Dear seafood-seeking Seattleites: roll into happy hour at Sansei, because you’re going to need to sushi this for yourself (and try to contain your scoffing at this opening pun). Since opening its doors in downtown Seattle last February, prolific Hawaiian restaurateur DK Kodama’s first mainland location has observed a rotating happy hour schedule – but fear not, the new daily hours are here to stay. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Kodama slashes prices on fan-favorite rolls, sashimi, nigiri and small plates, all in a family-style yet urban Izakaya atmosphere directly across from that early evening show at the neighboring Paramount Theatre.
The overall menu concept remains decidedly true to many of Sansei’s signature Hawaiian staples, and you’ll find some of the best hits showcased during happy hour, including sushi chef Andy Lewis’ rendition of the award-winning Panko-Crusted Ahi Sashimi (which features a soy-wasabi butter sauce you’ll want to eat with a spoon). But the happy hour menu also offers several Seattle originals a well-deserved chance to shine. For one, Executive Head Chef Scott Lutey — who hails from Sansei’s Waikoloa, Hawaii, location along with Chef Lewis — has mastered the art of poke.
Lutey has consecutively won first place in renowned poke “godfather” Sam Choy’s annual showdown, and his chops are on full display alongside standout kitchen specials such as the spicy house-made kimchi pork belly Brussels sprouts, braised short rib and Kalua pork sliders, and furikake truffle fries and miso ramen. Chef Lutey’s farm-to-table focus also introduces plenty of locally farmed produce and fresh, sustainable seafood — the latter a perk that defined Kodama’s strategic expansion to the Pacific Northwest.
No matter which of the 14 sushi and 14 kitchen offerings you land on (yes, a happy hour with more than 20 choices), wash it down with an imported Japanese draft beer or go all-in for the complete cocktail menu. Hint: the Emperor Mojito, made with house-made lemongrass simple syrup and shochu, yields an especially refreshing flavor bomb between bites of the mango-crab salad hand roll (featuring fresh mango, blue crab, crisp greens and peanuts wrapped in mamenori and served with a sweet Thai chili vinaigrette). Head bartender Trey Beattie has also set forth a series of craft cocktails that blend beautifully with a wine list built by master sommelier Chuck Furuya, and he continues to collaborate with General Manager Sean Ellick to fine-tune an already dynamic sake program, which now includes sake flights.
Sansei Seattle is currently ramping up for its first-ever wine dinner with Walla Walla’s Gramercy Cellars, and guests can look forward to more of the kitchen and sushi bar’s fresh, Hawaii-goes-Emerald City takes paired with complementary reds and whites. In the meantime, see you at happy hour.
