Where it starts
From near Bangkok, through the kitchens of Seattle
Boss and JP grew up outside Bangkok. They came to Seattle the way a lot of people do — chasing something, figuring it out as they went. They put in years of night shifts in restaurant kitchens, learning how places work from the inside.
Neither of them planned to open their own place. Then COVID happened, and plans stopped mattering.
2022 — Secret Congee
A walk-up window and a name nobody could keep secret
During the pandemic, Boss and JP turned necessity into a walk-up window. They called it Secret Congee. It wasn't supposed to be famous — it just was. The neighborhood found it, told their friends, and kept showing up.
Congeez at Uwajimaya followed. The brothers were building something, even if they didn't know exactly what yet.
January 2025 — The pivot
One soup. The recipe is from Chiang Rai. That's the whole menu.
Khao soi is a Northern Thai noodle soup — curry broth, egg noodles, crispy noodle nest on top, lime on the side. It's specific to the Chiang Rai region. Most versions you find outside Thailand are approximations. Boss and JP didn't want to approximate.
In January 2025, they stripped Ginger & Scallion down to one dish. The broth is the Chiang Rai recipe. The proteins range from braised chuck roll at $16 to Japanese A5 Wagyu at market price. The garnish line is the same on every bowl — on purpose. That's the brand.
They're also renaming to Khao Soi Na Chiang Rai, which is exactly what it sounds like.
500 NW 65th St, Ballard
Hidden in plain sight. No sign. Just a menu on the glass.
There's no exterior sign on the door. There's a menu on the glass, a chalk welcome note, and an open kitchen. That's it. If you know, you know — and enough people know that the dining room fills up.
They source protein from Draper Valley Farms and other PNW producers. They use sous vide technique. They participate in Seattle Restaurant Week and collaborate with other chefs. The food is serious. The vibe is not.
