Small side dishes called banchan brighten up hundreds of restaurant tables full of grilled meats, sizzling soft tofu soup, vibrant pickled vegetables, fresh seafood and more in Federal Way’s thriving Korean food scene.

Although the city boasts dozens of Korean restaurants and a variety of other cuisines, the sheer quality and quantity of food in Federal Way can sometimes fly under the radar. The city has 189 total businesses registered as restaurants, cafes or delis, which averages out to more than eight per square mile in the city.

One local food blogger shares the joy of these local eats on her Instagram page, @federalwayfoodie. And for Hanisa Henderson, the page is about more than food. It’s about adding positivity to the reputation of a special city.

Scroll through the @federalwayfoodie Instagram page and you’ll see mouthwatering dishes from restaurants throughout King County, including of course, Federal Way. The Instagram page has over 12,000 followers and some posts have gotten over 100,000 views.

Henderson started the Instagram account as a way to connect with others and to highlight Federal Way in a positive light.

“I moved to Federal Way 12 years ago from Seattle and I found new friends … the area is great,” Henderson said. “There’s so much good stuff about Federal Way, but there’s not enough good publicity about the city.”

Henderson shares videos of restaurants around the city, like So Moon Nan Jib, where she shared her food blogging story with the Federal Way Mirror.

So Moon Nan Jib offers Korean tabletop BBQ and cuisine and recently remodeled. The restaurant added a new chef “from a famous restaurant in Korea to our team to elevate our dishes to a new level!” according to a recent Facebook post. The family that owns So Moon Nan Jib also owns the Seoul Tofu House in Federal Way.

Describing the food scene in Federal Way, Henderson said: “It’s very diverse. There are lots of mom and pop restaurants, and the majority is actually Korean food … I would actually describe it as a Korean town.”

Henderson grew up in Indonesia, where she often ate a variety of cuisines including Korean food. She especially enjoys it because of the variety at Korean restaurants, and that you can often take friends with various dietary needs and they can find something they like, such as the variety of vegetarian options.

Since she began the Instagram and has built friendships with other local food bloggers, Henderson said she’s seen a shift in how people talk about the city — although of course, that is hard to quantify.

Searching for Federal Way on Instagram, most of the results include food content, made by other food bloggers in addition to Henderson’s page. Nail salons also feature highly in the results.

“I wouldn’t say mission accomplished … but I really did something that I wanted to do by making this account and really elevated the food scene in Federal Way, putting Federal Way on the map in terms of not [being known as] ‘Felony Way.’”

Many of those creators posting content about the Federal Way food scene have also become personal friends, Henderson said. @erika.taste.test for example is another creator who started food blogging around the same time.

Sharing positive things about the city is one way she finds to give something to her community, Henderson explained.

“I believe if you’re part of a community, a city, you don’t judge it, you become it, right? Instead of saying, it’s not that great … how about we make it great. Let’s make it good. Let’s make it better,” she said of people who make negative comments about the city they live in.

At the core, Henderson said she also started the account to connect with people in general and as a creative outlet.

Although the follower count makes her happy because it shows that people connect with her and what she shares, that isn’t really the point.

“Honestly, I’m not creating the account to try to be famous or anything, or to try to get more followers. It’s just to share food … it’s nice when you produce something that actually resonates with people,” Henderson said.

What really means the most to her are “those type of personal messages that I receive just randomly from complete strangers, just knowing that, wow, through a technology platform, you can actually make a positive impact in someone’s life.”

Some thank her for inspiring them to eat out when they don’t normally do so, or for inspiring them to try a new type of food or restaurant that they haven’t tried before.

Viewing her content, one might notice that she doesn’t rate restaurants and doesn’t put labels on whether one is the “best” of anything she’s ever had. Instead, she focuses on places where she had a good experience and liked the food and shares what stood out for her.

“I wanted the channel to be a safe place for people to say, ‘Oh, thanks for the recommendation, but I don’t like it,’” Henderson explained. “It’s totally fine. Everybody’s preference and palate is different … and I don’t really want the channel or the account to be about my personal opinion. I just wanted to share, ‘Hey, this is out there. I’ve tasted it. I like it.’ Or, you know, the vibe is nice, or the service is great, or the food is yummy … I wanted people to just try and then find out for themselves.”

The impact of food bloggers has been particularly in the spotlight this month after a detail in a video posted by food blogger Keith Lee caused a restaurant in Seattle to close temporarily. In other cases, his reviews have caused other big impacts like doubling a restaurant’s business.

Eating local

Like Henderson, many local bloggers have a job aside from their food blogging. Henderson works in procurement for a local tech company and said it’s been great meeting people she wouldn’t have otherwise connected with who are also nurses, college students, attorneys, stay-at-home moms and more.

Henderson said she also tries to do all her shopping and eating out in Federal Way when she can, even though she works on the Eastside.

Shopping locally is one simple way to invest in your community and can have a big impact. The Federal Way City Council is finalizing the 2025-2026 budget this month and cited a slowdown in retail tax income as one reason for needing to increase the property tax, although they do usually increase it every budget round and it’s still far behind keeping up with inflation, according to councilmembers.

Supporting local businesses in Federal Way means that some of the tax people pay on everything from entertainment to food to basic household goods can go back into building up the community.

Federal Way is home to dozens of Korean restaurants, including So Moon Nan Jib and several others in this strip mall complex.

The Federal Way Foodie account on Instagram account highlights local eats in Federal Way and beyond. Here, some content is created for the account through a delicious meal at So Moon Nan Jib in Federal Way. Photos by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.

The Federal Way Foodie Instagram features restaurants around Federal Way and other local cities. Screenshot of the Federal Way Foodie Instagram used with permission.