In Search of Great Chinese Food in Seattle area

Can people recommend some good to great Chinese restaurants in Seattle and the surrounding region? We like all types of Chinese food [dim sum, Islamic, hot pot, hunan, etc] except the type thats been modified for American tastes. Presently, we spend alot of time in the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles. We're coming to Seattle for a week and we aren't sure if we can go that long without a bean paste fix.
Also, can anyone recommend a good Asian grocery store where we can find all those essentials like fish sauce, ground bean paste and preserved duck eggs so we can whip up some congee for our friends or should we bring some with us? By the way, does Seattle have a "chinatown" or area which is more heavily populated by Chinese people? In LA, where we are, there is a large Chinese community, with lots of neat restaurants and businesses in the San Gabriel valley.
Please include addresses with any responses. Thanks!

[kirkj]

We had a great meal yesterday at Yea's Wok in Newcastle. We had the clams with basil, kung pao squid, and the tripple cup chicken. It was all wonderful.

[barleywino]

i like their cod with crunchy soy topping (not as dry as it sounds)

[kirkj]

That's actually Chilean Sea Bass.

[barleywino]

you are correct although i can't remember now whether it is described on the menu as sea bass or black cod...? anyway, the one with the topping

[christy319]

At Seven Stars last night I had the best meal I'd had there in a year. They have new menus printed and I'm pretty sure I saw a new face in the kitchen.

[kirkj]

What did you have, and how did it compare to the past?

[christy319]

We always have the szechuan crab-for years we've had the crab, sometimes every week, but in the last 6 months or so it just hasn't been the same. Not spicy or szechuan-peppercorny enought, and too often small crabs that had been cooked a little too long. Last night it was great-big, perfectly cooked, spicy and lots of the peppercorns. The wontons in hot oil were the best I've ever had there. The hot pepper shredded potato, bok choy and green onion pancake (which lately had not been very flaky, but this time it was) were all great, too.

[jenn]

can you --or anyone-- please provide some sort of address for Seven Stars?

as a newbie, I'd sure appreciate it1

thx.

[kirkj]

It's on the south east corner of Jackson and 12th. On the 2nd floor.

[DriverPhil]

Not exactly in Seattle but T&T Seafood Restaurant in Edmonds offers excellent food - lots of people with black hair eat here which says a lot for the quality of the place.

[jenn]

address or directions?

[peterc64]

T&T
22511 Highway 99
Edmonds, WA 98026
I will try it.

Ate at 7 stars on Saturday, really good spicy hot pot, good fried dunmplings, otherwise just above average but I have been spoiled by Szechuan Chef which is definitely a notch up. My local Chinese guy dived in on of all things the walnut honey prawns (my wifes fav), I was laughing because it was the only non-native dish on the table. We smother with hot chili oil and it is quite good. Good version here.

Next up is Sichaunese on 10th and Jackson, sister restaurant to the one in Redmond. Supposed to have some good XinJiang lamb and other dishes on request. Someone please open up a Hunan place.

[jenn]

Thank you for all the tips. We are excited about moving to Seattle in General but must confess, we will miss our favorite Chinese haunts.

hunan! hunan! hunan!

if you get to LA, go to Del Mar and Valley and check out Dong Ting Spring on the second floor of the shopping mall with the 99 ranch. Awesome hunan.

[kirkj]

And, what were your favorite dishes there?

[paulj]

T&T is in a 99 Ranch mall.

[christy319]

A new place to check out, for fans of Szechuan Chef or Seven Stars-Bamboo Garden on 106th and 2nd in downtown Belleuve (too bad it has such a common name-hopefully no one will get it mixed up with that awful vegan place by the Seattle Center). It it managed by a former Seven Stars waitress and has very good Szechuan (with a very similar menu to the places I mentioned above). We had and enjooyed the Szechuan crab, shredded potato with wild chile, house special pancake, whole fish and tofu in black bean sauce, and the cold noodles. Also, the place has nicer than usual ambiance.

Seattle Weekly review (I didn't find the heat too low, in contrast to the reviewer):
http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-04-...

[gan911]

my family lives in bellevue and i've been to both bamboo garden and szechuan chef...NEITHER of those restaurants can come close in terms of food to the Chung King i had in SGV (g/f lives in LA) ... yes the decor is better, but the food is no where comparable. I have not had 7 star in ID, but i'd assume much is the same...

[peterc64]

Szechuan chef is as good as gets on the eastside. Sichuanese cuisine on 24th st (redmond) is a greasier alternative, but deep menu, hot pot at both
Cantonese style at Hunan Garden (blvu), but I dont go now that SC is open.
Noble Court and Top Gun for dim sum, but I agree with everyone dim sum is weak around here. I am headed to Seven Stars tonight and will give all an update.

I love Henrys Hunan in SF and cant find anything like it, a perfect replica is Hunan Taste in San Jose, near the airport on 4th. Must try if you are there.
Have not been to BC, but they couldn't be much better than Yank Sing in SF for dim sum. (2 locations)

I have two engineers living in Seattle, walking distance to intl district, Both from Chengdu and like Hunan/Szechaun. Please help me on the Hunan, any Noodle Houses, dumplings, authentic stuff. Thanks

[MichaelG]

Definitely try Seven Stars in the ID! Among the standouts are the green opion pancake, and dan dan noodles...

[mrnelso]

We like the green onion pancake at Szechuan Bean Flower. Not at all oily, as some can be, and you can really taste the onion. While you're there, get the spicy beef strips (is that what they're called?), the spiciest dish yet - even more than Samurai's great Tetsu Hellfire.

[NickZ]

No Hunan in Seattle. Someone needs to fill that void!

[jenn]

I'm glad to hear there are some possibilities for Sichuan food in Seattle but I think real serious Hunan is a new thing everywhere. A Hunan restaurant opened this January in the LA area that is totally awesome with many dishes I have never seen anywhere else but did find in the Fuschia Dunlop cookbook. A very pork-centric cuisine with strong tastes, minimal wheat noodles and zero dumplings.

Its one of the restaurants I will really really miss when we move.

[NickZ]

Not just in America - it's pretty rare to find good Hunan food outside of Hunan in China (unlike Sichuanese food).

[pieandpancakes]

I didn't see Fu Man Dumpling House mentioned in this thread, though I was skimming. Fu Man is located here: 14314 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98133, 206/364-0681 and has wonderful homemade dumplings and starts you off with pickled vegetables when you dine in. The place mentioned in the University District is Jack's Tapas (don't let the name fool you) and the Chinese food there is quite good: hand shaved noodles, hot pot, etc. Here's a review: http://www.colorsnw.com/absolutenm/an....

[HungWeiLo]

I just came back from LA and sampled oodles of Chinese food from throughout the Chinese enclaves (Rowland Heights, Monterey Park, Arcadia, Hacienda Heights, etc.), so I'm in a unique position to make a fair comparison with the Chinese food in Seattle. The verdict is that while Seattle is, of course, nowhere near the quality and variety available down in L.A., some places do come close. But boy do I wish we had something like Din Tai Fung in Seattle...

For Taiwanese/Sichuan - Yea's Wok in Newcastle - been there countless times, have only been let down slightly one time. You cannot go wrong with anything you order there. I especially like the Wuxi ribs and their fish. If you can read Chinese, be sure to get the Chinese menu.

Noodles - Mike's Noodle House (I don't remember the Chinese name - it's next to Ga Ga Loc in Chinatown). Absolutely wonderful Cantonese wonton, sui jiao, and various other lunch delicacies. Go there before 11:30am to get a seat. Sometimes, I've seen them turn people away because they've run out of ingredients in the kitchen. If you can't get a seat there, Canton Wonton House on 6th is also a good alternative (and they take credit card!)

Dim Sum - keep driving north to Vancouver and go to either Sun Sui Wah or Kirin. Floata is good too. Somebody mentioned Pink Pearl, but I found it to be the worst dim sum I have ever had in Canada, the U.S., and Asia combined. Seeing that the restaurant's patrons being over 60% Caucasians (no offense) in the middle of Vancouver should have set off alarm bells. If you have to have dim sum in Seattle, go to Imperial Garden in Renton, Ming's and Jeem's in Bellevue (Jeem's quality has deteriorated recently). Sea Garden in Bellevue is OK if in a pinch. No dim sum in Chinatown really interests me. 25 miles north of Seattle in Mill Creek, there's a new place called Zen's which just opened about a year ago in a large Chinese restaurant complex which has laid dormant for over 15 years (Wasabi Bistro's sister restaurant is next door - also called Wasabi something). This place started out with a bang, serving Vancouver-quality dim sum as well as dinner (best Peking Duck I've had in a long time), but because of their obscure location which resulted in less-than-stellar sales, the chef has since left and it is now serving just food of average quality. But go there for the beautiful scenery - the restaurant has a very fancy classical Chinese garden in the back, complete with water fountains and ancient Chinese architecture. If you're going to go see classical Chinese gardens in Portland, you might as well get some food if you're going to pay for it.

[jenn]

thank you for taking the time to respond! I posted my question originally when we were just going to Seattle for a visit. Now--nearly 5 years later--we are getting ready to move up to Seattle from LA. We know we will miss the Chinese food but are "resigned" to trips to Vancouver and visits to LA.

Still, any tips on great Chinese will always be appreciated.

[klsalas]

Hey,

A good friend of mine was born in Hong Kong. Her parents recommended Jade Garden for dim sum. I LOVE it. In fact I am hooked and go literally every week or two. The crowd is overwhelmingly Chinese. It is at 7th and King. Going to Vancouver for a Chinese food fix is do-able on a periodic basis but it really is a big project. I would just dig in and see what you can find that is authentic here. My friend and her parents think that Jade Garden is the real deal. Give it a shot. It is cheap and good. We usually pay about $20 for dim sum for 2!

-K

[jenn]

thank you for the tip. my elder pup will be thrilled to know there is somewhere to go for dim sum.

but for the record how long is the drive to vancouver, anyway? do they have hunan or northern style food? hmmmmmmm

[klsalas]

Vancouver is about 2.5 hours from Seattle assuming that you can cross the border uneventfully. I don't know the answer about the prevalent style of cuisine. I will ask my friend to see if she knows.

[equinoise]

I tried dim sum at Zen Garden in Mill Creek this weekend. As HWL says, it features elaborate, impressive scenery, with huge windows overlooking immaculately maintained gardens, with one portion of the dining room actually perched over the pond. As for the food part, I tried perhaps a dozen items and I'd say it is worth a visit, but not if you have two more hours to spare and can continue on to Richmond. Problems arose with stemed dumpling items, which were loosely packaged. Xiao Long Bao were soupless and overly meaty (my lady can never refuse, no matter what I say). Turnip cake was a touch too soft. Stir fried items were much better, especially garlic honey shortribs and string beans in XO sauce "szechuan style". Three of us ate, and the total was about $60. FWIW the clientele was vast majority asian. They seemed to specialize in take out moon cakes, which I did not try.

[HungWeiLo]

My wife and I wrote this restaurant off about half a year ago. The very last time I was there, they tried to serve Peking Duck buns out of a microwave - I kid you not. I asked about the business details of the restaurant, and one of the waitresses told me that one of the investors had pulled out, and they were reshuffling and all the employees were generally undergoing a downward trajectory of morale.

Maybe they've gotten their act together enough by now - sounds like it may be time for a reevaluation!

[sasha1]

I'm not sure about getting their act together. We went perhaps 6 months ago, and on a scale of 10, the best thing we had was around a 5. And it was all very pricy. The clientele were mixed Asian/Caucasian. But it was nice to walk in the garden after lunch. We tried because we live north of Mill Creek, and were hoping to find a place closer than Seattle or Bellevue (or Renton!). But I can't imagine anyone living in King county who would voluntarily drive to Mill Creek to eat here. This place is a plan B or C at best.

[HungWeiLo]

Yeah - we've "blacklisted" this place for a while now. Bummer, since I'm within biking distance.

[fortunecookie1]

can't believe no one mentioned Hing Loon on the corner of 6th and Weller in the International district. All their offerings are either on the menu or pasted up on the wall on white paper- you certainly wouldn't go there for the ambience but the food - that's another story- I'd recommend any of their curry dishes, their Szechuan eggplant - the salt and pepper fried chicken wings are a must! I can't think of anything I've had there that I didn't like - Service is fast and friendly but it tends to get pretty busy after 7 PM - lots of Chinese students and families like to eat there. its my hands down favorite and trust me, that's high praise coming from someone who's eaten her fair share of Chinese food.

Another favorite is Cafe Ori in Bellevue - more taiwanese style food.

For dim sum - i'd recommend new kowloon on S Jackson - its on the second floor of the same building that houses seven stars pepper, I think - they have a great variety of dim sum to offer but again it can get pretty busy on the weekends - best to arrive right when it opens - I believe at 10:00 AM but you can call the restaurant to check for hours.

Happy eating!

[bergeo]

I second Chiang's Gourmet, but it is sometimes hit or miss depending on the dishes you order; I'd suggest sticking to the lesser known items. Also Jack's Tapas in the U-District is solid apart from the strange name.

[dimsumfan]

Since this thread from 2002 is making a revival, I'll echo the thought above. When someone asks me where to get good Chinese food, I tell them to drive north until they cross customs. But the good news is there's now good Chinese food on the east side. I love Szechuan Chef, which is where the previous Seven Stars Peppers owners now operate. (I think Seven Stars, while still passable, has gone downhill since the owners left.) Yea's Wok is also good, and I'm looking forward to trying a couple of new places over there.

I've enjoyed some decent food at Rocking Wok, but many people (including my Taiwanese friends) complain that the owner is a bit unfriendly and off-putting. Too bad, as it's a unique place in a unique location.

But forget about dim sum or xiao long bao in Seattle. While there are many great options for these in Richmond, I wouldn't waste my money on either of them in this area.

[ssusu]

I strongly concur with the rec for Szechuan Chef in Bellevue (Main St), and think Noble Court (also in Bellevue) has the best dim sum I've found in Seattle (damning with faint praise, perhaps, but worth the trek from Capitol Hill for me until I can get to Canada or SF). I am also excited to try Facing East Taiwanese: http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-02-...
It is rare that I'll recommend a restaurant on this list that I haven't tried, but Jonathan Kauffman has never yet steered me wrong.

[hhlodesign]

I'm from SoCal and know the San Gabriel Valley well. You will find no comparable Chinese food in Seattle. PERIOD! Did someone really recommend Wild Ginger? really? You're better off getting General Tsou's Chicken from under the heat lamp at Safeway.

Your best bet is to drive 2 hours and hit Richmond, BC. There you will find food just as good, if not better than SoCal Chinese. Kirin, Top Shanghai, Sea Harbour, Golden Szechuan, and Shanghai River are my favorites.

In a pinch, I'd hit Rocking Wok or Chaing's Gourmet in Seattle.

[bergeo]

7 Star Pepper - Great “Sichuanese cuisine; try the whole crab (expensive but awesome)
Kau Kau BBQ - Fantastic Pig
Uwajimaya - for all grocery needs, although I think it tends to slant towards Japanese goods
Shanghai Garden - Great Barley Green Noodles

For Chinese food, forget the International District, try (1) Jumbo Restaurant @ 4208 Rainier South, and (2) T & T Seafood Restaurant @ 18320 Aurora North.
For really good Chinese food, you should go to Vancouver B.C.

Not really Chineese, but Asain, but the Wild ginger is excellent. Original location is on Western just below Pike Place Market, and new location on 3rd and Union. Great satay bar. As far as markets, there are a couple, but Larry's Market at the base of Queen Anne Hill should carry everything you need. They do a great job and carry many specialty items that you can't find in most other grocery stores. On Mercer at the South end of the Hill - west of Seattle Center.

Link: http://www.privatepantry.com

[Seattle Rose]

Just to note that Wild Ginger is on 3rd and Union. Their original location on Western is a different restaurant now. And Larry's market no longer exists. the Queen Anne location has been taken over by Metropolitan Market, another excellent store.

[ccqueen]

are you kidding me? do you even live in seattle? we DO have a chinatown, and it's called the international district. Wild Ginger is fusion, it's not even chinese. Larry's Market/Metropolitan Markets are both great markets, but again, HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH REAL CHINESE FOOD. ranch 99 and viet wah are both excellent markets in the renton area to get proper ingredients and produce. The Great Wall Mall has an array of little restaurants to check out. Imperial Garden dimsum is one of the best in town. even great cuts of meat, not generally found in city markets. even uwajimaya is great and centrally located in the I.D. 7Stars Pepper is good, but Szechuan Chef on the eastside is better. Shanghai Garden (in the I.D.) has some interesting barleygreen hand-shaved noodles. Sometimes you have to actually step outside your comfort zone to find the real deal.

The Wild Ginger isn't exactly Chineese, it is Asian, but is outstanding. Ive never had very good experiences there, and their menu is interesting and they have a great satay bar. They are on Western just below Pike Place Market, and opend a second location on 3rd and Union. As far as a good Asian Market, there is one in Kingsgate which is in a Suburb of Seattle just on the east side of Bellevue, but you would most likely be able to find everything you need at Larry's Market. There is one on the South side of Queen Anne Hill just to the west of Seattle Center on Mercer.

Link: http://www.privatepantry.com

Hi, I lived in China for a couple of years and agree with you about the wonders of muslim chinese food. There is nothing that really resembles that in the Seattle area but there are two places that are okay when you really want hand pulled noodle dishes or even plain northern (bejing) cuisine. Judy Foo's in north Seattle and a dumpling house towards the north end of "the ave" in the university district have excellent dumplings and noodles-their ma po dofu is okay too.

I also happen to be married to a cantonese man with a very discerning palate. While he considers the only decent chinese food in the pacific northwest to be in Vancouver he will eat at Honey Court and the restaurants at the Chinese Mall in Renton
Hope this helps. By the way if you are ever in Washington DC I do know a muslim Chinese restaurant that tastes like Xinjiang food. It is at the last stop on the red line (NW of the city). They have excellent food.
MGS

Sichuan Cuisine in Redmond does have a dish called "Xinjiang Lamb" on their menu -- I haven't tried it, but, given the authenticity of their Sichuan food, it is probably a good bet. I know that a fair amount of Sicuanese immigrate to Xinjiang, so it isn't unreasonable to have something like that at a Sichuan restaurant.

I agree with you about the joys of Xinjiang food -- I also lived in China for several years (not in Xinjinag, but spent a month there) and loved the food from that region. I always thought that if someone could succesfully replicate the spices for the charbroiled lamb kabobs you can buy in Xinjiang, they would have lines out the door with a restaurant here in America. Truly one of the most amazing lamb dishes ever invented.

[devhead]

I've also lived in China for a bit and found Xinjiang cuisine to be my absolute favorite. So unfortunate that is it impossible to find in the NW.

[equinoise]

There is a xinjiang stall in the Richmond Public Market in Richmond BC. Good lamb skewers. Is that the NW? The stasi thinks not...

[paulj]

Is that the cuisine with a 'hardtack' soup? Yan (can Cook) spotlighted this on one of his shows. They pour lamb broth, veggies, over a hard cracker. A NW Sailor Boy Pilot biscuit might do in a pinch. :)

[hhlodesign]

Sounds like you are describing yang rho pao mao. A Xian specialty you can find at Xian Restaurant on Lake City way.

I agree with the recommendation for Sichuan Cuisine. Haven't eaten in the one in the International District (the Redmond location was specified by a Sichuanese local). Best Sichuan food I have had out of Sichuan (including in SF and LA, although I haven't tried them all..).

Dim Sum here is not worth the effort, if you've done it in Montery Park. Also, haven't found a good Hunan place in Seattle, but I'm VERY particular about Hunan food -- I haven't found a place I've liked in the US (Boston, SF, LA, Seattle). Glad to hear there are fans of black bean out there.

Any market in the international District should work --Uwjimaya has the biggest selction. Thats were I buy my douban (Hunan black bean/garlic/chili paste) or reasonable facsimilie thereof.

Two recommendations, both excellent and both with primarily Chinese clientele and in the International District: Sea Garden on 7th, with fresh fish tanks, etc. And China Gate (don't remember the address) with excellent dim-sum. If really hungry, ask about the glazed halibut (or was it seabass, it's been awhile). If they have the eggplant wrapped shrimp dim sum, be sure to have it.

[ebm]

Sea Garden also has fantastic Hot Pot!

Sichuanese Cuisine. I heartily second the recommendation for this place. I've only been to the one on 12th & Jackson, unfortunately. Their soups, spicy beef with noodles, dry-cooked chicken and string beans, and dumplings are to die for. The Mandarin Chicken is my favorite dish, though. The prices are astoundingly low.

Dim Sum: House of Hong caters most to American tastes. Top Gun is on the other end of the spectrum. It's a great favorite among Chinese and gets crowded fast and early. I also enjoy China Gate and Ocean City, but only when they're crowded.

Shanghai Garden is really good and has menu items that other places don't have, like these really good, green, hand-shaven noodles.

However, I cannot recommend Bamboo Garden on Roy St. I thought the food was VILE, and have talked to many, many people who agree with me. YMMV.

If you enjoy vegetarian cuisine then try the Bamboo Garden on Roy St in Queen Anne neighborhood. They
have some truly amazing dishes excellent soups and an enourmous menu. They do psuedo meat dishes with gluten but I prefer the true vegetarian and tofu.

[mr.nelso]

Opinions vary on this place.
Mine is not a good one.

For great hot pot and great Sichuanese food try “Sichuanese Cuisine” they have 2 locations one on 12th and Jackson and one next to Sears in Overlake. The one on the east side is a little better food and a much more extensive menu. Make sure and get the pan fried dumplings. At the Eastside location the “ants on a tree” and “Chen Do (sp) Noodles” are both noodle dishes I would recommend. Also sometimes, if you ask really nice, they will make this Mongolian Lamb dish that is sensational.

For Dim Sum I like Top Gun and Honey Court both in the International District. For fish I would suggest either Top Gun or LA Seafood Restaurant also in the International District. Also there is a great Cantonese restaurant in the “Great Wall” shopping mall that also houses the market “99 ranch”.

In terms of markets “99 ranch” in Renton is great. Uwajimaya and Viet Wa, are the 2 markets in the International District that I shop at. Also the fruit stands on Jackson are great places to get hard to find produce at unbelievably low prices.

There's a 99 Market here now south of Seattle in Auburn. Like all of the 99's down in CA they carry more stuff than most asian markets. Ming's in Bellevue also offers very good dim sum at reasonable prices. Yea's Wok out in Newcastle has really good Taiwanese and Szechuan food. Most of what you find in the International district is Cantonese. Ho Ho's has chinese seafood and is really good especially for groups, just order off of the prix fie menu. Shanghai Garden has pretty decent hand shaven noodles and good clay pot soups. Hope you have fun.

We travel to Seattle on a regular basis ( about once a year) and always visit the Interantional District. This is much like most old-style Chinatowns(reminded me of Boston's Chinatown for some reason I haven't been to pinpoint) except a bit more diverse, Pho' places abound. Unless there's been some change most of the food is Cantonese. Uwajimaya is the market that pretty much anchors this neighborhood, though Japanese in heritage, you'll be able to find most of what you need there, including duck eggs, fish sauce, shrimp sauce, etc....the seafood (esp geoduck) always looked good. If you're staying downtown the best way to get there is via the bus tunnel...parking in downtown Seattle is a challenge, but we've found that bus fare is free within downtown.
We usually go to Top Gun for Chinese when we're in Seattle, if not for the food, for the service, which is much like Seattle itself, friendly and kind, but not so friendly as to be obtrusive, and April/May is usually always beautiful in Seattle.
Have Fun - enjoy a few(or more than a few) oysters....
On a different note, we used to live in Rowland Heights, and have eaten in many places in Alhambra/Monterey Park (my wife is from PR China), you mentioned Hunan, I'm wondering if you've eaten at a good Hunan place if you could Email me that info - we travel back to LA monthly for shopping(Marukai), etc....

Good Eating

[Seattle Rose]

Please don't try the bus tunnel for a while. It is closed for retrofitting to light rail.