Karaage Setsuna is a popular Japanese and Hawaiian casual restaurant in Belltown. Their portion sizes tend to be large, while their service tends to be swift. The restaurant is smaller, with tables for mostly two or four people. They have an outside area, though the tables were not set up when we went. We were running late for a show, so I previewed the menu before arriving and ordered immediately upon seating. Our total time there was an impressive 40 min with their fast service. Very good to know for future reference. Karaage is in the name and is their signature dish. They make it the right way using chicken thigh. Prices are reasonable for the Seattle area. We will return again. The Food: Curry Rice with Karaage, $17.95 - 4 Stars This popular curry rice comes with a choice of protein, which naturally, we chose karaage. The curry sauce is delicious. There is a lot of rice on this plate though. Hubby left half behind. Poke Salad with tuna, $14.95 - 5 Stars Their poke salad with choice of 3.5 oz protein was excellent with the mixed greens. The salad wasn't overdressed and tasted refreshing with a light dressing. I would order this again. Karaage Chicken, small, $6.95 - 5 Stars Glad they offer the chicken as a side. The small is a good compliment to salad. Instead of four pieces, we had five. Hubby was happy to have more protein to go with the rice. They are more of a 4.5 stars rating. Their service speed bumped them up to 5 Stars. read more

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Solid spot for a bite if you're in Belltown. Nothing fancy--very casual, laid-back vibe. The restaurant does tend to run a bit warm, but it's manageable. If you order a rice dish, they include complimentary miso soup. It leans a little salty, but it's still comforting and a nice way to start the meal. I got the karaage curry rice this time--the karaage was crispy on the outside and super juicy inside. The portion was definitely filling. Service was quick and friendly too. read more

Karaage Setsuna - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Karaage Setsuna offers a great variety of Japanese dishes, and I especially love that their lunch menu is available on weekends. This place is truly a hidden gem and deserves more customers. The service was thoughtful, and the food was prepared in a very reasonable amount of time. I ordered the karaage plate and chose the spicy shichimi. It's a very light chili pepper blend, so it's not actually very spicy. You can choose a sauce, and I went with the classic Japanese mayo, which paired perfectly with the karaage. The ramen had a thick, satisfying broth. The takoyaki was my favorite dish, when I bit into it, I could really taste the octopus inside, which I always appreciate. read more

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A hidden jam! It goes without saying my first experience at this restaurant was a pleasant one. I will describe why but in summary I want to say that this was a very pleasant experience from the people the staff, the ambience, the music, and lastly, but most importantly the food. FOOD I am a karaage fanatic. I was actually looking for chicken cartilage, karaage, but they don't sell that here(and realistically in the USA). However, the karaage that they did sell tasted amazing with crispy and crunchy on the outside moist on the inside and seasoned to perfection. AMBIANCE I recently went to Japan earlier this year and was able to brush up on my Japanese, which I was semi fluent in initially it very much so has that type of vibe as if I'm back in Japan. The booths were made out of wood but were somehow still very comfortable. There's also a lot of lighting and they had a myriad of sauces to choose from if you wanted it to go with your meal. The music was also pretty fire, I cannot complain here. SERVICE The staff was very nice and answered all of my questions. They made sure that my glass was full of water and of beer or Sapporo if you would like to try something new, but also know that you're going to be well taken care of as well as your taste buds, I highly recommend you eat here. Overall, this place gets a 5/5 would recommend! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Miso Soup - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This restaurant will be one of my faves when I'm in town! It's so good like the Shrimp Ten Don was very generous with the shrimps and veggies. The Chicken Karaage Curry was amazing. Tender chicken cutlets in a yummy Japanese curry. I like the restaurant. It has a feel-good ambience. Our server was funny and friendly. Will definitely come back! read more

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My wife and I had a wonderful lunch here. As soon as we stepped into the restaurant, we were greeted in a warm and friendly manner and shown to a table. I ordered a curry rice with chicken karaage and my wife ordered a shrimp ten-don, a rice bowl with shrimp and vegetable tempura. Both dishes were delicious. My curry rice, with vegetable curry sauce over rice, with crispy, crunchy chicken karaage, captured the unique flavor of Japanese curry. It was also beautifully plated. (Please see photo.) My wife's tempura had the right, light, crispy texture. The ingredients for both dishes were first-rate. The restaurant describes its food as Hawaiian-Japanese and as someone who visits Hawaii nearly every year, that's a good description. Our lunches were very filling and good value. Our waiter was laidback and very friendly. The decor had a burnt orange color scheme to give a somewhat sunny feel in contrast to the usually cloudy Seattle outside. This is another great Belltown restaurant and another reason why I think Belltown is the best neighborhood to visit for dining in Seattle. Will I be back? Yes, definitely. read more

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Nice spot! My boyfriend and I ordered a beer, a four piece chicken karaage, and spicy tonkatsu ramen. Everything came out super quick, within ~10 minutes. The chicken was crispy and juicy. Would have preferred that it come with sauce and the price of the sauce be incorporated with the karaage rather than paying for it separately, but no complaints about the taste of the spicy mayo sauce we ordered. The ramen was excellent. Nice and hot, tender noodles and super flavorful soup. We finished everything in the bowl including all the toppings and the soup. If I'm being picky the decor felt a little outdated, and like the place used to be a Mexican restaurant. Even just a fresh coat of paint would elevate the place a lot. Definitely will be coming back when the weather gets cold! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Chicken Karaage - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Pretty solid meal here earlier last week with my friends. The chicken is very affordable and tastes amazing. I got the lemon pepper fried chicken and it was very tender, juicy, and flavorful. I also ordered the fried squid which was pretty solid as well. Great service even though we came in at the tail end of their opening hours. Restaurant is cozy, clean, and has great seating. read more

Karaage Setsuna - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The takoyaki was good, could use some bonito flakes. The chicken kaarage was tender, but the curry was a tad too sweet for me. Didn't taste like authentic Japanese curry. The consistency was also not as smooth as the other Japanese curry I'd had, needs more blending? They also use an online ordering system, like Shinya Shokudo, BUT their service was actually still pretty attentive. read more

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This is one of my favorite spots to come for chicken kaarage. I love the preparation - flavorful and nicely fried. They have small, medium and large size orders served Spicy, with Lemon Pepper or I like the Original. On this recent visit, I got the salmon avocado roll and a small original chicken karaage. MB3 got the Curry Rice with Tofu and Veggies. They just recently added additional sushi rolls, so I look forward to coming back to try them. However, if I'm coming here it's for the sole purpose of ordering chicken karaage. Service was great. We ordered using the QR code and miso soup arrived immediately. There service is efficient. I generally go at lunch when parking is easier to find in the Belltown neighborhood and it's not too crowded. read more

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I swung by Karaage Setsune and went all out with the large 20-piece karaage and some takoyaki, and it did not disappoint! The karaage was perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor. Portion sizes were generous, and it's a great spot if you're sharing with friends! What I really appreciated was how casual the place feels-- just solid, tasty Japanese comfort food done really well. Definitely a must-try if you love karaage or want a quick, flavorful snack in Seattle. read more

Karaage Setsuna - Karaage (large 20 pcs) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Karage Setsune *June 2, 2025 *7pm- Monday *3 Stars Seating/ Environment: *Street Parking *Inside Seating Only *Not enough lighting Food/Drink: *Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen Karage Setsuna was super convenient since it's just a two-minute walk from the VRBO I was staying at. The char siu in the ramen was pretty salty, and the seaweed came on the side instead of in the bowl, which felt a little off to me. Ordering was done through a QR code, but every other table around us had physical menus, so that was a bit confusing. On top of that, no one checked on us the whole time until they brought the check. The veggies in the ramen were also undercooked, which took away from the overall experience. I might come back to try other things, but probably not too soon since this didn't quite hit the mark. read more

Good solid Japanese food and solid value but I only rate on taste. Wanted the yakitori place around the corner but it was empty so gave this place an impromptu try. Dinner * Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen (Good) read more

Karaage Setsuna - Spicy Garlic Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A nice spot in belltown! Stopped by here to meet up with some friends and grab lunch! The karaage was the perfect texture. Crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. I opted for the lemon flavored one and it had a nice sublet flavor. Portions were pretty big and service was good. The Mac was standard. My friend got the tendon bowl and enjoyed it! Overall was happy and will be visiting again! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Tendon - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food here was actually quite good and flavorful, which is the main reason this review isn't lower. Unfortunately, the service was extremely disappointing. Our waitress was rude during every interaction and only seemed cheerful when we were leaving. The atmosphere also wasn't pleasant--cleaning supplies were stored right in the eating area, which felt unprofessional, and loud Tejano music blared the entire time, making it hard to relax or have a conversation. Overall, good food, but the experience was overshadowed by poor service and an uncomfortable environment. read more

Two stars since the service was pretty good and our waiter was definitely hustling and bustling around his full tables. The place was clean and had a cool vibe. The food and drink, however, is another story. We ordered ramen and sake, and the ramen was especially terrible!!!! The broth was super salty and thick like gravy, which tells me the cook must have boiled the ramen noodles in the broth rather than separately. Also, we paid extra to add on a full egg and 3 additional pieces of pork (comes with 1 slice pork and 1/2 egg) and both of our ramens came with 1 full egg and 3 pieces of pork only. What happened to the other 1/2 egg and pork slice that comes with the soup initially?! The sake was prepackaged and cheap. I didn't mind, but after the terrible food, it only added to the not so great experience. read more

HIDDEN GEM! This place is such a hidden gem, I stubbed upon this place when I was in the area. They have plenty of siting for a big party and their portions are so big for the price. I ended up getting the Japanese curry with karaage and it was pretty good, it may not be the best curry I had but for the price it's so good. They are really quick at ordering and serving. I would highly recommend if you're in the area. read more

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Karaage Setsune is incredible and their food was amazing. We always get a side of fries with a few dipping sauces and have never been disappointed!! The fries are absolutely my favorite part. They have plenty of vegetarian options that pack tons of flavor. The curry had great flavor and the pasta salad was amazing. The service was fast and the environment was very cozy. Would highly recommend, even if it's just for the fries. read more

Karaage Setsuna - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Simply the best and authentic Karaage in town. Their karaage is always crispy outside and juicy inside. read more

Best chicken karaage in Seattle. Always get the lemon pepper season and Get the red sauce to dip the chicken 10/10.

My favorite food at this restaurant was the calamari as an appetizer. We tried the soy/butter french fries which were interesting but not really my cup of tea. I would not recommend their ramen. Ramen noodles were thick and soup itself seemed thicker than what I would prefer. Last but not least the Kara-age chicken was not too spectacular so I was disappointed as it seems like that is what their restaurant specializes in. read more

We dropped by Karaage Setsuna for a Saturday lunch, continuing on my quest to find the best Katsu Curry in the city. We arrived a bit after opening to an empty restaurant and were seated immediately. The waitress directed us to a QR code at the table to browse the menu. I found it a little puzzling that the code led to an online ordering system, but we weren't able to pay for the order online. Instead we had to wait for the waitress to bring a check after the meal. One small annoyance - they require online ordering but don't supply wifi in the restaurant. I realize this is probably a non-issue for most people, but it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine. Poutine ($10.95) - The fries are pretty normal, on the skinnier side but hold up well to the cheese and gravy. There's a pile of melted shredded white and yellow cheddar cheese on top, creating lots of cheese stretch. Unfortunately, no curds are included in this dish. The gravy here is not traditional brown gravy, instead it seems to be a ketchup and Worcestershire based one, complete with a certain acidity and sweetness. Honestly, I thought it was a bit overpowering, almost like eating a pasta dish rather than poutine. It doesn't stick to the fries very well either, so most of the gravy pools on the bottom of the dish. I'm not sure why a lot of reviews state that they put curry on the poutine because it doesn't taste like curry at all. Maybe they've changed the recipe since then? Although, to be honest, I'd probably prefer curry being used since I don't think the gravy is very good on fries. (3/5) Medium Kara-age ($13.50) - The menu states 8 pieces, but we got 9, so maybe we were lucky? The karaage served at Setsuna has a very fragrant exterior, filled with the scent and aroma of ginger, garlic, and soy. The breading doesn't cover the entire piece of chicken, but the covered parts are fried to a nice crisp, while the bare parts are tender and not leathery. The interior of the karaage is moist and still a little pink, with a bit of fat and skin attached to give richness and moisture. Although it's fried, it's not too oily. I think the karaage is flavorful and moist enough to eat even without being dipped in sauce. This is a very solid karaage and is a must order. (5/5) Curry Rice w/ Tonkatsu ($23.95) - Since the karaage was excellent, I thought the tonkatsu would be good as well. Not to mention that the menu picture of the tonkatsu looked absolutely divine, showing a perfectly panko breaded piece of pork still exhibiting a trace of pink in the center of the cut. The waitress confirmed that the cut of meat they use is rosu (loin), so I thought the tonkatsu would be fatty and moist. That's unfortunately far from the truth. The meat is completely lean, like the chef trimmed off all of the fat including the side piece that traditionally comes with this cut. This, combined with the fry, results in a katsu that's dried out and tough, making it an unpleasant combination to eat. The breading doesn't help much - it's breaded evenly throughout in a thin layer, giving a delicate crisp to the pork, but for some reason it seems to be quite oil laden, too inundated to allow the pork flavor to shine and instead tasting like grease. I was wondering why it took so long for this to come out (probably 15 minutes after the other two dishes). Perhaps they forgot the tonkatsu in the fryer? The curry itself doesn't taste like boxed curry. They either make the curry from scratch or take a boxed curry and add their own spin on it. In this case, the spin is a bit acidic tasting, maybe even a tad bitter. I'd think it was dark chocolate added in, but the sweetness doesn't reach chocolate-like levels. It also kind of reminded me of ketchup a little bit, but that could just be because of influence from the poutine gravy. The rice they use is a proper short grain. I've been to five katsu curry places in the last month or so, and this is the only one out of the five to use short grain rice. That's a huge plus, as long as it's cooked properly. This one is probably 90% of the way there. Most of the rice is good, allowing each grain to be distinct and lending to a good mouthfeel. The last 10% of the rice clumps together and becomes a bit mushy in the center grains. Not a big deal, but it's just something that stood out to me. I feel like I paid an extra money for a dish that's actively worse than just getting it with the default karaage. Given the poor cook and cut of the pork and how good the karaage is, I'd only get this dish with the karaage in the future. It saves $6 too. Dine in orders come with miso soup. Quite salty, but filled with umami, with a bit of briny fish notes. Simple in execution, with not much else other than a tiny bit of scallion inside. (Overall 3.5/5) As the namesake suggests, the karaage served at Karaage Setsuna is solid and I would come here solely for that dish. Everything else? Questionable. Bathrooms - Two larger ones for each gender read more

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A nice sushi/japanese place right next to our stay near Battery & 2nd St. We were seated quickly. We had food during happy hour and the offerings were good for a quick bite. read more

Ordered to-go from here and enjoyed the food. I ordered their chicken karaage plate with the spicy flavor. It tasted good - with a mild spice to it. I also ordered the salmon poke roll and spicy tuna roll. Both of the rolls tasted good and fresh. I enjoyed my meal from here and would eat here again. read more

Karaage Setsuna - Kara-Age Plate, Poke Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came for a V-Day treat! Wandering the streets of Belltown looking for some eats led us to the inviting steps of Karaage Setsuna. We were seated immediately. The ordering system is funny. You scan a QR code and order from your phone! It was easy enough but just felt odd that we still also had someone wait on us. We obvi got the karaage plate. Great chicken, loved the Mac salad. We got one lemon pepper style which I would really recommend for the extra tang. We also got spicy mayo and mango mayo. Spicy mayo feels like a classic but the mango mayo was the big game changer, kinda sweet and also tang! It's all about the tang! Its seems like a real casual neighborhood spot. They were playing pop music the whole time. I would stop in again for another weeknight dinner! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Kara-Age Plate - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I really liked this karaage spot on Belltown! I went with a friend on a Thursday night and we're seated right away. I like how they have a QR system to order. They have a large menu ranging from ramen to sushi to other Japanese and Hawaiian food. Ended up getting the karaage and it was so good! The chicken was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I got the sweet chili dipping sauce to go with and loved the combo - I wish dipping sauce was free with karaage since I thought it was a bit petty to charge $0.85 for a small thing of sauce. The mac salad was okay, wish it had more flavor. My friend enjoyed the loco moco. The prices were pretty reasonable, especially for Seattle. I'd recommend coming here if you're in the area! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

When your mouth waters after a memory of Door Dashing pops up in your IG archives. Forgot to leave a review way back when and I'll most certainly update once I dine-in. Chicken was perfectly seasoned and crispy crunchy plus juicy on the inside. Will update later! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This restaurant is such a hidden gem. Some of the best Japanese/Hawaiian food in the area. My friend and I arrived on a Thursday evening cold and starving, but were welcomed and seated right away. It wasn't until 7pm ish did the restaurant start to become busier. We ordered: Karage Plate - EXACTLY how karage should be-- hot, crispy, and juicy to the bite. Out of the huge selection of sauces offered, we ordered the spicy mayo (the best) and mango mayo. Their mac salad and rice was just as perfect as the karage. Poutine fries - French fries SMOTHERED in sauce. Heavenly. The best side dish to order along with our karage. The restaurant has a homey feel to it and the most comforting karage-- feels like you're being given a warm hug. The food portion is generous and of great value. Will be coming back for more CHICKEENNN !!! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Poutine - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Delicious Japanese comfort food. The curry rice dish and locomoco are excellent options. The locomoco is a unique style, very delicious.

Came here based on the high reviews and my love for good chicken Karage since I came back from Japan. I have yet to find a place that replicates the chiicken karaage like I had at Lawson's or the dozens of food markets under the department stores. Walked in, was immediately sat down. Restaurant is medium sized. Ordering is done via QR code and payment is cashless. Love that combo. Chicken Karaage Curry with soft boiled egg 3/5: The curry did not have too much flavor to it, and they poured it over the Karaage which did not allow me to taste the Karaage in its original form. The soft boiled egg was not really soft as the yolk was hard. I did manage to taste some bits of Karaage without curry which was really good. This prompted me to order another order of Karaage in its original form. Karaage Small 5/5: The flavor did remind me of Japan. This is probably the closest I've had to Karaage in Japan. Crunchy exterior with the right amount of ginger, garlic and soy while the chicken is very juicy. Highly recommend this. Didn't get a chance to try the Spicy or Lemon Pepper. Next time. Overall, the prices were very reasonable, quick service and nice ambiance. Will definitely be back. read more

Karaage Setsuna - Karaage Small order - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Solid place get some rolls and karaage. Cute little restaurant that is a hit up if you are looking for crispy chicken karaage which is perfectly fried and the meat inside tender. We also ordered the sashimi salad with Tuna and Salmon. Super yummy. The karaage curry was solid. A little light flavor than I am accustomed to but still good. We ordered the tempura rolls which was well made. The ordering system was via phone and had tons of options and flexibility. Service was exceptional too. Solid place to visit. read more

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After watching a show at the crocodile, this place was just around the corner and still open. I ordered a large karaage and the food came out fast. The chicken was juicy and had great breading on the outside. Would def come back again if I'm in the area! read more

This is a small and busy spot with a good number of tables (good for groups of four or less). The service is decent and they are super fast. Great option to get in and out in under 40 minutes if you're rushing to a show or concert etc downtown. Street parking can get sparse so be prepared to circle. There is a good variety of options on the menu. The karaage and dipping sauces are the stars of the show but we also loved the fries both as poutine and the butter fries. The curry was also good. Overall will definitely be back if in the area. read more

First time I've been here and it was pretty decent, the karaage was good, definitely worth a try, and the sushi wasn't the most fresh. I really enjoyed the theme and def think I should come back for anything spam related since they have it EVERYWHERE in the restaurant. The servers checked on my a few different times and were quite kind. I did go right when they opened in the evening so they were not too busy! read more

Karaage Setsuna - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The look and feel of the restaurant stayed the same while the food changed since the new owner bought the restaurant. When you order food from original owners of Karaage Setsuna, the combination of each dish was equally distributed. Right now, they are mostly salty. They also reduced the portion of the rice which offsets the flavor, making it saltier and unbalanced. It's really unfortunate. I used to enjoy food from this restaurant but now it seems like they are focusing on wider range of food to compete in sacrifice of quality. The service was quick but pretty inattentive. I used to recommend new friends moving to Belltown to check out this restaurant but it's off my list of recommendation starting today. read more

This is my favorite sushi in Seattle! Highly recommend, It never disappoints. Service and ambiance are also always pleasant.

Get the 20 piece karaage when you come here, it's worth the value! The plates are only good if you actually want the sides. The various sauces were interesting, bbq was my favorite. Also, the takoyaki is surprisingly good with a crisp shell and no skimping on the octopus. They service was friendly here and it wasn't packed at all when I went at around 4 pm. Not a michelin 5 star interior, but definitely a yelp 5 stars for value. read more

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Located in Belltown, this spot offers karaage chicken, ramen, and sushi rolls! My husband and I have had this spot on our list for awhile! We love trying different spots that have karaage chicken. We came on a Tuesday night around 7pm and were able to get seating. Service was friendly and checked in often. We ordered from the QR code on our phone which made the process pretty easy. Ambiance is pretty casual! Food + white peach soda - super refreshing and loved this so much! + large karaage chicken - their chicken is good but on its own isn't too flavorful. We liked it better with the lemon pepper or the red miso sauce. We also tried it with the shichimi pepper and the spicy and sweet chili sauce. I also would have liked it to be a little more crispy because some pieces had the skin on and it wasn't too crispy. + poke roll - tasty! + setsuna fries - tossed in butter and soy sauce, the fries were ok here. Not as crispy or as fresh tasting. I liked the chicken with rice a lot more. Overall, not a bad experience! We've had better karaage at some ramen shops nearby but the chicken was still good! read more

This was had so-so ramen. It was salty and the broth was heavy/think. It was $18 for a bowl. Not sure if i will be back.

I really liked this place! We ordered a bunch of shareable appetizers and they were all really good! I liked the chicken karaage and the pickled vegetables we ordered (Kimchee Takuan). Also I really like the variety of dipping sauces they offer. I haven't been to a place that offers many different sauces. We got the curry ketchup, spicy mayo, and mango mayo. They went really well with the fries and the chicken karaage. Service was good. I didn't feel like we waited too long for our food. The interior of the restaurant is nice. They use a lot of wood and warm colors so it feels homey and like you're in a Japanese restaurant. We sat in a booth in the back which fit our group comfortably (and had space to put our bags down). read more

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