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Absolutely not the best dim-sum I've ever had, but it is not terrible either. Just acceptable, I guess.
Service here was friendly. Food was always warm and fresh, didn't experience any cold dishes. I think with most dim sum places, you will find a specialty in each restaurant and here, I would say it is their fried taro (with pork and scallions inside). It is really good here and not too salty or gooey like other places. The hagow skin here is chewy and has a good consistency! I think you can find better shumai somewhere else though. The tripe here was also too chewy and tough for my liking, but the boy enjoyed it.
I didn't like China Gate the first time I came here in the spring, but after my experience over the weekend, I wouldn't hesitate to come back.
Is this place directly related to Jade Garden? I can't believe this is the second place I've been this week that serves Hom Bow with COLD filling!
I also found it odd that the server kept recommending the Hom Bow with the thick sweet crust on top, when I kept requesting specifically, the Cha Siu Bow (Baked sweet BBQ Pork Bun). Oddly, she had both on the cart....
...fine, give me the one that looks like a sugar cookie on top of a baked bun. Oh wow, cold on the inside...great... and waaaay too sweet. I should've held my ground with the normal Cha Siu Bow.
I also ordered the sticky rice, which was fine - wrapped in Lotus leaf with ground beef.
On the PLUS side, it was cheap eats.
If I could give this place negative stars to further dissuade you from going here, I would. I went here with my girlfriend, her brother, sister and brother-in-law for some good ole' karaoke on a Friday night after a delicious dinner (somewhere else). We bypassed the restaurant, so I can't speak to the food, and headed straight back to the dingy lounge off to the side of the restaurant. "Perfect!" we thought (whoops, were we wrong with that sentiment!)
Walking into the bar, there was only one other table of people which seemed slightly bleak for a Friday, but we were looking forward to no lines on the karaoke and a couple of drinks.
I have been here before for karaoke and had a reasonably good time, but I ordered a Makers on the rocks and am pretty dang sure that isn't what I received. That being said, we had ordered a round and had sung a couple of songs when a random guy came up to bus our table and ask if we needed anything else. I ordered a shot of Jack and a Bud Light and as he walked away I wondered, "wait one sec... I don't think he works here. Hmm." Being the cautious individual that I am, I watched him walk up to the bar just to ensure nothing else went into our drinks and instead saw him sharing a hearty laugh with the female bartender. "What the...?" I thought.
He came back to our table with the drinks, charged me ten bucks, took my twenty and then came back with two fives. Now, as a bartender I know that any bartender worth their salt will break down a bill to singles to ensure a tip as that is what we truly are working for, certainly not the hourly wage. This struck me as weird, as did the fact I paid ten bucks for a shot of Jack and a Bud Light in a dive like this place.
I walked back up to the bar and ordered another identical round, getting weird looks from both the random guy at the bar who just took our order and the female bartender. She again charged me ten bucks and gave me two fives back on my twenty, one of which I had her then break down so I could tip her (out of principle, I suppose.) Things really didn't feel right, but I felt like I had jumped the gun and didn't get a good read on what the actual price of my drinks would have been.
My GF's brother asked me what was wrong and I filled him in. He then went up to the bar and asked in an offhand fashion what the price of a shot of Jack was, "Five dollars," the bartender told him, and the beer was "three dollars." He then came back and told me the prices and I realized that the bartender and her buddy were trying to rip me off, in fact they obviously found it very funny to do so.
Long story short, I went up to the bar and called the bartender out, asking the prices for the respective drinks I had ordered. She ended up getting shifty and telling me three different prices in the range of a couple of minutes (math clearly not being her strong suit). I then demanded, not even all my money back, just the difference in price that she had charged me, which she quickly returned. My GF's brother and brother-in-law got their respective tabs, to which she had added drinks we didn't even order. We asked to speak to a manager. At this point the female bartender got mad and kept telling us to, "just go!" I should also mention that in our 'discussion' over the prices she got angry at me and when I asked what the prices were she told me, "Depends on who you are!" Several times, each with more heat and anger. Depends on who I am, huh. Great way to run your business, with a total lack of honesty. More like a great way to lose what looked like much needed clientele.
Someone who wasn't even the manager came out to talk to us, I think that he was just a server in the restaurant. He said that it was the bartenders "first day" (what a great first day, ripping people off... "First day," what a crock). The bartender came out and looked very uncomfortable, as she should after just trying to rip us off and getting called out for doing so. We ended up getting the money for the added drinks (I'm hitting myself that I didn't demand all my money back, but whatever) at which point the non-manager asked us if we needed anything else. "I think that she owes us an apology," my GF's brother said, pointing at the bartender.
"F*ck you," she said. "You just need to leave."
Wow.
So, sure, go to the China Gate if you want terrible service from people who don't even work there and if you want to experience criminal activity from a bartender who is, quite possibly, the worst bartender I have ever seen. Oh, and throw in some verbal abuse for good measure when you demand honest business. I'm not even sure that the Jack Daniels was actually Jack.
This place is a total joke and I would love it if nobody ever graced this disgusting (on many levels) shit-hole with their presence ever again. They aren't even smart enough to run a criminal business properly.
Unbelievable.
Three stars... as a backhanded compliment...
My Illinois in-laws were in for a visit (neither super-hip with chopsticks) and we landed here after our first-choice destination was way-crowded. It was cold and rainy and we were happy to be inside. We waited 10 minutes (Sunday, noon-ish) and amused ourselves with the Rube Goldberg-esque gumball machine tucked away near the restrooms.
My in-laws had never heard of dim sum. They loved the concept regardless of however uncomfortable they were with the mysterious goodies we kept saying "yes, please.." too.
The food was decent. The atmosphere was pleasant. The prices were totally reasonable. If this place were not surrounded by ten other good places and ten other outstanding places in Chinatown, it might get a better review on it's own merits. Competition here is stiff.
Similarly, 8 out of 10 Seattle pizza joints would get less than 3-Stars if they happened to be located in Chicago.... or even New York.
China gate is ok. Dim Sum is comfort food; it should be simple and make you happy. Think Mac&Cheese... Sloppy Joe... how fancy and uppity should that be?
That said... it was a "gateway" for my in-laws further forays into bigger and better Asian cuisine throughout the following week. By the end, my father-in-law was a chopstick-warrior.
This is not a review on China Gate's food... There was only one table with about 6 people who looked like they worked there eating last friday night.... This STELLAR review is about China Gate's KARAOKE!!!! I've been looking for a place that my wife can come sing her chinese songs and I can drink myself into a stuper... China Gate provides both at a reasonable price. The bar staff seemed friendly enough and the drinks were always being checked on. I wouldn't recommend getting there before 10pm as we were the only people in the bar for at least 45 minutes.... Still it was a blast and I'll be back...
As for the food, I'll stick with my other spots judging by the other reviews...
Are you kidding China Gate? Gate to what? Good Chinese food? Good dim sum? Good Service? I think not. Whatever the gate leads to, shut it, lock it up, and throw away the key. Out of my 8 years of living in Washington, this was the WORST place I've eaten. No exaggeration, no dramatics...just the honest truth.
The service was lacking, but the food was worse. Everything we ordered was saturated in grease. The egg rolls were mush inside, hot grease soaked mush. The Hong Kong Won tons, also soaked in heavy cooking oil, with nothing to offer in flavor or quality. The main coarse of Almond Fried Chicken was disgusting, but what made it worse was throughout the dish I found strips of plastic wrapper mixed in with the chicken and sauce. Once, maybe an accident...but several times throughout the plate? What's you're malfunction?
This place is an overall disappointment. Anyone who is considering to pay China Gate a visit, do yourself a favor and pass...pass, pass, pass.
-1 Star, 2 Thumbs down, a whole bunch of :(
New is not better! Yea, they have new owners, and they do have a grand opening 10% off your bill, but I was very disappointed in the food. It is so bland! What did you do with the flavor? The old owners cooked the best Kung Pau Chicken. We would stop here to eat when we were taking our kids back to the dorm at the UW, and they would want to get an extra order of Kung Pau to take with them. Today, my daughter would not even take the leftovers with her. Now, what college kid would pass over left-over Chinese? Need I say more?
The service was always iffy here, but it has gotten much worse. Don't try to order a cocktail. I ordered a scotch on the rocks, and first received a glass of beige liquid - I'm guessing it was scotch and water, no ice. I sent it back without tasting it and got on the second try a glass of scotch neat, with a lime garnish. Now I have ordered scotch in many restaurants and bars, but this was a first - a lime with my scotch. Oh, but it gets better. My wife ordered a Chardonnay, and got a glass of Cabernet. Pretty much the same thing, don't you think?
Bottom line, we will not return. Time for us to find a new favorite restaurant in the international district.
Even with new ownership, and the $1 plates they had at their grand opening..it's still not worth it.
I've eaten here maybe about 5-6 times. The Dim Sum is not that good, but on the plus side...you can order it even at night. So If you're craving shumai or hagao at 9 pm, this may be your only bet, and it's good enough considering it's not brunch time. I've also had their main dishes and seafood, and to tell you the truth nothing really stood out as good or bad. The prices are fair...but to be honest...I think Sea Garden right across the street for main dishes and seafood is like 5x better for the same price, and Jade Garden for Dim Sum has much better food quality and is much cheaper. The only real plus about China Gate is the service is really friendly (especially for a Chinese restaurant), and there is free parking...their lot is around the corner.
~G
Instead of getting dim sum at Honey Court, my family changed their minds at the last minute to try this place. Perhaps we should have gone to Honey Court.
The last time I came here was when I was little, maybe when the place was actually better at that time. First thing I noticed when I walked through the doors was that the whole place looked a little old and dingy, and there wasn't that many people. I was already starting to get a bad feeling about this place. The food was mediocre, average at best. Some of the dishes came out cold, and my dad even complained about that and inquired about the manager of the restaurant. They didn't even have taro dumplings (my favorite dish), and they said that they don't make it if the taro isn't fresh enough. Seriously?
The service was decent enough, but the food just doesn't taste good here. I doubt we'll be coming back.
My friends and I strolled in here at about 9 pm for a sort of late night dim sum and that may have been a mistake. As a few of the dishes were rather rubbery and felt like they had been made a few hours ago and then just re-heated. And while I think the stuff probably would have tasted better a few hours ago I was less than impressed.
In any case, I might be willing to revisit this place during more normal dining hours, but at present I have to say that I was less than impressed with the late dinner experience.
Pros:
Food is pretty good, but it's neither the best I've had nor the local best +3
Karaoke bar +2
Cons:
Went on a Friday night, no one is at karaoke bar -2
They charge for regular rice - 3
I gave them 1 star cuz I can't give 0.
Hey everybody, Dim Sum all day long!! Okay well not all day long, via rolling cart, but heck it's served 7 days a week! At night you have to order off a menu.
Having said that, let's review Chinese Dim Sum. "Sum" or refer to "Summation" is the addition of a set of numbers; the result is their sum. (Wikipedia).
1)Delicate Chinese dumplings and pastries. 2)Served 7 days a week 3)This adds up to a summation that this is not going to be the most consistent experience in the world, M-F... Saturday and Sunday are a different thing....
Weekends add up to: more variety, more carts/faster service, busy place/a bit of a wait to sit, fresher/hotter food/more flavorful, and well a better experience for the Dim Sum veteran and newbie alike.
I can't really speak to their after Dim Sum menu, I haven't eaten there late-night since they remodeled away from the dark dim red lantern lighting, red and gold wall paper, and unctuousness dungeon-like booths that use to ring the outer edge of the interior, for a hint of what they use to look like, check out the bar....
So... to sum it all up.... pardon the bad pun.... for a weekend Dim Sum fix, it's worth a try, just do not look for the newer Hong Kong style of innovative Dim Sum. For the standards and a few "not half bad" new-ish items, it's all good.
I think they still offer Valet parking at night, but don't quote me on that...
I was little, and eating here with my grandpa, i loved it.
Okay, so what happened?
Where'd all the good food go?
Where are all the people that use to go here?
My brother likes it, but i'd have to say no, because once they gave us a really cold room.
No one came, the bar lady was a bitch. The bathrooms were dirty.
Maybe, I'll come back when this place gets better
Weds night 11pm.
As soon as I walked in, the place reminded of the restaurant in the Bruce Lee movie, "Way of the Dragon". (Now before I offend anyone, the place does have display case of Bruce Lee photos and autographed stuff by the door)
Went straight to the lounge to meet some friends. They had some serious hip-hop blasting from a Karaoke type machine. It was like night and day going from the restaurant to the lounge.
They only had cheap vodka so I stuck to Coke for the night (although they did have Johnny Walkers Red and Black label). Our server was pretty nice. The women who runs the bar was a cold Bitch...literally! She just stood by a heat lamp the whole night and she had a "too good to talk to you" attitude. I did not get a welcome feeling at all. In fact I felt like their only concern was getting my money and nothing else.
I didn't eat anything, however the food my friends had did not look very good.
FYI, outside the restaurant, it was crack heads and homeless folks...maybe its better during the day.
I don't go too many Chinese restaurants, but I know a grimy restaurant when I see one.
I'm giving this place 3-stars with the caveat that this rating is relative to the other dim sum joints in Seattle. I'm of the opinion that dim sum in Seattle is okay at best. That said, my experience here today was okay.
I first visited China Gate under the current ownership in December. The place was empty and most of the dim sum was cold. Not just cold but cold, reheated, and cold again cold. At the time, I thought I would never come back.
Fast forward two months and I start hearing about positive dim sum experiences had by some of my older Chinese relatives. Everyone swore that the food was hot and that some dishes were downright tasty. I attempted to eat here on President's Day but was turned off by the wait. When I came back this morning (before 11 AM), the main restaurant area was already full and I was seated in the bar.
So here's my take on this place: the food is indeed served hot now. From what I could tell, nothing that I had seemed reheated from the previous day. A few of the items I had were bland. In particular, I remember these flat, steamed dumplings filled with shrimp and some veggie being very bland. A couple of items that I enjoyed were the pork tripe and a steamed dessert bun filled with a sweat egg based filling... not the custard style filling. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, the service is a bit slow here but they were busy today.
This is the restaurant that takes the runoff patrons from the places in the I.D. with actually good dim sum. The one star is for the turnip cake.
It was..
a little more out of the way
our arrival around 1:30 on a Sunday had no wait
it smelled a bit like an old people's home
it was dirty (we got a fun seat directly facing the tea station)
the selection was uneven.
By uneven, I mean when we first arrived we got a few rounds of the same 3 carts, and later once we were full, newer ones came around. The pot stickers and steamed pork buns were overly greasy, and the other food was passable. The turnip cakes were very good, in fact they were our best choice, but sadly the other dishes weren't putting much of a fight on. The service was okay, although the cart ladies were somewhat curt. We got out of there as soon as possible, and plan on never going back again.
p.s. $21 for two people is a bit expensive for dim sum in the international district. Also, they offer 24-hour 7-day a week dim sum.
I liken China Gate to the dim sum version of Cheers...but, they don't know my name, rather, they call me "brother." This recognition impresses all my CG-virgin friends cause they will inevitably comment on how everyone greets/acknowledges us - guess that could make me seem either really cool or like a big fat dim sum eating loser.
My fave time to go to the CG is weekend brunch - better selection and faster service. Second favorite time is lunch time during the work week! The staff is a mixed bag - some are smiley, some are pouty, some seem mean, but this all contributes to the allure for me. My most memorable visit was after a surprise party for my beau. We both woke up drunk the next morning and while we was a'painin, the food did us good!
On my MUST ORDER list: big portion of soy sauce chow mein, fried shrimp balls (sounds dirtier than they taste), the lobster won ton and they've got this new sticky short rib dish with honey and (I think) soy. I don't find the food oily or bland as I've compared China Gate's offering to other ID dim sum neighbors (Jade Garden + House of Hong) and CG is superior. Honestly, I'm always bewildered to see lines waiting out front of Jade Garden on the weekends.
China Gate rocks my world.
Friendly staff. Decent house tea. Good dim sum goods. Wish they had more selection though. Where are those funky-looking dishes that I grew up with?
They have dim sum all day every day. They close at 1:30 am. There's the deal, if you want dim sum, go during the day (lunch / afternoon). If you go there at night for dim sum, you'll have to order them from the menu -- good food still, but you'll have to wait for them to make the stuff. No looking at food on carts and just grabbing them.
I must update. The China Gate is under new ownership. The old waitresses are gone and somehow the food got blander... Is that possible? I have no idea who they are trying to cater to at this point. Alas, I will probably not go back.
China Gate, you hold a very soft spot in my heart. Is the Dim Sum stellar, no. Are the… Read more »
Went here during The Great PreChristmas Storm of '08, at about 3:30pm. They advertised outside all Dim Sum plates on special for December, $2.00 each.
The place was pretty deserted, but that is not a big meal time of day. We asked about Dim Sum, and they said service ended at 3, but they could take our orders and make up what we wanted. So we ordered several classics and one thing we had never had before (a drippy, sweet egg bow, favorite of Hong Kong student).
The waiter was particularly friendly and funny. The owners hovering around were grumpy, and reneged on the $2.00 a plate (the waiter went around him, though), saying it was only good during service. The food was pretty good, but nothing fab.
Unfortunately, saw a mouse saunter casually across the back of the restaurant as we were finishing up. No hurry! Since Dim Sum are made of mostly meat I did not get a sick feeling, and indeed none of us got sick. But I am not inspired to go back.
I'm a big fan of the ID but I really did not like it here. I would have given it 3 stars in the past.
My coworkers wanted to drag me for my first karaoke adventure on a Friday night. We began at Bush Garden, but it was so crowded that it was difficult to even get a drink, let alone sing a song. So a friend recommended China Gate with the caveat: "It's divey". Apparently they have karaoke 7 days a week.
I didn't eat. The vodka crans were $5, strong, and being purchased for me by an unemployed person. I drank heavily and warbled along on a threeway version of "Heaven is a place on Earth." The people who sing here, apart from myself, are for the most part actually pretty good at it.
I walked in about halfway through a friends' birthday dim sum gathering. Standard-sized Chinese restaurant for the ID, with fairly standard dim sum. Food was decent - not bad, though they were quite oily. (case in point, only one piece of shumai for me, thanks).
I can't say how often the servers came, as it all seems to be a blur now. However, we were constantly asking for refills on our drinks (14 pots of tea between 14 people who each had 2 glasses of water?) - is that a sign of MSG-induced thirstiness? I don't know. There were about a couple of times when I've been thirsty. When my cup suddenly disappeared from a random table pick-up.... the stuff that happens when you're in a busy restaurant with servers trying to rush. As with all dim sum places, defend your table! Don't let them drop something that you didn't ask for. On the same token, make sure you get enough of what you want - some of the food seems to be more popular among patrons, one of them being the baked bao (which I never got to try because they ran out).
Other than the defense tactics that need to be employed, the servers seemed to be friendly and cheerful... and they definitely seem to enjoy birthdays. They brought out a mango pudding with a candle for my friend to blow out... and they played a Happy Birthday song, loud on the speakers, that lasted about 5-6 repetitions (complete with cow bells at one point). As we looked about, confused, trying to see who else was having a birthday, the server at the EXACT OPPOSITE side of the restaurant, gestured for us to sing! Sing! Hah.
new owner...no change
went here for dim sum this week and not much has changed. new owner, same mediocre service and decor. However, the food has improved a little. prices are still reasonable especially with the grand opening 10% discount until the end of the month. they do have a lot so if the other places are busy, this an option. I'll be back only if someone requests otherwise I will not actively choose as dim sum restaurant.
I went with the parents who had never had dim sum. We were originally going to go to Jade Garden, but were not up for the long wait and went to China Gate instead. I had really low expectations, but the food was ok, yeah a little bland in some areas, but mostly pretty tasty. My parents enjoyed the experience and the service was adequate and friendly.
Friendly service, funny staff but the food was slow moving. There weren't many carts being pushed around we had to ask for what we wanted and than wait for it. One of the things I really like about dim sum is the instant gratification, you see what you want it's put on your table and you eat it until you see something else you want. At China Gate that didn't happen. The food we did finally get was good, I now know when going to China Gate i have to expect to wait for my food.
I can only vouch for the dim sum as being really good, being that I've only been there once and for that reason alone. .....Dinner, haven't had it yet, since I don't live up in the pacific NW. however, this was a good dim sum experience.
Oh, China Gate, how I love to stumble into your restaurant on a Sunday morning after an evening of too many cocktails. Your friendly (yes, friendly!) wait staff refill my Cokes right on time. Your dumplings, though oily, are the perfect antidote to my hangover. I never have to wait around for the siu mai lady, and your egg custard cups are a delight. Your Chinese Broccoli is never bitter, and your char siu bao so puffy I could use you for pillows. However, I shall pass on your leek dumplings. Don't cry, little leek dumplings, you shall travel on your cart to the next hungry visitor.
My only advice to visiting China Gate is to wear a flack jacket and be able to run like hell when the bullets fly...
ive only ever had three dim sum experiences. two were at china gate.
and i have to admit, those two make me dream dim sum on a daily basis.
my favorite is humbao. i think thats a general given though, right? my coworker tried to talk up the shrimp balls, but the third time is not a charm. i substitute the honey walnut shrimp- and that i can eat by the bushel, or whatever quantity honey walnut shrimp is sold in. the soy sauce noodles are worth noting as well.
the host is always very funny and nice (and by always i mean the two times i frequented the place) and the servers come around fairly often.
i could eat here almost everyday. in fact, ive conviced myself that because the portions are small and shared, that its food thats good for you. why wouldnt you wnat to eat good-for-you-food everyday?
I was up with my boss and coworker in Seattle/Bellevue for a meeting. Since our flight landed right around lunchtime, we planned on having dim sum at China Gate where I had gone last December. The shrimp and seafood up in the PNW is so fresh, so anything with shrimp in it was delicious. In fact, the fried shrimp balls were so good we ordered two plates! The manager is a pretty funny guy and the ladies with the carts spoke Toi-San Cantonese. So if you like Cantonese food, this place is pretty authentic.
I was so excited to check out the International District and left mighty disappointed. The place was overpriced (15 for me), greasy as heck, no substitutions; ketchup came with the roasted pork. Ketchup per se at a Chinese restaurant. Hello? Even the fried stuff which was drenched in grease had no flavor. The service was OK. Honestly, I felt bad for the waitress, even though she wasn't remarkably nice, for the fact that she had to serve such low quality food.
i went china gate only one time
food is ok but msg too much
so bye bye
Confucius say: Eat dim sum here, leave with a grumbling stomach. That is how I felt after eating here one day. Every location was crazy busy for the Dim sum, hour that we didn't feel like waiting. We were hungry and a bit desperate? We went here, and immediately got a seat. I thought that was a bit odd, that not a lot of people were here for Dim Sum. I won't get into much details, but the service is a bit curt. The only stand outs were the turnip cake, and chicken feet. The rest were very soggy and oily. The place must of looked nice back in the day, but now it looks all dingy and scary.The carpets are gross here too. The bathrooms......(yikes). That's something I don't want to think about. (((shivers))) Go here at your own risk. I mean both the restaurant, and bathrooms. We have also noticed that they serve non Asians on one side, while the Asians get the other. Kinda funny, but funny hmmm..
i was craving for dim sum late at night. we stumbled upon this place. the moment we walked in i felt uncomfortable. it takes a lot to gross or freak me out. there was just a distinct smell (not so good trust me). it was musty to say the least. we got seated right away. the server was really friendly but i just couldn't get over the smell. had to walk out. felt bad but oh well...
serious karoke patron unite! the patrons here range in age from 50 - 70 years old and sing there heart out. i dare not pick up the mike i can only watch in awe. on these night these people know what their doing. and geez do they poor the drinks stiff here. i once ordered a screw driver and it was clear, they don't mess around at the gate! however don't eat the late night food .
Burien, WA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Dim Sum
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Barbeque
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