Came here on a Monday for dinner and was easy to walk in. Restaurant was only about 50% full and…read morecould easily rearrange tables to accommodate a large group (10 - 12). Ample street parking in the neighborhood behind the restaurant. The menu is focused on soups (jjgae or sundubu) and Jjim. Ordered a mild spicy (you choose from 1 - 5 spice level) seafood sundubu and thought it was alright / nothing super special. The unlimited banchan sides are great though, they have the sweetened potatoes, bean sprouts, pickled cucumber, kimchi, and fish squares. Ultimately the food is OK - I'd say closer to a 3.5. Service is fast and nice.

Service was phenomenal The seafood pancake was $26 and had…read moreno seafood at all so it was a bit pricey imo The beef rib was good and flavors were there

I originally went to Paju back in 2019, when they were in their old, smaller location. I wanted to…read moretry 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.

The truffle bulgogi dish was absolutely amazing and to die for. I would go back just to eat that…read more Very unique take on bulgogi and comes with rice. The squid ink Kim chi fried rice was less exciting. It has the novelty of squid ink, but I thought flavor and creativity of a Kim chi friend rice was overall lacking. Nothing special and would skip next time. Staff were very nice. Interior decor was open, spacious, welcoming.

We came around 8 pm on a Saturday without a reservation and were able to get a table right away…read more The staff cooked everything for us, and their cooking skills were excellent and efficient. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and very clean. I also appreciated the spacious seating. We ordered the Small Pork Feast and the Steak Tartare, and both were absolutely delicious! I really liked that they provided a small heater on the side to keep the cooked meat warm throughout the meal. We'll definitely be back for the wonderful food and excellent service!

I enjoyed it but I forgot korean barbecue doesn't have seasoning sometimes which is okay I didn't…read moremind paying for it. For sure pricey but I think it's worth it. It's literally what you pay for. Service was amazing but I wish they left my grill and didn't take it away so early.

I try to check out new restaurants every time I visit Seattle. Some make the list from…read morerecommendations, some from Yelp reviews, and some from TikTok. This time, I checked out Chan Seattle, and baby, they left NOTHING on the table. I enjoyed my entire experience from start to finish. When I arrived, there was a sign asking guests to wait for the hostess to be seated. I stood there for about 2-3 minutes, but no one ever came to the hostess stand, so eventually I just seated myself at the bar. ‍ Not a huge deal, but definitely worth noting. Chan is located inside a hotel, and the restaurant itself is pretty spacious. The actual bar only seats about three people, but there's also open-kitchen counter seating with maybe 8-10 seats. I grabbed a seat at the bar with my book, although I mainly ended up listening to a podcast while I ate. Perfect little solo dinner vibe. One thing that made me laugh: the restroom is part of the hotel, so Chan staff actually have to give you a key to access it. Top-flight security over there! Now, THE FOOD. I started with a glass of cava from the happy hour menu and the tuna tartare, topped with avocado, radish, and sunchoke. Both were $10 each. For my meal, I ordered the roasted cauliflower from the happy hour menu for $10 and the small portion of Alaskan black cod from the protein menu. Everything was absolutely delicious, but that tuna tartare?! That was the star of the evening. Fresh, flavorful, and easily the dish I'd order again without even looking at the menu. The service was wonderful too. The bartender seemed a little stiff and rigid when I first sat down, but he eventually warmed up and I got to see his kind and friendly side. He was attentive and offered recommendations, which I always appreciate when I'm trying somewhere for the first time. The regular menu prices are definitely on the higher side, but Chan has $$$ on Yelp, so you know what you're signing up for. That said, the happy hour specials are GREAT and make it easy to try several dishes without running the bill all the way up. Between the food, service, atmosphere, and happy hour, Chan Seattle is absolutely a must-try. I'll definitely be back on a future Seattle visit, and the tuna tartare already has a spot on my repeat-order list!

I've heard about this place for awhile, and finally was in the area to try it. On a weekday…read moreevening, it was quite empty. We were greeted and sat immediately. Service was super friendly and quick. My friend and I shared the pork sliders, brussel sprouts, beef cheek ragu rice cakes, wagyu ssam, and the ginger crème brulee. Everything was so surprisingly yummy. Pork sliders were juicy, flavorful, nice fluffy bun. Good proportion of bun to filling. Brussel sprouts at first were your average well made sprouts, but when we reached the bottom of the dish where the sweet potato puree was, it changed the entire flavor profile of the dish! So good. Maybe better served in a wider bowl so we could appreciate the puree sooner haha Beef cheek ragu was super good too. Flavorful rich sauce and I loved that the rice cakes were extra thick and charred on the outside. Made for the perfect texture: lightly crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Wagyu ssam was great too. Not as standout as the other dishes, but solid steak pieces that were perfectly tender. I think my favorite has to be the ginger crème brûlée. The ginger flavor is light, and the hardened sugar on top tastes like crystallized ginger candy when chewed. The doenjang caramel drizzle balances it out as well. Overall, a fantastic meal. It's definitely on the pricier side, and all the dishes could use a bit less salt, but I will definitely be thinking about that crème brûlée for a long time

The ambience is very cozy, staff is kind, and food is great. What more could you ask for!…read more Right when my party arrived we were seated shortly after arriving. The menu had so many options for drinks including a premium section! We ordered their kalbijjim with cheese and it did not disappoint. The cheese pull was immaculate and the meat was so tender. It definitely hit the right spot and was a much needed way to relax after a long busy day. Will absolutely come back here when we're in the area again

Really love the quantity and flavors. Took my parents to try galbijim for the first time and they…read moreenjoyed it. The experience itself was great and food was great. We loved the ban chan options a lot. It helped cut the meat and break uo the flavors. I will say the galbijim is good alresdy without the cheese. With the cheese all i tasted was cheese and when the food got cold it felt so thick. I'd rather just have the meat and flavors itself and enjoy it for what it was.

Visited here very hungry after bouldering for a couple hours. They keep it nice and warm in here…read morewhich I loved (I noticed a lot of Seattle restaurants don't turn on heating :')). It is set up like a cute korean style bar with small round tables which make sharing easier. They have a pretty good selection on their menu and we ordered a couple of items to share. The Rose Ttoekbokki with cheese was very yummy, but it kinda tasted like pasta with rice cakes instead of spaghetti. I think that is the point of this dish, so if you want a more traditional spicy flavor then get the other ttoekbokki option (spicy rice cakes). We still loved this one and the rice cakes were so chewy and delicious. The cheese corn was very yummy and exactly what you would expect. It pairs perfectly with the other dishes. My friends also shared the Seafood ramen and Beef bulgogi. They liked both dishes. One of our favorite things were the side dishes actually! The tofu was so yummy, and the bean sprouts were so crunchy and well seasoned. We even asked for extra! The only aspect that makes it difficult to come more often is the price point. Since the dishes are so big and shareable, it is easy to split amongst a group, but it is a little less affordable to come here for dinner and drinks.

A cozy little Korean bar! There aren't that many tables, but I enjoyed this vibe. Service was quite…read morefast on Saturday evening. We ordered: -Fish cake soup: pretty good, the soup had a good depth in flavor and I liked the variety in fish cake. Perfect for a rainy day. -Tteokbokki: was a bit spicy and the rice cake was chewy and cooked well. I've had better sauce though. -kimchi pancake: wasn't our favorite. Was a bit too thick and had too much batter - I like these to be more crispy and thin. Overall, a fun place for a casual Korean bar food.

This little place is awesome!!! It was clean and inviting. We are so glad we stopped here for…read morelunch. The beef bulgogi was delicious. It was perfect for feeding two of us. The service was handled by a very kind Asian woman. She was very polite, helpful and we hardly waited. Would return without question. We really enjoyed our meal here.

Started with the garlic popcorn chicken here. Despite being drenched in sauce, it actually retained…read morea good crunch on the outside. There was no garlic at all, but what I did get was a pretty large appetizer that did its job and more. The main dish, the hotstone beef bibimbap, was a lot worse. Firstly, this came with ground beef rather than the beef slices I was expecting. The rice at the bottom was dry like it should be in a clay pot, but lacking really any of that slightly-burnt, hard qualities that makes a clay pot rice what it is. It just tasted dry. But the ground beef was probably the worst part. It was dry, lacking in really any seasoning, and the portion was tiny. I'd finished the beef with still half the bowl remaining. This was not a bibimbap I would come back to at all. Overall, there are way too many better places in the international district for me to ever recommend this. 5/10

A meal that could heal you…read more Jang An Sullungtang is the place for sullungtang in the Seattle area! Everything about this restaurant from the service to the homemmade kimchi and the broth screamed homey. We got the Homemade Steamed Dumplings and Brisket Sullungtang. The dumplings had the best filling and the skin was so thin and soft. The sullungtang was beyond comforting and spoke to the soulllll.

Review is for takeout!…read more Easy to order online for pickup. We ordered one brisket hot with wheat noodle and one brisket cold with sweet potato starch noodle and an order of steamed dumplings. Definitely order hot if you plan to eat right away. If you order cold, you have to heat it up yourself because it's all jelly like but that's how you know it's a high quality broth! Our soup came with a nice serving of rice and two types of kimchi and salt and spicy sauce. We really enjoyed the quality and taste of the food and would love to come back again for dine-in! Packaging of the takeout food was great! 10/10 we loved our meal!

This spot is a hidden gem in Ballard. It's not the best Korean food I've had but definitely has all…read morethe comfort food you need for a cold day if you don't want to drive far out to fed way or Lynnwood. Seafood pancake was crispy and paired well with the dipping sauce. Banchan was on point but galbi was a bit on the sweeter side + had a bit too much fat and soondubu tasted more like kimchi jiggae. Overall tho, fair prices & good selection of Korean comfort food!

Solid place to grab Korean food in Ballard, despite it being one of the only Korean restaurants in…read morethis area (that I'm aware of). Have been in a few times and have had a solid experience each time. Fairly small place and not THAT many tables. You order at the counter and then sit down. It's self serve for water, silverware, and complimentary barley tea, which is nice. Both times the customer service when ordering was fine but not super friendly. I was the one saying "hello" first and saying "how are you?" before the cashier said anything. Kind of awkward/standoffish but not a dealbreaker when the food is good. Most recently I had the kimchi jigae, which was relatively spicy, even when I asked for less spicy (and they said they could accommodate). I'd say it was like 2-3 stars. Flavor was great though and it was a decent portion (for $17) and satisfying. Also, a pretty wide range of menu options, despite it being a small place. There were 4 complimentary banchan dishes (napa kimchi, cucumber kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, and fish cakes). Note that I don't think there are free refills like other places... maybe you can ask but I didn't see anyone doing so. For 1-2 people, it's a relatively generous amount. Also, only certain dishes come with the banchan, so be sure to read the menu carefully if you are wanting the banchan.

RUN, don't walk to Hae-Nam! This is next-level Korean food that will make you happy and cry at the…read moresame time. You can tell a lot about a restaurant from the banchan it serves. This place doesn't have potato salad--that would be too pedestrian. Instead, you get pickled perilla leaves, pickled okra, pickled eggplant, pickled dried radish, and more. Also, my wife is vegan, and they had an entire vegan menu available, all ready to go. We used to live up in Shoreline and loved this place years ago. We were back in the neighborhood and decided to pop in on a whim. It is all spiffy and new and under new management. The owner and head chef was there, and she is a delightful lady. The service is top-notch, as her daughter was working there. The staff was very attentive. It feels less like eating at a restaurant and more like eating at your favorite Korean friend's mom's home after being spontaneously invited for dinner. The restaurant is meticulously clean and elegant, which makes you just want to eat. In fact, the food was so wonderful that I hardly spoke a word between moaning and eating. To cap off our meal, they provided this delicious cinnamon ginger drink to help settle our very full tummies. I wished the owner would come running out with packed banchan for me to take home, just to make sure I was eating well at home -- just like in those K-dramas. To sum this all up, this is food heaven. 감사합니다 to the Hae Nam and we cannot wait to come back and try more!

Under new ownership. This place was very welcoming and the staff informed us of the new ownership…read moreand menu items upon seating us. The service was great and the waiter explained many of the new dishes to us herself. The food came out very fast after ordering and though there were several other tables full of groups, they also got their food out quick as well. The noise level is moderate, but the high walls on the booths and the partitions between the larger seating area and the table and booth section helps to buffer the noise pollution between the areas. The La kalbi was very flavorful and cooked to perfection. The dish came with a side bowl of rice and assorted bon chon. You could share this dish between a group of 2-3 or individually order it and be fulfilled.