The new Bloom Restaurant (5410 17th Ave NW), which is taking over the space of now former French Bistro Le Marche, is having its grand opening today.

The restaurant is basically an upgraded version of Chef Jason Harris's bento box popup shop of the same name. He will be using Japanese techniques and recipes to prepare fresh Northwest meats and veggies, many straight from the farmers market.

The full restaurant gives Harris a lot more flexibility. With a full kitchen and dining room, he can do much more than just bento boxes. They will have a full menu and a bar.

According to Bloom, the menu will feature Ramen noodle soup year-round, including the popular Showa Ramen and Vegetarian Ramen, and signature dishes such as Koji Chicken and Japanese Potato Salad. The rest of the menu will follow the seasons: Fried Smelts in the summer, Kabocha Squash Nimono in the fall, Daikon Oden in the winter, and Grilled Asparagus in the spring. Most of the dishes will be naturally gluten-free, including the Turnip Butterfly Miso Soup.

If that's not enough, they will have a Living Wall Herb Garden just inside the door. What better way to greet your senses?

Harris comes from Showa Izakaya in Fremont and brings ten years of Japanese restaurant experience to the table.

Bloom is open for dinner Wed-Sun, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Brunch and Lunch will be coming soon.

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