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    Joy Bento

    4.2 (96 reviews)
    InexpensiveSushi Bars, Korean, Japanese
    Closed • Closed

    Order Joy Bento Takeout or Delivery

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    JOY BENTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Joy Bento

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    Red Dragon Roll
    Stephen B.

    Hands down my new favorite on the go lunch sushi place in the heart of Seattle. I couldn't believe how fresh the sushi and rolls were. We had the memorable Seattle Roll, Red Dragon, and the Washington Roll which all were standouts for sure. The staff and vibe of the store were excellent and I can't wait to come back and have more! Thank you Joy Bento!

    Sofie D.

    The lunch here is fantastic. I got the teriyaki chicken combo with dumplings and a four piece California roll on the side, and all three were five stars and not that expensive! The California roll in itself was one of the best of that staple that I've ever had, and it made me wish I had ordered a sushi roll or two. There are no inside seating options--this place is grab and go, and when I worked for the day in the Federal building a half block away, we were in and out in five minutes. Not only would I come back here, I'm excited to.

    Miso soup, California Roll, sparkling water, bubly water

    Free hot miso soup for the winter, it's a cute easy to walk into place, right off the G line towards downtown. Lots of Bubly flavored water flavors I hadn't seen before! Like coconut pineapple. The rice on the California roll was not quite soft enough for me, but overall food was good quality People who worked here were so nice and got me a chair when they noticed I was going to eat here. The window faces the sun when it's out and it was so enjoyable to sit there people watching and feeling the sun on my face. Also super easy kiosk to order if you have social anxiety like me

    Chicken Katsu Lunch
    Philip P.

    This place has gone through some changes, but have persevered and survived the covid pandemic. Honestly, I haven't been coming here a lot because there wasn't anything that real stood out to me that I couldn't get anywhere else. Until, I recently saw that they started offering the hip new inari sushi which was a huge game changer for me. Not that many sushi restaurants make these since it's a bit of a fad if I'm being truthful, but it's still very delicious. People usually come here for teriyaki and poke, but I feel like they're missing out on the inari sushi. It's a great deal and very unique that you can't really find at most places. So definitely a shock to see it offered at a random little teriyaki joint like this. They have quite a bit of variety of inari sushi and all seem to be very good options. I've tried the unagi, seared salmon, and spicy salmon. All were pretty good and easy to eat. Because it gets busy on the work days, ordering in person will cause a wait, so recommend to order online to avoid the line. This is purely a take out food spot, so there aren't any tables or chairs to squat and eat at. It's also a very small restaurant and you usually can see the line out the door. It's mostly people waiting for their order to be complete though. I know I've mostly spoke about the inari sushi, but do check out their teriyaki since most seem to come for that. I've had their Katsu Chicken and it's totally fine. Nothing to rave about, but it's the closest near my office where I can get that if it means anything to anyone. So yeah, swing by if you like teriyaki, poke, or sushi.

    Menu first half
    Jeremy L.

    This used to be my go-to lunch spot. Unfortunately after a few ownership changes, I feel like the meals I get here for the price just are not that good. I ordered the karaage bento, and while the fried chicken was good, the amount of rice (a thin layer half the box) and chicken was not great. In addition the potato salad used to be creamy and delicious but this was just bland and tasteless. Overall I wouldn't go out of my way to come here anymore.

    Chicken teriyaki
    Brooke A.

    This is a small and efficient lunch spot that serves a ton of downtown office workers. We came here on a weekday lunch hour and were greeted with a line out the door. Clearly, Joy Bento has built up a good reputation locally. I ordered at a kiosk, and this was quite straightforward, though it took me a while to look at all the options. I loved that all the menu items had pictures. The food came out quickly and was quite fresh. I got the spicy chicken teriyaki bowl, which had ample chicken and a good amount of rice and veggies. In the future I'd opt for regular teriyaki, as the spice took away from the flavor. For a quick lunch, this is an amazing option!

    Chicken karaage, California roll, gyoza, sauces as given
    Kali R.

    Bit of a wait, but not too bad. A feasible lunch spot. Food was generally underwhelming. I had the "today's suggested" chicken karaage, which was lacking the distinctive garlic and ginger flavor and fried in massive pieces. I was also only given a few millimeters of sauce since I requested it on the side. No soy sauce was provided for the California roll. The gyoza were ok. My rice was kind of dry, but my friend's was perfect. My friends chicken teriyaki was really good. However, she didn't get the sauce she requested at all. Another friend said the chicken katsu was okay, but a bit dry.

    chicken x pork bento
    Sarah C.

    huge portions, spicy pork was good, teriyaki chicken could be juicier. salad was normal, potato salad was too sweet and inadequate textural contrast. the place is really small (no seating) but you can order from a single kiosk or from the counter. on this cold day, they had free hot tea outside.

    the menu of the restaurant
    Amanda N.

    Such a great spot tucked away next to a parking garage to pick up lunch. There's no seating inside, so you'll have to take your food away. You can order at the counter or there's a self-serve kiosk that you can put an order in yourself too. I tried a nigiri bento and the seared salmon inari. Everything was so delicious and fish tasted super fresh! I'd definitely come back again another time for lunch.

    Inari (spicy salmon/spicy tuna/seared salmon/bulgogi/eel)

    This is one of my go-to lunch spots! Joy bento has many good food options but chirashi bowl has been my favorite by far! Their sushi is so fresh and you can never go wrong with good sushi! If you want something on the side, I highly recommend their inari as well!

    Florence H.

    This place is perfect to grab a lunch when working in downtown Seattle. I was in the area when lunch hour hit and I didn't know where else to go! Joy Bento came up and it was recommended by Yelp so of course, I had to come and see what is up. I came around 12:45pm and there was a line. A bit of a bummer but hey, it means it's a hotspot for a cheap lunch. For $10, you can't really beat that when lunch gets pretty expensive in Seattle. I got the chicken katsu with potato salad and California rolls. My boyfriend got the salmon teriyaki with California rolls and gyoza. For the price of $9.50 each, it was well worth the wait and price. For the chicken katsu, I thought it was pretty well done because it was was crispy is in texture and the Katsu sauce was well flavored. It was a pretty standard meal with no flairs and exactly what I wanted. The potato salad was super creamy with potato bits. What was nice was that they didn't use too much mayo. The California roll was sort of bland and the rice was just ok. Boyfriend said the salmon roll was delicious as well. Flavorful and texture was perfect for the price. Don't expect this to be your top notch salmon though.. this is a good salmon for your lunch type of deal. Overall, this joint is awesome. For the location, price, and food. I think it's perfect for a lunch while working in the city. You get what you order and it's reasonably priced.

    Rolls
    Candace F.

    This little hole in the wall packs a tasteful of yummy Japanese food. This hidden little gem is a family owned business with the older and younger generation cooking up a mouth full of yumminess. The dishes are a little over $10 but include two sides. There are a variety of choices and everything is made to order. I feel the price justifies the portions and I can never finish what they serve. I always order the chicken katsu and am never disappointed. The made to order dish has golden fried chicken breast that flavorful and juicy. The dish has never disappointed and with the California roll and gyoza there is more than enough food. I am so glad they are back open! It's a place to go to for your Asian comfort food. The staff there are also very friendly and helpful. I will go there again and again to treat myself to a weekly lunch.

    Menu
    A K.

    Great place, I usually come when at least once when I visit Seattle. Would highly recommend doing pick up orders during lunchtime as they get very busy. Food is delicious and great all the time!

    Spicy pork

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    10 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Awesome food and staff! I tried their teriyaki and sushi, and they were great! Renovated space makes the place much cleaner and spacier.

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    10 years ago

    Good, cheap, healthy and a nice choice. Rather take-out but they also have some seats

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    9 years ago

    My favorite. Best sushi. Fast, good, affordable and close to my work. A+++. Also Amazing people who work there!

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    Page 2 of 3

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    Paju - Chips & Dip

    Paju

    4.4(446 reviews)
    1.3 mi•South Lake Union
    •$$

    An absolute treat in all sense of the word!…read more We made reservations for an early dinner on Saturday, and glad we did because there was a never ending stream of people. By 6pm every seat was taken, including the bar. Highly recommend reservations. We had the cauliflower, squash blossom, squid ink fried rice, and the NY steak. Everything was absolutely phenomenal. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly and had a really lovely smokey-ness to it. The sesame and almond puree and mint oil was divine. Honestly I could have made a whole meal of the cauliflower. The shrimp in the squash blossom was a delightful burst of flavor and texture. The sauces, while quite strong on their own, did not overpower the squash blossom, and each bite could have different flavors based on the sauce combinations. The squid ink fried rice had good textured rice AND the nori seasoning was perfect. I didn't get a lot of kimchi flavor, but it was truly a perfect fried rice- a little salty, you could tell it was fried but not greasy or oily, and a good complement to the steak. The steak was cooked perfectly. Each bite was so tender, and every part was the same level of done. A perfect medium rare. I don't know what they did to the brussel sprouts, but it was one of the best brussel sprout dishes I've ever had. There was a sauce with the steak (maybe dwenjang based?) that added such a nice deep salty and savory touch to the steak. We left feeling quite full, and about $200 poorer. Overall highly recommend. The staff was friendly and informative, interior was cozy and inviting, and the food was 10 out of 10.

    Paid $230 for 2, no drinks, just sparkling water. Octopus appetizer, entrée fish for my girl, and I…read morehad the NY Strip. Overall, the best flavor and best dish was the octopus. The entrées had really beautiful presentation, but the flavor surprise we found in the appetizer wasn't there in the mains. I didn't care much for the salad, broccoli, and sprouts. The kimchi over rice would've been a better pairing, or even a new take on potatoes or different vegetables. The service was good, but not exceptional. For the price we paid, taste should come first. Some of the ingredients and pairings just felt random. Basically, good, but not $230-for-two good.

    Photos
    Paju
    Paju - Mushroom

    Mushroom

    Paju - Tofu with Dungarees Crab

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    Tofu with Dungarees Crab

    Chan Seattle - Happy Hour - Pork Sliders

    Chan Seattle

    4.3(1.2k reviews)
    0.5 mi•Downtown
    •$$$

    Made last minute reservation as part of staycation deal we stumbled into courtesy of my dear…read morefriends Alaska Airlines service anniversary party. Ray was our server and he did a great job with his recommendations, even steering me away from something I wanted to try, warning me the dish tends to get the most complaints from guests. Additionally, we had quite a bit of food without that. We had melon salad, roasted califlower, and grilled angus sot bap. All had a good flavor palate with ingredients that worked nicely together. The space was nothing remarkable, the entrance didn't really mention Chan, but Spruce instead. Confusing, is it a rebrand or different name depending on the day or?? Look at the menu before you go and see if you consider it $$ or not, I don't have a good feel for that sort of thing as my restaurant outings are infrequent. This place is part of the "add 3% if using a CC" which kind of grinds my gears. I understand margins in restaurants can be tight etc, but to see that on your tablet in smaller print is a bit lame IMO.

    My friend and I reserved an early dinner here for after our afternoon Harry Potter show a couple…read moreweekends ago and we enjoyed our experience here! Food and service were both excellent! Loved that they had a HP themed drink menu! Just wish they had non-alc option for me! We shared - tuna tartare - rice cake with beef cheek ragu - so good! - Korean melon salad - smoked duck sot bap - ginger creme brulee Everything was tasty. Our favorite was the rice cake dish! Tuna tartare was also fresh tasting

    Photos
    Chan Seattle - Part of the private dining table which is separated by a curtain

    Part of the private dining table which is separated by a curtain

    Chan Seattle - Beef cheek ragu rice cakes with beef cheek chili ragu, rice cake, carrot, onion, scallion, Fresno chili

    Beef cheek ragu rice cakes with beef cheek chili ragu, rice cake, carrot, onion, scallion, Fresno chili

    Chan Seattle - Alaskan Black Cod

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    Alaskan Black Cod

    Lil Pocha - Jjajang rice

    Lil Pocha

    4.3(20 reviews)
    1.0 mi•Capitol Hill

    Visited here very hungry after bouldering for a couple hours. They keep it nice and warm in here…read morewhich I loved (I noticed a lot of Seattle restaurants don't turn on heating :')). It is set up like a cute korean style bar with small round tables which make sharing easier. They have a pretty good selection on their menu and we ordered a couple of items to share. The Rose Ttoekbokki with cheese was very yummy, but it kinda tasted like pasta with rice cakes instead of spaghetti. I think that is the point of this dish, so if you want a more traditional spicy flavor then get the other ttoekbokki option (spicy rice cakes). We still loved this one and the rice cakes were so chewy and delicious. The cheese corn was very yummy and exactly what you would expect. It pairs perfectly with the other dishes. My friends also shared the Seafood ramen and Beef bulgogi. They liked both dishes. One of our favorite things were the side dishes actually! The tofu was so yummy, and the bean sprouts were so crunchy and well seasoned. We even asked for extra! The only aspect that makes it difficult to come more often is the price point. Since the dishes are so big and shareable, it is easy to split amongst a group, but it is a little less affordable to come here for dinner and drinks.

    A cozy little Korean bar! There aren't that many tables, but I enjoyed this vibe. Service was quite…read morefast on Saturday evening. We ordered: -Fish cake soup: pretty good, the soup had a good depth in flavor and I liked the variety in fish cake. Perfect for a rainy day. -Tteokbokki: was a bit spicy and the rice cake was chewy and cooked well. I've had better sauce though. -kimchi pancake: wasn't our favorite. Was a bit too thick and had too much batter - I like these to be more crispy and thin. Overall, a fun place for a casual Korean bar food.

    Photos
    Lil Pocha - Beef jeon

    Beef jeon

    Lil Pocha - LIL PO chicken

    LIL PO chicken

    Lil Pocha - Potato croquette

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    Potato croquette

    Gangnam Seattle

    Gangnam Seattle

    4.4(129 reviews)
    0.7 mi•Chinatown, Chinatown International District
    •$$

    Started with the garlic popcorn chicken here. Despite being drenched in sauce, it actually retained…read morea good crunch on the outside. There was no garlic at all, but what I did get was a pretty large appetizer that did its job and more. The main dish, the hotstone beef bibimbap, was a lot worse. Firstly, this came with ground beef rather than the beef slices I was expecting. The rice at the bottom was dry like it should be in a clay pot, but lacking really any of that slightly-burnt, hard qualities that makes a clay pot rice what it is. It just tasted dry. But the ground beef was probably the worst part. It was dry, lacking in really any seasoning, and the portion was tiny. I'd finished the beef with still half the bowl remaining. This was not a bibimbap I would come back to at all. Overall, there are way too many better places in the international district for me to ever recommend this. 5/10

    This little place is awesome!!! It was clean and inviting. We are so glad we stopped here for…read morelunch. The beef bulgogi was delicious. It was perfect for feeding two of us. The service was handled by a very kind Asian woman. She was very polite, helpful and we hardly waited. Would return without question. We really enjoyed our meal here.

    Photos
    Gangnam Seattle - How inside the restaurant looks now. This location has gone thru several owner/name changes over the last 3 years or so.

    How inside the restaurant looks now. This location has gone thru several owner/name changes over the last 3 years or so.

    Gangnam Seattle - Bulgogi and rice

    Bulgogi and rice

    Gangnam Seattle - Menu

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    Menu

    Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari - Octopus, pork belly, and pork shoulder + potato noodles

    Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari

    4.0(393 reviews)
    9.2 mi
    •$$

    this was nothing short of the greatest culinary experience of my life. likely the greatest korean…read morefood this side of the pacific. The decor and atmosphere was beautiful and the service was superb. Our waiter (tall/young asian male) was extremely helpful and devilishly handsome. 5/5 overall. I highly recommend!

    RUN, don't walk to Hae-Nam! This is next-level Korean food that will make you happy and cry at the…read moresame time. You can tell a lot about a restaurant from the banchan it serves. This place doesn't have potato salad--that would be too pedestrian. Instead, you get pickled perilla leaves, pickled okra, pickled eggplant, pickled dried radish, and more. Also, my wife is vegan, and they had an entire vegan menu available, all ready to go. We used to live up in Shoreline and loved this place years ago. We were back in the neighborhood and decided to pop in on a whim. It is all spiffy and new and under new management. The owner and head chef was there, and she is a delightful lady. The service is top-notch, as her daughter was working there. The staff was very attentive. It feels less like eating at a restaurant and more like eating at your favorite Korean friend's mom's home after being spontaneously invited for dinner. The restaurant is meticulously clean and elegant, which makes you just want to eat. In fact, the food was so wonderful that I hardly spoke a word between moaning and eating. To cap off our meal, they provided this delicious cinnamon ginger drink to help settle our very full tummies. I wished the owner would come running out with packed banchan for me to take home, just to make sure I was eating well at home -- just like in those K-dramas. To sum this all up, this is food heaven. 감사합니다 to the Hae Nam and we cannot wait to come back and try more!

    Photos
    Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari
    Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari - LA kalbi

    LA kalbi

    Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari - Army stew, Budae Hot Pot

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    Army stew, Budae Hot Pot

    Joy Bento - sushi - Updated October 2026

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