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Chef Lineup:
HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER: LIL WOODY’S SEAFOOD MONTH RETURNS WITH A FRESH LINE-UP AUGUST 1- SEPTEMBER 4, 2023
“KariKari Fried Chicken Sando with Crab Fat Slaw”
Ingredients: Crispy fried chicken thigh, crab fat mayo slaw, KariKari Garlic Chili Crisp, fresh herbs, pickles, Franz lobster roll.
Coming from a multi-cultural family, being half African American and Japanese and half Irish Italian, there was always a variety of amazing foods in Ruby’s house - her favorite and crunchiest were her papa’s tempura and fried fish.
Rob discovered the magic of the crunch when he learned the secrets behind his Grandma Muriel’s buttery crispy breakfast potatoes and ever since then, he has been obsessed with flavor and texture, building his career in the food industry since he was a teenager.
Chili Crisp, being one of their all-time favorite condiments, was something they would always pick up at the store. For almost 2 years, they tested, fiddled, experimented, shared, tracked, tinkered, toiled …. And then KariKari was born.
KariKari, which means crispy in Japanese, is a blending of many things, and an ode to all that came before. To grandmothers and grandfathers, parents, chefs, mentors–to the memories of Calabrian chili paste on pasta in Italy, salsa macha in the southern regions of Mexico, Lao Gan Ma slicked noodles in Xiamen, tương ớt sa tế on a glistening bowl of bún bò Huế in Seattle’s International District, and S&B Crunchy Garlic on chilled tofu. KariKari was created with respect for the past and honor for the future.
Says Rob and Ruby: “A lobster roll, a fried chicken sandwich, and a jar of KariKari Chili Crisp walk into a bar... It's not a joke. It's delicious!!!"
“MariPili Cod-rizo Burger”
Ingredients: Chorizo-spiced Cod Patty, Fennel Slaw, Herbed Aioli, Franz Potato Bun.
Grayson Corrales is the owner and chef of restaurant MariPili Tapas Bar. She is an Eastern Washington native, having grown up on a farm near her Spanish immigrant grandparents, her cuisine is greatly influenced and inspired by her abuela's Spanish cooking. When she set out to create a restaurant concept based on her grandmother's Galician culture and heritage, she decided to intern at 2-Michelin-starred restaurant Culler de Pau in O Grove, Galicia. She came back to Seattle to create MariPili Tapas Bar, named after her aunt, where Grayson and her team serve creative Galician and Spanish cuisine.
Says Grayson: “The MariPili Cod-rizo sandwich is inspired by the MariPili concept: we use Galican staples, like cod (bacalao in Spanish) and fresh fennel, along with a potato bun inspired by the classic Galician pairing of cod and potatoes. The cod chorizo patty is seasoned with our chorizo spice blend, topped with a bright, zesty fennel slaw with fresh herbs and lemon. To finish the sandwich, we've chosen to use our herb aioli, which is the same pairing we use at the restaurant for our cod chorizo!”
“Seabird Rockfish Katsu Sando”
Ingredients: Panko-Fried Rockfish Filet, Tonkatsu Sauce, Kewpie Slaw, Barnacle Foods Furikake, Stone Ground Mustard, Fuji Bakery Japanese Milk Bread.
Brendan McGill was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. A youth steeped in wilderness and natural bounty, guided by a craftsman father and educator mother, turned out a curious cook with an appetite for discovery. He moved to Seattle to pursue his career as a chef.
Ten years later, Brendan opened Hitchcock, a Pacific Northwestern farm-to-table restaurant. The group grew to include two spin-off delis,’ an organic farm, a Neapolitan-style pizzeria, a downtown all-day café, a Roman-style pizzeria, a burger joint, a CSA program, a kombucha line, and a bakeshop.
Brendan continues to explore the region’s foods, perennially diving deeper into the sources and processes, while leading business and culinary development for the restaurant group.
Says Brendan: “This sandwich is inspired by the traditional Japanese “Katsu Sando” which is a pork cutlet nestled between two soft slices of shokupan, sometimes with cabbage, always with tonkatsu sauce. We have adapted this to make it a fried fish sandwich, a format as old as Seattle, and playing with the convergence of Japanese flavors & technique and northwestern ingredients that have informed a great deal of our creativity at Seabird.”
“MCH Singapore Blackpepper Shrimp Sandwich”
Ingredients: Fried Shrimp Patty with Green Onions, Spring mix, Marimakan CrabHouse (MCH) Black Pepper Sauce, Crispy Onions, Chin-Su Chili Aioli on a Lil Woody’s bun.
Virginia Rachel Ranti (Chef V) was born in Indonesia, but grew up in Singapore. She is a single mother, entrepreneur, and teacher. She started a Singapore/Indonesian pop-up to fulfill her passion for learning how to make dishes that are disappearing and making them accessible to the Seattle community. At Marimakan, she serves food inspired by what she experienced visiting Singaporean hawker centers with her grandma. Her menu includes dishes like Hainanese chicken rice and laksa, but the specialty is whole Singapore-style Dungeness crab. She handpicks her crabs and cooks them fresh on the same day, prepping them with South East Asian flavors.
Says Chef V: “Our special house made "Singapore Blackpepper Sauce" has a kick of heat from the pepper (yet not too spicy), and is balanced with umami sweetness. It is one of MCH’s top selling sauces with seafood dishes. It is the perfect pairing with the crispy shrimp patty and the ingredients of this delicious Lil Woody’s sandwich.”
“Lil Woody’s Fillet-O-Fish”
Ingredients: Beer-Battered Alaskan Pollock, pickle-ly tartar sauce, shredded lettuce, American cheese on a Lil Woody’s bun
Martin, burger chef extraordinaire, has worked with Lil Woody’s since 2015- first working late nights on Capitol Hill and quickly becoming a leader on the line, then progressing to being the manager at White Center. He is Lil Woody’s lead cook, and is integral in hiring and training great cooks and supporting fellow store managers with kitchen leadership. Martin and his family hail from Guanjuato, Mexico. Since migrating to the Seattle area, he has worked for several great Seattle chefs.
Says Martin: “We roll out our Fillet-O-Fish, a spin on a classic McDonald’s sandwich once a year for Seafood Month. It is a customer favorite. The cod is coated in a beer batter which makes it crispy. We add American cheese and our own tartar sauce using our special pickle/onion mix as a base mixed with herbs and mayo.”
See Last Years Lineup
