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    Looking For Chai

    4.2 (391 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM

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    LOOKING FOR CHAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Looking For Chai

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    Popcorn Chicken
    Helen C.

    Unfortunately, I wasn't super impressed by my visit to Looking for Chai. I think it's a convenient option that isn't fussy nor will it have a line if you have kids, but as a Taiwanese option, there are plenty of other places on the eastside that do the staple dishes much, much better. This location has a shared parking lot with plenty of spots and there were plenty of tables available 6:30 - 7:30 PM on a weekday. Beef Noodle Soup (2.5/5): Just every aspect was a mid. Beef could be a bit more tender, noodles were too soft, and the soup was just okay. Definitely a skip. Minced Pork (3.5/5): The flavor of the meat is actually solid: super savory, fatty, and slightly sweet. I wish that there was more of the sauce to soak into the rice, but it's not a bad rendition by any means. Popcorn Chicken (3.5/5): Chicken was actually cooked really well - great crispy crunch and the meat was juicy and tender. However, the actual flavor was super bland. With more salt and more seasoning, this could have been a really solid dish.

    Popcorn chicken
    Nikki U.

    Always a great choice for Taiwanese food. I love coming here for the popcorn chicken which comes with rice with pork on top, corn, tea egg, and boiled bok choy. The chicken is very flavorful and most of the other sides are on the bland side but goes very well with the chicken. My friends also enjoy the pig ear side dish. Service is fast and we are always well take care of.

    Fenny C.

    Always love this place. Our first time we tried out was in edmonds location. Plenty of free parking in Bellevue location. Today there's no line. Perfect. Restrooms: men and women restrooms Today we ordered: Taiwanese oyster pancake Shredded chicken cucumber cold noddle sesame sauce Popcorn chicken w rice Sliced lamb water cress with satay sauce Everything is great. Not a fan of the cold sesame noddle. Wish they have stinky tofu. Apparently, they only serve stinky tofu in edmonds location

    Joy Q.

    I got the bamboo pork stir fry (great flavors but portion was small); pork bun (pork was a little dry, but I loved the nice touch of pickles to cut though the fat); and the black pepper pork chop over noodle (my favorite dish of the night!!!)

    Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice
    Alex N.

    Takeaways: salt n pepper fish and sweet and sour pork, winter melon tea Not bad safe corolla option: oyster pancake Straight mid af: popcorn chicken (i mean come on), fried rice Gonna come for the tea and fish. Stuff I normally go to my ex for Cut approved

    Taiwanese pork burger
    Esther L.

    We went for dinner and were seated pretty quickly. We hadn't been here since precovid and were happy to be back to eat some of our favorite Taiwanese dishes. The clams with basil was a favorite, with plump clams and a yummy sauce. The cold noodles were also nice and we liked the sauce and the egg ribbons, carrots and cucumbers, it was very refreshing to eat. We appreciated that the popcorn chicken came with fried basil as well, though the portion was smaller than expected and some of the pieces of chicken could have been larger. The pork belly in the pork burger and braised pork over rice was pretty disappointing. The meat was too 柴, it was very difficult to chew and eat. We liked the thinness of the wonton wrapper and the filling. The sauce on the spicy wontons could have been less sweet though.

    Taiwanese Special Beef Noodle Soup
    Kimmy L.

    Updating with my post-Covid dine-in experiences at Looking for Chai. On my most recent visit, my friends and I came here after a long climbing session at Bel Red Edgeworks, which is only 5 minutes down the road. We were fortunate to get a table for 6 people at 7pm with no wait, which is a rarity at this place, considering that the last time I was here with my family in November, it was at least a 30 minute to an hour long wait (they have a wait list sheet at the entrance and a very small entry way). Perhaps people were just out of town for the long weekend or maybe there is more competition now that several other Asian restaurants are popping up in the area. Over my past few visits at Looking for Chai, I've tried the... CHIVE FLOWER SAUTÉED WITH TAIWANESE SQUID ($19.50) - this dish is unique and one of my dad's favorite dishes. I personally don't care for how oily it is. As this dish consists mostly of chives, the flavor is overpowering in my opinion and you definitely will be left with stinky breath after eating it. The squid is a little rubbery and doesn't add much to it in my opinion. TLDR- if you absolutely love the taste of chives and green onion, you'll enjoy this dish. If you only like the taste or meh about it, skip it. SIZZLING PLATTER WITH CHICKEN STEAK ($18.50) and SIZZLING PLATTER WITH PORK CHOP ($18.25)- these two dishes are essentially the same, minus the meat. You can also order it with steak for $21.95. This dish, as stated in the name, comes out on a sizzling hot dish with your choice of noodles or rice and choice of black pepper sauce or mushroom sauce. It comes with fried egg, onions, and broccoli. I recommend the pork chop as the chicken was not properly defatted. TIP: if you order rice with this dish, it's served on the side. If you order noodles, it's served on the platter which gives it a little extra crunch! BRAISED PORK OVER RICE ($15.95)- this is one of my favorite Taiwanese dishes, along with the minced pork over rice. They are generous with the pork and give you maybe a half pound or so of juicy and marinated pork belly. It comes with a little bit of minced pork underneath the pork belly, so you get to have the best of both worlds! It is served on top of white rice which soaks in the flavor of the savory meat marinade and comes with a side of pickled mustard cabbage, Bok choy, a marinated hard boiled egg, and a sprinkle of cilantro. You can't beat the flavor of this dish! TAIWANESE SPECIAL BEEF NOODLE SOUP ($15.50)- this is a classic Taiwanese dish. However, I must say that I thought the soup was just okay and that the broth lacked richness. If you want superior beef noodle soup, I would recommend going to Monga off Bel Red instead. This dish contains msg, but I'm sure several other of their dishes also contain msg. SAKURA SHRIMP FRIED RICE ($15.95) - the rice was nicely fried and came with a good XO sauce flavor. However, the shrimps were super tiny and so there wasn't a lot of protein in this dish. TAIWANESE SPICY HOT POT ($17.95) - Looking for Chai serves a variety of different hot pot options with optional add ins. They are served boiling hot over a Bunsen burner. While they are decent portions, I've yet to be impressed by the ones I've tried, including this one. We ordered the broth in mild spice, and there was just the right amount of kick to it, but didn't have much taste to it otherwise While I enjoyed the pork and emoji mushrooms, I think that Boiling Point is a better option if you're looking for individual hot pot. The interior and bathroom are clean. They have a parking lot, but it isn't the best lit at night. Service is decent and we usually get our food within 15-20 minutes after ordering. Overall: 4/5 for food, 4/5 for service, 4/5 for atmosphere

    Fish cake
    Dennis D.

    This is one of my favorite Taiwanese spots in Bellevue. Located in a more quiet area not that far from Downtown Bellevue. The menu is pretty diverse as far as single items and sharable items. I recommend the braised pork rice and also the pancakes. Service is fast and prompt, and the ambience is great for groups or family.

    Taiwanese special beef noodle soup
    Vinh M.

    The food here is always done right whenever I go, so I'm never surprised to see all the tables filled and people waiting outside whenever I come here on a weekend. All that being said, I did expect a little more here. I was on the waitlist for a bit when I came here with my friend, and we got seated promptly. The inside is noisy with a ton of people, and you're provided with a very extensive menu that has things like rice/noodle dishes, mini hot pots and chef's specials. I've tried some of their rice dishes, their popcorn chicken and even some of their drinks too. This time around, I got their Taiwanese special beef noodle soup and got a side of popcorn chicken. The chicken is bomb as always; very well flavored with a slight touch of spice. The beef noodle soup felt really mild though. The soup base was bland, and that made the already-bland noodles even more bland in this case. The beef was surprisingly flavored well despite all that, and I love how they provided some condiments for my noodles if needed. Despite my recent food experience here, I love how quickly food came out and how service was just speedy and prompt with how many people there were inside.

    Wendi K.

    We were starving after playing tennis, and I was craving hearty Taiwanese comfort food. Looking for Chai hit the spot. They also have bubble milk tea along with the extensive food menu! We tried: Braised Pork Bowl ($15.95) - Fatty chunks of braised pork belly served on a heap of rice, accompanied by a soy-seasoned egg, bok choy, and pickled radish. Delicious! Pork Burger ($11.75) - I found the bun a bit heavy, but the pork was nice and fatty. My friends raved about these, though! Beef Noodle Soup ($15.50) - Yummy and flavorful! :) Such generous portions all around! The staff is attentive, and the interior is casual and simple. Overall, a solid experience!

    Hendra T.

    Looking for Chai in Bellevue is great. The crispy chicken is super good, and the stir-fried chives are tasty. The noodles hit the spot too, especially when it's warm out.

    Eggplants with Basil Sauce
    Linda W.

    Came here with a group of 3 looking for a fast dinner. Service was fast and there is plenty of parking space. I personally really love eggplants, and although their dish was good, it could've been more flavourful. The portion sizes were pretty big as well. If you're sharing family style, I'd recommend getting two dishes + rice to share for two people.

    Sakura shrimp fried rice

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    Looking For Chai Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Looking For Chai

    Do u have the wrong time listed for open? Went there at 430pm and it says close between 3-5there

    Sorry about this, we just fixed the hours.

    Is indoor dining available?

    Sorry, not yet

    Are they open on tuesdays?

    Hey! We currently are not open on Tuesdays.

    Can you adjust the sweetness of the milk tea?

    Yes, most of the milk tea can do 75%, 50% and 25% of sweet.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Shaoshan Impression

    Shaoshan Impression

    4.5
    (63 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    We've gone to this place many times. Each time we spent over $100 and everything used to be good…read more But the services are visibly getting worse. The wait time for food is longer, the servers are cold and careless. The last visit was disappointing because of the extremely cold attitude of the servers. They made me feel I came to beg for food.

    Came in on a Saturday afternoon and the wait wasn't bad at all, always a good sign for a weekend…read morevisit. First thing I noticed when I looked at the menu was that the prices are very LA, but before you let that deter you, hear me out: the portion sizes are significantly larger than what you'd get for the same price back home. So in terms of value, you're actually getting a much better deal out here in Redmond. One thing that genuinely caught me off guard; they let me bring my puppy. If you're from LA or the 626, you already know that's basically unheard of. Redmond, Washington is on a whole different level when it comes to being pet friendly, and I loved every second of it. As for the food, it was great overall. The mala wasn't too numbing, which I appreciated, it had just enough kick without overwhelming everything else. The garlic a-choy was perfect, honestly no notes. The braised pork belly was good but I wished it was a touch softer, and I personally felt like my dishes could've used a little more salt or soy sauce, but that's an easy fix and purely personal preference. Would definitely come back next time I'm in the area.

    Photos
    Shaoshan Impression
    Cold mixed noodles. spicy
    Cold mixed noodles. spicy
    Shaoshan Impression

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    Royal Kitchen

    Royal Kitchen

    3.5
    (142 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    ROYAL KITCHEN @ BELLEVUE (crossroads)…read more Parking is pretty tight here, especially on the weekends when it gets super busy. Luckily, we were able to find a spot right out front, so I'd recommend slowly circling around and keeping an eye out for people leaving. I found this spot through Yelp and had been really craving good Chinese food, so I was super excited to finally try it. My family and I came without a reservation and were seated immediately, even though the restaurant was very busy. This place is definitely known for larger parties, there were lots of families and extended families dining together, which really gave it a classic family-style vibe. You order a bunch of dishes and share a little bit of everything, which I love. The staff were really friendly and greeted us right away with complimentary tea. Fun fact: in the mornings, tea is sometimes an extra charge, but in the evening it's free. We ordered a few dishes, including the honey walnut shrimp (which is my go-to order at any Asian restaurant), salt and pepper squid, house special vermicelli noodles, and Chinese broccoli. The vermicelli was a clear noodle dish loaded with different proteins like BBQ pork, squid, and shrimp. Everything had great flavor, but my absolute favorite was definitely the honey walnut shrimp. It was perfectly crispy and delicious. My only complaint is the portion size for the price, it was about $21 for roughly 10 pieces of shrimp, which felt pretty expensive. Overall, the portions were on the smaller side for what you're paying. Toward the end of the meal, they treated us to a complimentary papaya soup, which was a light, fruit-based dessert soup and a really nice way to finish. Our total came out to about $80, so it's definitely on the pricier side for Chinese food. That said, the food was delicious, the service was great, and if you're in the Bellevue area, I'd still recommend stopping by.

    CHECK your bill here!!!!!!!!…read more We took our daughters from out of town for Sunday dim sum. Longtime family tradition!! And while we have often gone to the CID In Seattle, for many years and almost exclusively in recent years we have gone here and the previous business at the same location. I highly recommend this place and in my opinion the staff is usually always fantastic and they bring the food fast!! Today the service and food was fantastic and ordered so much it almost didn't fit on a 4 top table. We love leftover dim sum! But at the end of the meal they brought me the completed card with a total at the bottom. Didn't look beyond the total before tip and just gave the nice (very young) hostess my card. A server brought back just the two credit card slips and the price was seemingly $20 more than what was presented to me on the service card!?? I politely asked to see the bill again and then a longhgggh wait...... Then a heavily altered card was brought back showing the new total. I was not happy suddenly and asked why it was altered from the first one etc and a big argument from the server began that I didn't proliferate but she kept on and on and could not explain why all the changes by pen and saying that she was honest etc. insisting we "do the math" over and over Now we may have ordered that much food, but I know for a fact that the bill was clean written without alterations and $20 less than the corrected one. But still she couldn't give me a valid explanation for the changes and new total. In my opinion the high school age hostess made a mistake adding up before presenting the total to me and someone else edited it before running my card. If they had just admitted that I would not have been so disappointed. I don't believe that the staff here are dishonest and understand about mistakes but they did not handle it very diplomatically and it was a scene I didn't want to make. But I know that this was not the total presented to me for payment! Take a pic of your service card before sending the credit card to be run!!! It absolutely ruined our family outing and everyone was quiet in the car ride home. Not cool!!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Lobster with Ginger and Green Onions with Yi Mein - IG: @nelson_eats
    Lobster with Ginger and Green Onions with Yi Mein - IG: @nelson_eats
    Royal Kitchen

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    Noodle Nine

    Noodle Nine

    4.4
    (297 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    Lowest cost noodle restaurant in Redmond. Everything was so delicious. Try the hot pot!! It's…read moremassive and shareable. Staff were amazing.

    Noodle Nine delivers a genuinely authentic dining experience that feels like stepping into a slice…read moreof everyday Asia rather than a polished, commercialized version of it. From the moment you walk in, the cultural atmosphere stands out--many of the patrons are Asian, and on my visit, a few were even dressed in traditional garments, which added a vibrant, lived-in feel to the space. It's the kind of detail you can't manufacture, and it speaks volumes about the restaurant's credibility within the community. The interior itself is fairly average--nothing particularly modern or upscale--but it doesn't detract from the experience. If anything, it keeps the focus where it belongs: on the food. Service was a bit of a mixed bag. There were only two servers handling the floor, and they were clearly stretched thin. Ordering is done digitally, which helps streamline things, but you can still feel the strain during peak times. That said, the food started arriving quickly--our tofu noodle dish came out almost immediately, while the beef dish lagged behind a bit. Presentation leans traditional in a charming way. The plates and chopsticks have that classic, no-frills aesthetic that complements the overall vibe of the restaurant. Now, let's talk about the food. First, a word of caution: spice levels here are no joke. If you're sensitive to heat, you'll want to dial it down. But if you can handle it, the flavors are absolutely worth it--rich, bold, and deeply satisfying. The tofu was exceptionally soft, almost silky, and clearly freshly prepared. The noodles matched that texture perfectly--tender, well-cooked, and comforting. Pricing is another strong point. For the quality and portion sizes, it's very reasonable, making it an easy spot to revisit without hesitation. Overall, Nine Noodles is a great pick if you're looking for authentic flavors, a culturally immersive atmosphere, and solid value. It's not about fancy decor or polished service--it's about good, honest food. I'd definitely come back.

    Photos
    Noodle Nine
    Sliced pork with garlic sauce
    Sliced pork with garlic sauce
    Braised beef noodle soup

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    Braised beef noodle soup
    Xi'an Noodles

    Xi'an Noodles

    4.1
    (143 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Located where Facing East used to be, they serve very delicious hand pulled noodles. We had the…read moreSpicy Tingly beef noodle, pork noodles, and beef sandwich. Everything was delicious. The beef noodle has a good kick but not overwhelming, you can still taste the flavorful beef broth. The noodles had a great chew. The kids had the pork noodles and that was also very delicious. 2 self ordering kiosks, most items had pictures which makes it easier to order. The gentleman behind the counter was really nice and helped me answer some questions regarding the menu. The space is nice and clean, shares the bathroom with Snowy Village. They also had homemade peach tea which was complimentary! Overall amazing experience. Kid friendly with kid bowls.

    Xi'an Noodles seemed like a promising place for biang biang noodles in Bellevue. We went in for a…read moreweekend lunch, only to be terribly disappointed. This restaurant is mostly self service; there are two kiosks right in front for ordering and a table full of prefilled drink cups. I think the only upside to this restaurant is the free cups of mango tea, which are slightly sweetened and fruity. I wouldn't say they are very mango forward though. Hot Oil Biang Noodles ($13.99) - The biang biang noodles here aren't very good. They seem to be stretched somewhat, but then I feel like they take shortcuts. Instead of being almost completely stretched via bouncing the noodles on the table, they only stretch it probably half as much as normal, then they cut the dough lengthwise several times - this is why I can see multiple clear corner pieces in the noodle instead of it being relatively straight. They also don't care to make it consistent in thickness. This causes major issues because the thinner parts are soft and mushy while the thicker corners are doughy and slightly undercooked. I don't know how, but the noodles also clump together, so in some bites, I'm eating three strands of mushy noodles right on top of each other. The sauce here isn't much better. It's supposed to be aromatic, blistering hot oil mixed with chili/vinegar and aromatics poured directly on the noodles. The problems here are multifold. Firstly, they don't drain the noodles properly, resulting in an excessive amount of water diluting the sauce. Secondly, they use far too much vinegar, making the sauce overly acidic. The vinegar is by far the dominant flavor in the dish. While the dish seems like it will be spicy due to the red color oil, it's almost completely diluted out by the vinegar and noodle cooking water. The dish is basically not spicy at all due to these factors. (2/5) Spicy Cumin Lamb Biang Noodle Soup ($14.99) - This dish suffers from the same noodle issues as above, but the soup format improves some aspects slightly, but worsens other aspects. Since the soup is hot and the noodles are soaked in the broth, they soften more readily, so the soft portions are even more mushy than the "dry" noodle. The thicker portions are nice and bouncy though. The soup itself is relatively flavorful, slightly gamey, and tastes like it actually is a lamb bone broth, but it doesn't really have depth of flavor. Again, it's not really spicy at all. The lamb on top seems like thinly sliced hot pot lamb, pan fried until very dry. If not for the fact that the lamb is sliced thin, it would be extremely tough. It does have a nice fragrant cumin flavor though. (2/5) Those were the two worst bowls of noodles I've had in a long time. I wasn't particularly impressed with the noodles at the U District location of Xi'an Noodles either, but they were far better than these two steaming piles of excrement. Bathrooms - Two unisex room shared with Snowy Village. One was locked though

    Photos
    Touchscreen personal ordering. Only you can get your order wrong.  Hard to ask for extras. Oh wait there are comment sections.
    Touchscreen personal ordering. Only you can get your order wrong. Hard to ask for extras. Oh wait there are comment sections.
    Lamb Cumin Noodles
    Lamb Cumin Noodles
    Potstickers

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    Potstickers

    Looking For Chai - taiwanese - Updated June 2026

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