Taste- ***** Ambiance- **** Service- ***** Parking-*** WOW! MAN! YUM! This restaurant brought me right back to Taiwan. I am so excited about the rise of the "Taiwanese burger". This is a beloved Taiwanese treat found at every night market, every restaurant- everywhere. Fluffy bun filled with fatty, flavorful meat, topped with Chinese sauerkraut and a dusting of peanuts. It is amazing to be able to get my hands on this tasty little morsel so close to home. I can eat 100 of these. But don't stop at the bun, Facing East has a lot more to offer. The egg tofu dish everyone recommended was delicious. Tender tofu braised with a melody of veggies. Order a bowl of rice and get allllll dat sauce. The braised pork belly is tender, fatty, succulent. This Shanghainese style is hard to master, I know because I have tried so many times at home and failed. Now I know where to get it! The shrimp rolls from the appetizer section was my least favorite favorite dish, still delicious. I can't wait to try everything on the menu. read more

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I've heard a lot of good things about this restaurant so my friend and I decided to check it out one Friday evening. The restaurant was pretty busy when we arrived and parking was pretty difficult to find. We were told it would be 30 minutes before we could be seated so we decided to chill in the car until then. They'll give you a call when your table is ready so you don't have to wait next to the restaurant. The restaurant was very busy when we dined in, but the service was still fairly quick. We started with the Taiwanese pork bun and the oyster sweet potato pancake and finished with the braised beef noodle soup. The taiwanese pork bun was as delicious as it looked. Fluffy yet soft bun with sweet and fatty pork and crunchy salted peanuts. The oyster pancake was rich and tasty as well. It was pretty slimey which may turn some people away. I was fine with it, and the umami from the pancake really drew out the salinity of the oysters. The beef noodle soup was pretty good too. I'm personally not a big fan of traditional beef soup but I still enjoyed eating it. Reminded me a lot of home cooking and something my mom would make. The tenderness of the braised beef and the body of the broth really warmed me up on that cold evening. Very traditional Taiwanese fare presented in a modern setting. It reminded me a lot of traditional Chinese/Taiwanese home cooking which was the beauty of the restaurant. I will continue to recommend this restaurant to my friends. read more

I would rate Facing East 3.75/5. Heard so much about this restaurant so I had to try it. Parking was a little crammed. When walking in, we waited about five minutes before being greeted and seated. The food doesn't come out all at once. We ordered the Taiwanese pork burger, the spiced stew over rice, the five spiced fried chicken and the chow mein. The burger and the rice dish came out first. Then the chow mein. And then after finishing all meals, and waiting about ten minutes, the fried chicken came out. The food was great. Very filling. Our bill was about $41 for all four dishes. Service, however, was not great. I had to ask to get our water filled and ask for our check. Overall, food 4/5, service 3/5. read more

Facing East - Taiwanese Pork Burger - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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好吃 Amazing food and great service. I love Facing East's chicken friend steak, beef rolls, and guà bāo (steamed bun stuffed with pork, pickled vegetables, peanut powder and cilantro). Take-out only now, which I do not mind. One of my favorite places to eat! read more

This is my second time here. Everything I've had here so far is delicious! It was worth waiting for an hour. read more

Facing East - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I had the braised pork over rice and it was cooked to perfection. The pork was very tender and savory, although I feel that the portion could have been bigger. Be aware that there is no dine-in area, so be ready to eat in the parking lot if you are in a hurry. read more

I came with my family and I ordered the beef noodles and some other dishes like the pork chop rice. The pork shop was really good! Wonderfully cooked and flavorful. My beef noodles were good but really greasy. The fat was just floating all over the top and was a bit overwhelming. The bok choy was also full and not chopped. Usually, at restaurants you want this chopped because they sometimes don't clean it well on the inside. The pricing is fine and there is plenty of parking in the lot outside. It can get quite busy so maybe arrive a bit earlier. read more

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Updating because they sell their hot sauce now. Its my all time fave hot sauce and they sold me a mason jar full the last time I went! My faves include: pork stew over rice- Taiwanese pork burger Braised tofu Beef noodle soup The noodle and rice dishes are all good as well!! Service is awesome is you manage to go right when they open and are not too busy. If you go on the weekends or at dinner time, this place is packed to expect a wait or do what I do, and get take out! read more

Facing East - They sell jars of their hot sauce. Seriously my favorite hot sauce. - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

We had takeout today. Facing East takeout food was also excellent (compared to eat in). I particularly enjoyed their Salted Egg offerings including the Salted Egg Squash and Bitter Melon. The noodle offerings were also excellent. Still a 5 star experience. read more

So glad that my first time having Taiwanese food was at Facing East. It was an incredibly yummy, authentic experience. I came with my friend who lives in the area and is a frequent diner at Facing East, so he ordered us. We split an appetizer, a meat dish, and a vegetable. Taiwanese Pork Burger: An Asian twist on an American classic, this "burger" is a folded bao, filled with delicious pork belly and a hefty amount of pickled vegetables and cilantro. Stir-Fried String Beans: Great flavors (has dried shrimp, lots of garlic), and cooked perfectly (slightly blistered). It was also a huge portion, even in my opinion, and I can eat A LOT of vegetables. Twice-Cooked 5 Spice Beef Shank: I think that the leeks could have been cooked a bit more, as they were more on the raw side and had too much of a raw onion taste. read more

Facing East - Twice Cooked Beef Shank - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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A taste of Taiwanese food within the Bellevue limits was ready for a couple hungry stomachs. And yes, one of those hungry stomachs was mine! The first item that caught my attention was the Taiwanese pork burger. A delicious burst of foreign flavors and softness and crunchy textures melded into one. The star attraction was the pork belly fat that's easily "melt in your mouth" effect; the pickled mustard greens that give the crunchy factor; among a few other flavors like the Taiwanese special pork sauce all protected within the infamous white pillow rice bread. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each one is $4.50. Chicken fried steak was the upgraded dish version of the popcorn chicken that many are familiar with. Biting into the juicy chicken covered crispy fried breaded piece was well worth the short wait. Comes with a mound of white rice with a ground pork sauce drizzled over and a side of he pickled mustard greens and a bundle of bok choy. Just under $10. Taiwanese style chow mien with shrimp, pork, fish cake and veggies. This is a typical noodle dish but with a more mild flavor. If you're not into pork then you can have that removed and more of the other items. $11.50. Service was quick which was great. Not sure if that's normal or if it was because of the end of the day. Either way the short wait was all the best. Servers were on par with water refill and attention. I had a last bite of my Taiwanese pork burger hovering over my plate and the bus boy asked if he could take it. Haha I guess I can't blame them for wanting to close on time but it was weird for them to take a plate away when I didn't even finish my food! Overall good was yummy! read more

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Despite the latest expansion into the adjoining space, Facing East is still struggling to keep up with the long lines. Update post expansion: *The expansion more than doubled the dining area to accommodate the large parties. However, parking remains an issue and if you park in the middle of the parking lot, you better be an expert and slim as a toothpick to get out of your car with 6 inches of room to open your door. There is a risk of weak drivers bumping and denting your ride. I think I saw a young chick bump into someone's car trying to maneuver into a tight spot. Not good. *Food is top notch and as compared to the rest of Bellevue... is beyond reproach. I am constantly reminded of the reason I go to Bellevue besides Bellevue square. Also, FE is the only location I know in the entire state that knows how to make a real shaved ice dessert. *Staff member Joe. Professional, helpful, friendly, and caring of customers and the business. I always look forward to seeing him and it always feels welcoming. Oodles of Kudos to Joe. Keep up the amazing service! Today's visit, on tap we had Vermicelli noodles, basil three cup chicken, radish fried rice, and capped it off with the Mango/Strawberry shaved ice dessert. The Vermicelli was infused with small shrimp, mushrooms, sliced pork. It is a different taste to my usual egg noodles chow mein and was not too heavy and with the addition of their special chili, yummy. Radish fried rice surprised me since I expected the radish to overpower the dish but it didn't. Joe had a point when he mentioned the shrimp or pork fried rice would be a redundant companion to the noodles; he was right. The basil three cup chicken in a claypot is wow. The chicken pieces apparently were coated in a layer of dumbed down caramelized sauce that gave a unique slight sweetness that followed with not so dry interior white meat. The super fresh mango and strawberries over ice with condensed milk left smiles. Got leftovers tonight to look forward to.... read more

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Facing East, you are the real reason why I don't mind making the trip to Bellevue. It might seem intimidating when you see a crowd there but from my experience so far, I've been able to get a table in a reasonable amount of time. The sauteed green beans are a must to order. I love how garlicky they are and they have that light crunch to them. The pork burger for me is the perfect size for a snack. Its humbao buns are stuffed with pork belly, cilantro, crushed peanuts and some other delicious ingredients I can't remember since I devour it before I can really examine it. I love the noodles in garlic oil since the texture and flavor are the perfect side dish (I feel like I always have to have a noodle dish when I eat Asian food). Other notable dishes I like off the menu are the miso black cod (it seems to have more of a Japanese influence but very tasty) and sauteed lamb. Facing East also has great specials. The first time I dined here they had a cold pork cheek sharing plate as one of their specials and that was enjoyable. During my last visit, I tried this pork mushroom roll which was a piece of thinly sliced pork wrapped around mushrooms. It was pretty good but it was a pain to get the mushrooms stuck between my teeth. When dining here, you must save room for some shave ice. I like to share either the one with the works (beans, jelly, etc) or the fresh mango. They're both refreshing and not overly sweet. Facing East is definitely worth the trip to Bellevue. read more

Facing East - Miso black cod - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Finding parking was a challenge (small parking lot) but heard great things about facing east so had to give it a try. The pork belly buns were amazing! Probably the best that I have ever has. A bit pricey for the buns but they were delicious (my favorite item from Facing East). We had a couple other dishes (lamb with Ong Choi, Fried Rice, Green Beans, Rice Noodles, Sticky Rice and Red Bean Mochi shaved ice). The sticky Rice and noodles stuck out. I would highly recommend the sticky rice which comes with a sauce that you should definitely use (very tasty). In regards to dessert - I would pass on the shaved ice. The ice was hard and so was the red beans. I was disappointed because shaved ice is typically soft (fresh powder). Overall - I would recommend giving Facing East a try. Good food! However - parking is a challenge so plan accordingly and be patient. read more

One of the first Taiwanese places I've hit up since moving to Seattle and one that I will continue going to! I'll start with the bad: parking, that's a given. It's a private lot in a strip mall, so during the lunch or dinner rush on the weekends it sucks balls. Along the same lines is that it can get really busy during the weekends. I would recommend coming either around 5pm or after 9pm for dinner. If you end up waiting in line, go to the front and tell them the number in your party. Then someone will give you a wooden rice paddle with a number on it. If I remember correctly, you can only reserve a table if you have a party of 6 or more. Oh, and it helps if you can speak Mandarin. #languagegetsyoufarinlife Ok, now for the food! Here's a list of dishes that I really like at Facing East: Taiwanese Pork Burger (gua bao) Five spice chicken Three cups chicken Bitter melon with salty egg Sakura fried rice Stir fried lamb with veggies (forgot the actual name) Also, something a lot of people don't realize is that the milk tea here is REALLY good! The tea has a strong flavor, and it can keep you up at night if you drink it late. That's how you know the place doesn't use that powder shit like other second rate boba shops (you know who you are). The shaved ice desserts are also very good! You can get the ones with fruit, either strawberries or mangoes, but remember their availability depends on the season. Your other shaved ice option is the one with taro and different beans. Just beware: the portion is huge! Finally, this is just my own personal thing, but people are surprised at how friendly the service here is despite "being a Chinese restaurant." See that's why I classify Taiwanese restaurants like Facing East separately from Chinese ones. I'm not saying that service at all Chinese restaurants is bad, unfriendly, and full of yelling (actually a lot of them are like that), but in Taiwanese restaurants you definitely feel that warm vibe and the polite mannerisms that you don't usually get at Chinese restaurants. And if you are from Taiwan or have lived on the island, you know what I'm talking about! #Taiwanesepride read more

Facing East - Bitter melon with egg, beef noodle soup, and Taiwanese pork burger - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Ok, I love this restaurant. Why can't there be more like these restaurants in the South bay or Bay area. This restaurant offers Taiwanese food. I heard about this restaurant from my friend, Eric L. He told me that I had to eat there. Fortunately, I did try it....but I ate there like 3x. Hahaha..Gosh, the people next to us ordered some good food too. Dammit, I can't order everything on the menu. :/ Ok, so here's what we had when we ate there. Pork burgers- comes with 2. I ate a lot of these when I was growing up. The radish does help finish it off. Beef noodle soup-I ate this when I was growing up too. I remember my grandma making it. Gosh, it was perfect since it was cold outside. Shrimp & veggie pancake-it's actually perfect. Good amount of veggies & shrimp. Pork with rice bowl-rice bowl with minced pork on rice. Tasty. Garlic green beans-tasty and crunchy. Heard that there are other places are better. I thought it was pretty good. Milk tea-just the right sweetness Citrus tea-like how my friend's mama makes it (that's what she said ). :) I will be back!!!! :) read more

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This place may have been hyped up too much for me, or maybe it's because I went with my Taiwanese parents who had high expectations. The food wasn't bad, don't get me wrong--but it was pretty overpriced for what you get and maybe not worth the "best Taiwanese food in Seattle" hype that I had heard from several people before coming. Pros: Lots of variety. Facing East serves lots of "snacks" like Tainan shrimp rolls and gua bao that will be familiar to many Taiwanese people. I liked seeing offerings on the menu that many other restaurants don't have! There is plenty of room in the restaurant and large tables to seat big groups and families. Cons: Pretty expensive--at least $12-15 per dish and portion sizes aren't huge. The wait can be very long. Granted, we went on Sunday for lunch. The wait was about an hour, so I'd expect it would be better at off-peak times. We ordered the miso glazed cod, which was very small and tasted like an Americanized or fusion dish. The Taiwanese cabbage was pretty good but was at least $12 or so for a small plate. A little ridiculous for a dish I could probably make at home for $2. The three cup chicken, a classic Taiwanese dish, was a disappointment for us. Not super flavorful and especially lacking the Thai basil flavor--tasted like the leaves were just thrown in at the end and didn't actually cook into the chicken. Overall, the food was not bad, but I don't know if I'm willing to shell out that much $$, wait in line, and struggle to find parking for this meal. Could be good for a special occasion and if you make a reservation ahead of time or come on off-peak hours. I'm willing to give it another try since I only tried 3 dishes out of the gigantic menu. Will update review if I change my mind! read more

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4.5 stars overall. Best TW cuisine in Seattle/Bellevue. Fantastic menu with traditional dishes well done. Gua-bao (pork belly bun) - BEST EVER Lu ruo fan (braised pork rice) - home sweet home Beef noodle soup - classic, well done Mango shaved ice - super fresh, delicious. Portion is shareable 3-4 ways. Fresh taro smoothie - YUM! Kumquat citrus iced tea - refreshing Always insanely packed - shoot for after-hours if possible. Need to come back to try the sauteed clams w/basil, tofu / thousand yr. old. egg, and oyster pancake. read more

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When the food came, I wasn't Facing East, I was facing heaven. Okay, in all honesty though, this place was real good. If you know where Boiling Point is, Facing East is right next door. It's near Bellevue Square so for all you commuters, you can take the 271 here. When I looked at all the photos on Yelp, I honestly thought it was going to be a building all by itself and have more of a fancy dining feel to it. However, it's actually part of a collective of buildings and it's casual-semi formal on the inside. The place isn't the biggest but it does have a decent amount of seating. If you are a party of 2, you will probably be placed very close to another party since all their 2 seat tables are adjacent to one another. On a Thursday at 6 pm, we entered Facing East and were immediately seated. We got our menus although we already knew what we wanted to eat. We ordered two Taiwanese pork burgers, five spiced fried chicken, spiced pork stew over rice (L) and Taiwanese style chow mein. Yes, it does sound like a lot of food for two people, but it ended up being just a little over what our stomachs could handle. (Though my partner is quite a hungry boy and has a greater than average appetite). Let's talk about the food and how I began to face heaven. Taiwanese pork burgers - Woah. This is when you could see those heavenly fluffy clouds in the sky. Many people on Yelp rave about these beauties and I'm going to have to agree. However, the only thing I disagree with is that some say that half a burger is all they can handle. I can definitely devour one by myself. I can understand - the burger itself is jam packed with flavor and has a huge chunk of pork fat (but that's just to make it taste extra good, right?) The bun is fluffy and slightly sweet. The meat is tender and 50% of it is probably fat, but that's what makes it taste real good. There is also pickled vegetables, cilantro and peanuts. Surprisingly, the peanuts add another dimension of flavor to the burger. You honestly have to take a bite of the burger to understand the melding of flavor that takes place. It's definitely a bit messy, but oh so worth it. Spiced pork stew over rice - At this point, we can hear the angels singing. It was a beautiful bowl of rice with pork/sauce all over it. I've had pork belly over rice before, but this really took it to the next level quality wise. The ratio of pork to rice was spot on and the sauce was so flavorful. It was a wonderful addition to our meal and only around $5! What a steal! Five spiced fried chicken - This is where I begin talking to God and dancing with Him with a bit of spiced up music. These pieces of chicken were on fire. They were served extra hot and had a delicate sprinkle of spice on top. It wasn't very spicy, so no need for buckets of water. However, I was amazed by the taste. The chicken was perfectly crisp outside and oh so tender on the inside. There wasn't that blob of oil that you get from deep fried foods. This was made to perfection and the fried basil adds another level to it. The basil isn't super strong, and if you eat it with the cucumber, it gives all sorts of sensations in your mouth. Taiwanese style chow mein - This is the part where God tells me that my stomach is getting so full that I probably won't have room for shaved ice and so He sends me back down to Earth. At this point, I was getting full, but my partner was still on Cloud 9. The chow mein had a delicate flavor to it that wasn't too powerful, but wasn't too subtle either. I actually enjoyed that it had all sorts of veggies and protein in it. This was probably our least liked dish out of the 4, but it's not below average. I'm usually not a huge fan of chow mein because it tends to be oily, but this one was good. Although our trip to heaven was short, we were both disappointed that we didn't have enough room for shaved ice. We were really looking forward to some red bean or mung bean shaved ice. However, next time we come here, we will omit the chow mein and tackle the shaved ice. For sure the Taiwanese pork burgers and five spiced fried chicken are a must. If you have room, you should also get the pork stew over rice or try some shaved ice. Service - Attentive, respectful and kind. Definitely not over intrusive but was always came to us when we needed water refills. Was quite pleasant. Overall, our bill came out to be an even $36 after tip. It ended up being much cheaper than we had expected so we are happy. Definitely will be coming back to Facing East - just so we can re-enter heaven. read more

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Second visit to Facing East and first since the renovation. It is a bit more comfortable now as there is additional seating. The bench seating is not very appealing to me, but if that means more tables and a quicker wait, I am for it. My parents are in town for the holidays and so I had a choice among the many Asian spots on the Eastside. I say Asian because my mom seriously can't stand a day without rice. It really came down to Facing East versus Sichuanese food. Went with Facing as I thought it would appeal to them more, plus I was hankering for that pork burger. Was quickly seated as we got in before dinner rush. Had the pork burgers ($3.25 each), a large pork stew over rice ($4.50), a beef noodle soup ($8.99) and a flour pancake with eggs and oysters ($7.99). Pretty much repeating the stuff I had at the UYE last time. Of these, the pork burger and pork stew were on point and my favorites. The beef noodle soup was good. I like the tendon like beef along with the noodles which are a little less typical than the ones at other Asian places. The soup was a bit oily though, but at least it serves its purpose to flavor the dish. The pancake was so-so. Similar to last time. A bit of a blob, but I like the oysters in it! Service was swift and attentive which was great. Nice being seated next to the kitchen for a partial view of the going ons there. Thus, nothing to report but continued praise for Facing East. read more

Amongst the Cheesecake Factories of Bellevue lie a cultural gem, Facing East, that was much needed in my past few business trips there where all there was to eat ... was basically Cheesecake Factory or equivalent in the immediate downtown area. Facing East does a great job in its renditions of Mandarin and other Muslim-Chinese food and provides a refreshing flavor profile that is actually difficult to find even in the Bay Area. I particularly enjoyed their beef noodle soup, and their pork burger which I did not understand why they were called that, since they're actually just pork belly buns. It's good to go with a group, so you can try multiple things, but standard Taiwanese goodies like wonton in chili oil and XLBs are great! read more

I have waited SO long to come here. I've been so hyped for it because I'm Taiwanese and there have been no good Taiwanese restaurants within Seattle. My friends and I came here to just have a quick bite- not a full meal. I just really wanted to try the staples- spiced pork stew over rice and the beef noodle soup. Spiced pork stew- one word: AMAZING. This actually tasted extremely authentic and definitely felt like I was back in Taiwan. It had the perfect amount of fat in the pork. Nothing overpowering but still soft. Beef noodle soup- AWFUL. Do NOT get this. It tasted like I was drinking spicy water. There was absolutely no taste to this and my friends and I were so disappointed because we ordered two bowls. This was nothing close to what beef noodle soup should taste like. My friend ordered the sweet potato pancake with oysters and it was actually pretty good. It was perfectly gooey and saucey! I gave this a four star because the two dishes: spiced pork stew and pancake with oysters tasted very authentic. I will update my review the next time I go and try a lot more dishes! read more

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We went in on a public holiday, and the place was packed. My boyfriend told me it's usually this busy. First the hostess offered us at seat bar style outside the general dining area. My boyfriend suffers from back pain, so I asked if she can seat us somewhere in chairs with backs. She seemed to blow me off initially clearly she was busy moving the line, but within 2 mins found us a better two seater table inside. I appreciated the quick after thought. The service was fantastic. The water was regularly refilled by the waitresses, the chowmein with four stars spice was on point, really well done. The pork belly bao is special, a must try. I'm definitely going back to try more things on the menu. May have an updated review in a few months. I'm a foodie after all. read more

Facing East - Pork belly bao. Mmmm - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

There chef obviously did not taste any of their dish before serving. The worst asian food in Seattle, no doubt.

First off, parking here is ridiculous. Tiny spots and 2 popular restaurants in a small lot with a bunch of other businesses spells frustration 90% of the time. The food is always good. Comfort food that brings me nostalgia from Taiwan. While no restaurant in WA can match Taiwan (a hard feat), Facing East comes closest. They have a wide variety, yet not overdone menu like most americanized chinese restaurants. Another big star for me is cleanliness. When it comes to asian restaurants I have trust issues, and having an open kitchen is always a plus for me no matter what the cuisine. My favorites are painted short ribs, shrimp fried rice (make sure to ask for red chili sauce to add onto this), pork belly burger, braised pork stew over rice (make sure to ask for red chili sauce to add onto this), home style braised tofu. The teenagers and early 20s kids from taiwan love the fried chicken over rice, I've had it a few times, not bad. Note: Fried Chicken here does not mean KFC, its more like chicken cutlet/katsu style. Shave Ice is decent also! Service is consistently the same: polite, adequate. read more

Another 5 star review for this place. The Yelper event the other day was great! And the food did not disappoint. So nice to be there with a big crowd in order to sample multiple tasty dishes! My faves of the day: *beef diaghram- don't freak out. Basically nice flat pieces of meat with a little connective tissue. If you like brisket you will like this! *oyster pancake- if you don't mind slimy foods then this is for you. A Taiwanese street classic! *miso fish- can't recall what kind of fish, maybe butter fish? doesn't matter, it is ridiculously good. *kumquat and citrus tea- nice sweet and refreshing. Kind of like a cocktail without the ethanol. The food was great, the company was also fun. The service was great and accomadated our larger voracious yelp group. Many thanks to the fantastic yelping duo that set this up. * * read more

Authentic Taiwanese cuisine. This place doesn't need another 5 star review but I had to write something because it's simply amazing! I've eaten there countless times and I'm consistently impressed. MUST-TRY dishes (will blow your mind!!): Signature pork stew over rice Five spiced beef shank with leeks Pumpkin with salty egg Desert: one of the shaved ice or the sweet red bean soup with mochi balls. The restaurant is located in this small complex with limited parking, and they don't take reservations for small groups, so try to get there early (best to be right when it opens for lunch/dinner), otherwise you'll probably end up waiting for a while. read more

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Back after a long hiatus and everything was just as terrific as I'm accustomed to. Their hot sauce was flavorful as usual and I must reiterate how amazing everything is with said sauce! Put it on everything!!! read more

Facing East - Pork Burger! Get two. Put that hot sauce on them! - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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There is one dish here that keeps me coming back- the salted egg pumpkin! Nice and creamy with the pumpkin and the salted egg flavor is strong, amazing. Another favorite is the five spice fried chicken with basil which has a nice crunch and flavor to it. Seating is plentiful inside and parking is okay. Overall, solid Taiwanese food on the east side with a wide variety of dishes available. read more

The pork burgers are the best I've ever had and the food all has a very Taiwanese spice taste. I recommend this place if you are craving authentic Taiwanese food and have money to spend because it stacks up really fast. The food is family style and the lines get crazy so get here early or plan to wait. read more

I just have to say - I've been meaning to try this place for a LONG time. Everyone I've talked to have said this place serves legit Taiwanese food, and boy were they right! I've had great Taiwanese food in LA, and I go back to Taiwan frequently, so I know what it's supposed to taste like. And to be very honest, this place is spot on in terms of food quality and style. I typically come on weekends since that's when I'm free. They open at 11 am and I highly recommend you come right when they open as there's always a huge gathering of people fighting for a table number. Get a spatula (rice cooker spatula that's wooden) with a number on it and wait your turn. I ordered the gua bao (Taiwanese pork bun) which was delicious! It has fatty pork it in, cilantro, mustard greens, and toasted sesame sprinkled over it. Each one is $3.95, and it's basically a little appetizer! They cut each one in half for you to share! Beef noodle soup - yum! Their soup is soothing and pretty sweet. But don't despair of you want something spicy! They give you a platter with spice if you need it! Great flavor and you can choose from wife or thin noodles, both are great and it's really up to personal preference! Sesame noodles - you'll need to mix this up but very good! Great flavor and a lot of sauce builds up on the bottom so beware! They serve this hot, some places you can choose so just a tip. 5 spice beef wrap - pretty plain in my opinion, I wouldn't order this again. It's just cold meat with cucumber wrapped in a green onion pancake. Service: terrific service, they kept coming to make sure our water glasses were filled! Although when it gets busy, it may be harder to flag down your server. Overall, it's REALLY cheap. For all this (which filled and stuffed 4 people, came up to $48 or $12/person before tip. I love this place! read more

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Would order again next time: Spiced Pork Stew Over Rice $5.95 Large: Flavorful and comforting. Taiwanese Pork Burger $5.95 each: Also very flavorful. Five Spiced Fried Chicken with Basil $8.95: AKA popcorn chicken. The size of the pieces was just right for the meat to crispy breading ratio. I was also pleased they had ketchup when I asked. Would pass on these next time: Noodle with Garlic Oil $6.50: Good portion for the price, but taste wise I felt pretty meh as it was just a tad above bland in my opinion. Pork Chop with Rice $13.50: I thought the texture was a bit on the dry side. ***** My Star Ratings: 1 Star - Terrible. Just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars - Meh. Unlikely for me to return. 3 Stars - OK. Open to coming back, but wouldn't go out of my way to. 4 Stars - Yummy! Will definitely return if I haven't already. 5 Stars - AMAZING!!! Would plan my day or even a trip around eating here. read more

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If you can't tell by the monstrous wait times, Facing East is definitely the best Taiwanese place in the area. Pro tip is to come during off hours, or about an hour before normal meal times to minimize your wait. It's located in a strip mall and parking is atrocious, but once you get past all the negatives, you'll be rewarded with delicious food. They have all the usual Taiwanese favorites like the 5 spiced fried chicken, beef wrap, and the best pork burger. Every bite is like soft pork belly heaven with a bit of crunch from the pickled vegetables and peanuts. The spiced pork stew over rice is also yummy and a family favorite. Service is usually friendly and food is consistent and comes out pretty fast. They also have a nice selection of milk teas and shaved ice. My favorite is the seasonal fresh mango version. It's so fresh. read more

Ah, Facing East. I have been here many times with lots of friends. The food is consistently good. If you come here on the weekends be prepared for large crowds. Frequent Foods We'd Order: -Gua Bao: these pork buns are great appetizers. They sprinkle the buns with this peanut powder of sorts. The bun is the white bread or mantou. -Five spice chicken: also a nice appetizer. This looks kind of like popcorn chicken and is spiced well. -Lamb dish: I forgot what this was called but there's a certain lamb dish that is really good. The sauce is great. -Shaved ice with tapioca: this is a monstrosity of a dessert and I really really really like their tapioca -Lu Rou Fan (shredded pork over rice): A Taiwanese staple. It's not the best I've had but it's very reliable. The staff here are Taiwanese so if you can speak Mandarin to them, bonus points. I think they treat you slightly better if you can respond in Mandarin but it's not a huge deal. read more

-Popcorn chicken: Was dry and not very spicy. Wish it had more basil. -Bao bun: Interesting flavors... it had some peanut taste to it. Sweet and also tangy. Not sure if I would get again. -Milk tea was legit though. Had a strong tea flavor, which I like. Also cool that it comes in a glass jar that I can reuse. read more

Really solid choice to dine - provided you can get there in time to avoid long waits. If you arrive ~10 minutes before they open for dinner service, chances are you'll be able to be seated once they open, which is probably the way to go. Parking's not great, and by the time my family was finished with our dinner, we could see a very long line waiting outside of the restaurant. That said, if you can time it right, Facing East is a good pick. The food is generally tasty - it all seems fresh, the ingredients seem to be quality. It's a little bit pricey for the quantity, but given the location, it's not too surprising. Our favorite dish of the night was salt and pepper shrimp, and we also greatly enjoyed their stir-fried string beans, braised pork stew over rice, and the five spiced fried chicken. Didn't like the painted hills beef short ribs - marinade way overpowered the taste of the beef. The everything shaved ice was also great - very nostalgic and authentic taste. If we can plan for the right time, I think we definitely plan on returning! read more

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When you read the reviews and they tell you long waits, they mean it. The place is small and busy. We could have been seated faster if we wanted to share a table with other people, but we chose not to. *Pork Buns - Delicious. Best part of our meal. The pickled mustard greens with the peanuts and the pork belly was a perfect balance. *Beef Noodle Soup - Bland. Very disappointing. The broth and handmade noodles both needed some salt to bring out and enhance flavor and just that little step would have made a huge difference. *Pickled Cucumbers - Refreshing, crisp and crunchy. Perfect balance of sweet and sour. *Pork Hock - I can't recall now what it was marinated in but it was served sliced thin. It was pretty good. Nothing to rave about but it was nice part to our meal. *Fried Porkchop - Seasoned very well but over cooked. The porkchop was tough and dry. *Fried chicken - Five spice seasoning and very fluffy and crispy skin. The skin was the best part on the chicken. Overall, our experience was good. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. read more

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I have only gotten the pork belly, but do not be mistaken: this is solid pork belly over rice -- the fatty, tender and perfectly seasoned in a nice soy-based sauce. Like any good Taiwanese/Chinese restaurant worth its salt, the rice quality is quite good, which definitely is an A+ in my book! As noted by others, wait times can be quite long and parking can be a bit tight (I would just park and walk from another place). Service is prompt and attentive. The portion size is a bit on the smaller side, but the quality definitely compensates! If the wait is 30 minutes or less, I'd say it's definitely worth dropping by! read more

Facing East - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Smaller place that we thought it would be. Has traditional round tables for larger groups. Food comes out in waves. Pork burgers: Were definitely worth trying. Pork was soft and almost melt in your mouth consistency. There are pickled veggies inside as well--adds a nice tang and crunch. Pumpkin with salty egg: was good too--just the right amount of salt. They use Kombucha pumpkins. This was my favorite dish. Best eaten as a side dish. Five spice beef wrap: sauce was sweeter than expected, but still pretty good. Dried tofu, seaweed, fermented egg: tasty! Will definitely order it again! Fermented egg isn't what you think--it's not that black century egg stuff. It's just hardboiled eggs that have been soaked in soysauce and then cut. Seaweed had a nice texture and taste--high quality and didn't reek of that "fishy" smell. Dried tofu is basically a denser tofu that's slightly chewy, which is my favorite! read more

Facing East - Dried tofu, seaweed, fermented egg. 3 pork burgers. - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

FOOD (5/5) Good quality and diversity of food options! You can definitely come here for a quick snack or a full meal. We had the Tainan shrimp rolls, the Taiwanese pork burger (which was more of a savory bao), the oyster pancake, and this sauteed vegetable dish (ong choy). All the dishes were super satisfying and came out relatively quickly! SERVICE (5/5) Even though you might have to wait a bit on busier hours, the service is pretty quick! They seem to be very used to being busy and having to meet the demands of multiple parties. ENVIRONMENT (4.5/5) Because it's so popular here, they do try to fit many tables in their (relatively) small restaurant so it can be a bit tight. But I can't complain too much since that means you get to be seated sooner. It's just the price to pay when you're eating at a local favorite. read more

Facing East - Ong choy and Taiwanese Pork Burger - Chinese Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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