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    Blue Willow

    4.5 (11 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Blue Willow Chinese Restaurant Photos

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    Sweet and spicy pork ribs with Kai choy
    Val E.

    Tucked away near Melrose market is this fantastic new Chinese spot that opened up about 2 months ago! So excited to have a place like this open up near me. This was my second time dining here and I am so in love with the food. It's nice not having to travel all the way to the International District for good Chinese food. So far I've tried the shrimp and chive dumplings, spicy Kai choy (seasonal veg), honey walnut shrimp buns, and the sweet and spicy pork ribs. And I've got my eye on the tenderloin beef dish and crab fried rice for next time... Everything is so fresh and the sauces have really unique profiles, the pork ribs had a citrusy spicy flavor and the Kai choy soaked it all up underneath making for a really delicious combo. The honey walnut shrimp buns were delicious, the crunchy sweet and soft combo was amazing and they are a great starter. All of the food is plated beautifully and comes out so quick. Can't wait to bring friends and family here soon The ambiance is great, I love the low lighting, the music is very fun, lots of seating throughout and the bartender/server Martin is so kind and helpful! They are more of an evening spot right now and open up at 4pm everyday. Can't wait to try the whole menu eventually!!

    Phuong B.

    The most exciting thing about this restaurant is that it will eventually close. This is by far one of the worst restaurants of 2026. We arrived around 5 PM on a Wednesday and it was a ghost town. The entire time we were there, nobody even opened the door to look inside. The vibes are a bit retro and very red. I get that they were going for an Asian theme, but it felt more like a horror set. As for service, it was okay. I inquired if the dishes we ordered had any nuts as my cousin has a severe nut allergy and that was met with a snarky response, "there's only two things on the menu and it's clearly marked as nuts". We looked at the menu again and it was not specifically marked as "nuts" but had peanuts in their description. I didn't appreciate that as the allergy is serious and I didn't know since none of the dishes we ordered had it. A little kindness goes along way and this guy had none of that. As for the food, it was definitely the worst part. We ordered two dumplings, the shrimp and chives and the pork. The wrappers were very thick and the flavor profile sort of sour. The mala chicken was probably the best item we ordered, but very one dimensional. It had the numbing feel, but lacked other flavor. We also ordered the Dan Dan, and it was was the same flat flavor profile as the chicken. Overall, everything was very flat, numbing, and lack flavor. In fact, my cousin and I had a bite of each one and then gave up. Sadly, I went home and had Taco Bell afterwards. It tasted much better.

    Rudy C.

    This place is new and I loved it. I went there two times this week. The co owner was great and so was the bartender/server. Service amazing and the food was delicious. Try all the dumplings and bao buns you won't regret it. I'm sure once word gets out about how great this place is it'll be difficult to get a reservation so I'd visit asap.

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    21 days ago

    Best ever! Drink menu was limited. Hard to find. Nice bartender. The places is a bit dark.

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    Sichuanese Cuisine

    Sichuanese Cuisine

    4.0(788 reviews)
    1.1 miLittle Saigon, Chinatown International District
    $$

    We first went to the 老四川 in Seattle before our son was born. He'll be 36 years old this year, so…read moreyes he's a horse. I had lived in Beijing for 8 years and spoke pretty good mandarin for a 老外 so I ordered for us. Our waitress, one of two sisters who ran the place, I call her 陈大姐, said to me, Wow, you can speak Chinese! You must be very smart! I replied, You must be very smart. You can speak Chinese! At first she didn't know what to say but then laughed. It was the beginning of a lovely relationship. However since the pandemic we had not been back. Perhaps yesterday we were in the spirit of celebrating the Spring Festival. We decided to go there. What a great choice! 陈大姐 by coincidence was working. She retired years ago. (Her sister opened another 老四川 in Bellevue but unfortunately has since passed away.) 陈大姐 immediately recognized us. She remembered our son and other family members who often joined us there. It felt like old friends getting together again. Unfortunately my wife and I were the only ones in our little group. It's better to have more people so you can order more dishes. We only got 4 dishes, 宫保鱼, 椒盐虾,干煸四季豆, 夫妻肺片。Gong bao fish, salt and pepper shrimp, green beans and "husband and wife lung strips"! Actually that's a beef and tendon appetizer. Everything tasted just like we remember. Well, the fish dish was wetter than before but still tasty. Flavors are authentic but a little toned down from the Sichuan food in China and in a few other local restaurants. The main flavor of Sichuan cuisine is 麻辣 or spicy numbing. It's not really so hot as it is numbing. Your lips tingle. Most people who didn't grow up with this aren't big fans. Their 水煮肉 or 水煮鱼 comes pretty close though. Leftovers with either of those and leftover rice plus whatever make the very best 烩饭, huifan! Just boil it. We arrived there early and there were just a few other customers eating. And they left soon after. So it was just us and a steady stream of delivery drivers coming in to pick up food to go. I would consider ordering on line like that but this food doesn't hold up well over the distance to our home. Although the interior had been remodeled since our last visit, the decor is fairly stark. Combine that with the location in a strip mall on the corner of Jackson and 12th, which has seen better days, ambience isn't a real draw. However if what you want is a very good meal at reasonable prices then you should go to the Sichuanese Cuisine restaurant in Seattle. (I prefer it to the one in Bellevue.) Too bad you probably won't get to meet 陈大姐。Now that we know the food is still great, we will return.

    This was a good order sojourn experience might be better. Ordered pa cake, dumplings, and walnut…read moreshrimp. First they are fast and the walnet shrimp was devoured it was so good. They prices are priced well. Remember everything is al a cart, you pay extra for rice. That's fine. The pancake was inedible it had no flavor and was very (very) dry. The dumplings needed soy which I didnt get (bad on me) and the dipping sauce all heat no chili flavor. I have had better frozen dumplings which made me sad. Will try one of the other amazing Chinese places in downtown Seattle.

    Photos
    Sichuanese Cuisine
    Sichuanese Cuisine - Chiken with string beans

    Chiken with string beans

    Sichuanese Cuisine

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    Szechuan Noodle Bowl

    Szechuan Noodle Bowl

    4.1(379 reviews)
    1.1 miChinatown International District, Chinatown
    $

    Szechuan Noodle Bowl is definitely an unassuming, no-frills type of restaurant. I probably would've…read moreoverlooked this place if I hadn't already been made aware of it through the positive Yelp reviews I read during my research for a Seattle itinerary. Since it is a small establishment, I am a bit hesitant to give it three stars, but it was underwhelming compared to what I had expected after reading rave reviews. The inside was very welcoming to me; it was homey, giving similar vibes to my grandma's home/kitchen. There is very limited seating. FOOD: The food is definitely fresh and authentic, but I think I just prefer stronger, bolder flavors. The food here was very light and had a sort of healthy taste to it? Pan Fried Dumplings (3.5/5) - The fried dumpling skin had a nice texture to it, and the filling was juicy. It was okay; I didn't have strong feelings about it. Pork and Chive Dumplings with Hot and Spicy Sauce (3/5) - From the name, I was expecting a stronger flavor. The sauce was on a milder, vinegary side, so I was rather disappointed. Xiao Long Bao (4/5) - Juicy and came out piping hot (as reflected by the steam blurring my photos of it). Probably my favorite thing from what we ordered. Would've paired nicely with some ginger, but I forgot to ask if that was available. Szechuan Beef Noodle with Soup (3/5) - A cleaner, slightly herbal type of broth compared to what I am used to. SERVICE: The person helping us was nice. I don't know if they were having an off day, but it took a really long time for us to receive our food, despite it not being busy. The prices and portions here are really reasonable. Note that they only take cash or Venmo payments. TLDR// Being transparent, I found this place to be a bit underwhelming, but maybe I came in with too high of expectations. I would still recommend trying it to see if it's your cup of tea. It's always worth supporting local businesses.

    Mom and pop type Chinese restaurant. It was pretty small with limited seating but I liked the vibe…read moreof the restaurant. Service was kind of slow though and it took us a while to order and get our food Szechuan beef noodle with soup (#13): 4/5 XLB (#11a): 4/5 I liked this but it wasn't super notable Pork and chive dumpling w/ hot and spicy sauce (#5): 3.5/5 I liked the flavor but it wasn't super strong Pan fried dumplings (#12a): 4/5 pretty juicy on the inside

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    Szechuan Noodle Bowl
    Szechuan Noodle Bowl
    Szechuan Noodle Bowl - Pan Fried Dumplings

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    Pan Fried Dumplings

    Chengdu Memory - Must get vegetables - tong hao

    Chengdu Memory

    4.4(643 reviews)
    1.0 miJapantown, Chinatown International District
    $$$

    Good food best service the hotpot there was very high quality the taste was fantasticread more

    My friends and I actually come to ChengDu Memory all the time. After dining here multiple times,…read morethis is my first time writing a review--I even forgot to take photos of the food! Our go-to order is the beef and lamb platter, crab sticks, winter melon, potatoes, and their milk tea (which comes with free refills). The broth bases and ingredients are always absolutely flawless. However, instead of just reviewing the food today, I want to share some unique insights and perspectives from my background as a former restaurateur who used to own and operate a hot pot restaurant myself. The True History of Chongqing Hot Pot: Humble Beginnings In China, Chongqing hot pot was originally the ultimate food of the people. Back in the day, it was famously called "1-to-3" (1托3)--meaning meat dishes cost 3 RMB and veggies cost 1 RMB. Traditional Beijing mutton hot pot (Shuan Yang Rou) could never compete with that kind of price-to-performance ratio. True hot pot history spans only about a century. Chongqing hot pot originated with laborers working along the riverbanks. Because they couldn't afford premium cuts, they used various animal offal for dipping. Take Huanghou (黄喉 - Ox/Pork Aorta) for example: it is actually the main aorta of the animal. It requires meticulous, layer-by-layer peeling because only the middle layer is crunchy and edible. Similarly, while a cow has four stomachs, only the third stomach--the Omasum (牛百叶 - Beef Tripe)--is used for hot pot. All of these ingredients require intense, repetitive processing before they can ever hit the table. Why Hot Pot is Secretly an Exceptionally Healthy Food At its core, hot pot is a remarkably healthy way to eat. Nowadays, so many people suffer from cavities and tooth decay. When you boil it down, it stems from one major issue: eating too many carbohydrates. A Quick Evolutionary Detour: During the Paleolithic era, humans didn't eat rice or noodles because wheat and rice had not yet been domesticated. Once the Agricultural Revolution began, the proportion of carbs in the human diet spiked dramatically. When carbs enter the mouth, they break down into simple sugars. When these sugars meet oral microbes, they ferment into organic acids that attack our teeth. Human tooth enamel is incredibly strong--second in hardness only to diamonds--and under normal circumstances, it is designed to last a lifetime. Carbs destroy it. For example, Easter Island once had the highest cavity rate in the world; due to a lack of fresh water, locals relied on cassava and sugarcane juice. The massive amount of carbohydrates caused their teeth to rot starting at age 14, and by age 20, most had virtually no usable teeth left. I'm rambling a bit, but my point stands: because hot pot emphasizes fresh meats and vegetables over heavy carbs, it is inherently very healthy! The Science Behind the Flavor Another fascinating characteristic of Sichuan/Chongqing mala hot pot is the continuous simmering process. As the ingredients are repeatedly heated in the broth, the aromatic molecules are continuously re-released. Because of this chemical process, the longer it boils, the more fragrant and flavorful it becomes.

    Photos
    Chengdu Memory - Interior

    Interior

    Chengdu Memory - Chengdu Black Beef Tripe (bottom) and Assorted Mushrooms (top)

    Chengdu Black Beef Tripe (bottom) and Assorted Mushrooms (top)

    Chengdu Memory - Mango Oasis Sour Yogurt Cube Snow Ice What's up Chengdu snow ice (panda)

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    Mango Oasis Sour Yogurt Cube Snow Ice What's up Chengdu snow ice (panda)

    Pipa Mountain Hot Pot - Shrimp paste, highly recommended!

    Pipa Mountain Hot Pot

    4.4(150 reviews)
    1.1 miChinatown International District
    $$$

    Came here on a Wednesday night and the place was literally empty. We were greeted and seated right…read moreaway of course. Our server was really nice and provided refills quickly, as well as offered to put in more broth. The sauce bar is pretty good. There are some appetizers there too. We got the lamb and beef combo, as well as pork belly. All of them tasted great. Ambience is really nice. Very nicely decorated. It does make me really sad to see such a great restaurant sit so emptily, likely due to its location.

    First time trying. Went late afternoon on a Sunday. Plenty of tables available. Several tables…read morewere full with patrons. We ordered the lamb & beef combo, mixed veggies. Selected the healthy mushroom broth and the pork bone broth. Both were just okay not a lot of flavor, but not too salty. We both got the sauce bar too. Also included some chicken feet, a Thai chicken gizzards and celery dish, fungus, two different kinds of soup, and cantaloupe and grapes. You can go up to the sauce bar Unlimited times. Restaurant was tidy and clean, service was very good and cordial Free parking for two hours on the 3rd floor, but a bit sketchy. The restaurant is on level 2c. Kind of hard to find cause the over the door signage says Bite of China in big letters and Pipa Mountain Hot pot in small print Food was okay portion size of meat combo was generous. Might go back again.

    Photos
    Pipa Mountain Hot Pot - Clean n comfortable environment

    Clean n comfortable environment

    Pipa Mountain Hot Pot
    Pipa Mountain Hot Pot - Interior seating

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    Interior seating

    Frying Lemon Fish - Sole Fish Fillets in a Spicy Gravy Sauce

    Frying Lemon Fish

    4.5(177 reviews)
    26.0 mi

    The positive part was the sweet and sour chicken was still very warm when it reached my house…read more The vegetable chow mein was not. It is a huge portion but it is completely devoid of any flavor whatsoever. Usually onions add something but that did not help. I don't know how you can mess up noodles but no one in my family would eat them and there is one person in my family that will manage to eat almost anything and they refused. The sweet and sour chicken was drowning in sauce even though we asked more than once for the sauce to be on the side. We liked the bell peppers and onions in the sauce. The chicken pieces were of decent size. I did not care for the sauce. The white rice was well made and fluffy. The rice was probably the best part of the dish. About an hour later, we ended up throwing up the food. A complete waste of $31 dollars (which is pricey for what was supposed to be a lunch special). Also, vegetable chow mein and chicken chow mein is the same price which we found out after we had paid. Lunch is pictured and mention to include soup BUT you only get soup if you dine in. The place looked clean the the people seemed friendly. We may give them one more chance bc of the friendly service.

    Swung by for dinner after a Wolfpack game in Everett. Plenty of street parking on Colby. Wasn't…read morebusy due to it being a Sunday evening so no need to check in at the kiosk. Ordered spicey sour dumplings as an appetizer. Was hoping for a little more flavor honestly. For entres we ordered Basil Beef with Ginger Sauce ( great presentation), a Basil Beef dish and a side of pickled veg fried rice. Staff was very friendly and offered choices. Plenty od seating with a pleasant ambiance. Hot tea was good as well. And Plenty left over for lunch tomorrow.

    Photos
    Frying Lemon Fish - Table

    Table

    Frying Lemon Fish - Stir Fried Fish with White Sauce

    Stir Fried Fish with White Sauce

    Frying Lemon Fish - Chicken Fried Rice

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    Chicken Fried Rice

    Blue Willow - szechuan - Updated June 2026

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