If you’ve ever stumbled across one of Makena Yee’s TikTok or Instagram food review videos, you’ve likely spent the next several hours stalking her content. Her social media is bright, refreshing, and upbeat. Yee hooks you right away with the beautiful food, drawing you in with the crispy butter wings from Miss Pho or an insane cheese pull of the onigiri from Onibaba. A lot of her content is filmed vlog-style, so the viewer feels like a travel buddy, seeing the best of the Seattle food scene or the countless cities Yee travels to.
Her videos, though quick, often start by showing the viewer all the food the spot has to offer. Yee’s video on Rosellini’s, a bakery in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle (one of her favorite places to restaurant hop), starts this way, with a shot of all of the pastries for sale, from powdered croissants to dense cinnamon rolls. “They have tons of baked goods, but, of course, I had to opt-in for a chocolate croissant and a ham and cheese,” Yee says in the video, showing the camera her first bite of the goodness that was the croissant.
Six years ago, Yee was a typical college student studying at the University of Washington, but her life changed in 2018. “I just started posting my meals on my Instagram story for fun, and it worked out,” she says. “People enjoyed seeing my food pictures.”
While living in Seattle, she was exposed to new cuisines and restaurants. “I would go with my friends to try new places, and it all started right from my dorm room,” she says.
Yee spent her childhood in Washington, where her family bonded in the kitchen over a shared love of food. Her family immigrated to America from Hong Kong and China, so she grew up surrounded by family recipes. “My love of food stemmed from my grandparent’s kitchen,” she says. “My grandma has many signature dishes like the best fried rice on earth, tender soy sauce chicken thighs, and fried egg rolls. Growing up Chinese American has immersed me into all types of Asian cuisine and I love learning techniques and recipes to this day.”
As she got more into the food scene, she loved hearing about her parent’s favorite restaurants in Washington, places they found that might be less popular or in areas people didn’t know as much about. “I experienced different scenes and communities and saw how empowering it was to help local businesses,” she says. “I wanted to influence people to try new cuisines and support local businesses in the area.”
Many of the eateries she shares are hidden gems, places she feels deserve more focus. “Post the sandwich shop your parents have been going to for years, those mom and pop shops that people can connect with,” Yee says. “This builds a community and people can relate to these local spots.”
One of these spots is So Tasty, a fried chicken and Chinese restaurant in Seattle. The interior, as Yee shows it in her video, is low-key, with many of the dishes served in diner-style red baskets on blue and white checkered paper. “Not only are they known for their juicy fried chicken, they’re also known for their Portugese egg tarts,” Yee shares in the video. Her go-to order is the garlic kale, fried rice, and chicken combos. Her bite shots showed just how crispy and juicy the So Tasty chicken is, anyone could understand how this eatery got its name.
Finding restaurants to try can be a lot of work at times. Figuring out what place has the best food, vibes, and atmosphere takes critical research. “TikTok is my favorite search engine,” Yee says. “I use the app The Infatuation. It detects my location, shows me food [spots] in my area with ratings and reviews.” She puts a good amount of time aside to research the restaurants she will visit and makes sure to get a reservation beforehand to avoid having to wait around.
As far as an overall favorite restaurant goes, Yee has trouble deciding on just one, so she gave us her top three – Musang, Un Bien, and The Boat. Musang on Beacon Hill serves stellar Filipino food from massive kare kare short ribs to mounds of garlic fried rice,” she shares. “Un Bien is known for their Caribbean pork roast which has crispy romaine, garlic aioli, and a juicy Caribbean pork roast — so messy, but so worth it. The Boat is a Vietnamese restaurant in the Chinatown International District, and they specialize in garlic caramelized cornish hen and pandan fluffy waffles. It’s so good. The restaurant is literally a boat, which makes for a super cool atmosphere.” But despite the endless amazing food spots, Yee definitely has favorites.
“Chinatown International District is my favorite area, it feels like home to me as my dad grew up there when he moved here from Hong Kong, it’s near and dear to my heart,” she says. “It feels really nostalgic going there with my family, and we know a lot of people there which is always nice.”
So much time and effort goes into being a food content creator, but Yee makes it look so easy and fun. “My favorite part about creating food content is the ability to support local businesses, discover new cuisines, and influence others to try new things,” Yee says. “I love being the boss behind the camera and getting creative everyday.”