Travel is transformative. Not only do you escape the daily grind, there’s the chance to discover new places and new people and new foods. At least, that’s what happened to Bryce Sweeney and Mario Eckert, two friends who decided to open Reckless Noodle House together while traveling around Vietnam eating food.
They found a cozy space, at 25th and Jackson in the Central District (recently vacated by the Atlantic), which they refitted with quirky lanterns, wooden booths, and textured walls awash in mismatched art, mountain scenes, and miniature shark jaws. They hired chef Kenny Lee, whose stints at Seattle’s best Asian kitchens—including Lionhead and Din Tai Fung—along with his Cambodian heritage, promised a well-rounded command of Asian cuisine. The pair gave Lee a short list of their favorite dishes from Vietnam and other nearby countries, and let him create a menu.