1075 Bellevue Way NE, Ste B-2
Bellevue, WA 98004
Mon-Sun 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
Mon-Thu and Sun 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fri-Sat 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
So I had heard rumors of an amazing Taiwanese restaurant in the Bellevue-area. So of course I had to make the trek to the east-side and try it myself. Coming here for the first time was quite an ordeal. The restaurant is fricking hidden and the the parking although plentiful was cramp. After circling the parking lot trying to ID this place and find parking were I would not get door-dinged, I ended up parking on the street behind the strip-mall. Once in the restaurant I realized I must have just missed the lunch rush. There was plenty of seating and plenty of waiters/waitresses just kind of hanging out. But once seated, they were all really attentive and made sure we had everything we needed including making sure my water was never less than half full (I’m a optimist).
The menu had a pretty large assortment of Chinese/Taiwanese dishes. So for my order, I recon’d the other patrons’ food. Everyone seemed to be eating the Pork Burger (not really a burger, it’s braised fatty pork in a bao) so I had to pick up one of them as an appetizer. I also ordered the Noodle with braised beef and a to go order of the Homestyle Egg Noodles.
I was super excited for the pork burger since everyone was eating it…it has to be good right? Correct! It was amazing. When you take your first bite you will get the peanut sauce right away. The braised pork will then shine through along with the cilantro. The bao/bun was also very soft, obviously fresh. For $3.70 it was a steal.
The Noodles with Braised Beef was also very good. It had a pretty strong garlic flavor but was manageable when eaten with the noodles. The contrast of the soft noodles and crunchy bean sprouts was also really nice. I would have like it to have a little spice to it though. But for about $7 for a filling and delicious lunch I can’t complain too much.
And my favorite item from this place…the Homestyle Egg Tofu with Mixed Veggies and Pork. I have to note that I’ve had egg tofu dishes at many other places restaurants but this one has to be my absolute favorite. The tofu was braised just enough to harden the outer layer of the tofu but still maintaining a soft inside. The sauce had a nice balance where it was savory without being too salty but also had a little sweetness to it as well. Texture-wise there was a nice with the crunch from the veggies with the softness from the tofu. On the high-end of $10 I almost did not write about this dish but after thinking about how good it was I had to do recommend it to everyone.
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (1537 Ratings)