In 2009, Kamala Saxton and Roz Edison took to the streets in their big blue food truck and dazzled Seattle with their exciting fusion cuisine. Full of fresh new tastes and boasting “smiles for miles,” people fell hard for Marination Mobile’s invigorating blend of Korean and Hawaiian flavors. Word of mouth soon spread, and after only four months in business, Good Morning America named Marination Mobile the best food truck in the country.
“It was really a storybook start,” says Saxton, who along with Edison now runs one of Seattle’s favorite eatery empires. The Marination crew is now “one big Aloha family,” with restaurants on Capitol Hill and in South Lake Union, West Seattle and Columbia City.
Photo: Joshua Huston Marination's meals offer a blend of Korean and Hawaiian flavors. |
Marination Ma Kai in West Seattle is a firm favorite for families, located a stone’s throw from the water taxi dock with spectacular views across Elliott Bay. It also boasts a large, fenced-in patio, where Saxton says families can sit in the sun and happily let their kids run around. The Aloha pork sliders are sweet and tangy, appealing to kids (and adults) of all ages, and are the perfect size for little hands. Tacos are available with a number of bold and flavorful fillings, including kalbi beef and “sexy tofu,” and all are served with Marination’s flavorful “nunya sauce.” Follow the meal with a shave ice — Hawaii’s favorite frozen treat — and any day will feel like summer. Ma Kai is also open for breakfast Friday through Sunday; their double coconut muffin is worth the trip alone.
Another of the duo’s popular restaurants for families is Super Six, a Columbia City standout built in a spacious former auto body shop. The breakfast malasadas (traditional Hawaiian doughnuts) are a perfect treat for hungry kids, and for dinner the Aloha fries, topped with kalua pork and a fried egg, are a decadent dream and big enough for the whole family to indulge in.
Photo: Joshua Huston Marination's newest restaurant Super Six in Columbia City is another big hit with families. |
Marination Nation is one of many Seattle attractions off the beaten path—check out more here!
Marination Ma Kai: 1660 Harbor Ave. SW, Seattle, marinationmobile.com
Super Six: 3714 S Hudson St., Seattle, supersixseattle.com
Marination Station: 1412 Harvard Ave., Seattle
Marination 6th & Virginia: 2000 6th Ave., Seattle
