Kilig to become Musangtino’s, while The Boat temporarily closes for a refresh

In addition to the announced closure of Mi La Cay, two more Chinatown-International District (CID) restaurants have announced upcoming changes in the coming months.

Vietnamese restaurant The Boat in Little Saigon will close to undergo what its owners, the Phams—who also own Pho Bac Sup Shop—are calling a “refresh.” And according to The Seattle Times, Filipino restaurant Kilig will undergo more of a shift than a closure, as it becomes the brick-and-mortar home of Musangtino’s, a burger shop with a Filipino core owned and operated by Kilig chef Melissa Miranda.

The Boat

The Phams announced on Instagram that they would close The Boat for a several-months-long hiatus, writing that Nov. 1 “will be the LAST day you can have chicken aka cơm gà at the Boat!”

The Boat’s home first served as the family’s home base for its original restaurant, Pho Bac, which opened there in 1983.

The Phams assured hungry customers that their chicken and rice would move to Pho Bac Sup Shop at 1240 S. Jackson St., and said that they would be reopening in a few months to debut “a new concept and something we are estatic [sic] to bring to Little Saigon. It’s wild right now on the streets but we will fight to keep our little corner activated, delicious and vibing.”

“I feel like the Boat has been our incubator space or we just keep repeating the same mistakes,” the post continued with a laughing emoji. “Oh well, who cares and just come back!”

Kilig to Musangtino’s

Kilig, located at 710 8th Ave. S. in the CID will officially open as Musangtino’s on Dec. 4.

While the menu will change to reflect Musangtino’s offerings, some of Kilig’s most popular menu items—including its slow-cooked, soothing bulalo and tangy, tamarind-tossed sinigang wings—will remain, The Seattle Times reported. A new item, sisig fries, will also join its foodie brethren on Musangtino’s CID menu.

Miranda told the Times that the space will remain open for events, with room for programming and classes. The restaurant will have shorter hours than Kilig, with lunch service cut on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Musangtino’s will remain open from 12:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. from Friday through Sunday.