Justin Oba

Culinary Tour Guide and Seattle Foodie

 Raised in Tacoma, WA since I was 3 months old, I was adopted by my maternal Taiwanese grandmother and her Japanese/Hawaiian husband when my mother couldn’t take care of me. Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a wide range of tastes and an indiscriminate palette. My grandmother would cook various Taiwanese and Chinese food. From golden fried tofu to steamed bok choy and other greens, to fermented and pickled items of deliciousness. My dad, raised on the island of Oahu, makes the best-fried rice around. Breakfast was typically either Spam, eggs, and rice or a bowl of instant ramen with or without the soup. It's safe to say that food was the subject of some of my fondest memories of childhood and even more so as a teenager and young adult.

 

Restaurants soon became part of some of my most memorable experiences. Sitting around a table with friends, enjoying food and drinks was how I connected with friends while visiting away from college; it was how I connected with people I just met and how I kindled new relationships. I appreciate the ambiance that a restaurant can provide. Nothing is better than a warm, comfy space where you feel welcomed and served with great hospitality and care.

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Obalicious was a nickname I picked up in college (IYKYK), and thought it was a perfect word to use to describe my hunger and feelings for travel, food, and entrepreneurship.