Seattle's Best Chinese?

[jonniec]

After many attempts, trying to find those hidden gems, International District or otherwise that satisfy the more than pedestrian Chinese (any regional food) dining experience. Suggestions?

[kiliki]

Seven Stars Pepper for Szechuan. The crab and whole fish and especially good.
Jade Garden for dim sum.
Nancy Leson's column in Wenesday's Seattle Times (you can view it online) mentioned a new Szechuan place in Bellevue that sounds worth the trip.

[jim]

Seven Stars Pepper near downtown, and Szechuan Bean Flower Restaurant (100th and Aurora, Northgate) in north Seattle, for great Szechuan

Yea's Wok for great all-around Chinese, Newcastle/Eastside

Dim Sum I've had at Imperial Garden, Kent, at Great Wall Mall: fabulous

Hakka at Doong Kong Lau again in North Seattle (97th and Aurora), for good Hakka/southern Chinese, and excellent dimsum as well, though not as big a menu as the dimsum palaces like Imperial Garden

[Paula]

Thanks for the information kiliki. I checked it out and it's called Szechuan Chef at 15015 Main St. (425-746-9008). Hope to check it out soon!

[Leper]

Jonniec, Certainly Seven Stars is a top contendor. (But why bother if you order the same mundane options most people always try. My suggestion is to order some of their more pure Szechuan offerings shunned by the Olive Garden crowd who aren't Chowhounds anyway.) Recently I was really impressed with Hing Loon (628 S. Weller). Their shrimp Won Ton soup is everything as good as described. Their spicy salt and pepper ribs are terrific. As to atmosphere, imagine your 7th grade lunch room without the "lunch room ladies". With Hing Loon, it's all about the food...

[SeaGal]

I like Hing Loon too. Not high-cuisine, but good, homey sort of food. The salt and pepper chicken wings are also good, as well as the stuffed, steamed tofu; whole crab with garlic and ginger; pea vines with garlic sauce; and beef chow fun with black bean sauce. They have a lot of stewed items (fire pots, I think) with various combinations of meat and seafood. I love the specials written in both Chinese and English on sheets of paper plastered all over the walls.

[SeaGal]

Oops, sorry, didn't read your original post carefully enough to see that you're looking for more regional/less pedestrian Chinese. I concur with others on both Rocking Wok and Seven Stars. Rocking Wok's Taiwanese menu has lots of interesting new things to try. Hing Loon does have some unusual offerings posted on the aforementioned wall postings that might also be worth a try.

[Mike]

Seven stars -> Szechuan Chef Bellevue

Apparently the owners of seven stars sold out last year, and moved to bellevue. I wondered why it wasn't as awesome anymore.

Here's the link to the info:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html...

[Lauren]

I would add Rocking Wok in Wallingford to the list that everyone else has provided.

Link: http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource...

[jonniec]

Thanks to all for the great suggestions-look forward to trying your favorites!

[Pam]

Go north to Vancouver and environs. Let's face it, the Seattle area just does not have top-notch Chinese food.

[jim]

I have to say that the "nothing top-notch here, so go to Vancouver" recommendation strikes me as too extreme in negativity.

NOT AS MANY top notch Chinese restaurants (because there are not as many Chinese/Hong Kongese/Taiwanese citizens here) as up north, perhaps. But there's no reason to claim that NONE of the restaurants here are top-notch.

Many of the top-notch Chinese here stand out against my standards of Chinatown/Monterey Park in LA where I lived for 5+ years and knew plenty of little hole-in-walls and dim sum palaces, and my own background growing up in Taiwan. We seem to have good Szechuan representation here, for example, that is hard to find elsewhere.

[TatyanaM]

Whoa ! Keep in mind that many ingredients available in Vancouver, BC are not permitted to be imported into the USA.

Even so we do have many special, authentic Restaurants in Seattle that are equal to or superior to anyplace else in the states.

As a example "Hing Loon" is known everywhere in the Chinese Community for their excellent Sui Kow, Fishballs, Congee, Noodle and Seafood preparations with consistency since opening.

We have places serving authentic Taiwan Breakfasts ,Shanghai Szechuan, Hakka, Vegan,Singapore/Malay, Roasts, Asian Fusion and Dum Sum with more opening regularly.

A few years ago Seattle wasn't nearly as good as it has become in 2006. Considering our population base we are doing very well indeed. Add on the Korean, Japanese, Thai and Indian it's become fun eating out.