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Occasion: Dim Sum for 2.
This restaurant is a lot bigger then it looks. I'm sure at one point it was two leasing spaces converted into what it is now. The furniture in the restaurant is solid wood and good quality. We had to wait about 15 minutes and we had to park at the mall. They have probably a bakers dozen worth of parking spaces, so one will have to park elsewhere and walk over. They are doing some major construction, so maybe they'll expand the parking lot.
The Dim Sum is good. They have pretty much everything any good Dim Sum place would have. Carts are always moving around, so no worried about waiting too long for food. My wife and I finished within 25 minutes, so we were very happy with both the speed of the food and quality of service.
This place is hard to spot from the street, as long as you see the "Wide Widths" shoe store, you will see it! We had no problems with the parking, we came here on a Friday around noon and were able to find a decent spot, just be aware of all the towing signs for the surrounding area businesses.
We were seated promptly, asked if we wanted tea, and than the carts started strolling by as soon as we sat down. The hubby went to the restroom, by the time he came back, I had 6 dishes I ordered already on the table, he was impressed because this was his first time at a Dim Sum restaurant. The workers did speak pretty good English, some of them just started talking Cantonese to me which was no problem cause I knew exactly what I wanted off their carts!
Everything was hot and delicious! We had everything from walnut shrimp (our favorite), steamed BBQ buns, Shrimp dumplings, deep fried pork buns, to a rice dish wrapped in some type of leaf and steamed. What I was really hoping for was chicken feet and fried turnip cakes... but none of the carts had any and I was afraid to ask... maybe next time!
Overall, this was a pleasant experience for my hubby and I, he enjoyed the delicious dim sum, and it being his first time he was very impressed by how fast we were served and out the door an hour later! We will definitely be back!
I like a suburban gem when I find one!
When Iam not heading to Chinatown for dim sum, I will come here for the variety, the tastiness, and the super prompt service. As dim sumplaces go, the busier the better, so at Top Gun--even on a weekday morning--I knew we would have our pick of different options.
Word to the wise, parking can be a beeyatch, and if the towing signs on area businesses tell me anything, it's that the place is so hoppin the patrons end up filling other parking lots to eat here!
On a side note, I also came here after a wedding the night before in Bellevue, and learned that dim sum one of the best hangover salves: greasy, starchy (depending on what you order), hot and filling.
I'll be back!
Have you ever walked into a busy Chinese dim sum restaurants where they gave you a number and told you to wait 15-20 minutes in a crowd of other people that were also waiting 15-20 minutes? This is one of those places. But how does this place stand out? You ACTUALLY get your seat in 15-20 minutes.
We even came in a party of six, too, but it didn't seem like much of a problem for them since it looked like many of their tables were made for family-style meals (with the rotating plate in the middle so everyone could access the food). Also, the restaurant is surprisingly bigger than most with lots of space.
However, as fellow Yelp reviewers noted, parking can get pretty crazy around lunch time. We got there around noon-thirty on a Sunday and it was hard to find parking right next to the restaurant. I don't understand how they couldn't compute - if they have enough space for all those people in the restaurant, why don't they at least have enough space for all those people to park? Oh wells - we just ended up parking across the street around the mall, and it was only a short walk.
Their dim sum is decent. Not spectacular, but it was still good enough for me to stuff my face like there's no tomorrow (and pass out afterwards of a food coma). Chicken feet, tripe, siumai, shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings are all pretty good. I loved their sesame balls with the red bean paste! Actually, they were more triangular, but it all ends up the same in my mouth anyway. We also tried their calamari which seemed a little heavy on the breading and salt, but at least the actual squid wasn't overcooked.
Next time I have a craving for dim sum and can't wait, I'll be coming here again!
Dim Sum was good here, excellent shrimp dumpling, a little on the oily side, but if that is what it takes to get things tasty, I am on board.
At least that would be my motto if this Dim Sum breakfast meeting did not mark the end of an era. With the slight tinge of cold air settling down on Seattle, I came with some friends and one particular friend who was at the very finale of a romantic fling that had us all living vicariously through him.
After standing for a bit of time in a large queue (but quickly processed), we sat down at our table and looked forward to the next rolling cart. However one individual at the table sat slumped with their head slightly tilted down as if defeated.
We ordered the Shrimp dumplings(Har Gau), Turnip Cake(Lo Bak go), Porridge (Congee), Tofu Skin Roll (fu pei guen), soft tofu and Steamed meatballs.
Each time our soon to be lonely friend would take a bite of a piece of food he would lament at his soon to be lost love, let's call her Ingrid for the rest of the review.
Lonely friend's comment on the Shrimp Dumplings(Har Gau):
"Oh Ingrid would have loved these shrimp dumplings, they have the excellent texture and just the right amount of seasoning on the shrimp "
Turnip Cake(Lo Bak go):
"Oh Ingrid would have been ok with the turnip cake, not the freshest I have ever seen, but if she felt like turnip cake, this would be ok"
Porridge (Congee):
"Oh this porridge remains me just of Ingrid, with it's home-cooked taste and excellent use of soft pork inside it."
Tofu Skin Roll (fu pei guen):
"Oh Ingrid would have hated and loved this dish, considering how well the tofu skin soaked up all the oily sauce of the dish making it both unhealthy and delicious."
Soft tofu:
"Oh this tofu reminds me of Ingrid, in how it is some of the softest tofu I have ever had, as well as being some of the freshest"
Steamed meatballs:
"Oh these steamed meatballs remind me of Ingrid, in how they are although greasy, have a cilantro/herby suprise flavor that makes the dish interesting"
I may have been rash in saying that it was the end of an era, but certainly it is the end of a season, the season of love that is.
This place is impossible to spot from the road, but worth visiting. (Look for it behind the wide-widths shoe store and the under-construction lot, directly north of the mall.)
Good things: the staff seems to speak excellent English and make sure to check if you need more water, more tea, etc. I think this would probably be a better fit for anyone who's not into the excessively abrupt "authentic" Chinese experience.
The ambience is nice, on the dimmer, cozier, and more welcoming side. The place is clean and in good repair.
The downside: prices appear a bit higher than the International District.
i was thinking to myself when i heard we were going to top gun whether to put on my maverick jacket and aviators on. My bro in law coulda been Ice man and we woulda taken this restaurant by storm....but fortunately, that idea was quickly diminished, just as quick as how mav found out the pretty girl was the instructor.
Another prewarning occured here as my uncle told us not to have high hopes. But luckily, this place is far better than some of the chinese restaurants in SF. They had an abundance of food and the decor was nice. It reminded me of Mr Fu's in Daly City across from Classic Bowl where it looks ordinary on the outside, but filled with vibrant red and gold inside. sneaky sneaky.
Some outstanding picks:
Lobster
Shrimp ball with scallop
Abalone and Greens (bad)
Grilled Prawns
Peking Duck
"If you want cheap food, go to Chinatown. This is BELLEVUE." (translated from Chinese)
This quote might be fine from a Yelper, but it is definitely not okay when it comes from your waitress! The story after the review.
Review:
There aren't many places around Factoria that serve dim sum, with Top Gun being one of those rare restaurants. This is perhaps the largest reason why there is a wait to get a table. The food has a cleaner presentation that some bad dim sum places, but there is nothing spectacular about the taste. The food quality is on par with a comparable selection of dishes to all other dim sum restaurants.
Parking is a mess. There are way more tables than parking spots, and all the surrounding parking lots specifically state that there is no Top Gun restaurant parking, with some signs being more hidden than others. Be wary of this when you go.
Story:
When the check arrived after summing up the dishes, the total came out to ~$57. The payer was a little surprised at the total, because we did not eat a whole lot, but didn't say anything about it. When the credit card was brought back to the table with the check requiring the signature, the total changed to ~$61. With the waitress still there, he questioned the additional charge. The waitress responded by saying that the extra amount due came from tax.
Usually when the check arrives, there is a category for tax as an addition to the subtotal, which gives the final total. There was something weird about the second check suddenly showing an increase, which was calculated to be the incorrect tax percentage anyway.
Because the waitress was still there (with an attitude), the payer also asked about the relatively high cost of the meal and wanted to see the breakdown of the price of each dish. The quote at the beginning of my review was spewed out. There was more to it, but my inattention and incomprehension of the language did not permit me to add more to the paragraph of quote. We did not get (or were not allowed?) to see the price breakdown.
Now came the part of writing in the tip, with the waitress glaring down at the writing in progress. It was still busy, with people waiting for tables still. Another party member told the waitress that she could go help other tables now (multiple times), but she silently insisted to stay to watch the rest of the numbers go onto the check. After the payer wrote in a smallish tip (by which I mean not the usual 15-18%), the waitress angrily snatched back the check while it was still in the payer's hand and stormed off.
The calculation of the average price per dish (pre-tax, pre-tip) came out to about $5.50 - $5.75. The average Chinatown dish is in the $3 - $4 range. For about the same food quality, you can get about twice as satisfied in Chinatown, and be able to leave much less enraged.
DIM SUM! Not bad, but not awesome either.
As everyone has already mentioned, it's a bit hard to find the first time next to some autoshops and behind the movie theater. There also isn't a lot of parking so either fight for a spot with other crazy Asian drivers or play it safe and park in the Factoria Mall parking lot or at the theater and walk over.
It can get pretty busy during the weekend with up to a 30-minute wait even though the restaurant has plenty of seating. This is both good and bad. Good because the food turnover is high so the it's fresh and hot. Bad because you might have a wait and the staff aren't the most friendly. Downright rude might be a better description...
They offer the typical dishes at a reasonable price for the Eastside (a bit more than you'd expect to pay in Chinatown). If I'm not willing to cross the bridge to Seattle, this is probably the place I'd go because their food is tasty, although it could be more flavorful.
I'm not sure what some of the naysayers are thinking when they expect friendly service, heck, the employees, push the cart in circles for countless miles, answer the same damn questions over and over and peddle the same damn stuff every freaking day....come on!!
I remembered fellow Yelper's liking this place, so I punched up the address in the GPS and headed over. Goodness this place is in a weird location, I agree with other reviews on this part, but you know what, the adventure of trying to find this place was well worth it!
Granted, you'll find no fancy-schmancy "Hong Kong" style dim sum, nor will you find amazing servers who remember your name, if you want that, then you've come to wrong place. What you will find here at Top Gun, is top notch quality Dim Sum at decent prices, oh, and FREE parking! You can't find that in the ID!!
We ordered up the standard fair, tripe, spare ribs, shrimp balls, meat ball this and that, and everything had solid flavors and for a 1:30PM after the usual standard Dim sum serving time, the place had plenty of choices that where nice and fresh.
The wait to be seated wasn't that bad for Saturday and yes, I had to park in the overflow lot, but it was all good.
We didn't have any overly friendly nor rude servers, in fact the cart-pushers spoke just enough Ching-rish to describe most of their wares.
I'm looking forward to our return visit. YUM-O!!!
Top Gun was my first dim sum experience in Seattle. First impression was... where the heck is this place?!?!
Take note newcomers, it's not visible from the street. It's behind an auto shop, you'll see it once you drive into the parking lot. Or just do what I do... follow the hoards of Asians walking/driving into a random parking lot where the place is supposed to be.
I loved the overall meal, especially the company (Yay Becca!). A few of the dishes were really good, but some dishes, I've had better. Their BBQ pork inside the baos are a little sweeter than I'm used to, and the sweet tofu soup needs more ginger.
Why didn't we try this place sooner? Maybe I was holding out hope for Jeem, since it's quite a bit shorter drive... however, this morning I placed one last call to Jeem, you know, just to make sure and got the "BEEP BOOP BEEEEEEP, I'm sorry, the number you have called has been disconnected or is no longer in service..." I decided it was time to move on.
I knew from the reviews that the place was hard to find, and they weren't kidding. I'm pretty sure they don't get a lot of drive-by-and-come-in-on-a-whim traffic. You have to be actively looking for this place. Side note: If you come in on that back street from 124th, past Nordstrom Rack, Target and DSW Shoes it's easier to spot.
So we got there about 11:30.. reasonable time for Dim Sum, no? I was expecting it to busier, but we were seated immediately. They brought water and tea and the first cart pulled up moments later. Since it was just my husband and I eating, we only ordered a handful of different plates. The har gow, pork shu mai, fried taro root, chinese broccoli, honey walnut prawns, pork hum bow were all fantastic! Very fresh and hot... light, not greasy... very flavorful. The whole thing came to about $30 for the two of us. Not necessarily *cheap* but I've paid only slightly less for lower quality dim sum so we were quite happy overall.
TREMENDOUS DIM SUM!!! (with none of the I.D. downer to deal with). :-D I have to say Top Gun is the top at most the a close 2nd on my list of favorite place for dim sum, but I always find myself to bias toward Top Gun because we live less than 10 minutes away and this place is "cleaner" than the place we normally frequent. Who say there is no good dim sum on the east side haven't been to Top Gun. This place is a winner.
awesome chinese food especially during dim sum hours. I went to a wedding that was held here as well. Food and service was excellent!
The place was hard to find. I was hoping that my hard work would pay off. I mean, that's the American dream right? To find a good dim sum restaurant?
Anyway, I went with a friend on a Saturday afternoon, around 11am. We waited in line for around 20 minutes. Not too bad.
The food was alright. We had the usual shumai and hargow dimsum, along with Chinese donut rice noodles. This is the first dimsum place I've been to in Seattle that serves donut noodles. We also had their chicken feet. They were good but not as flavorful as I'd like.
Parking is pretty difficult too. I'll probably come back here in the future, but it's not at the top of my list.
I usually would rate this place higher, I've been here on several occasions, but I just thought I'd share my latest experience with everyone...
This past Sunday, I got an order to go: some dim sum, as well as an order of beef chow-fun (wide rice noodles). I decided to get it to go because the weekend lunch/dim sum crowd there is crazy.
Upon returning home and spooning up the food, I noticed there was a whole dead wasp, fried up with the noodles! Disgusting! I have reported this to the Dept. of Health as well. Be sure to look through your food there! Sometimes it might just be better to eat blindly methinks....
This isn't so much a review, as it is an observation: when I went there for dimsum 1/25/09, I… Read more »
Pretty good Dim Sum!!! it was not as salty as other dim sum places.
The table and inside was pretty clean comparing to other chinese restaurants so that's always plus!!!!
They have all the dim sum items you are looking for/used to from the other places in the region. Everything is at least as good as you've had before; some items are MUCH better. It costs though, being considerably more expensive than the places I've been in the International District.
I come here if I'm in the mood for dim sum on the Eastside, and don't feel like making the trek out to Chinatown. They do have the best dim sum in Bellevue, so it's still worth it for that. To ensure the best selection and freshest items, you want to get there no later than 1:30 or so.
The hostesses here are among the most rude I've ever dealt with. Sure, it's a Chinese restaurant where, sadly, most don't expect the friendliest service anyways. Unfortunately this restaurant fits the stereotype and perpetuates it. Parking here is impossible. Only a few spaces in front, so during busy times you'd have to park out and across the street at Factoria. Problem is, those spots have signs posted that clearly state you are not allowed to park there for Top Gun.
Service can be lacking but food is pretty good and the selection isn't bad.
During busy hours the ladies with the dim sum carts are always running around with new dishes. If you want something that's not ready, be prepared to wait awhile though. If you come at a slow hour your selection diminishes quite substantially. Food is almost always good and I've never had a problem coming out stuffed.
Probably one of the best places in the greater Seattle area for dim sum. Chinatowns in Vancouver/Richmond, B.C. and San Fran come to mind when I think good dim sum though... hopefully we'll get some better selections soon!
Parking can be difficult but they recently added another lot (but you have to walk around to get back to the restaurant) which helps. They also have another place in DT Seattle called O'Asian which has good happy hour and good dim sum but prices are a little higher (for obvious reasons).
Perhaps it is true that the experience is only as good as the meal itself.
We came back with a large party of beautiful dear Yelpers. I wonder if I was just too busy playing host to spot which dishes to order. We were a party of 14 people, so we occupied a large table and a half. The "standard" popular dishes were ordered, but I don't remember there being as much variety as last time when we were only a cozy party of two. The things that make you say "hmmm."
I heard the kitchen order of beef chow fun was really good, but I didn't get to taste it. Again, I need to stop playing host.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
We dared to stray from overcapacitated Jade Garden for dim sum, and Top Gun delivered! The address… Read more »
I can't believe how busy this place is, it was labor day but hear it's busy all the time. the steamed dim sum dishes were pretty good. But most of the fried or baked stuff was cold. Also the bill seemed higher then most dim sum places.
Best dim sum I have had in the Seattle area after being here for more than a year! I will definitely be back again..hopefully next weekend.
Here's what we tried:
sticky rice in banana leaves
noodles
shrimp dumpling
chinese broccoli
pork dumpling
egg custard
Make sure you arrive before 11am on the weekends or you will have to wait a while. There's a reason why it's so packed..because it's so good!
*I just noticed people commenting about the service. Not sure why..it's a Chinese restaurant people not the Four Seasons!
Chicken feet fetish? Dim sum is consistently finger-licking-good at Top Gun.
Service: Imagine dim-sum-cart-women, from different restaurants, in a NASCAR style race. Jade Garden is falling behind, Ocean City has a flat, and Top Gun is 10 laps ahead! The Top Gun dim-sum-cart-women shoot through like 10,000 RPM, and this is where Top Gun stands out: the cart-women work fast and push lots of fresh and steamy goodies. Attentiveness & friendliness of staff was performed on level with any other Chinese restaurant (not fantastic....).
Dim Sum: The winning characteristic about Top Gun is the dim sum selection. There are the traditional nomegai, shumai, shrimp noodles, beef noodles, shrimp balls, hum-bao, lemon-tarts, fried pork dumplings, chicken feet, tripe, etc.
Top Gun also has a few more items on the carts that include honey-walnut-prawns, fried calamari, fried noodles, congee, fried-taro-dumplings, sometimes stinky-tofu and several other options that don't always show up at many International District dim sum carts.
The quality and quantity of the dim sum entrees are right at the standard level for WA.
Parking: The teeny-tiny parking lot gets full fast. Nearby businesses have "No Restaurant Parking" warning signs everywhere (and I wouldn't take my chances), but there is plenty of parking around the block near the Factoria Cinemas sign or across the street.
BTW: I have had a few better dim-sum experiences around Seattle, but Top Gun has been the only one consistently good (like the Olympic contender that keeps getting 8/10).
Oh yea, lick those chicken feet. Lick em.
I really love the dim sum there. I did try eating dinner there once but wasn't a huge fan of the food. Like most Asian restaurants, the service sort of sucks- especially from the two women who run the front desk. You could go every day for a month and they won't look at you twice, say hi or smile. Anyway, I go for the food and don't expect much else. It does get very crowded so it's best to go earlier than later. I've noticed Sundays are worse than Saturdays. I noticed many of the reviewers complaining about the price but I think it's cheap. My husband and I stuff our faces for $20 which seems like a good deal to us.
I don't normally do "real chinese" -- in fact, most of my Chinese food experiences are at Hop Poh in Hamburg, PA, which I don't think is even run by Chinese people.
Anyway, the food here was pretty good, although the overall experience was on the odd side. Parking is a disaster, and everywhere nearby clearly says "No Restaurant Parking" (obviously, the disastrous parking situation is a known issue..) The place is also in a weird spot next to a bunch of auto repair type places, which generally don't lead to a lot of confidence in the atmosphere.
But, walking inside, and being the only non-asian in the joint, generally is a good thing. Until it came time to order, of course, as the waiter basically spoke no english. We ordered Geoduck and got crab. We sent it back and were later told (after about half an hour) that there was no more geoduck. We ordered baby bok choi and got spinach. And we ordered a tofu thing and got no rice. I assume most of this was a loss in translation, though.
Anyway, the food we did end up with was solid, and I ate way too much of it.
the food was alright but the service is beyond terrible.
Went there for dinner at around 530 with some friends. there was only one waiter and he was awful. when we were trying to ask him a question, he didnt even stop and just walked away and came back later and i asked us what we said. And it wasnt even busy! there were only us and this one other family. hella rude. and my congee was cold! in the end we asked for separate checks, he was like "uh, why cant you guys pay together?".. uh... because we dont want to? i left a big 0 for tips and a message saying i would never come back, well doesnt seem like they care since they assume that they have the best dimsum there.
Ehhh... i've been here for dim sum only and at first really liked this place. But the last few times all i've gotten is COLD dim sum which is not my thing. Its really busy too so i dont understand why the food turnaround is not that good and the food is not as fresh and you would think. Service well, maybe i should say the lady that hosts, the manager/owner?... has some serious attitude. Expect a really long wait on the weekend, really i think bc its the only option out there... Parking is a pain in the u know what as well. Not worth it.
Typical location for a Chinese restaurant-- tucked away by a bunch of autoshops. I had no idea that this was here until my friend brought me for dim sum the other day. Their parking lot is kind of small, but there's plenty of parking on the other side of the fence (I'm not sure if that's permitted, but we parked there anyway). The inside is dark, red, and uninviting, but seemed to attract a lot of people on the Sunday afternoon that we went. The friend that I went with is not big on seafood (sacrilege, I know!) so we focused more on pork dishes. The flavour was pretty good and I can kind of see why people venture over to the eastside for this place because it's hard to find good dim sum in Seattle, although it's a little pricier than some of the places in the ID.
Great Dim Sum! It is always packed during weekends. Wait is usually 20 - 30 mins if you get there after 11:30. This is about the only dim sum place in town with consistency (quality and taste). Service is what you would expect from a typical chinese restaurant. Rude! But i am not there for the service. I am actually there for the food.
Ha...HA....... This place is a joke for Dim Sum.
Service is horrible and their Dim Sum can't compares to Joy Palace, Tea Palace, House of Hong or Jumbo and they are somewhat expensive. They have very little parking and difficult to find.
It was a Saturday in early October. I was heading down SE 38th St and I looked to my right, expecting to see Top Gun. Instead, empty lot and fenced in area, seemingly devoid of human life. Undeterred, I ventured further away from the road. Past the fence I was rewarded with sign after sign telling me parking for Top Gun was not allowed. So, I had arrived. I just couldn't park anywhere.
A friend invited me along to a large group outing for dim sum here. We got there right when they opened at 10 to avoid long waits, and indeed, we were seated immediately. (Parking was also not an issue at 10, but my inner story teller got the best of me up there. Sorry).
Top Gun is a solid dim sum place. We learned after we got there that they serve hot dishes, but only starting at 11. The added variety might have made this a 4-star review like Noble Court, but alas, we were all full by 10:50.
The tables filled up right around 11, so your best bet to avoid waiting for a table but still get to try hot food is to arrive 10 minutes before 11 or so.
Went there on Sunday with a large group, inevitably, there was a long wait. Top Gun is where I would go if I want decent Dim Sum, I would call it the best dim sum in the Seattle area, but please note that 'best' is coz when it's compared to the other ones we have around town, Top Gun does prevail.
The food is not as delicate as the dim sum served in HK but it will do for now.
read about this place a lot on yelp. So, I decided to try it out for myself. I'm a fan of dim sum but my husband is not. He just tags along to pay the bill. If you can't find this place, its the right turn before the wide shoe store. Or better yet, just followed the asians. lolz. We arrived at about 11am and already it was getting packed, however, we got a seat smack right in front and that means first dibs on all the dim sum. The food was good! about 20-30 mins into it, more people arrived and there was a waiting list. So arrived early to get some fresh dim sum.
We didn't come for the dim sum, we just ordered from the menu and everything was great.
Salt and Pepper Pork Chops - Fried to perfection, nice and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Perfect flavor.
Dry Beef Chow Fun - Great portion, great flavor, and a decent amount of noodles and beef, not just filler. The hot sauce was one of the better ones I've had.
Pan fried dumplings - amply stuffed with a nice thin shell, nicely fried and a great way to start your meal.
Tilapia - Very good, fresh, although I hate it when my food is staring at me, I just had to make sure he was staring the other way.
This is probably one of the best dim sum places in the greater Seattle area. There are plenty of tables if you come here right when they open but the line is out the door once it hits noon. Its a little pricier than the places in Chinatown. It was very relaxing until I felt like they were rushing us out once they had a long wait list going on.
Went here for dinner. Dont have time in the morning for Dim Sum since I work 7 days a week. I've had a bad impression of Chinese food in Seattle, well not a bad impression just a simple conclusion. There isn't any good Chinese food in Seattle, other some noodle houses.
I went here because I know there was a Top Gun Seafood restaurant in Vancouver, BC and they were pretty good. I thought this was the same owner. WRONG!
Ordered the few dishes I think it's pretty hard to screw up on. Ordered Hot and Sour Soup. Bad and tasteless just sour. Then my GF ordered the Walnut Shrimp. Can't screw up on that, right? Worst I've had. Then I said, how bout a Steamed Fish. I mean, it's a fish with soy sauce, some sesame oil and steamed. No need to screw that up, Right?
REALLY WRONG! Wow I've never seen a restaurant screw up so badly on steaming a fish. I mean, it's simple. Get a fish. Pour some soy sauce on it, some sesame oil. STEAM. Finish off with some green onions.
The fish was way way way way (yes I know I typed "way" four times but I wanted to make a point) overcooked. IT TASTED LIKE A RUBBER FISH!!
I told the waiter to tell the Chef that he screwed up and he went into the kitchen. Not sure if he told the Chef but the waiter brought out 2 bowls of red bean dessert. Gee lucky me. Probably cost them a whole shiny nickel for both bowls while the fish cost me $25. Nice trade off. I didn't want the dessert, I didn't eat the dessert. I just wanted a "The Chef sends his apologies!" would have been ok with me.
Don't care if they have good Dim Sum or not. I'm not going back here. Waste of my money and time. Worst of all, THIS RESTAURANT WAS A WASTE OF MY VALUABLE STOMACH SPACE!!
The quality has fallen off for whatever reason the last couple of months. The coverings (not sure what it's called) for the dumplings are not what it used to be and not as chewy as before. Service is always poor. The only reason I frequent this place is because I live only five minutes away. If I could afford the extra ten minute drive, I head over to Noble Court. As far as I know these are the only two respectable dim sum joints in the Eastside. Plan on checking out a new Dim Sum joint called East Ocean in Redmond.
a bunch of us went here for sunday late lunch (2ish) and the wait was about 20 mins. with no seating. while this is usually not a big deal at all, we were already slightly peeved due to the insanely small parking lot without pavement markings and all the threatening tow company signs. not top gun's fault, mind you, so i'm not docking any stars-- just venting. continuing vent: and THEN some acura mdx decides to park on a bias next to the single entrance/exit, thus further narrowing the passage, enabling only houdini stunt drivemen slash jason statham transporters to get out. wtf yo!
anyways, i'm over it. woozah.
this is my personal favorite for dim sum on the eastside. average dim sum and above average dim sum selection. as a native to the bay area, i found their prices way higher than what i usually pay, but still competitively priced for this area. relatively speaking, service is better here than any other dim sum places in the bay area as well. this particular time, though, i ordered don tot and hum sui gok ahead of time since those were the only dishes i was seriously hankering for and didn't see come out in the carts. i must have asked 3 different people and they'd say the same thing: "it's coming out".
well, it didn't. boo. effin liars, having me look like a child who just found out there isn't really a santa. a frozen face in a mixture of half-mortified, half-nervous smiling.
no, for the 8th time-- i don't want your damn congee-- stop asking me! unless you can "congee" up some hum sui gok and have it materialize in front of me so i can gleefully binge away, i don't want it! ahh, i felt hollow inside. quite literally, too, because my stomach was empty. and sad. instead, i gorged myself on the other things just to eat the pain away. why did they lie to me? why?? :P
heartbreakers.
I've come late, so I'll have to try getting here earlier next time to have a shot at the non-re-steamed and reheated. As per usual, after 12 means packed, a long wait, and the possibility of aged food. Be in the know and come early (and often?)
They have all the usuals of dim sum and the asians of the (far) east side turn out in droves.
Everyone seem to have their favorite between house of hong, jade garden, or top gun. I don't see too much of a difference between them besides idiosyncrasies of service. I recommend hitting all of them and judging for yourself.
Bellevue, WA
Category: Dim Sum
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Dim Sum
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Dim Sum
Bellevue, WA
Category: Chinese
Bellevue, WA
Category: Chinese
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