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Tan Vinh

Food and Drink Writer, Seattle Times

About

Tan Vin is the food and drink writer for The Seattle Times. Tan has won numerous regional and national awards for restaurant criticism and most recently took first place for excellence in food writing from the Society for Features Journalism.

Tan is also a whiskey connoisseur and judge who has written for Whiskey Advocate and other drink publications, and as he likes to tell his mom, “See, I told you all that drinking in college would pay off.”

Podcasts

Stories

  • RIP Tasting Menus. Long Live Fancy Burgers!

    The fine dining spots are nixing their prix fixe menus in favor of a more casual model. Seattle Times food writer, Tan Vinh shares why these changes are good for restaurants as well as customer wallets and appetites.

  • Wake up and smell the $12 coffee

    Seattle is a haven for coffee fans. And the price of that fandom just got a whole lot more expensive. Seattle Times writers discuss the skyrocketing price of jitter juice and share where to find some good-cheap coffee in the city.

  • My sixth sense for cheap eats

    Seattle Times writers share their latest food finds from around Seattle– including maybe the cheapest breakfast sandwich in the city and the best nachos in the entire Pacific Northwest.

  • Confessions of a Seattle food critic

    Tan answers questions from listeners about being a food critic — from how he picks restaurants to review, to dealing with heartburn on the job. Plus, he shares tips on how to see Seattle’s restaurant scene through the eyes of a critic.

  • Revisiting Seattle’s new third place: Breweries

    Two big-name Washington breweries have expanded with new locations in Seattle, complete with food offerings from local chefs. Seattle Times food critic Tan Vinh explains the trends that are shaping the city’s brewery scene. He's joined by Seattle Times editor Trevor Lenzmeier! 

  • Seattle restaurants get creative to keep doors open

    Seattle Times food critic Tan Vinh and editor Trevor Lenzmeier break down the openings focused on sandwiches and fast-casual small plates and look at how large format restaurants and fine dining spots are closing or pivoting.

  • Seahawks stadium food is changing the game

    The Seattle Seahawks want food to be a draw to Lumen Field this fall. Food critic Tan Vinh and producer Brandi Fullwood sample new menu items at the stadium and rank their favorites that hold up to the chaos of game day.

  • Keep Seattle ice cream weird

    Seattle Times food writer Tan Vinh tastes and guesses some seasonal and secret scoops with Salt & Straw’s head ice cream maker Tyler Malek. We find out why doubling down on unique flavors is good for business.

  • Seattle is having a mortadella moment

    The hottest meal this summer is a cold one -- a simple sandwich, made with the highest quality ingredients. Food critic Tan Vinh and mortadella enthusiast Adam Weintraub explain why this simple deli meat is so delicious and debate the best mortadella sandwiches in Seattle.

  • The Best Bites and Slurps of the Summer

    This Labor Day, Seattle Now is bringing you a bonus episode from KUOW's food podcast Seattle Eats. On this episode, Tan Vinh reflects on the best bites and slurps of the summer with Rachel Belle. While Labor Day may feel like the end of summer, it’s not over yet. Tan and Rachel also have some places you should try before fall weather rolls in.