Tried Gan Bei Eatery and Bar and it was just okay. We ordered the Hunan spicy chicken and the daikon beef brisket. Both were decent, but nothing particularly memorable. Coming from Asia, the flavors didn't quite stand out. Service was friendly, which we appreciated, though it could have been a bit faster. Decor was quite cute particularly around the bar area. It's okay spot overall in my opinion. read more

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Very good rice rolls and orange chicken! Came here with two friends around 4:30pm and were seated right away. They've got a full bar and tons of food options. Got the xo rice rolls, pea vines with garlic, fried chicken with gravy, and the pea vines with garlic. Everything was delicious but I was sadly pretty full still before arriving. Would be back, and hoping to try more things on the menu! read more

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Gan Bei is a cute little place in terms of decor, and the service itself was fine, the waitress was nice. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. They had chow mein as their special menu item, which is what I took home. The food seemed decent at first, until I discovered a dead cockroach mixed in with the grease near the bottom of the chow mein. At first I thought it was just a red pepper flake that accidentally got into the dish. But when I flipped it over with my fork right before eating it, I saw the legs and everything, it was unmistakably a cockroach. I even turned it over to confirm (I really wish I had taken a photo of that as well). After realizing what it was, I immediately threw the food away. What made this even worse was that my partner and I had already eaten most of the dish before discovering it at the bottom of the container. I almost threw up when I realized what we had likely been eating around. Now we're left monitoring for symptoms like nausea, stomach issues, or anything else. In all my years of eating out, this is the first time I've ever found a cockroach in my food from a restaurant. I'm still debating whether it's even worth contacting the restaurant since I already threw the food away--I was honestly too disgusted to keep it. And even if they offered to remake the dish, I would never want to eat their food again. If it were possible to give 0 stars, I would. I will never eat at Gan Bei again. read more

Gan Bei - Cockroach in my chow mein at Gan Bei - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Gan bei is an absolute favorite of mine. Dive bar ambiance. Impeccable cuisine. Everything on the menu is extremely fresh, delicious, and full of flavor. I am addicted to the beef XO chow fun (dry). I love coming here on a karaoke night with friends, but also just for a casual dinner. Karaoke usually starts up around 8pm on Mondays + Thursdays, just fyi. Most nights it seems the kitchen closes around 9:30pm The fried chicken here is insane. Crisped to perfection and i love the gravy and rice combo. So much meat on the bones too. The garlic broth pea vines... I could eat a whole plate of them just to myself! The only 2 dishes that weren't quite my favorite were the pork claypot and mapo tofu. But I am very satisfied by the rest of the menu! Also.. the peanut butter Hong Kong style French toast is an absolute must try for dessert!! read more

Gan Bei - Peanut butter French toast - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went here and overall it's good, has a nice chill causal vibe. Service was nice friendly and quick. I don't know if I'd come here for the food specifically but seems like a good place to hang and drink. Got there right in time for happy hour and ordered off that menu. Overall the orange chicken was nice and had a good crunch, I would skip the calamari bc I just didn't feel like it had very much flavor, the chili wontons were good but nothing too special and the green beans were good but I like them more crispy. For a bar vibe, the food is pretty good tho but not worth just to come and not get a drink read more

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We came during a Saturday night which happened to be their 6 year anniversary. The staff were prepping for a buffet menu but we came just for the rice rolls and wings. The order came out fast but the chicken wings were undercooked. We let them know and they made a new basket for us. Overall good food, service and vibes. Probably come back just for the rice rolls only tho. read more

Gan Bei - Rice rolls chicken wings - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Gan Bei is a small bar in iDistrict serving stellar bites! Do note that because it's a bar, they will card before allowing you in regardless of whether you order any alcohol. Went for a late dinner after 9PM on a Saturday and there were still plenty of seats available. Menu is really extensive for a bar - honestly would put some regular Chinese restaurants to shame. Thai Chili Wings (4/5): Crisp didn't hold up as much as I wanted to with the sauce, but came out piping hot and the sauce rides the line perfectly between sweet and salty. Chicken and Gravy (4/5): Nice, salty crunch with juicy chicken inside. Definitely one of the best meal sets you can get in Seattle and the gravy packs an extra savory punch. Freshwater Eel Claypot (4.5/5): Unlike most claypots, this version almost feels fresh and fragrant with tons of green onion throughout. The eel is super delicate, not fishy at all and just tender bites folded into the fluffy rice. Surprise hit and definitely a must try. read more

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Stopped into this local dive bar for happy hour and realized they have it available until 6 pm Monday-Thursdays! I was immediately greeted at the bar and provided with menus for both dinner and happy hour. The bartender was friendly and answered questions that I had about the menu and even offered recommendations based off of what I was in the mood for. The orange chicken and white rice tasted delicious! It was a great portion for a happy hour snack. I recommend this establishment if you're searching for a unique place in the International District with great happy hour specials! read more

Gan Bei - Orange chicken with rice - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great vibes here, especially on Karaoke nights, however, their food isn't that great. Their traditional clay pot was the best dish for us. It came with Chinese sausage with soy sauce on some of the rice. However, it was $19, and for some rice and Chinese sausage, I thought that it was expensive. The orange chicken was good as well. It was flavored well and crispy, however, I thought the portioning was a bit small. We also had their beef chow fen noodle which was okay, the noodles and beef were too salty. We had their Thai chili chicken wings too and it was okay. It lacked flavor which was disappointing. But the chicken was crispy and cooked well. The service was okay. Some employees were nice, others not as much. The food did take quite of time to make. The ambiance can be great on karaoke nights. Otherwise it's a decent place to eat food with some friends and chill. There's limited seating though. read more

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Right when walking in I knew the vibes were right. So glad they were involved with the Chinatown International District food walk. The music was so fun and just positive vibes. On some of the tables they had little games which was cute and fun. There was a pretty big bar and the menu was quite delicious. I was so impressed by their french toast and how crispy it was but also doughy on the inside. The condensed milk on top was the best touch. Would definitely come back:) read more

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A Dive Bar with local vibes and delicious food. I come to Gan Bei every trip back home. Derek and the crew are always a vibe. Im usually showing up on a Thursday night which is Karaoke night. Drinks are reasonably priced, but whats even better is the food. Some of the best fried chicken can be found here. Comes with a side of gravy but spice it up a bit and ask for a side of the Szechuan chili oil and mix that in there. I've been so many times and cant name a dish that wasnt good, so anything that you order here will be on point. Clay pot, chow fun, season stir fry veggies, etc. All a W . If you're looking for a place w a bit of the local soul and good food n drinks check this place out. read more

Gan Bei - Mongolian beef - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Immediately upon arrival the vibes were right. Everyone was so friendly, the customers looked happy (packed at 6pm), and the food smelled great. We got a seat in the back and our server was so friendly, joking around and making recommendations. All the food matched the energy - fun, flavorful, affordable. I'll be back for sure. My favorite dish was the scallop fried rice. read more

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I was really happy to hear that this place was able to bring back a bigger kitchen menu, so I looked forward to going back on a Friday night at around 7pm here. Most seats were filled, so my friend and I took bar seating, where we were served very quickly by everyone there. It's small and intimate inside, with several tables at the front, a bar in the middle and some more seating in the back where the kitchen is also near. I got the traditional claypot, which comes with Chinese sausages, pork belly and greens. As stated on their menu, it takes about 20-30 minutes to make. This rice pot was pretty much everything I liked, especially the burnt and hard rice crisps that come with most claypots served in other Chinatown restaurants, and the meats were perfectly seasoned. I would probably want more options for meats like pork spare ribs with black beans, or even salted fish. But looking at just the dish itself, it was amazing. The place isn't exactly on as big of a menu as before but I was very satisfied with what I got for the day! There are dishes for the day for each day that they are open, which is placed near bar seating, so be on the lookout for those. As of this writing, the dish of the day was the dry beef chow fun, and it was ordered quite a lot when I was inside. read more

Gan Bei - Traditional claypot - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Cute hole in the wall. Came here for dinner before a show at WAMU. Parking close relatively easy for a weekday evening. I ordered the pork belly clay pot which took about 20 mins to cook. The pork belly was cooked well but I thought they could've added more veggies to the entree. The other portions my friends ordered looked large for the price. There's a handful of other entrees I want to try next time I'm here! read more

Small mom and pop restaurant with wonderful, homestyle Chinese food. The first thing you'll notice when you step inside is that there are a lot of regulars here. It's a chill community spot, plus they have karaoke every Thursday night. I recommend these dishes: * Clay pot rice - usually a 20 min wait but so worth it * Chicken and gravy - crispy and delicious * Hong Kong milk tea * Money's chili crisp - you can also request it on the side with your meal or you can buy a jar! My favorite locally made chili crisp. read more

Gan Bei - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Visited Gan Bei on a Thursday evening and had such a fun time. We were given an estimated wait time of 30 min but we got seated around 15 minutes. The overall vibe of the restaurant is fun, but pretty cramped. Parking was kind of difficult but as expected with Seattle. Service was good. Our server seemed to be having a lot of fun and was quick with getting us more and more rounds haha. Food was great too. It was family style for us. Would come again. read more

We ordered the eel claypot, xo green beans, and brisket and daikon. The rice at the bottom of the claypot was more than just crispy, it was burnt and inedible :/ The brisket was too salty and the green beans, we couldn't really taste the key ingredients of what makes something "xo" Overall disappointed with the food but the vibe was cool, lots of folks here ahead of the sounders game -- so maybe more of a drinks place. read more

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Incredible food and people. The owner is genuinely sweet and welcoming, so it's not surprising the regulars have curated a communal atmosphere. They have a warmth uncommon in most restaurants. read more

Classic Cantonese style dishes but with an edgy spin -- complete with a full bar, karaoke Thursdays, and fantastic neighborhood energy & community. Ganbei is one of my favorites for dinner and drinks and mingling with friends. Some standout items include the jalapeño chicken wings, fresh water eel clay pot rice, and roasted garlic smelts. I also hear great things about their chicken & gravy but somehow still haven't been able to get my hands on them. Go for the comfort dishes, stay for the vibes! read more

Met friends for a bite to eat and was so glad we went to Gan Bei! It's a small place with very friendly staff. We went right when they opened (4:00) and within an hour it was packed! Every table was full of people talking and eating. We order an array of food and shared all. Had their special of the night (they have a special each night) which was Kim Chee Bacon Fried Rice. Oh man was it good!! Also had Thai chili fried chicken wings which were delicious!! The others shared Orange Chicken, Beef Chow Fun and garlic chicken wings which all said were great. I want to go back and try more dishes so will plan an outing with my daughters soon! I highly recommend Gan Bei and understand they have Karaoke too! read more

The food here is great! I like everything I ordered! They have a digital full menu which is not a lot of options but enough for me to choose things I want. They made the food after ordering so it is fresh and hot, but take a bit of time. The surroundings there is cozy and friendly, very small place but decorated well. Great place for after work gatherings. Street parking available around. read more

Gan Bei - Fried Chicken legs - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Delicious fried chicken and overall super cool. Has a vibey bar as well that pulls the whole thing together read more

Gan Bei - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Excellent food and vibes. Everything we ordered was good. I loved the calamari and sticky fried rice. read more

Gan Bei - Calamari, green beans, beef chow fun - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Finally had a chance to check this place out after an event in CID across the street. My friend said the fried sticky rice was one her favorite dishes. She was spot on and I trust her taste any. We were going to get the Chinese Broccoli with garlic but they were out but that's ok cause cause we went with the ong choy garlic instead and it didn't disappoint. I give the server props for keeping up with how busy it was for a Thursday evening the place was pretty packed at 8pm. I'm not usually in CID this late it was nice to try a place I haven't had a chance to cause of the later hours. Definitely a fun atmosphere this evening since it was Karaoke night. Definitely will be back to try more dished next time. They have a daily special list make sure and check it out. read more

Gan Bei - Sticky Fried Rice - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

After living here for 7 years, I stumbled upon Gan Bei after seeing it on @acooknamedmatt's instagram page. I've always labeled seattle as a sleeper town when it comes to food but my first experience at Gan Bei changed my mind completely. You walk into their dimly lit restaurant with quirky decorations and a narrow entrance to what may appear to most as a dive bar. Take a look around and you'll find happy customers engaged in their own conversations or singing karaoke with tables full of steaming Chinese dishes. Their menu is an assortment of classic Chinese fare most people have had one time or another such as orange chicken, won ton soup, mapo tofu, clay pot rice, and noodles. So you're probably wondering, why is Gan Bei any different from the numerous other Chinese restaurants in the vicinity? It's all about the quality and flavor of their food. My boyfriend who is Chinese and grew up eating Chinese food his entire life was even blown away when I took him here. For example, they have sticky fried rice that's made fresh and has the perfect sauce combination, without needing an excess amount of MSG. The chicken wings with gravy here are one of their star dishes - a classic twist on southern fried chicken but with Asian flavors. And to cut through all of the greasy fried food, you have to order their lemon hand-shredded chicken. Think hainanese chicken with a strong acidic lemon flavor on top of a bed of fresh shredded cabbage that pairs perfectly with the rest of their offerings. Their mapo tofu isn't too spicy or too oily, but you know it isn't made with the store-bought packets that most Chinese restaurants use. The cherry on top is their level of service and hospitality. Money, the young woman who is always working, is the magician behind most of these dishes. Money and her staff are kind and attentive while they work tirelessly to keep the good vibes going. I'm so grateful to have found this hidden gem in Seattle. This is officially my go to restaurant when friends come to visit! Come by for top tier Chinese food and delicious drinks too! read more

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I'd defect to the Darkside just to eat these wings. Best fried chicken I've ever had. Lightly fried, super crispy, super juicy and tender inside, with perfect amount of seasoning/salt. The "Real Orange Chicken" was made with OJ and actually had orange peels cooked to perfection. Never had it prepared this way before but I'd go back for a lot more. I can never go back to eating the orange chicken you see in food courts at malls. There was karaoke happening with a lot of local community members which gave it an awesome vybe. The bartender Derrick was cool as heck and hospitable. And for $40 I had 2 delicious Chinese beers, white rice, and 2 delicious chicken meals. HIGHLY recommend Gan Bei! read more

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This place is honestly one of my favorites in Seattle - the food is really good and this place gives super cute ex-pat bar in HK vibes. My friends have always been impressed by the drinks and food - they have different specials on the menu they'll highlight, too! The only thing is that sometimes the chef isn't there, so the menu options are super limited. Other than that, everything I've gotten here has been really good except for the fact that some of the dishes (like the shredded chicken) is exceptionally salty. So be aware! Our favorites have been: 1) Eel clay pot (soooo good) 2) Shredded chicken (super salty though 3) Rice rolls (off the menu but so yummy) 4) Calamari (breading is so good and salty/peppery) We weren't a huge fan of the chicken but it is one of their most popular items so I think it's worth a try. read more

Gan Bei - calamari - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We drove up on a whim after our flight just landed. Thai crispy wings are a major hit! They were nice and hot and STILL very crispy after like 10-15 minutes we got them. Very impressive. What's not impressive is the cultural appropriation for a bunch of white dudes running an Asian-themed dive bar with equally cultural appropriated names. read more

Delicious food, wonderful drink selection and amazing service. Wonderful bar experience.

I came to Gan Bei on a whim since I was craving Asian food. Parking was fairly easy, and the place wasn't too crowded so it was pretty easy to get a seat. They had both tables and bar seating. The bartender was chatting pleasantly with the customers. For customers who didn't feel as social, they were playing a movie up on the TV which was nice! I ended up sitting at the bar and ordered the daikon beef brisket. After getting my food, I was a bit unpleasantly surprised that the dish didn't come with rice! What kind of asian food doesn't include rice? To my surprise, though, on my request, the bartender actually offered to get me a bowl of rice to eat my brisket with, for free! The daikon was super flavorful and juicy, and left me wanting more. The brisket was also really flavorful. Overall, I really liked coming here and will definitely be back again! read more

My friends and I have been here a few times for their gravy chaser, so I'm writing a review for folks who are looking for a unique drink experience! Gan Bei makes their gravy in house, so grab a seat at the bar, chat with the bartender, and order a whiskey and chase it with their gravy. It's been a solid pitstop for us before getting dimsum in the International District. I tried their fried chicken and it was okay. Crisp outside and moist inside, but the seasoning was lacking for me. read more

Gan Bei - Gravy chasers! - Comfort Food Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Quick eats here. As for expectations, it is a small venue and a very chill vibe. Our waiter Derek was awesome! He recommended some dishes and they were delicious. Too many good things on the menu so we will have to come back and try more dishes in the future! read more

Gan Bei was ok. I headed to yelp for a fun dinner spot in the ID. I don't eat out in Seattle much anymore, but this place is so hipster it hurts. Tiny place with a handful of tables and some bar seating. The food was a mixed bag. The fried chicken was great. The dumplings were great. I got a fried rice that was just kind of bland and over cooked. Drinks were good. Not trying to slam the place, maybe we are the wrong demographic in our mid 30s? Fried rice seems pretty hard to screw up, but this was just above Panda Express and not even in the same ballpark as the other food we ordered. read more

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This review does not address drinks. This is a 21+ only bar and food place that isn't at all obvious they have a strong food focus until I read about it via social media. The inside is very small; the bar takes up most of the place. Then there are several tables that seat no more than 4 people each. I knew the clay pot dishes take 25 to 30 minutes so I called ahead before leaving the house (I live 20 minutes away). I arrived at the store at 35 minutes. It wasn't ready yet, and we waited another 5 minutes. I was surprised when the waitress told me they were slammed resulting in the delay. Good for them! I was surprised, because it's 4:15pm on Sunday. We had one annoying mistake with one dish (see below), but otherwise, the ordering and pickup process was largely smooth. Food: XO Sauce Rice Roll - 5 Stars! This was a very pleasant surprise. Perfectly seared. An excellent mildly spicy kick from the XO sauce, bits of green onions, dry shrimps, and more make this my favorite dish amongst the 4. Freshwater clay pot eel rice - 3 Stars This is the star of their menu of Taishanese cuisine. I don't know if my nose is sensitive, but I smell the fishiness. I shouldn't smell fishiness. I'm so annoyed I can smell it. The taste was fine and didn't scream anything particularly special. The smell ruined it for me. Sticky Fried Rice - 3.5 Stars If there is one thing that I must give credit to Gan Bei, everything is very finely chopped. I just wonder if someone in the back is going nuts with a giant cleaver chopping away at everything in every dish. This one is no different. The tiny bits of pork, green onions, onions are so busy. I prefer this one over the eel rice, but I thought the rice kernels were still a bit too hard. Enoki Soft Tofu Combo - 2 Stars I asked for no meat. She said no problem, this is a seafood only dish. I'm looking at the menu, and it reads it has pork. She says no, no, it's seafood only. When I'm picking up the box, she pats the box, points at the receipt, and says no meat. Great. Come home, open the box, and there is meat everywhere. There are more than one kind of meat! Doh. That's a pretty annoyingly big mistake. The balance of carrots and peas is odd, too. There are better places to get this dish. read more

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it's delicious and a vibe, always fun and servers are always respectful. highly recommend to anyone who wants a good time with food drink.

Went here with some friends after a late flight and had a quick, cozy meal! Since we came a little over an hour before closing, there was a slightly awkward feeling of trying to rush our order and eat as fast as we could, but we ordered the mapo tofu, the sticky rice special, and some chili oil dumplings. All of it was delicious (great recs from our server). It really is the small hole in the wall places that have the best food in the international district, and I would definitely come back again when I have more time for dinner :) read more

We got some tame out from here the other day and all I can say is there are plenty of good places in the ID and this one wasn't one of them. The food was very inauthentic and overpriced. The Flavors were not there at all. Overall it was a very dissaponitng dining experience . read more

A cozy, intimate bar in the International District with upbeat servers and bartenders. The space is rather small, if you come with a group of 15 like we did to celebrate a farewell party; be prepared to stand in the tiny back room, hallway, and by the bar area. Definitely more a type of bar you come with a party of 2-3 people max! Upon entering, I was surprised by the amount of people that were there not only drinking cocktails but actually eating dishes (ranging from fried rice and chicken wings). There is a house menu of Asian inspired cocktails and drinks and a full bar for mixed drinks for your heart's desire. The reason why this bar gets only a 3 rather than a 4 is the shocking lack of knowledge of the bartenders! We asked for a few basic drinks and shots and the bartender not only had no idea how to make them, but had to spend time googling the recipe, and then making a cocktail that didn't exactly taste right. One of the shots we ordered was a lemon drop and it was this weird concoction of just lemon juice and some form of alcohol I wasn't sure was vodka. A cute place to grab a drink after eating a gut busting meal in the International District but expect to order from the list of cocktails they have limited on the menu. read more

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Even though it says happy hour every day... it's not. Came here on a Saturday looking forward to happy hour. It was the main reason we came, but only to be told the menu was worded wrong and there was no happy hour on the weekends. That's pretty deceiving. Needs to be updated. The food was okay. Ordered the popcorn chicken with plum and it was way too sweet. Also ordered the wonton noodles and asked for a spoon but did not receive it. read more

I came here for dinner on a Sunday night and it was pretty empty, which is a huge surprise given how good the food was. The name of the place means "Cheers" in Chinese, so we ordered their Mandarin cocktail, which was delicious and my friend's "new favorite cocktail in Seattle". We ordered the Traditional Claypot, Taishan Delight, and Egg Gravy Beef Chow Fun. The claypot and Taishan delight were my favorite and were simply great comfort food dishes made just right. The beef in the chow fun was great, but I think I would stick with the regular one without egg gravy. Tip - it takes 20-30 min to get the claypot, so we ordered the claypot immediately after sitting down before deciding the rest of our order. read more

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