??

Pork Ramen (Tonkatsu) at Samurai Noodle
[ 606 Fifth Ave. S; 206.624.9321 ] If all you know about ramen is plastic bags of noodles and flavor packets, then you are in for a surprise. Samurai Noodle’s tonkatsu ($7) is a rich pork broth with incredibly fresh ramen noodles and tender slices of roast pork. The fatty pork will melt in the broth (as well as your mouth), giving you a rich, tasty soup for a cold day. You’ll be tempted to order add-ins for your soup, such as extra pork for $2.50 or tofu for a little less, but those are for experienced samurai. Start simple.

No. 13 Szechuan Beef Noodle Soup at Szechuan Noodle Bowl
[ 420 Eighth Ave. S; 206.623.4198?] The broth is like liquid pot roast meets some hot sauce—beefy, spicy, scrumptious. The noodles are homemade, thick and ropey; they soak up the broth and have a satisfying chew to them. The baby bok choy finishes off the soup with a touch of crispy greens. Together, they are ridiculously good. At less than $6 for the soup, you should definitely order some hot and spicy dumplings ($6.30 for 10) or green onion pancakes ($3.30 each) to start. ??

$2.50 Sub Sandwich at Sweet & Fresh Bakery
[ 610 Eighth Ave. S; 206.682.7030 ]
This sandwich is a hybrid of American deli cold cuts and Vietnamese bánh mì fixings. Made with French bread, these Vietnamese sandwiches include things such as pickled carrots, hot sauce and some type of meat, such as turkey or ham. Hungry people might find the 6-inch sandwiches stingy, so throw in a pork bun ($1.40) and you have a substantial lunch for less than $5.