Food & Drink
Where to get geo(duck) in Seattle
Five restaurants serving the precious saltwater clam right now
By Seattle Mag September 9, 2015
It is native to the Pacific Northwest, has a phallic shape, and a name that makes you giggle every time you say it.
Did we mention that in the hands of the right chef, geoduck (pronounced ‘gooey-duck.’ See?) is unique in texture and deliciously savory? But, finding the saltwater clam can be tough, as it is believed that 90 percent of the geoduck harvested in the United States is allegedly exported to China, where it is considered a delicacy.
Well, we like it too, and we’re willing to go out of our way to find it (interesting geoduck factoid: Washington’s Department of Ecology estimates that more than 100 million adult geoducks live deep within the sediments of the Puget Sound region).
Below are five restaurants that feature geoduck, and their unique preparations. Now, go get your gooey on.
The South Lake Union restaurant long known for its 20 versions of crab cakes recently added geoduck to its lunch and dinner menu. Their preparation has an Asian spin. Their geoduck crudo comes with Fresno chilies, jalapenos, scallion and yuzu soy.
Edouardo Jordan’s new Ravenna restaurant features a seafood fettucine with paper-thin shavings of crunchy geoduck as the star. Along with fresh clams, sea beans, lemon and shisito peppers, this pasta is worth going back for.
Ethan Stowell has a reputation for serious geoduck crudo. The most recent version at his Capitol Hill seafood spot is served with watermelon, pea vines and cucumber – a final taste of summer – and it is divine.
Taylor Shellfish Farms Oyster Bars
Are you a purist? If so, one of these seafood institutions (with locations in Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square) is where you can get beautiful slivers of raw South Puget Sound geoduck served with soy.
You can only expect greatness from Seattle’s legendary sushi chef. Shiro delivers with a broiled geoduck featured on the Belltown restaurant’s a la carte menu. It’s called geoduck butter and includes the tender geoduck, shiitake mushrooms and asparagus sauteed with butter.