Top Chef Contestant To Reopen Seattle Restaurant, See When It's Happening

A Seattle chef and Top Chef contestant is ready to reopen his restaurant next month, according to Seattle Met.

Shota Nakajima made local headlines earlier this year after it was announced he will be competing in the reality cooking competition. Now he's preparing to open the doors of Taku again, a Capitol Hill bar he debuted days before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses last March.

The restaurant was originally going to be Seattle's first kushikatsu bar, offering skewers of fried meat, seafood and veggies. Now it'll be dedicated to karaage, a Japanese-style fried chicken.

“Let’s just focus on one thing,” Nakajima said, “and make it very correctly.”

Seattle Met said the chicken will be marinated in soy sauce, ginger and cake, then battered and fried twice for extra crunch. You can order nuggets, wings, thighs and get either wet or dry seasonings. A rice bowl comes with karaage, and there will be a curry-toned fried chicken sandwich on the menu.

"Here you can feed yourself properly for $10-ish, and sides include furikake fries, Japanese mac salad, miso soup, cabbage salad, and rice. You can celebrate last week’s extension of to-go cocktails with a totable drink or a Jell-O shot," reporters wrote.

Taku will reopen on May 5, and their hours will be Wednesday through Sunday, 3 to 10 p.m. When the restaurant reopens, they will be taking online orders and walkups for takeout. It's located at 706 East Pike.

If you want to catch Nakajima on Top Chef: Portland, tune in to Bravo on Thursdays at 5 p.m. PST.

Photo: Getty Images