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Calva Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Chinese Sushi Bars, Chinese [Edit]
1905 Queen Anne Ave N(between Howe St & Crockett St)
Seattle, WA 98109
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
(206) 283-2878
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 3 pm - 9:30 pm
Sun 4 pm - 8 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
60 reviews for Calva Cafe
Review Highlights
"The Honey Lemon Green Tea is amazing and super strong."
(in 4 reviews)
"General Tso's chicken was delicious."
(in 6 reviews)
"Must try: Rainbow roll, Dancing Eel, Spicy tuna."
(in 4 reviews)
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60 reviews in English
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Review from Erin S.
Seattle, WA
1/4/2012
DO:
Come here to please your tastebuds.
Come here to impress your ONE average-size hipster foodie friend. Unless you don't mind sitting apart. The seating is limited and slightly cramped. Hipsters wear tight-fitting clothes that won't threaten to brush fellow diners' plates as they walk past.
Come here if you want legit sushi that is not that over-priced, 3 pieces in a "roll," filled with cream cheese BS that they serve for hakujins (white people) at other places.
DON'T:
Come here in a hurry or starving. You'll end up being pissed and/or homicidal depending on how your low blood sugar manifests itself.
Come here expect to be doted on. It's ONE couple that runs the place. By themselves. No kids, no grandkids. Nothin. Just them. Taking your order, making your food. Cut 'em some slack. You came for the food, not the service anyhow.
I would recommend going with someone who knows standard roll names because unlike other sushi places, the ingredients are not listed.
The hot & sour soup was the best I've ever had. Great flavor and chock full of veggies (not sure if that is authentic or not since I've never in my 25 years of hot & sour soup experience seen that, but it's amazing so who cares!).
Spider roll was also tops. It was all I could do to not shove piece after piece down my throat. It was also $8.95. You see, heaven does exist.
In my experience, everything comes whenever...or simultaneously as it has been in my experience. EVERYTHING. Water, beer, soup, sushi, edamame. I don't know if that happens to everybody, but be prepared just in case.
If I wasn't knee-deep in student loans, I'd probably eat here every other night. Oh wait, they're so cheap, that would almost be affordable. -
Review from Kathy S.
Seattle, WA
2/4/2012
The food is great, but the service is painfully, mind-numbingly slow.
We placed a takeout order - Mongolian Beef, Sesame Chicken and some sushi. It. Took. Over. An. Hour.
I would never, ever recommend anyone eat here, unless you plan on carrying out your order and placing it well in advance, OR you happen to sit down at a table long before being hungry. By the time you see your food, you might be in good shape.
I had really high expectations for this place too, as yelpers seem to love it and I saw a glorious writeup on http://NWSource.com. Sadly, I cannot overlook abysmal service when doling out stars. Oh, and? The place was empty.
I hate leaving such a negative review based on the service alone, especially when the proprietors were very sweet and charming. The food is excellent, but in all honesty, Seattle has so many great sushi places, I can't justify waiting around for food from Calva Cafe. I can throw a spider roll and hit 15 other places with food just as delicious and have eaten it and forgotten about it before seeing a morsel from Calva. -
Review from Calvin W.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2011 1 photo
Fresh fish = AMAZING sushi!
From the outside, this mom and pop restaurant looks like they might serve Chinese food, sushi, and do your laundry all at once... DON'T COME HERE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AMBIANCE ;)
CRAVING SUSHI?!? The fish is ridiculously fresh, shoyu is housemade, and rice is perfectly cooked. Apparently, the owners took sushi lessons from some master sensei dude (I wonder if he looks like Splinter) and it definitely paid off.
Must try: Rainbow roll, Dancing Eel, Spicy tuna -
Review from Anthony O.
Silverdale, WA
1/31/2012
Glad to see Calva's doing a lot better. I used to frequent here back in 2010. Calva has always had top notch food. I came here because it was obvious they used the freshest fish on the market. But because of the environment (and not a lot of college kids know sushi) this place wasn't getting much business despite having the freshest fish in seattle. I would recommend any dish, they really dont skimp on serving you excellent food. Sushi is as fresh as it gets and the other food is also extremely well flavored and tasty. as far as personal faves and food quality, this is it for me on queen anne.
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Review from Michael K.
Seattle, WA
8/23/2011
To begin, I really adore the way this little sushi restaurant feels like an oversized home kitchen, with a few extra tables for guests. The layout is intimate and warm, and the folks running things are friendly and efficient. While I believe more could be accomodated, I would recommend this place for a low key date/conversationAL dinner between a pair, four at the most.
Rainbow Roll - I keep getting myself into trouble, claiming that so and so has the best of a certain kind of roll, so I will simply say this; perfect in every way. The portions of fish were bigger than most places, everything was fresh and delicate, and the rice was sticky but not overbearing.
Shrimp Tempura - What really made my day with this one isn't that it was done perfectly, or even that I could taste something distinct and delicious about the tempura batter that I hadn't experienced before. What did it, is the fact that it was 4.50 for the roll!! I can't think of a single place I've been too that has prices like Calva, and in an arena like this one, I am very surprised that this place isn't seeing more traffic from us Yelpers (although again, a UYE would be pretty hard to accomplish here).
General Tso's Chicken - Big chunks of chicken, spicy - not too sweet sauce, tons of rice. YUM.
I'm sold and will continue to stalk Deborah F to her favorite places... -
Review from Deborah F.
Seattle, WA
7/21/2011
Wandered in here one night after reading fellow yelpers raving about how amazing it was. I've since been back a couple of times which proves that my fellow yelpers for the most part know what their talking about.
Place is small and doesn't have much seating, but wasn't an issue for me as I've called in my orders to pick up for take-out. My taste buds thanked me for such sweet delight after trying the Sesame Chicken. Lo Mein was decent, not the best I've ever had but still tasty. The honey lemon green tea as others are mentioning is worth checking out--its strong so dilute it with water and you'll get even more bang for your buck!
Sushi was ordered on another stop in here and while it wasn't the best I've ever had, it did hit the spot. It might have been better dining in. I only live a couple blocks away so I don't think it was a "freshness" issue, but the whole sushi dining in, can make the experience that much better.
The owners are super friendly and cute! Yes CUTE, like pinch your cheeks you're the cutest old couple ever and by old I mean older than me. I've always been able to find parking right out front. This isn't going to be a good place for large parties, but its perfect for parties of 2-4. Prices are cheap considering the delicious quality of their dishes.
Quick GO HERE NOW. -
Review from Alex D.
Seattle, WA
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great little joint at the top of Queen Anne. If you are craving sushi without the price tag of some of the other places, hit up Calva Cafe.
No crazy eating story here where we talk about slicing apart live lobsters and eating them while their eyes look pleadingly at you to make it quick. Nope. This was just a boring Monday night were I was craving some sushi, checked out Yelp and found this place.
Do note that the insides are a bit cozy and it can get kind of crazy because it is only the husband and wife running the shop with no help, so go easy on them!
Finally, if you need your Chinese food fix, this place also serves up your mom's cooking. Like Laura, Jeff and John just mentioned, the various chinese dishes are pretty good. Everything is made from scratch and you can even watch the mom chop the bok choy as the "kitchen" is right behind the sushi counter.
Overall, fantastic neighborhood place and very friendly. -
Review from Elaine S.
Woodinville, WA
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
it is def. a mom and pop place, dont go if you are looking for ambiance. Sushi was fresh... can't really say much. Went on a Saturday night an it was empty. so I don't know what that means. I am not sure that I will go back
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Review from Jeff R.
Mukilteo, WA
6/1/2011
This place is legit. Definitely a "Mom and Pop" joint. Food quality is great. Flavor is good. Price is good.
Now to the specifics. The place is run by an old couple, he works the wok, she works the register.
I got the General Tso's Chicken. Was a little sweet for my taste, but good. It was all white meat and the sause wasn't super thick, I think because they hold back on the corn starch.
Decent take out place, great location in Upper Queen Anne. -
Review from A K.
Seattle, WA
7/11/2011
The food was fine, the service was fine, but nothing was great. Given the 4.5-star rating on Yelp, I was expecting a lot more and left the place disappointed.
As a neighborhood, mom-and-pop joint, though, it is A-OK. -
Review from Orlene D.
10/11/2011
I am excited to have a healthy Chinese restaurant to get takeout near where I live:) I ate sushi at the restaurant once and got La Mein and General T'so to go once. The sushi was a bit disappointing, but I will be back for the Chinese food. I recommend takeout over eating at the restaurant because it takes a while for the food to be prepared since everything is made homemade and served by a couple. It does feel very homey though. Some ppl recommended the honey tea in their reviews, so I want to warn ppl that it is very sweet.
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Review from John V.
Bellevue, WA
5/1/2011
We chose this place from Yelping for a restaurant within a quarter mile of the Metropolitan Market on Queen Anne, looking for good places we hadn't tried.
Good food, very good service, simple but clean decor. The couple operating the place were friendly but not obtrusive.
We had General Chicken and curried vegetables of some sort. Both were quite fresh, not too oily, and tasty, and an ample but not extreme volume.
Not sure there's anything else to say from this one visit. -
Review from Lisa D.
12/31/2010 9 Check-ins Here
This is seriously the BEST Chinese food I've ever had in my life. And I don't like a lot of food.
I had the General Tso chicken. My bf bad the sushi- says it's delicious as well.
Small unsuspecting mom and pop shop right across from metro market.Listed in: My Neighborhood, Top Restaurants
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Review from Laura P.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 5/10/2011
Jade Tofu & Veg- where have you been all of my Calva-eating time?!? Calva recently raised the menu prices by maybe 50 cents or so per entree so we had their new menu kicking about our crowded catch-all drawer. I fished the menu out while husband was en route to Calva from work and spied the Jade Tofu & Veg. I'm not sure if this is a new item or just missed by my failing eyes. When I called Calva up to inquire about what was in the Jade Tofu, Val didn't exactly answer my question. She did state that the tofu was extremely soft and she "guaranteed" it. So we gave it a shot. For the record, there were broccoli, Chinese string beans, bok choy, celery and round, pillowy soft tofu medallions. YUM. The tofu was so amazing, it was like eating chawan mushi. Completely unexpected. No wonder she stands by her product!
On another note, I don't think I can do sushi here anymore because there just isn't enough room in my tummy for sushi *and* the ethereal Jade Tofu. That is a strong statement on my part, to forgo sushi for tofu. Practically unheard of.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/19/2010
I just fell in love with their California roll. Sheepishly, I admit that I abuse the California… Read more »
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Review from wesh w.
Seattle, WA
9/27/2011
Chinese standards. Takeout. It wasn't exceptionally anything, but it wasn't bad.
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Review from Maritess Z.
Seattle, WA
10/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
Ugh. The absolute WORST spider roll I've ever had. batter was the thickness of styrofoam peanuts and tasted like them too. Only a few people in restaurant and it took me 40 minutes to get my roll. Plus, it smelled like ammonia cleaning detergent. Very disappointing, as I thought i ordered something very basic that i could rely upon that would be good and predictable and satisfying.
The only reason it gets two and not one star is because at least the service came with a smile and enthusiasm, which counts for something I guess. -
Review from Lisa E.
Seattle, WA
2/9/2011
We always get take-out, but I'd like to try eating inside at least once. I love their food and the weekend always brings on the cravings to order from here.
I always get the Chef's special - Shrimp & Scallop in Hot Garlic Sauce. Tasty! Any of the Lo Meins are yummy! The shrimp is never overcooked - just right. My husband likes the Beef Broccoli. The Sesame Chicken is great as well.
The Honey Lemon Green Tea is amazing and super strong. If you are ordering take-out, all you need is one of them and you can dilute with hot water when you get it home. I can easily get 4 servings by diluting without losing the taste.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Lindsay G.
Seattle, WA
11/6/2010
When I first saw this place, I expected it to be a total dive. My boyfriend and I were starving and at 4pm on Queen Anne, NOTHING is open unless you desire a lunch made solely with vodka and tonic.
We sat down in the skinny, tiny little place expecting to just get some quick, cheap, greasy food and head home. As soon as we saw the prices, we started sweating. I'm definitely the kind of person who doesn't send a dish back, much less gets up and walks out of a place shortly after sitting down because she's cheap and doesn't like to pay more than $9 for an entree. So, I decided whatever we'd get was going to be overpriced, and I would just have to deal with that.
There was only an older man and woman behind the counter, which made it feel a little more personal, and she was quick to ask us what we'd like to drink and take our order. I ordered the General Tso's chicken (on special for $10.95) and a chopped scallop nigiri and my boyfriend ordered the Mixed Lo Mein ($15? or something?).
As we watched them make it (it's a chef's bar type setup), we realized that not only were the ingredients fresh as could be - but everything was being handmade from scratch. No pre-made sauces, no canned veggies... Everything was being taken care of as though it were a 5 star gourmet restaurant.
The lo-mein came out first. It was HUGE. Upon first bite, we realized... Oh. That's why it's expensive. This sh** is delicious. The meat (chicken, beef, prawns) were cooked PERFECTLY and the veggies weren't cooked to mush like I'm used to - they retained crunch but still were cooked.
My General Tso's Chicken came out and, while not as large a portion as the lo-mein, still there was plenty to be had. My boyfriend and I took a bite and immediately knew that this was probably the best General Tso's Chicken ever, and I'm a connoisseur. No uber-crispy, over-breaded outside... Just a light coating and a quick fry. The sauce was spicy but not overly sweet or hot. Everything was amazing. Including the nigiri which was clearly hand-made and fresh. Delicious!
I can't wait to go here again.Listed in: Queen Anne Adoration
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Review from Tom Y.
Kirkland, WA
7/19/2010
We checked out this place after seeing it on the top of the list for Seattle Yelp, and I do indeed think it's a great place to go, albeit not for what the other reviews mostly noted. First off, do follow the recommendations and get the honey jasmine tea (honey something, at least). It comes in a large take-out coffee cup with lid, which is required, since drinking the whole thing with dinner is bound to give you a stomachache. With the cup, however, you can easily save most of it for later, and sip at will. It's pretty damn good, I'll tell you that.
The menu selection seems kind of limited at first glance, but they do offer most of the staples people would normally go there for. Here's where my review would differ; you almost need to speak Chinese to get the best experience at Calva. I say this because while there are certain items and flavors on the menu, I'm always able to order what I want, not on the menu, at places like this. I asked for a Mongolian beef dish here that was Szechuan style, so different herbs and extra spicy. The lady taking the food orders was also really great, explaining to the gf what exactly certain cooking styles entailed on the menu.
I'm a little of a sushi snob, and so wouldn't come here for sushi, but it does seem to be fair quality. We got a spicy tuna roll as an appetizer, and it was pretty decent. The main entrees were definitely a hit, as they were both large dishes, with rice on the side. Mix in some sauce on the rice, and it's just like home.
Calva I think is a great place for authentic, home-style Chinese cooking. A dish of food and a cup of tea will get you started and on your way to whatever activities you've got planned. -
Review from Ashlee N.
Seattle, WA
8/29/2011
The restaurant is a little small, but the service was great. There are many sushi and non-sushi items to choose from. If you want to make a substitution on a roll you can for no extra cost. Once the restaurant got a little busy, it was hard to know when are food would arrive, but they knew how to prioritize. I really liked the alaska roll.
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Review from Joe J.
Seattle, WA
6/14/2010
After seeing 4.5 stars on yelp we knew it was time to give this Queen Anne restaurant a try. We may have hit them on an off-night, and may try again later, but we were disappointed. I ordered ma-po-dofu (a standard tasting dish for us when comparing Chinese menus) and my wife tried their Chirashi to taste much of their sushi fish selection at once. We ordered Saba (Mackerel) sushi on the side.
The staff was friendly, the service a little slow. Miso soup was average (mine had one hearty chunk of tofu- good tofu but just one piece). Sushi slices were a little discolored but flavorful. The chirashi was another story- the fish slices were thin and had noticeably dried up, not fresh at all, the shrimp withered, and possibly not even sushi grade. The ma-po-dofu (tofu) dish was standard oily vegetables, with the vegies barely cooked, miles behind Yea's Wok in NewCastle.
overall, not impressed. the prices weren't cheap either. If you live nearby and can just walk over, it may be worth it, but if you are driving somewhere Seattle has tens of better options. -
Review from Sher T.
Napa, CA
2/5/2011
I went here with my sister. She had told me about it many times and I was not disappointed!
The sushi was delicious. We had hamachi, spicy scallops, sweet shrimp, spider roll and a rainbow roll. Everything was excellent.
The owners made us feel so welcome and special.
I am looking forward to eating here again. -
Review from Stephanie P.
Seattle, WA
1/26/2011
I went here for sushi with a friend that recommended it. While the store front and decor are a little lacking the sushi was excellent. We had several rolls: spicy tuna, spicy salmon, alaska, california, spider, rainbow, and they were all really good. You could tell the fish they used was super fresh.
The owner is the chef and his wife was our waitress, so you're really supporting small businesses by going here. -
Review from Sonia M.
Seattle, WA
5/12/2010
We ended up at Calva Cafe on my daughter's birthday out of desperation, when we discovered that the restaurant she had originally chosen had gone out of business! A bit of quick "Yelping" on the iPhone, and we decided to follow the trail of good reviews up Queen Anne Hill to the Calva Cafe. I'm so glad we did!
When we arrived, we realized that the "tiny hole in the wall" descriptions by other reviewers were pretty accurate--people don't go to this place for the decor! Everything else, though, was magnificent--the service was friendly, the food was terrific (we had sushi AND Chinese food!), and the atmosphere was cozy, friendly, and relaxing. We were the only people eating in the restaurant that evening (quiet week-night), though a number of people came in for take-out orders while we were there. We got a LOT of food for our money, too.
We'll definitely go back to Calva Cafe, even though it means a detour out of our own neighborhood. It's worth the trip! -
Review from Krystsina D.
Chicago, IL
8/17/2011
Decided to check it out since we are staying in the area.
The cafe was empty when we came in, however the dinner was great. Their honey tea is amazing, miso soup was good, hand rolls were delicious. We also tried chirachi (sashimi over rice), and dancing eel roll. The roll was out of this world... The lady serving us was great!
Loved it! -
Review from Jeff S.
Seattle, WA
I went back to Calva to see if my good experience was just a one time thing. Nope, same great service, same great food.
One side note, the food can be a bit slow but that's because they are making EVERYTHING to order. Can't beat the flavor and its well worth the wait.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/4/2009
Was introduced to Calva by a friend of mine a couple of days ago. What a great find on top of the… Read more »
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Review from Bryce S.
Seattle, WA
1/9/2010 35 Check-ins Here
An unassuming exterior hides a damn good restaurant. The Chinese food is not greasy, their gyozas are hand made, and service is friendly. The hot and sour soup is spectacular -- not overly corn-starched, with a perfect balance of heat and tartness. Maybe a little on the salty side, but maybe others will find it just right. Call ahead since they don't always offer it. We've been here at least a half dozen times and the quality stays consistently great. Sushi is not their strong point, but the lower prices reflect that as well, and will do in a pinch.
What makes this place interesting is that it's one of the few mom and pop shops that's still in existence. Only 2 friendly people run the place, their prices are reasonable, and the food's consistently good. Put all of these elements together and it's 5 stars.
Unfortunately they're on a quieter section on Queen Anne Avenue N so there's less traffic. Also, since there are only 2 people, the food will take a little longer to prepare. The wait's worth it.Listed in: Consistency is Key
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Review from Ben D.
Redmond, WA
12/30/2009
Had Calva for the first time recently. The spicy salmon roll was simply the best salmon-anything roll I've ever had - the meat was very tender and the seasoning had just enough kick. The grilled tuna roll had just enough crunch.
Their soy sauce is actually really good - a slightly thicker-than-average consistency that helped keep the rolls from getting too mushy due to my tendency to over-soy them.
Two great, high-quality rolls for $10? And they have other great dishes that are MSG-less? Yes, please. I'll be back. -
Review from Atif M.
Seattle, WA
7/11/2011
I thought the food here was really good. I ordered the chicken in curry sauce and thought the chicken was juicy and the sauce well balanced. My friend and I also split he sushi platter and I thought the fish seemed very fresh and the sushi rice was made well and neither bland nor overpoweringly vinegary. I really enjoyed my self and I will definitely come back.
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Review from Andrea W.
San Francisco, CA
6/28/2009
Didn't get to eat here, but wanted to add in- they're closed on Sundays : (
Not their fault, it is the lord's day and all. Just FYI since there is no website and no other way of knowing. -
Review from Connie C.
Seattle, WA
4/14/2008
Healthy Chinese Food in Queen Anne?
The Take Out Menu touts "NO MSG - FAT - GREASE" Can this be true? I had to check it out.
The owners of Calva Cafe (husband & wife team) have turned this Latte bar into a delicious one-stop shop for Asian Food (and coffee?!) Sushi to Kung Pao Chicken... can it be good? IT IS! OK.. it is good American Chinese Food.
I ordered the Shrimp Lo Mein from the wife. I then see the chef (husband) come out and all of a sudden I hear chopping and water being drawn. It appears that they make every dish fresh. So I chatted up with the wife with my broken Chinese while I waited. A friend who recommened this place had the General Taso, and he can attest that the sauces are even made fresh. Yippee! Fresh non-greasy American Chinese food! Sorry, I digress. I get my food home and indeed my noodles are tasty and not greasy. And unlike some places places where you get a few little tails, Calva Cafe doesn't skimp on the shrimp! The noodles used are also of quality, as it didn't turn to stringy mush when reheated. I hate left overs and this was as good reheated as the first time.
Since the food is made fresh, it can be a little bit of wait (approx. 10min). It is worth the wait.
Don't judge Calva by their overwhelming diverse menu, or that they are located in what used to be a Latte Bar - give Calva a shot. You won't regret it. -
Review from Liz E.
Seattle, WA
8/30/2009
We came in near closing on a Saturday night, starved and half-asleep from a long day. We sat down, and ordered sushi for me and beef lo mein for my husband-- she said they were out, but then her husband said he'd cook some. She asked if a 10 minute or so wait was okay... seeing as how I'd expected that, sure... I just wanted a seat somewhere more than anything.
The honey lemon green tea was amazingly warm and sweet, the sushi was delicious and the lo mein? Not a drop of grease near it. It was the first truly freshly made with no grossness lo mein we'd had, and it was awesome.
As for the price, it's comparable to other places I've been around here that weren't as good by comparison (but were still decent). -
Review from Sarah Alli B.
Ketchikan, AK
2/3/2011
I have a confession to make: I'm generally scared of Asian restaurants. I love Chinese food (or, rather, Chinese-American food) but there seems to be two classes of them: looks terrifying, food is great and looks terrifying, food is hazardous. And you can never tell which one it's going to be!
So when I moved to Seattle, despite the boyfriend's pleas I pretty much refused to go out for Chinese except one ill-fated incidence in the ID and we were both sad about it. Until I read the reviews for Calva Cafe, and decided that it was worth a try- if they could live up to their "no grease" promise that would be more than enough for me.
And they totally did! The place is unsuspecting and verrry small- the largest table seated four, but everything is really fresh and delicious. I got the sesame chicken, bf got the tso's chicken, and they were both really good. The first thing I noticed was that the chicken tasted like the same quality meat that I'd cook with at home- even at the fancy Asian-fusion place back home in Alaska the chicken always seemed a bit gnarly; not here! I think I can honestly say that it was the first sesame chicken that actually tasted like sesame, which is great.
I am only withholding that fifth star because of price and portion size. Maybe I'm off base, but if I'm going to pay $11 a plate at a Chinese place, I expect to have some leftovers- that's half the reason I like Chinese to begin with! So I feel like I should have either gotten more food or paid a little less for it. Maybe I'm picky and not used to Seattle prices- either way the serving size was enough to fill me up for one sitting so at least there's that. The bf with the heartier appetite cleaned his plate and nibbled off of mine.
This place is definitely worth checking out and we will be back for sure. -
Review from M T.
Seattle, WA
8/2/2008
We love this place. A tiny hole-in-the-wall place where there's always seating available because no one seems to know about it. The staff are a delight and try super hard to please everyone. Good for kids, fast service, fresh ingredients. Good bubble teas and smoothies.
Their sauces are excellent and nothing's too heavy. I know they aim for healthy cooking, but it's certainly not noticeable, in that everything tastes wonderfully rich. We like their chicken and broccoli and their nice big servings. Prices are very reasonable. -
Review from Sam H.
Seattle, WA
11/17/2009
I really wish I could come up with something super witty and insightful to say but all I can come up with is "Best fuck beef Lo Mein in Seattle"
will be eating there again real soon. -
Review from Graeme G.
Seattle, WA
2/18/2010
Valentina is one of the nicest owners of any restaurant I have ever frequented.
She goes out of her way to make you feel welcome, and the food is very affordable for the amount you receive, and it tastes great too.
It can sometimes look like it is dark in the restaurant from the outside, due to the windows, but they are open. You won't regret it. -
Review from Lorna D.
8/11/2009
On one of my many strolls through Upper Queen Anne, I saw this place and thought that maybe ... just maybe I had found a chinese dessert place that reminds me of Creations in San Francisco or Dessert Republic in San Mateo. Unfortunately, it wasn't, but I sure was craving a boba drink. The boba drinks are a little pricey compared to home at $3.75 a drink. I ordered my favorite which is an ube tapioca drink. I had also asked if they served fresh fruit tapioca drinks such as watermelon juice and what not and they don't.
As I was waiting for my drink order, I looked around and noticed it was a small restaurant for sushi and chinese food. Now I don't know about you but I am not really into the mixed asian food type places you know. Like why would a place serve both chinese and vietnamese food. Why not just one type? Anyways, I perused the menu and found that the chinese food is a bit overpriced for some dishes. The sushi/japanese food was moderately priced. Not cheap just above cheap.
My drink was finally ready and I took a sip. It was bit on the icey side and not creamy or thick enough. I don't think that they added enough powder or milk because it wasn't sweet enough. The boba... well it wasn't the best boba. I had a mixture of both hard and soft boba in my drink making it difficult to finish the tapioca balls.
Maybe I'd come back for the food, but definitely wouldn't return for the boba. That I will have to leave for Oasis in the ID. -
Review from Kathleen C.
Seattle, WA
3/12/2011
Even though the food is very fresh and tasty, I always have a weird experience when I visit. One time they ran out of ginger, the other time, they forgot one of our dishes, and so on... The owners are very charming, so we've always gone along with whatever odd factor is happening, but I have a mixed feeling about this place. Tonight we are in the market for take-out Chinese, and Calva is my first choice because I like supporting this "mom and pop" business and the food is really good-- but there always seems to be a catch. Will try again...
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Review from Nicole P.
Seattle, WA
7/23/2010
was dying for sushi in my neghborhood... preferably of the take out type after spending the whole day in bed sick and not wanting to venture out of the house for too long...
so here's the scoop: super friendly service. cute little space i have probably walked past about a hundred times without stopping... ordered a fairly large amount of food for a fairly affordable price, walked the dogs around the block a few times waiting for my food (took about 40 min or so)got food, returned home. not bad over all, though the whole thing somehow needed salt which i don't normally find when eating sushi. i'll totally be back, probably dine in next time. thanks for making me feel less crappy when i'm sick! -
Review from John A.
Valencia, CA
10/9/2010
This place was fantastic. I got a sushi roll, an order of negiri sushi, sesame chicken and the ever popular lemon honey green tea all for about $20. Ate like a king for a reasonable price. The sesame chicken was prepared fresh and in the open so you could see how it was made. My favorite aspect about this place was the four tables and four sushi bar seats for a total seating of 12 people. It does not get more quaint than that.
