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I originally went to Paju back in 2019, when they were in their old, smaller location. I wanted to try it again, since it had been a few years since I visited Seattle. I enjoyed it the first time I had it, so why not give it another whirl? I'm glad I tried it again! The new restaurant looks modern and cozy. It's quite the glow up from the previous location! I arrived shortly after opening (around 5:15 PM) and it was fairly quiet inside. I did have a reservation, but I don't think it is necessary if you come right at opening, or shortly after. I think there were only a few patrons, but it started filling up a lot more during the course of my meal. By 6:30, the tables were all filling up. Service was attentive, kind, and professional. Paju has the chops of a fine dining establishment and all signs should lead you to believe that it is, including the price point. I think it's accurate to consider it so. As far as the food goes, I thought everything was lovely! I enjoyed the flavors of everything I ordered. The Honey Bee was more viscous than I thought it would be, but I felt the thicker, syrupy type of consistency did feel more honey-like. That was interesting. The Chips & Dip were fantastic. Lots of flavor here. The dip is good, but the rice cracker/chip was delicious and tasty completely on its own as well. I had the Paju Fried Rice the first time I visited and it was just as good, if not better, than when I had it years ago. I think the plating is better and the portion seems bigger? Good nonetheless. I closed out the meal with the Lychee Sorbet, since I wanted something light. I quite enjoyed the flavor of it! It felt light, refreshing, and not too strong on the lychee flavor. I think it was a good way to end the meal. I'd recommend this, if you didn't want something heavy. It feels like a great summer dessert option. If Paju is in your price range, you like Korean food, or are looking for a nice date night, I think you'd be happy with the dining experience here. If the Michelin Guide covered Seattle, I have no doubts that Paju would be in it. It does, however, have recognition from Eater, and rightfully so in my opinion.
This place hit all the marks for an upscale dining experience I wish more places could offer! The sophisticated ambiance, knowledgable staff, beautiful presentation and outstanding food. I went on a weekday evening and was able to walk in without a reservation and the host sat my party immediately. The space has an industrial vibe, minimal decorations and an open kitchen in the dining area with another kitchen hidden in the back. We started off with a gochujang margarita which had a little spice but the flavor of the gochujang got lost and I couldn't really distinguish it. The NY Tiki Time cocktail was a stunner, the flavors of the citrus, pandan and rum blended smoothly together. I had to take a photo when the drinks arrived. For the apps we ordered the yellowtail and octopus. The presentation really was remarkable and well plated. The yellowtail was in between layer of thinly cut turnip that had a lemon verbena component to it. It was shaped into a flower and placed on a plate in naengmyeon broth. The octopus was tender and in a delicious cream sauce with some roe as decoration. For the mains we got the squid fried rice with kimchi, bacon, smoked quail egg. We also ordered the branzino gui with seasonal vegetables. Both were well seasoned and tasty but I think I enjoyed our drinks and appetizers the most. The staff were slow and intentional with their service and no one seemed in a frantic hurry. The tone of the place was calm and none of our servers gave off an overly pretentious attitude (my biggest gripe with fine dining). Will most definitely come back as soon as possible and can't recommend enough.
I've been in the restaurant industry practically my entire life. I've eaten at Michelin starred restaurants, cooked in Michelin starred kitchens, drank beer and eaten fish eyes with David Chang when he first opened Ssäm Bar in NYC (RIP), and even cooked for Guy Fieri and his wife in Little Italy. He told me I made the best Cavatelli al Rapini he'd ever had. So trust me when I say I know food better than the back of my hand. This place is rare. I stumbled in because it looked frufru and right up my alley, but it's everything you'd expect from those celebrity chef, Michelin Guide, eyeball eating experiences, without an ounce of the pretentiousness. The entire team is humble, soft spoken, and unbelievably talented. My server, Stella, gave phenomenal recommendations and made for genuinely great conversation. You can tell everyone here is passionate and actually gives a f%#k. That's becoming incredibly rare in this industry, where too many chefs are chasing their next award and too many servers are chasing their next paycheck. If you have something to celebrate, a first date to impress, or just need an excuse to treat yourself, make a reservation here. And whatever you do, don't you dare leave without ordering the oxtail or the tartare. Outstanding job.
Dinner from late 2025 Paju in South Lake Union is slick. That is the first word that comes to mind thinking back to this meal. There is elevated, and then there is Paju-elevated. I dislike the more common 'elevated' where a restaurant makes changes such as swapping meat cuts from traditional recipes to something wagyu without any added thought or creativity in the process. Not at Paju. They are Koreans elevating Korean dishes. The dishes are refined and well-honed. Their creativity shows they know what they are doing. Plating is thoughtful. The restaurant itself is modernly elegant, great for date nights. Note the restaurant is quiet and elegant; perhaps they have a private room for loud celebrations. Staff was helpful with my questions. Food was available in a timely manner. The Food: Octopus, $27 - 5 Stars Served with smoked trout roe and dashima beurrie blanc sauce, this dish is visually attractive and absolutely delicious! One of our top dishes of the night. Paju Fried Rice, $27 - 4 Stars Cooked with kimchi, bacon, squid ink, and quail egg, this dish is one of their most popular dishes. I find squid ink to have a subtle earthy type of sea-umami flavor. The bacon and kimchi are a touch stronger in this combination. It's a good dish, but amongst our five dishes, this one ranked the lowest. Mushrooms, $23 - 5 Stars Served with parmesan cheese shaved so thin it's translucent, white kimchi, and truffle aioli, this dish is the bomb! Excellent for the mushroom lovers, it might convert mushroom haters, too. Lol. Another top dish of the night. Branzino Gui, $51 - 4 Stars Served with four banchan, this dish stands out for its execution - impeccably grilled and plated. The fish is very tender and perfectly cooked. I do think it is a bit plain for the price. Branzino is fairly common in different parts of the world. Ranked 4th for the night. Duck - 5 Stars Duck breast is served with a slice of duck and pistachio pastry plus four banchan. The duck is super tender. The pastry is clever utilizing other bits of duck meat. The simple sauce is very important, adding flavor to the pastry. Also delicious.
My daughter made a reservation at this upscale Korean fusion restaurant three days in advance to celebrate my son's graduation. My son had dined here last year and highly recommended it, while it had also been on my daughter's list of places to try, so it felt like the perfect choice for the occasion. As soon as we walked in, my son noticed that the restaurant looked different from what he remembered. The staff told us they had recently moved to a new location, which features a more spacious, modern, and elegant interior. We started with the Yellowtail and Octopus, followed by the Mushroom and Paju Fried Rice to share, and finished with the Dry-Aged Painted Hills Farm Ribeye as our main course. It may sound like a lot of food, but the portions are on the smaller side, and we finished everything without any leftovers. Every dish was packed with umami flavor. The Yellowtail was delicate and refreshing, while the octopus was perfectly cooked--smoky, tender, and incredibly fresh. The mushroom dish was rich and flavorful, and the ribeye was cooked to the perfect level of tenderness. The Paju Fried Rice was another standout, generously infused with squid ink flavor in every bite. Overall, we had a wonderful evening celebrating my son's graduation. The food was thoughtfully prepared, the atmosphere was stylish, and the service complemented the experience well. As expected from a modern Korean fusion restaurant, the portions are relatively small and the prices are on the higher side, so it's probably a place we'd save for special occasions rather than everyday dining.
This place was reccomend by a local friend so I decided to have my birthday celebration dinner here with my girlfriend. Honest take: it's really just okay for the price point and the luxury perspective. Don't get me wrong, the food was good but nothing was outstanding. Our favorite was definitely the beef tartare and the squid ink fried rice. The menu was sparse of entree options. Ambiance was dark and cool. Great for a romantic setting especially with their windows. Service was just okay - was really weird getting the free birthday cake as they seemed to tried to point us towards a paid dessert option instead. Overall: was good but wouldn't consider coming here again.
Went here again after a few years, and glad to see the food is still as amazing as it was last time. Octopus and mushrooms were cooked perfectly, as was the fried rice which still remains our favorite on the menu. Enjoyed seeing the steak being flamed right in front of us...will have try that next time. Love the new bigger location! Service was impeccable
Very good food that provided a unique experience amidst so many good restaurants out there. Enjoyed everything I tried! My favorite was the squid ink fried rice. It was so savory. The octopus was very tender. The oxtail hand rolls were very delicious too. The restaurant is smaller and quiet which was nice. The service was great.
What a lovely way to enjoy food! This restaurant atmosphere is pretty bland and industrial itself, but I do like the floor to ceiling windows that surround the dining area so you get plenty of sunlight. Service was good; our water glasses were always full and we didn't have to wait long for the food to arrive. My favorite dishes of the night were the duck special and yellowtail appetizer. The beef tartare and Paju rice were good too, but not that special compared to the other dishes. I look forward to returning for their other seasonal specials!
Modern Korean done beautifully, located in South Lake Union. Outstanding dry aged steaks, cooked over open flame. Get the Paju squid ink fried rice and roasted cauliflower. Excellent cocktails. Menu is well organized and features a few standouts in each category. Will definitely back for the bulgogi and seafood pancakes. Fantastic service. Love the vibes. Staff is passionate about Korean cuisine and knows their food inside out.
Went to this place for a birthday celebration. Parking: pay street parking or you can park at Amazon obidos/Rufus parking garage. Free parking after 4pm weekdays, all day on weekend. Reservation: opentable. Cc required to reserve. Dresscode : jeans and totally relax attire Restroom: men and women restrooms. Kinda smell funky. We ordered: Paju Fried Rice - Squid Ink, Kimchi, Bacon, Smoked Quail Egg $27 = 7/10 *perfect texture of the fried rice. Cauliflower - Almond, Sesame Seed, Mint $19 = 8/10 *beautiful charred Dry Aged New York Steak 14oz - Served With Our Seasonal Banchan $58 = 5/10 *it is because it was cooked well done, and the server didn't even ask us how we would like our Steak cook. Branzino Gui - served With Our Seasonal Banchan $51 = 5/10 *it tasted burned and overcooked, it was dry Seafood Jeon - perilla Leaves, Bonito Flakes $27 =3/10 *it was super oily, I think they dip fried it, we cannot taste any seafood or any substances. Mushroom -Parmesan, White Kimchi, Truffle Aioli $23 = 8/10 *we like it, great flavour Octopus - Dashima Beurre Blanc, Smoked Trout Roe, Yuja $27 = 8/10 *crispy on the outside, tender inside Yellowtail - Naengmyeon Broth, Lemon Verbena, Turnip $24 = 7/10 *refreshing Bingsu - Sujeonggwa, Ginger Cream, Misugaru $11 = 5/10 *kinda taste like hot tamale candy Barley Palmer - Boricha Tea, Yuja, Spakling Water $10 Overall it's ok. Service is not the friendliest. And again the server doesn't even ask about how we would like our Steak done. Disappointed.
If you have not started a "Visit Seattle" list, THIS is your reason to. Paju is in the thick of the tech district of Seattle with a glowing view of the Google logo and a stone's throw from Amazon. The vibe inside is intimate, modern, and immaculate. In addition to several adult libations, there are a handful of non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu, which always gets a restaurant extra praise from me. The servers were incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and the specific ingredients within each dish. We had an allergy at our table and the servers were able to steer us in the right direction without having to ask the kitchen. First, get the Yellowtail and make sure you have all the broth it comes in. They give you a spoon for a reason! Second, don't freak out about the octopus. If you have never had it before, this is a perfect place to try it. It's smokey and slightly crispy on the outside due to the wood-fired grill they use to cook it, and beautifully tender on the inside. It's served with a citrusy beurre blanc sauce and adorned with smoked trout roe (think savory popping boba). The cauliflower was tender and had a nice char that nicely added to the flavor in addition to the creamy almond sesame sauce. I knew the ribeye with banchan was going to be my choice before I even got there. It did NOT disappoint. As if the meal could not get any better, the piece de resistance for me was the Bingsu. A bowl of sheer joy that started with a delicate cinnamon snow and crunchy puffed rice pieces for added textural complexity AND flavor. Dig to the base which was the lightest cream that was not quite mousse, not quite foam. A spoonful of all of the components of the dessert was pure transcendence. They are known for this dessert and it is earned, It is clear the chef and owner leaves his heart and soul on your plate. His passion for food and culinary art shines in every bite you take. This place should be on a Michelin watch list, no question.
Had a great experience here. We ordered a really good spread starting with the beef tartare and the Bugak which are their oxtail hand rolls. The beef tartare was incredible. The Korean pear mixed in adds a lot of great flavor and the seaweed chips it comes with are a really nice touch. The oxtail in the hand rolls were super tender too. For mains we got the Paju fried rice and the 14oz dry aged New York steak. The fried rice had a really nice flavor to it. The steak was definitely a standout since it was very well cooked and super tender. I really liked all the sides that were served with it! Highly recommend this spot if you want a really high quality meal.
28 days ago
Boyfriend booked Paju's Valentine's dinner after looking at the menu so color him surprised when we arrive that night and the menu is different featuring items he's allergic to! Paju's staff did their best to accommodate which I can appreciate but why change without communication? We were able to have the chef replace a key main and with another dish, but I was also a little put off by the fact that they gave us an ultimatum to either continue with the menu or substitute for both of us. Why would we choose an option that he can't eat? I do understand that the question was asked out of courtesy but it was unnecessary. Just tell us that both of us will be accommodated for the allergy. Regardless, the menu was studded with some true gems that were absolutely dreamy like that caviar and egg amuse, the foie gras pearl barley, our off-menu dry aged ribeye, and the proper chocolate soufflé! Each dish had a kiss of Korean or Asian flair but I would say that most preparation did lean French so keep that in mind if you were expecting some of the stronger Korean flavors to show up. All in all, the experience was intimate, elevated, and still a treat despite the snafu. I would definitely be interested in coming back to Paju someday to try their regular menu. read more
4 months ago
Excellent food. Modern Korean fusion. I stopped by and had an excellent dinner at the bar. Excellent services. Look for Peter for drinks. He has great recommendations. I'll be back again to try their specials wood fired duck in half. read more
4 months ago
Paju serves unique, delicious, high-quality Korean food with small but significant ingredient additions/changes that I haven't encountered anywhere else, and I'm hooked. The menu and experience differ between lunch and dinner, and this is my lunch review. Simply put, lunch is much more casual and affordable than dinner (You order lunch scanning the QR code at the table). If you're on a budget, you can eat lunch here for less than $20. I went here for lunch twice during my business trip last month and here's what I ordered: - Seafood Tofu Soup - $17.50 - A seafood soondoobu (순두부) with a generous helping of soft tofu, shrimp, mussels and clam, served with rice. Delicious, refreshing and not spicy-I bet they could make it spicy if you asked. I enjoyed the texture from the cabbage bits. - Seolleongtang (설렁탕) - $15.50 - Oxtail bone broth served with potato starch noodles and brisket, comes with salt and green onion already added(typically doesn't at other Korean restaurants). High-quality ingredients and flavor, a great comfort food with a generous serving of brisket. - Shaved ice dessert (빙수) - $9.00 - A great combination of cinnamon, ginger cream and fried rice puffs. Delicious and different than other Korean shaved ice desserts I've had that typically have red bean and overly sweet ingredients. If you're on the fence about coming here, maybe try out lunch first. Lunch is more casual, affordable and simpler than dinner, but is delicious and high-quality. You should come here for dinner too, and I'll post about my dinners here soon. read more
2 years ago
I am Korean and I love seeing elevated Korean food restaurants and love to support them! I had two places in mind and decided to give Paju a try for my mom's birthday trip to Seattle. It was a Friday night around 6PM, to my surprise it was a bit quiet. We were seated right away, I was also very surprised to see that the chef was greeting guests, it's a pleasant surprise! Disappointingly, I didn't feel like we were very welcomed in the restaurant, just ... cold and quiet HAHA onto the food! Octopus: My friend recommended I try this dish and it was delicious. The octopus was cooked nicely, the dashima beurre blanc *chef's kiss* almost licked the dish Hamachi Crudo with Nengmyun broth: I was debating between this dish and the steak tartare; with a little encouragement from the server we decided on the yellowtail and I am glad I did! It was a very familiar taste but with unfamiliar combinations? The nengmyun broth and yellowtail harmoniously balanced each other; not one overwhelming the other. Mushrooms: I do not care what you say this is by far the BEST FREAKING thing I ate in Seattle. Please keep in mind this is my review and this is my opinion hehe I LOVED everything about this dish. Literally a flavor festival inside your mouth. Really enjoyed the kimchi inside that gave a punch of tang. I .. took it togo to eat it at the hotel ... HAHHA Bugak: I think this is a dish that can be loved by everybody. Korean elevated taco hehehe Duck Special: This was not on the menu but was a special that night. The good was that the duck was cooked to perfection, it was pink with the skin nicely grilled and not chewy. It also came with a small side of duck...wellington? duck tarte? THAT was delicious! This dish comes with a few side banchans. Bingsu: I ... want to bring home a TUB of that ginger cream. Dear lawd I was so full but I couldn't stop eating it, I can bathe in that ginger cream HAHA Overall it was a great dinner. I'm not familiar with the history of Paju but it was just shy of perfection. Not sure what it was, everything was good and the restaurant was pretty but something was... off. We did get two glasses of wine, maybe I should've tried their cocktails. read more
One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle! We came here twice for New Years Eve and birthday celebration, and the food was consistently amazing! I think this place has the best Korean fusion food out of Seattle, LA, SF, and NY. We loved the braised short rib nori taco and sujebi bolognese. The short rib was so tender and flavorful - it is very expensive for the portion, but we got it during both of our visits with no regrets. Sujebi bolognese has such a unique texture from the sujebi - i would say it is not the same texture as traditional sujebi, but more like rice cake texture that soaks up the delicious sauce. We also loved their special, which was perilla truffle noodles - an elevated take on the Korean traditional perilla makgguksu. Their bingsoo dessert is a perfect way to end the meal - very light and refreshing! I think the service could be more friendly but with this kind of food, it doesn't bother me. The place is darkly lit, cozy, and clean. I'd save this for a special occasion! read more
absolutely loved this place! definitely go and enjoy, you won't be disappointed. unique flavors combos and such attention to detail in every aspect... cooking, plating, tasting. if you sit at the chefs table (bar top) you can see majority of the cooking (aside from the fryers in the back) and it's so cool. they also have a wood fire grill there too for their steaks and fish items. we tried the yellowtail, bugak, beef tartare, octopus, and hama hama oysters. everything was SO good and i can't wait to go back. it was every bit you close your eyes good. the yellowtail (hamachi) was so pretty came displayed as a rose i didn't want to eat it. the bugak was delicious.. basically a sushi hand roll rice then oxtail mushrooms and crispy sunchokes on top. the beef tartare was delicious had the cutest dollops of crème fraiche and all the pieces of mint (i believe) were all aligned OCD straight and the nori sheets you get here chef makes himself it's crazy. the "ice cream" is more like a shaved ice aka sno cone with barley flavor but it's very light and surprisingly delicious. the octopus is delicious it is so tender and heaven in each bite i couldn't get over the textured crispness of the octopus suction cups but tender meat on the inside.. and that combo was so good. hama hama oysters are always good, it's so fresh and they're local. i have gone to the farm multiple times myself even tho it's 2 hours away. the chef is so so nice too. a nice korean guy who just loves to share his love for food with others. they also have fancy cocktails with unique spins.. the cocktail i had was topped with sesame oil and it was friggen delicious. read more
I don't often like fusion/re-imagined Korean food. I find that it's not often well executed or it just doesn't fit my palate. But Paju was such a delightful dining experience that it made me open to re-exploring cuisines like this. I think the octopus and the squid ink fried rice was good but not standout. The squid ink fried rice was flavorful, mainly tasted of the seaweed garnish, and surprisingly large in portion. My favorites were the beef tartare and the sujebi. The beef tartare had a surprisingly light flavor that, creamy and slightly sweet, which paired well with the deep umami flavor of the crispy seaweed. I felt that the sujebi mixed different elements together successfully. The crunchiness of the garnish w/ the chewiness of the sujebi. The meatiness of the bolognese w: the freshness of the pear. I couldn't stop eating this dish. I'd like to come back to try some of their other dishes and maybe reorder some of the dishes again. read more
1 year ago
We reserved a chef's counter table and despite being seated next to another couple I felt like we had a good amount of space for private and relaxed conversation. Interior had a good romantic ambiance and staff were friendly. For drinks we got some cocktails (spritz and vesper) - both of which were delicious! The cocktails did not have an overly strong alcohol taste profile which is exactly my preference. For appetizers we got the oyster and octopus. Oysters were delicious, fresh and paired well with the vinegar sauce, but the gochujang sauce was good but not my preference. The grilled octopus was glorious - cooked well, tender and not rubbery, and the bright, herby, creamy sauce balanced the octopus and salty roe well. Next we had the squid ink fried rice. Don't get me wrong - it does taste good - but I was not necessarily blown away by it. The grilled cauliflower was delicious, though I thought the dish could have used a smidge more salt, but the bitterness of the char balances well with the almond cream sauce. Finally we ended with the branzino and accompanying banchan. The branzino was excellent - crispy skin and flaky meat. For banchan we received kimchi, eggplant (YUM), beets (not a fan) and organge slices. We decided to skip dessert because we were so full from our meal! read more
We came to Paju on a Friday at around 4:45 just in time before Happy Hour ended at 5p. We ordered off the happy hour menu and had an excellent experience. I started with the margarita and it was fantastic. Roasted Corn Chicken Wings Truffle Bulgogi The roasted Corn was delicious and cheesey. The Chicken Wings were pretty good. The Truffle Bulgogi was awesome and great quantity. The staff was attentive and friendly. read more
2 years ago
We went for a week night dinner- we were greeted and seated right away! Place is on the smaller side with an open kitchen concept w soft warm lights, making the place sophisticated yet cozy! We ordered: 1) Beef tartare: I loved this dish despite other reviews. I thought the beef tartare paired very well with the garnishes and the fried seaweed chips. 2) Seafood jeon: this had a touch of Japanese- style dish and we absolutely loved the pairing of the two cuisines! Every bite was soft and crunchy at the same time and very flavorful 3) squid ink fried rice: loved the twist to a classic dish! read more
The service was great and it was a really pretty and chic dinning room to eat in. We came pretty early and made a reservation at 4pm, though we probably didn't need it for earlier than 5 or 6. The food and drinks were very tasty and pretty unique. The food is on the pricier side but I'd say the portions are pretty good. We would come back for a special occasion for sure. read more
Made a reservation for a business meeting here for their newly open patio. Check out their well done IG, and for sure do a reservation. During your reservation, there's a hold on the cc that's charged per person and will be released as a refund back you when you check in for your reservation. This place is in front of a major bus lines and you can hop on mass transit easily. Customer service was spot on here, our party had both a dairy allergy and shellfish allergy and they were so kind and friendly with our allergies. We had; Drinks JASMINE SPRITZ GOCHUJANG MARGARITA PAJU VESPER Food YELLOWTAIL HAMA HAMA OYSTERS And the half Duck special. Drinks were light and refreshing and complimented the flavors. Presentation was so pretty that we didn't even want to dig into the yellowtail for breaking it up. Duck was the special for the night and had turducken vibes. Overall, a lovely dinner experience to have a business dinner at. read more
Really good food! The restaurant has a nice ambiance with great staff that's kind and very helpful. We ordered the octopus dish, the cauliflower, the squid ink fried rice and the dry aged rib-eye. Everything was very beautifully plated but my favorite dishes were the fire roasted cauliflower and the rib-eye with 'banchan'. read more
2 years ago
First time dining here and the service was pretty good and food was tasty. We started off with a glass of makgeolli and it was a pretty decent pour for $9. For dinner, we ordered the little gem, beef tartare, octopus, cauliflower, and fried rice. Definitely skip the little gem - the lettuce didn't taste fresh at all and it was overdressed I'd come back for the octopus and cauliflower - both dishes where the main ingredient was the star and everything else on the plate complemented it. Beef tartare was ok. Beautiful presentation but the smoked cheese overpowered the beef. I wanted to taste the beef more. Paju fried rice was a bit of a letdown. It was unique but taste wasn't anything to rave about. It could've used some protein in it. read more
2 years ago
The food, cocktails and service were all amazing! We did family style and tried several dishes: - octopus - tartar - bugak - squid rice - mushrooms - bolognese - branzino Everything was very good. My favorites were the bugak, rice and mushrooms. I would come just for the bugak, which were so good!! Reservations are recommended. read more
1 year ago
I called up Paju in order to make a reservation for a team dinner because you are only allowed to make reservations for up to 6 people online. I needed a reservation for 18. Even though they normally don't take groups over 8 people, Paju worked with me and helped me to make a reservation for 3 tables of 6 that would be close together in order for our team to be able to experience the restaurant and its delicious food. Originally, I had scheduled this meeting for late August but due to some happenings at the office, we had to make a relatively last minute change to the reservation to bring it up to August 5th. They were able to help me immediately and were wonderful to work with. You do need to pay a deposit in order to hold your reservation but this is refunded to you when you arrive at the restaurant. On the day of, they were actually able to bring tables together and seat us all together at one long table which was wonderful since originally we thought we would be split amongst 3. The food and service was absolutely amazing, we split a variety of different dishes including the "chips and dip," cauliflower, seafood jeon, paju fried rice, little gem, mushroom mix, truffle bulgogi rice bowls, and bulgogi seaweed hand roll. All of the food was amazing, even things that would generally be considered quite humble, like the cauliflower. I was amazed at how delicious it tasted and now I want to start cooking with it myself! The drinks were lovely as well. Something else that is very cool about Paju is you can actually see the kitchen (or at least a part of it) from the dining room which is something I appreciate. It makes the experience more homey since you can see the beginning to end of your dishes. Paju is definitely on the more expensive side of restaurants in the SLU area. But it is worth it. You can tell from the quality of the service, ambiance of the restaurant, and deliciousness of the food. I am very glad for the recommendation from my team to make a reservation here, it was worth it! read more
I came here for a birthday celebration and thought it was alright. The ambiance was very intimate, perfect for date night. There's a paid parking garage closeby, which was perfect if you don't like to walk far. Just a heads up that they don't do parking validation. Since it was our first time here, we decided to order a few popular dishes that were recommended by our server to share. We got the yellow tail, octopus, paju fried rice and their duck special. Here are my impressions of each dish. Yellow tail: I thought this dish was very light and citrusy. The fish tasted so well with turnip and apple wrapped together and drenched into the lemon flavored broth. Will definitely order again! Octopus: this dish was smokey with a hint of roe for flavoring. Texture of the octopus was nice and chewy. Wish they give you more in an order. Paju fried rice: I thought this dish was okay. I couldn't really taste the squid ink and kimchi. I was glad that there was enough rice to share amongst two of us. I would skip this for next time. Duck special: This was not on the menu but this dish had half of a duck breast with a torte stuffed with meat on the side. Some refillable banchans were included. Overall, it was impressive! The duck was nice and juicy, cooked perfectly with a crispy skin on the outside. The torte was a bit salty which we felt it was okay to have this left out of the dish. This is a must try special if it's on the menu! Overall, the food was a bit pricey for small portions but it does filled you up quick. Service was great! Our server explained each dish well and checked on us often. Definitely a nice restaurant to go for date night. If you're still leaving hungry, there are some cheaper options next door. read more
1 year ago
Ambiance seems elevated and beautiful. Very elegant but also nostalgic. Service was amazing. Very fast and attentive. Food overall was great with some notes. The Hama Hama oysters were so fresh and plump and sweet even without the vinegrette, but the sauces definitely elevated the flavor. Bugak was also amazing. A little difficult to eat since it's a big mouthful but delicious. The beef tartare could do with a little less gouda. The smoked cheese seemed to overpower the natural flavors of the meat. The fried rice was delicious and umami but the bacon and kimchi was difficult to find in both flavor and texture as they were cut so finely. Overall, was a great experience and would visit again read more
Went to the new location and it's much better than the old location. Tables had candles and the dark wood and dim lighting gave it more romantic, evening date vibes. I thought the food was 3/5 today. We liked the octopus, it consistently delivers and was the star of the show. Cooked to perfection, not chewy at all. Yuzu sauce was delicious. Squid ink fried rice was still good. Didn't like the mushrooms or the Sujebi as much. The mushrooms were just too much. The kimchi and cheese over it was fine but not enough to balance the overwhelming amount of mushrooms. The Sujebi is basically a bolognese pasta with small pieces of melon and a bunch of panko bread crumbs over the whole thing. It mainly tasted like a meat sauce pasta to me but wasn't mind blowing. The melon was a nice touch actually, but they were small and few and far between, and the bread crumbs were too much. Service today was a bit subpar as well. Our waiter seemed rushed and not very friendly from the beginning to end of our meal. For the price, I'd probably go elsewhere next time! read more
1 year ago
Food was delicious! They all had such unique flavors. The waitresses were kind and friendly. We took her recommendations. The new york steak is a new item on their menu and the portions were generous. The aioli sauce it came with was so good too. My favorite has to be the paju fried rice because it was so well seasoned. The food is on the pricey side though. The interior is well lit and you can see some fire action in the kitchen!! read more
Was super excited to try Paju at their new location in SLU! It's a very nice atmosphere - cozy and intimate. We had a party of 5 and were seated at this very large round table, it was a little unfortunate because we felt kind of far apart/ couldn't really hear each other. I could see this spot being better for a date night or smaller group. Service was friendly, but the timing of the food was a little too spread out for us. The crispy pancake came out long after we finished our entree meal. We thought it had been forgotten. We also found it strange that they offered banchan refills but this was well after we finished everything rather than when they were empty while we were eating. Food: all dishes had a nice presentation + Tartar + Octopus + Mushroom - really tasty! + Paju Fried Rice - just ok + Ribeye Bugolgi - just ok + Paju Crispy Pancake - came out pretty late and was ok + Dry aged cooked ribeye + Branzino fish - this was probably the winner for main entrees Food was pretty expensive and just ok for us. They asked if we wanted their bingsoo dessert but the option was cinnamon flavor so we passed. Overall, it was expensive and nothing had the wow factor for us. read more
6 months ago
There are so many Asian fusion restaurants in Seattle, but I feel like paju has done an incredible job in comparison with its competitors. I was really impressed by how compatible the flavors were and appreciated, comfy intimate ambience, it was a perfect date spot. I was too busy to take pictures of everything I ordered, but the octopus and oxtail tacos were my favorite! The octopus was so fresh and the sauce was so good, light, and tasted actually homemade rather than like an aïoli. All the toppings seemed intentional rather than just for presentation. I was impressed by the bugak tacos because the Nori/taco shells were so crunchy despite us not eating it right away, and the filling was strongly seasoned. The mushrooms were really creamy, but I felt that it was a little too salty. The black squid fried rice was not too special, expected it to be the star of the menu, but it was fun in terms of presentation. the bulgogi was really good! I could taste the truffle. i was very pleasantly surprised bc they actually did asian fusion well, not just give small portions of korean food and label it upscale- i am excited to come back again to try whatever else is on their menu. My only con was that we got like 5 dishes + dessert but was not very full The dessert was not memorable and I think that I only ate one bite. Definitely come here for the main meals! read more
2 years ago
The new location is fabulous! Warm interior and wood burning fireplace! We ordered Yellowtail, a favorite, and my husband said "We may have to each get our own next time/i don't want to share!" Also a new dish, Chips and Dip, with an indescribable celery root puree topped with foam, and great rice chips. Yummy! Then Beef Tartare, another favorite, and Cauliflower, delicious! The biggest surprise was offering Basque Cheesecake with Red Cabbage Kimchi for dessert! If i didn't love the rest of the menu so much I'd still come back just for that cheesecake! The best example of Basque- caramelized exterior and such a light fluffy interior! Wonderful! And the kimchi complemented it nicely. read more
2 years ago
Probably the best meal ive had in Seattle! Every dish was unique and had a fun twist/spin on Korean and Italian classic dish. The Hama Hama oysters were super fresh and I liked it with the chojang and shallot sauce mixed.The sujebi with bolognese sauce and a crunchy tempura added a gorgeous texture. The octopus tentacle was cooked perfectly! The parmesan mushroom which tasted like there was truffle sauce and kimchi was on of my favs cuz everything blended well! The yellowtail was fresh but it wasn't as tender or buttery as I thought it would be.I absolutely love the barley tea ice cream as it had the strong nutty scent. My least favorite would probably be the Korean taco that has fried seaweed as the taco shell, mushrooms, sweet potato chips, rice, and oxtail as the protein. I felt it was overwhelming and so much flavor going on that it clashed for me read more
1 year ago
Kind of a fancy place. Overall food was good. The squid fried rice was pretty flavorful with kimchi bits. The Sushi roll like thing was delicious, although the portion was very small. Seafood pancake was a miss: too oily and I didn't see/taste much seafood. (Maybe all chopped up into the batter I don't know). Not sure if this is all worth the price though. read more
2 years ago
Amazing, favorite restaurant in Seattle so far. We visited Paju back when they were still in Queen Anne and remember it being good, but recently checked out their new South Lake Union location and was blown away. With a group of 6 we tried a few dishes that were solid: Mushroom, Sujebi, Branzino. And also had dishes that were outstanding: Seafood Jeon, Paju Fried Rice, Truffle Bulgogi, and the Sujjeonggwa Bingsu. When we ordered they had already run out of the Octopus and Yellow Tail so they seem to be popular. Seafood Jeon is Japanese okonomiyaki style and was a great elevation on your normal jeon and the fried rice had great flavor. The bingsu is such a great way to highlight an otherwise forgotten Korean dessert drink and would definitely get it again. I love Sujebi, but this take just felt a little too Italian for my taste and didn't feel like I was eating Sujebi. The Branzino was good, but for the price I was expecting some elevation when the food just seemed to really highlight the natural Branzino flavor. All in all amazing dining experience and can't wait to return. read more
Visited it for the first time since their move from lower Queen Anne Mercer street area. The quality of food has somehow gotten better with a slight change of focus for more "fine dining" direction. The brand new menu item, the Branzino, was refreshing with its taste, and the Bulgogi was as great as they were before. The servers were very friendly and helpful too. Great ambiance for a date night as well. read more
3 years ago
Absolutely fantastic spot all around! I've been looking for a place that can deliver on ambiance, service, food quality, and overall experience. This is definitely one of my new favorite restaurants in Seattle. We made a reservation ahead of time which I believe you are highly recommended to do. Their menu is quite limited but has so many appetizing dishes that you're sure to love. They are served family style, so everything is meant to be shared! We got the sujebi, paju fried rice, and truffle ribeye bulgogi. All three dishes were absolutely scrumptious! The flavor profile was spot on. The squid ink fried rice had the perfect umami-savory taste which was accompanied by the salty seaweed and smoky bacon that was so addicting. Their other famous dish, the truffle bulgogi was also so well crafted -- the tender bulgogi with was enveloped by the delicious sauce that the rice soaked up. I also loved the enoki mushrooms on top. Finally, the actual surprise of the night was the sujebi -- this was the classic korean rice cake (tteok) but in a bolognese sauce with crispy quinoa and thin slices of pear on top. My goodness was this so delicious! I know it sounds strange, but their bolognese sauce was the perfect salty savory yet slightly sweet flavor and on top of the chewy rice cakes I was hooked. Definitely try this too. Honestly everything on the menu is probably fantastic, but I'd highly recommend the dishes we ordered. Service was so friendly and efficient too which is always a plus! Prices are definitely on the higher end but nothing too outrageous, just what you'd expect for a higher end meal. Thank you for the fantastic experience Paju! read more
2 years ago
We had to come back to Paju after having such a wonderful experience last time. In my opinion, the new location is so much nicer. Parking was easier; the open layout is well designed and we enjoyed being able to watch the chef do his magic. Once we checked in, we were taken cared of, and just love the service and attention we got here. Now to the food... I wish I had the appetite that I had when I was in my 20s 'cause I'd have ordered everything we had, all over again. If I had to pick out any standouts, definitely it'd be the octopus, fried rice and the bingsu, but I'd have ordered everything again. We'll be back! read more
Paju's korean fusion, which frankly, I have not had much of, if at all. But here we are. It's a small quaint restaurant with higher end prices but higher quality food. Now the concept itself is interesting but not all dishes are created equally. Beef Tartare is probably the highlight of the meal. It mixes the fusion element well. Every bite was every bit as good as the one before, we cleared this plate out pretty quick. Paju Fried Rice is kimchi fried rice but with squid ink. It made for an interesting flavor but it wasn't particularly mind blowing either. But this is probably our second favorite dish for the lunch. Mix it all up well and enjoy this carb of a dish. The Truffle Bulgogi is a bulgogi rice bowl for lack of better term. Was it good? Definitely, you can taste the truffles here and there and the bulgogi itself was pretty good. But otherwise, it's something you could easily eat at a korean market for maybe half the price. All in all? Paju is a great experience though you'll have to sift through the menu carefully for the really good dishes. This isn't exactly a "point and eat" menu where everything is equally amazing, you'll have to study up ahead of time. read more
3 years ago
I've been curious about Paju for a while and I finally got to try it out! i was pretty happy with my experience and would definitely come back. We made a reservation about a week in advance and had to put down a reservation deposit, but it was refunded as soon as we got to the restaurant. Our server was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions before ordering. When bringing out the food, he introduced it fully and pointed out each element of the dish! I felt like the dishes came out at the right time so I was happy with the pace of the meal. My friend and I ordered four dishes and we felt full afterwards, so I'd recommend getting that amount depending on your party size. Tartare: 5/5, I thought this was great. The nori crisps are thick yet crunchy and the tartare tastes heavenly. I'd get this again. Yellowtail: 4/5, was expecting a little more from the "naengmyeon soup" but it was overpowered by the lime taste. The fish itself was pretty great. Mushrooms: 5/5, whatever truffle sauce they use for this is amazing. This is a must have! Sujebi: 3.5/5, nothing really special. I thought the Korean pear and sujebi were cool substitutions but it was overall a regular bolognese dish. The crumbs on top did not contribute. This was our "main" course so I felt a little disappointed by this one. read more
1 year ago
Paju was amazing from food, presentation to the ambience. For 2, they recommended about 4 dishes but we ordered 5 and we were struggling to finish it at the end. Every dish plays around different texture and flavor profiles and it was amazing. Yellow tail - refreshing cold broth with crunchy pairs Octopus - creamy spicy sauce with perfectly charred octopus Sujebi - chewy noodles with sweet bolognese sauce Paju fried rice - umami packed rice Truffle bulgogi - great dish but I this didn't stands out much for us. Overall 10/10 read more
Ordered: - Beef tartare (5/5): A surprisingly delicate flavor that paired really well with the perfectly roasted seaweed chips. The roasted seaweed "chip" was very clever as it was sturdy enough to hold the beef tartare without breaking. Perfect portion as well and felt like the flavors really let the beef shine through with textures and taste. - Octopus (5/5): Textures were really complex and worked well together with a slightly crispy outside crust on the octopus, a softer chewiness of the actual octopus meat, and even the addition of smoky trout roes that had a nice bounce and unexpected flavor that we loved on its own as well. The sauce used with the octopus also had a lot of different dimensions and was tangy and creamy. Unfortunately forgot all of the details that the bartender shared but it was definitely the star of the meal! - Seafood jeon (4/5): A very interesting twist that we were pretty tripped up on while eating. It has the sauce and appearance of a Japanese okonomiyaki but the taste of a traditional Korean seafood jeon (although I will say there was not much seafood in it and seemed more like a leek/vegetable pancake). Really solid "main" for us to share and end our meal on. Also really liked that they served it like a traditional okonomiyaki -- definite bonus points from that! - Paju vesper (5/5): A combo of soju and gin. The gin taste was at the forefront of the cocktail followed by notes of soju and lemon. - Gochujang margarita (5/5): The bartender said it was one of his favorites on the drink menu so we knew we had to try it and it didn't disappoint. We expected a punchy flavor but the gochujang was actually really subtle and it all worked together well. The salt rim also had some red pepper so it gave it a spicy afternotes too. - Overall (4.5/5): We really enjoyed sitting at the bar and chatting with the bartender about his drink creations and finding out more about Paju. Drinks are on the stronger side which was perfect for our preference. We saw most tables available on a Friday at 5 but they were probably already reserved so we couldn't sit at one, and we were only offered the chef's counter or bar. The place isn't that big either so for anyone interested in a more private vibe we recommend booking an early reservation. The food here was overall amazing but also pretty expensive, especially in terms of portion size, so do keep your expectations tempered in that regard. We'd definitely return in the future though if we get a chance! read more
More info about Paju
513 Westlake Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
South Lake Union
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(206) 829-8215
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https://www.pajurestaurant.com
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Ask the Community - Paju
Good for well behaved kiddos?
Good for solo diners? Is there bar seating?
Does the restaurant really not offer takeout?
Right now they're offering a limited take-out menu.
Any good vegan options? I see some potential on the surface but sometimes I've seen veggies with fish sauce or animal ingredients.
I'm afraid not. I think virtually everything on the menu contains at least one animal product. Chef Bill told me in the early days of the restaurant that they can make accommodations to dietary restrictions if you call in advance so it's worth a…
Is there banchan, Korean side dishes?
Not the traditional ones you may be used to. I have had fried in house made seaweed chips as a side. They have only been open a few weeks and making changes as needed. Accommodating kids tastes as well. Definitely worth a trip in.
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