Mochi donuts and all the things we do when we do something nearby in Seattle’s Southside

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Seattle Southside to do something nearby and the opinions in this post and on this blog are always my own.

I’m not ready to actually travel too far right now and I’m okay with my suitcases collecting a little dust while we wait for things to get safe for everyone again. But what I am doing more of lately is trying to get outside everyday and making sure that my family is supporting local business whenever we can. One place we are visiting more often is the Seattle Southside because it is vibrant and full of unique things to see and do. I used to work in Tukwila when we first moved to Seattle and it has been so exciting to see this area grow. I was more than thrilled when I was asked to “do something nearby” and visit and share some fun Seattle Southside finds with you.

Mochi donuts while running errands in Tukwila

Tukwila is full of all the big stores we go to like Costco, Target and Westfield Mall. It’s where my kids always want to pick up Chik Fil-A and 85 degrees bakery and beg to indoor skydive once again. But when we run errands in Tukwila to all the places we don’t have in downtown Seattle, we also make sure we stop at local finds like Dochi mochi donuts too.

Mochi donuts remind us of our trips to Japan and the mochi donuts we get Dochi really remind us of our trips. Dochi has inventive flavors like strawberry Pocky and matcha Oreo and when I stopped in to pick some up recently I was impressed at how the person helping me even made sure they alternated the donut placement in my box so that the presentation looked good. Is this kind of thing important to you too?

Dochi in Tukwila is so convenient because there is a ton of parking nearby and it’s part of Lam’s Seafood Market where I picked up some longans and other grocery staples after I picked up my donuts. Longans are a fruit that are similar to lychee and the ones here were really tasty and fresh. Lam’s was all decked out for Lunar New Year and it reminded me that this time of year is usually so festive and hopeful.

And if you want to eat donuts near the beach in the Seattle Southside?

We might have stopped for Dochi again, but the guys and I wanted to eat outdoors on a chilly sunny day and I had other plans. We headed to Des Moines to hang out at the Des Moines Beach Park and I wanted to get some hot mini donuts to help keep us warm.

If you love mini donuts then Mini the Dough-Nut is a teeny tiny gem where you can get your mini donuts freshly made while you watch. There are many toppings to choose from-we went with traditional cinnamon sugar and glaze but next time we might try something like the “Pina Donut Colada” (pineapple glaze with coconut) or “Donut e. Presley” (banana chips with peanut butter).

Mini the Dough-Nut is also close to the Des Moines Dog House that has a ton of great lunch choices if your family all wants to eat different things. One of my kids claimed that his Basil and Garlic Chicken dog was the best hot dog he ever ate. And we all enjoyed empanadas and arepas that we got on this trip to the Des Moines Dog House too.

We were in the area on a really cold and windy day, but it was so nice to eat outside at the Des Moines Beach Park and walk along the pier with our pup. Parking was easy and even though our adventure only took a few hours, we all felt like we’d tried something refreshing, fun and new.

A place to Momcation or even just get a bit of work done in peace

I booked a night at Cedarbrook Lodge because my family has all been hanging out together at home for so very long and I haven’t had a chance for any peace and quiet since we got our little pup. Cedarbrook Lodge is the type of place you would never imagine exists near one of the busiest airports but it’s a little oasis of peace and the restaurant here is absolutely superb. I went here for a dinner when I came to the Seattle Southside on a trip with some other writers and it’s still one of my favorite meals ever.

And thankfully Cedarbrook Lodge is close to home. I didn’t realize that with my husband’s overnight work schedule and recent political events, the night I booked wasn’t the best for my head to be all by myself. And then I realized I forgot to bring my running shoes. So after I checked in and spent a bit of time relaxing and eating some snacks, I decided my perfect momcation would be if I could just sleep at home that night and come back in the morning.

And that’s what I did.

I drove in early before the kids and dog woke up and watched the sunrise while I sipped coffee, ate the yummiest breakfast sandwich and even read a bit of a book. (Anxious People by the way and it’s such a good book!)

I loved that this was such a no-pressure getaway for myself by myself for the first time since we ended up in this traumatic time period. And I was really thankful at how it turned out.

And a new food hall and coffee shop that we will add to our faves

Add me to the long list of people raving about Spice Bridge, a new food hall run by the Food Innovation Network that opened up recently. I love how this place serves so many types of foods and how it reflects the beautiful diverse community you find in Tukwila. I used to work very close to where Spice Bridge is and I would have loved to grab lunch and takeout here if it was there then.

When my husband and I visited, we tried a vegetarian dish from Jazze’s Afghan cuisine, and empanadas and some treats from Seatango. They were all delicious and because the businesses in Spice Bridge rotate, I have a list of more things I want to try next time as well.

I also thought I’d grab coffee and went across the parking lot to Kona Kai Coffee where I spotted tres leches cake in the pastry case and decided that we must have that as well. And then I realized that this wasn’t just a coffee shop and there were some delicious sounding pupusas too. They ended up being so tempting that we ate them in the car before we even got home.

When I looked it up later to try and remember what I ordered, I found out that the Kona Kai Coffee shop is actually a non-profit with a focus on people who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless and that it works to train unemployed individuals to give them skills like food preparation and hospitality. I had such a great experience at this cafe before I even knew that it was a business with such a heart and now I know I want to support it even more.

I’m so thankful that through my partnership with Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, I’ve learned so much about local places in our community that I want to make more a part of our lives and I’m thankful that I get to share these places with you too. We will most definitely be visiting Spice Bridge and Kona Kai Coffee when we are in the area again.

Are you looking for places in and near Seattle Southside where you can do something nearby too? There is an extensive list of local places on this site and I shared the places I visited in my story highlights on Instagram as well.

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)