Archipelago in Seattle

Complete nightmare trying to get I to this place.  You only have select dates that open up at a time, and if you don't type fast enough your reservations will be pulled out from underneath you.  They use Tok -  the world's WORST reservation platform - which just adds to the nightmare.  So I'm out all together - I don't even have an interest in this place now after this experience.  It shouldn't be this difficult to access a res...

Where do I begin? We were lucky enough to get a reservation when they first opened their doors for indoor dining during the pandemic. It's an intimate restaurant with probably about 10 seats at the counter and 2 on the side. I felt quite safe as we dined on the side. They put up plastic barriers at the counter to separate the diners from staff. They do a chef's tasting course for everyone and it's quite nice that we all eat together for each course. Everyone was very professional and throughout the night, they told a story and the influence behind different dishes. They also had pictures and made use of the plastic barriers by displaying the pictures on the barriers. Despite not dining at the counter, we still felt very much a part of the group. I was very happy with each course they presented and really enjoyed this dining experience. It really isn't just okay here's 10 courses and this is blah blah blah. Aaron and Amber and the whole team really made it an event and an experience of story telling through food. They not only care about what dishes to prepare but also the source of it. They forage and use small local farms. Sometimes during restaurant tasting menus, they're small courses and you actually don't get full.. BUT NOT HERE! For the last main course, they asked how hungry you were still and made your dish based on that scale.. and there were still extras if y...

No surprise they have 35 5-star reviews to date. I'm from Jersey City and spend many, many weekends eating in NYC. I've experienced a decent amount of fine dining, tasting menu, and curated experiences... never have I experience quite something like this.   The emotional connection you make with each and every dish thanks to the Archipelago team's literal and figurative story telling is mind blowing. I used to chuckle whenever I'd see people on Food Network getting emotional eating food, thinking they were playing it up for the camera.. but now I get it. Archipelago had me close to tears a few times learning about the history and the culture behind certain dishes and actually tasting it too. As Filipino Americans, my fiancé and I often leave upscale Filipino restaurants somewhat disappointed and finding that they were "too fusion" for our tastebuds. That their cooking wasn't meant for us.. however at Archipelago their cooking was for everyone.. including Filipinos. There were only 3 Filipinos in this room seated for 12, and it felt so special that 9 people walked away from the evening knowing so much more about my people's culture, history, and cuisine. The team at Archipelago are doing impactful, meaningful work here and I am grateful they are preserving and elevating Filipino cuisine and culture.