This week's top hits from Eater Seattle, Curbed's sibling bar, restaurant, and nightlife blog.
COMING ATTRACTIONS -- For all those who worship at the scalding, glutinous altar of the Chinese soup dumpling, or xiao long bao, here's some incredibly delicious news: Din Tai Fung, the Taiwan-based dumpling restaurant, is opening a location in the Pacific Place shopping mall downtown. The new location will mark the chain's third in the region. Look for the opening to come in summer 2016.
FOOD TV -- Before he resurfaced and started working at Mamnoon, first as GM and now also as Executive Chef, Jason Stratton was taking some time off doing something, somewhere, after he departed his roles at Spinasse, Vespolina, and Artusi. Apparently the "something" he was doing in the interim was competing on Bravo's cooking competition, Top Chef, and the wait is finally over. The show's first episode of its two-night premier aired last night (Eater's recap here), and the second half runs tonight at 10 p.m.
COMING ATTRACTIONS -- Well folks, it looks like Seattle may soon be home to not one, not two, but three cat cafes. While you wait for Seattle Meowtropolitan to open, Seattle Kitty Kafe is still in the works, and now there's a third venture getting its footing: NEKO, which is currently in the crowdfunding stage.