Timothy L.

I miss the days when Facing East did dining in and not just takeout only as it is now so I was happy that this spor opened! I got their beef noodle soup as well as popcorn chicken. The beef noodle soup broth was great but wish there was a tad more beef. The popcorn chicken was nice and addicting. The one downside though was the wait time for the food after we ordered on the kiosk. Eventually it came and it tasted fine so I cannot complain.

Arlene S.

I came with a group of friends and ordered a variety of dishes to try. I had heard good things about Facing East but saw they only offered takeout so I was excited to find Facing East Time, which allows for dine in. We tried the beef noodle soup, honey glazed BBQ pork, classic Taiwanese bao, pork and fish paste roll, and seafood pancake. The beef noodle soup was delicious, with a mildly spicy broth and super tender beef. The noodles were al dente. It is a comforting dish for a rainy or cold day. The honey glazed BBQ pork had good flavor, but the meat was a bit dry. The seafood pancake was a bit disappointing. I was expecting something similar to the oyster pancakes in Taiwan. While the sauce was tasty, the pancake itself lacked flavor and was smaller than expected. The pork and fish paste roll was crispy on the outside and reminded me of dim sum flavors, which I enjoyed. They also have a fridge section where you can purchase traditional Taiwanese dishes to take home. The restaurant is self service. You order through a kiosk and then find a table. There is a parking garage that offers two hours of free parking for customers.

Dave G.

I've missed Facibg East sit down service and about did back flips when I spied this storefront opening up. Seating is tight - it's really designed for to go orders but maybe 25 folks can sit. Grabbed the pork burger and pork sandwich along with the corn. Excellent flavors and serving sizes were good for the price. I'll absolutely be back to sample the menu in more depth.

Katherine Y.

Facing East Time is more like a order and grab restaurant with some sit down area rather than a sit down to order restaurant. The staffs were very nice and friendly and helped serve the food to us on our table. For ppl like me that has been in Bellevue for over a decade may remember the yummy Taiwanese restaurant that Facing East used to be but this is not like it. It is more like an upgrade from the grab and go store Facing east has around the Bel-red area. I enjoyed the spicy braised beef noodle soup and the pop corn chicken. The pork chop was ok and the braised pork rice was decent. (Tips) If you leave a review on Google they would provide a free drink.

Peg C.

Recently got stuck at dinner time in Bellevue due to it being extremely slow-going on the 520 bridge, so we decided to try out the new Facing East Time (FET) while traffic died down. FET is on the bottom floor of a tall apartment/condo building. We lucked out and found free street parking right next to it. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share and here's what we thought of each one. Popcorn chicken: delish and crispy! Would order again. Classic Taiwanese Bao Burger: also delish, especially the pork! Kinda pricey for its size but we'd order again. Sesame Noodles with chopped pork: once again, this was delish! Only thing we didn't like was the pork was mixed with cubed, marinated tofu. Seemed like a way to stretch the pork. Would prefer if it was all pork. Wonton Medley (2 each of pork, chicken, veggie): great to try their different flavors, and pork ended up being our favorite. We'd order a whole order of the pork wontons next time. The staff and chef here are very friendly and nice. FET is a great new addition to Bellevue. We'd definitely come back next time we want a delicious and quick lunch or dinner!

Jenny L.

Small joint but perfect for quick bites or a fast sit down. This place is super tiny with 17 seats. Loved all the Facing East food and enjoyed this joint as well. Order 2 bentos and a noodle. Extra $5.50 for the milk tea. Quick to serve and food are delicious. Popcorn chicken-like bento, Taiwanese noodles and pork chop bento with the milk tea.

Johnny L.

I feel blessed to be able to experience so many delicious Taiwanese restaurants around Seattle! This place feels kinda like a hole in the wall because it is a little cramped but they make the best of it. You can order at the kiosk and they will bring the food for you. Service is pretty fast and they are eager to help you decide. Braised beef noodle soup (5/5) Amazing amazing flavor! The pickled cabbage on the side is sooo good to eat alone or dump it into the soup. Even though I ordered a small, it was definitely a generous amount of really soft and tender beef and noodles. The taste is as authentic and as delicious as it gets. I love that the beef pieces are consistent in texture Honey Glazed BBQ Pork Bento (5/5) Those pieces of pork is just fire! It's got a nice amount of fat to meat ratio and it's saucy but not too salty. Perfectly cooked and crisp bok choy, creamy and delicious corn topped with a dash of mustard on the side. This complex dish packs a lot of wonderful flavors and every bite takes me on a journey down culinary lane. Absolutely wonderfully done. I will definitely come back and try everything on the menu!

Jeff A.

I've been to Facing East Time twice for lunch, and both times, it has been pretty spectacular. Both times, I ate in the restaurant - it's kind of small and cramped, but in a nice way - kind of felt like a hole-in-the-wall/cozy... the walls are brightly colored with cool designs and everything has pops of bright red (like the chairs and stuff). It's a nice place to sit and hang out. When you come in, there are two ordering kiosks on the left. You order on the screen, grab your receipt and a receipt stand, and put your receipt number in the stand on your table. Pretty straightforward. The kiosk was fine for me - no complaints. The first time, I just got the Taiwanese Style Braised Beef Noodle Soup. It was very good (I'd give it a 4/5). I was expecting it to be a little deeper and richer, but it was really good for restaurant soup. The beef in it was extremely tender and delightful to eat. It had noodles, and some vegetables (mustard greens... etc). I ordered mine the maximum amount of spicy, and it was pretty spicy! Pretty darn excellent. The second time I went, I got two "bao burgers". The first was a Pork Belly bao burger. The meat was so tender! It had some sweet sauce that brought it all together. I didn't order this with any level of spicy - and I think that's the way to go. It was so good and well balanced -- highly recommend. The second was a Crispy chicken bao burger. The chicken was fried to absolute perfection (SO CRUNCHY!), and was way too long for the circular bao - so you get a comically huge chicken in a small "bun". I ordered it as spicy as I could on the kiosk, and they didn't disappoint - it was pretty spicy. It had some kimchi to balance the spicy/umami, which was perfect. Both of these were 5/5, amazing. I'll definitely be back.

Jacques I.

I missed you, Facing East (Time). Yes, there's a Facing East on Bel-Red, but that's takeout only, which is fine. But if you remember the dining days of Facing East along Bellevue Way, you'll be happy to know that there's a Facing East Time in downtown Bellevue where you can dine in and enjoy the delicious Taiwanese eats that always hit the spot. Located in the Brio apartments in downtown Bellevue, the space is smaller than its former location, but there's enough seating, including outdoor where it's dog-friendly and there are heat lamps. They do have a fridge for takeout-ready items for quick meals on the go, but if you can, I highly recommend dining in. I love Taiwanese food and at Facing East Time, you get some of the best Taiwanese food in the area that's comfort food. In my most recent visit, my partner and I shared a bunch of items, reminding us of why we love this place then and now. We ordered the beef noodle soup, pork chop bento bowl, pork belly burger, wonton medley and black sesame milk. It was tons of food for the two of us, but you'll want to eat everything because it's all delicious. If I had to pick a favorite, it's the beef noodle soup. The noodles were perfectly cooked in the flavorful, spicy broth with tender pieces of beef, baby bok choy and mustard greens on the side. Slurp, slurp, slurp! But everything you get here is delicious. I'm so glad Facing East Time has made a home in downtown Bellevue!

Eva M.

The new-ish "Facing East Time" (FET) in downtown Bellevue is a return to dine-in from "Facing East" (FE). The original FE is a full-service restaurant with table ordering. During/post the pandemic closures, FE moved to a small place on Bel-Red for take-out only. This new FET is an eatery with self-ordering and self-busing. We arrived at a quiet time, and we were ordered from a staff member. When the restaurant became busy shortly after, that same staff member directed all customers to order at the tablet by the door. The tables are small and limited with maybe 20 seats total, including bench seating. This eatery is not good for a group hang-out especially during mealtimes. We have not been to FE since they became take-out only. We are happy to be dining in again even in a small eatery at FET. Please note FE and FET have different menus. Two hours parking is available in the same Brio building after registering with the parking app. The Food and drink: Taiwanese Bao Burger, $8.50 - 5 Stars Menu: Braised pork belly on a steamed bun with pickled mustard greens, sweet spicy sauce, crushed peanuts, and cilantro This is one of their most popular dishes and a regular item for us. Definitely recommend. Crispy Chicken Burger, $7.50 - 4.5 Stars Menu: Crispy Chicken with Taiwanese-style golden cabbage kimchi Be sure to see the photo of this burger. The bao bun is the same size as the Taiwanese Bao Burger. Two sizable pieces of well-seasoned chicken with veggies make this a surprisingly substantial and filling bite. Taiwanese style braised beef noodle soup, $13.95 - 4.5 Stars Menu: With pickled mustard green, green onion, and cilantro This is a commonly must order for us. Tender beef, substantial noodles, bok choy, and beefy broth made this a good meal by itself. Pork and Taiwanese cabbage house-made wontons, $7.50 - 3 Stars This is a small dish with five pieces of wontons. They taste good, but I can make these at home easy enough. Probably won't order again. Popcorn Chicken w/ Five Spice, $6.95 - 4 Stars This is from the small bites menu and a popular street food. These were good, especially with the dipping sauce, which we had to ask for more. Classic Taiwanese Milk Tea, $5.95 - 4 Stars With black tea and milk, this was a smooth and not-too-sweet beverage. These are pre-made; no adjustments are allowed.

Michael X.

I am always down for trying new restaurants in the Bellevue area, and Facing East Time was newly opened for the city. I went on a Friday around 6PM and had new wait time to get seated. Parking can be difficult as other reviewers have mentioned, it is located at the base of a apartment complex. The only available parking is other streetside, which is usually full, or paid parking in nearby parking garages. Ordering is done at the kiosk at the front of the restaurant, and you take a ordering number stand and pick a table of your choosing in the small dining area to the right of the kitchen. I would say it maybe fits 10 - 15 people maximum in that dining area. We got our food in about 10 minutes after placing. I got the braised pork belly bento for $15 and the five spice popcorn chicken for $7. The pork belly was tender and complimented nicely with the tofu and pickled greens, the acidity and chewy textures with the hearty meaty texture is pleasant and filling. As nice as everything was, it did come out lukewarm, so you do have to eat a bit fast before everything cools down. I think for Bellevue, this is a good price for this dish as you get good tasty variety of food. As for the chicken, you can taste the five spice powder subtly - such as the star anise and cinnamon fragrance as a aftertaste as you eat it. This dish came out hotter and had a nice crunchy texture and pleasant aromatic flavor. The spicy sweet sauce that comes with it is basically spicy mayo (maybe with sesame oil or made with a kewpie mayo?), and that is always a nice addition to give the aromatic crunchy chicken a bit more body. I am always excited for new restaurants opening in Bellevue, especially more affordable options that are delicious. I feel that the price, quality, and quantity are decent for the area, and location isn't in the downtown busy area of Bellevue (despite parking still being difficult to find). I would come back again if I am feeling Taiwanese food.

Sophia W.

I was really excited to see a branch of facing east that's now open for in-person dining!! I came here with my family and a friend last Sunday night for dinner, so this is a late review. We ordered a bunch of dishes to share, so I will list them in order of the picture below (left to right) as well as my personal thoughts and ratings of each dish. Taiwanese Style Braised Beef Noodle Soup: 3/5 surprisingly spicy, good noodle texture and flavorful. Not my preference, and in combination of the price, wouldn't order again. Sesame Noodes: 4/5 seems like the same type of noodles as the braised beef soup, except in dry form. Meat is an added cost, and noodles (with sauce) itself is around $9. Good flavor, decent portion, would order again. 2 Classic Taiwanese Pork Burger: 5/5 best Taiwan burger I've had in a while, big pieces of pork belly, generous amount of filling. The server cut both burgers in half for the four of us to split. Would definitely order again. Braised Beef Sandwich: 1/5 dry meat texture, not my favorite combo. Wouldn't order again. Popcorn Chicken w/ Five Spice: 2/5 flavor or chicken is light ( probably because we ordered a less spicy version). The chicken came with a sauce that is recommended to eat together. The chicken is fried nice, but it's like the chicken bites from chik-fil-a. If the chicken has to taste good with the sauce, I wouldn't consider this a good popcorn chicken. Wouldn't order again. Wonton Medley (6 Pieces)- 3/5 tastes good, decent size, but personally not worth price. Wouldn't order again. Honey Glazed BBQ Pork Bento- 3/5 pork tastes flavorful, but dry. Plenty of rice, nicely cooked bokchoy. Wouldn't order this dish again, but would try a different variation. Overall, the service is good. The area is set up as self- order with self serve water. It's a clean, comfortable place to eat, and though the food is a hit or miss, I'm rooting for the restaurant to improve! I missed the times facing east was in person, so this is a decent start. I'm hoping to see more menu additions (aka oyster pancake) in the future, and will continue keeping an eye out for more Taiwanese food spots!

Tommy W.

Convenient location, close to both apartments and office buildings -- perfect for a quick bite, lunch break, or even a late afternoon snack. The interior is thoughtfully designed for those on the go, yet still offers a cozy seating area if you'd rather slow down and enjoy your meal. And yes, they even have outdoor seating to soak up those rare sunny PNW days! Service is fast, efficient, and friendly, making it easy to pop in and grab your favorite dish without a long wait -- a big plus during busy lunch hours. Facing East has always been known for its Taiwanese comfort food with authentic flavors and a modern, fresh twist -- and this new location does not disappoint. My all-time favorite remains their beef noodle soup -- rich, flavorful broth, perfectly chewy noodles, and tender beef that melts in your mouth. An absolute must! Don't sleep on their bao burgers, popcorn chicken, homemade wontons, and minced pork belly over rice -- all just as delicious and satisfying. Whether you're craving a quick lunch or a nostalgic Taiwanese comfort meal, Facing East delivers every time.