This is my second time ordering from them and I really really love their food. And the people is really nice to you when I come to you.

Confession: I've been coming here for years, back in my 20s (I'm now in my late 30s), including plenty of after-the-club dinner runs and somehow never got around to writing a review. Time to fix that. My bestie and I stopped by on a Friday night for a little nostalgia trip. It was quiet, which tracks - this place really comes alive with the late-night crowd. We were seated right away and had hot tea at the table shortly after (still one of my favorite parts of coming here). Since my last visit, I've gone vegetarian, so my usual Honey Walnut Prawns were off the table this time. Here's what we ordered instead: Fried Salted Tofu - A solid stand-in for salt & pepper tofu, though it leaned a bit heavy on the salt and could've used more pepper for balance. House Special Chow Mein - Hit the noodle craving, though I've had better versions elsewhere. Fried Rice Noodles with Beef in Egg Sauce - The standout of the night. Wide, chewy noodles with a rich, silky egg sauce, I'll be ordering this again. Service was attentive throughout, with regular check-ins and no fuss packing up our leftovers. There's something about this place that keeps pulling me back - equal parts good food and good memories. read more

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Ate dim sum today and had violent food poisoning. Hit me 6 hours later and been puking. Would not recommend Update: I'm in the ER read more

I've been going here for a few years and it's my go-to spot. The prices are high and it makes sense to go with the large group. I'm not sure why people are complaining about the service. Every time I've gone, the service has been excellent. They're prompt and the food comes out very quickly. They wait staff isn't chatty but I prefer it that way. Just friendly. The ambiance is better than a lot of the restaurants. It's big and spacious. My only gripe is the air condition ducts that can be chilly. The dim sum menu is great and they really stuff the dumplings. Mongolian beef, vegetables, fried rice... All great. The big star and it might be strange but it's the baked spaghetti. Get it. read more

Good Chinese restaurant to try at a very late time! They open till 1am or 3am which is awesome! I had their Mongolian beef, house fried rice, egg drop soup and they were all great! I was pleasantly surprised with how good their Mongolian beef was. I was scared that it would be too salty or saucy, but it was delicious! The house fried rice was tasty! The service was good. The server answered any questions we had and the food didn't take long to make. I enjoyed the ambiance. There's a decent amount of seating and there's nice decorations and lighting. read more

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This restaurant is one of the oldest still operating in Chinatown. It's not terrible, but it's not particularly great either. There's a noticeable, very unpleasant smell when you walk in, likely due to the age of the building and interior. The worn leather seating probably contributes to that lingering odor over time. Some dishes are reasonably priced, while others feel overpriced for what you get. Service is also minimal, which seems consistent with what others have mentioned, you won't get much attention from the staff. We ordered congee, and it had a strong fishy taste. Typically, that means there wasn't enough ginger to balance or remove the odor. It also seemed like they skimped on the rice, resulting in a very watery texture. On the positive side, the coconut pudding was excellent. It had distinct layers, one coconut and one osmanthus, which kept the dessert light and not overly sweet. Would I come back? Probably only if other restaurants are closed or if there's a long wait elsewhere late at night. read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I have tried many Chinese places here in Seattle, and I am always down to try more, especially in the Chinatown area. It was a later rainy night on a Friday around 6:30pm, and Purple Dot was recommended by an acquaintance to check out. It wasn't very busy at the restaurant so we were able to quickly get a seat. As with everywhere in Chinatown, park can be very difficult during busy hours - there are lots nearby and cheaper streetside parking options. Service is decent, we were able to decide and get our order placed quickly. We were able to get our food in a prompt manner, as we only had to wait about 10-15 minutes. The ambiance is more of a casual dine in Chinese restaurant with tables and chairs spread throughout. We ordered a couple of items, which I'll review down below: Honey Walnut Prawns ($20): A typical honey walnut prawn, a decent coating on the outside and the sauce is very creamy. The walnuts are candied and provide an additional crunch and sweetness to the creamy and also crunchy shrimp. I think the price usually gets me for walnut shrimp, I think it is definitely steep for maybe 12-15 shrimp. I personally would have preferred something in the $15 at most price, but that's just personal preference. Chicken Clay Pot ($20): Do note, the chicken chunks are bone in and you will have to be careful not to bite down on some bone fragments. The chicken itself is a little bit tougher and drier than I would have personally liked. Otherwise, there is a decent flavor and you can subtly taste the bean sauce used in this clay pot to give it extra flavor. Chinese Style Beef Steak ($20): The beef does have a slight peppery flavor which is nice, it gives the profile a more of a bite. I haven't seen zucchini in a dish of this style before, but I enjoyed it. You get fresh bites of zucchini with the meaty and hearty chunks of steak. The steak had decent tenderness, there were some pieces that had more sinew and were unchewable. Portion size is generous but it matches with the price. Mushroom and Season Veggie Tofu ($17): A pretty standard tofu stir fry. The tofu chunks have sauce coated on and the vegetables are sauteed/stir fried to a tender consistency. The flavors are nice and you can taste some oyster sauce in the the sauce. I think that price wise, it is very standard for a family-style Chinese restaurant here in Seattle. But the flavor, quality, and sometimes quantity leave more to be desired. I personally think that for Chinatown, this is lower on the tier of good places to eat. There are plenty of other locations in the area if you want to eat more flavorful and better prepared foods. If you are in a pinch and need somewhere that can accommodate a drop in with slightly larger party (4-5 people total), Purple Dot can fill that requirement, but I personally don't know if I would come back. read more

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Unsure why this Seattle Gem that is open very late is rated so low! Not only do you get a hot, seated meal after 12 am daily, it's GOOD. This is typical American-Chinese (Cantonese) cuisine, specializing in various noodle, rice, and stir-fried dishes. Our party of 5 at 12 am on a Friday night indulged in Salt and Pepper Tofu, Szechuan Chicken, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Salted Chicken Fried Rice, and Beef Chow Fun. Our large appetites were fully sated, recognizing how fast the food was delivered from our table, minutes after ordering. This is a hometown Seattle favorite of ours, and I hope that this review of Purple Dot can sway you from choosing other popular establishments (right beside and across the street) Starting with the classics: Beef Chow Fun & Honey Walnut Shrimp These two dishes were generous in portion size, came out steaming and hot. The Beef Chow Fun had tender slices of beef accompanied with wide rice noodles with sprouts, onions, and garlic. The Honey Walnut Shrimp was covered in its special mayonnaise glaze: Sweet, Salty, crispy, with a light breading. Both dishes deserve to be ordered again. The Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice and Salt and Pepper Fried Tofu both impressed me. They were two items I have not tried from Purple Dot before and equally are recommendations to future patrons. The fried rice with the salted fish is an acquired taste, however balances the salty, savory, distinct dried fish taste with the umami soy sauce flavored rice. Each bite has you wanting more and more! The tofu was extremely crisp and firm on the outside, in contrast to how soft it was inside. Both dishes accompanied each other. Usually busy after concerts, sport events, or nightlife festivities, we lucked out it was less than busy on a late Friday night. Expect quick service with great food accompanied shortly after. Highly recommend to those who have ventured to nearby late night chinese restaurants and want to try an alternative. read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Should have read reviews before get take out from this place. Overcharged the price, feels cheated and got scammed. Beware of your bill and payment. read more

A decade ago, dim sum was had at Harbor City or Jade Garden. Now it is more likely to be Purple Dot. I usually am after the same basic things, so that is pretty reliable here. I am supposed there are still a couple other places that might be a sometimes place, but in the CID, it seems to be here. read more

Food for the soul . The midnight recovery for any night out in the city or after an evening out post sports events . * And oldie but a goodie hot and sour hot pot udon *honey walnut prawns * fresh jellyfish * salt and pepper wings *sweet baked spaghetti * bubble tea * tea served with all dishes - mixing a little tea in your iced water use for cleansing your tongue palette , and at the end use the tea and water mixture with a towelette for cleansing your fingers from dim sum is a family tradition I'd like to leave here for new dine in . This spot has been remodeled effortless many times without hiccups in dining experience . Never have guests had to notice or stopped dining due to remodels - this is a compliment to the owners . Service - seemless and silent , I've never had an issue on a date night or dining with multiple guests regarding order taking in the 20 years I've dined . read more

Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Ambience: 10/10 Looking for late night spot after getting wrecked at the club ? Look no further head over to purple dot. This is me and my friends go to spot to end the night whenever we go out. We have so much fun memories here . They have wide selection of dim sum and classic Chinese dishes. Everything is so delicious. We eat and breathe their baked spaghetti. Service is always so quick we never have to wait for a long time. I highly highly recommend read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Thu and baked spaghetti - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Food here is very solid especially for the staples - honey walnut shrimp, sweet and sour pork/chicken, green beans with minced pork and fried rice were all great. Love the chili sauce that you can add in the little sauce dish they have at every table if you want a little oomph + up the spice! Service was great even for large multigenerational families with baby high chairs and booster seats available. The owner is super friendly and we'll be back for sure! read more

SCAM! I came here for the CID walk and got the shu mai. It was only supposed to be $8. When she asked for cash she asked for $8 I told her I only had card and she said okay and I didn't realized till later but she charged me basically $18. Don't come here. Scummy behavior. read more

We came to Purple Dot cafe because it was one of the few restaurants opened late in Chinatown. They have all-day dim-sum and so many more food options for dinner. I ordered the fried shrimp dumpling which came with 3ct. It was tasty and crispy but came with too much crispy flakes. The baked pork chop in tomato sauce over rice was also pretty good. The pork chop had a crispy batter coating (similar to katsu), diced tomatoes, and a sweet tomato sauce with cheese on top. It had fried rice and veggies at the bottom; I thought the rice was too hard. I tried my friend's wonton noodle soup and it was really good! Clean pork broth and had plenty of wontons and veggies. Service was quick and they're super friendly! I would recommend if you're looking for late night dining! read more

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This was my second time coming here due to the Chinatown Food Walk and it was a hit! The staff were so sweet and made sure we got all our sides + extra napkins. My favorite of theirs is the shumai, such a delicious full dim sum bite. Egg roll I know would've been better hot, but we did get our food immediately. The pork bun was the highlight tho. So sweet and buttery on the outside, very flaking which was perfect. The pork inside had a gentle kick and was perfectly sauced. All in all, a delicious spot for a quick dim sum bite! read more

Purple Dot Cafe - shumai pork bun egg roll - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The biggest surprise ever dining here! They are open late, food is actually tasty, and the service is great! They gave honest recommendations! I love family style meals and we tried a bunch of different things - honey walnut prawns were my fave out of everything we tried but honestly everything was good. Cheers to late night meals! read more

I've been visiting this place many times lately, and I came here on a regular Friday night around 11pm. Not many tables were filled, and the restaurant was quiet for the most part except for a nearby TV blasting TVB news. My party of 5 (including one infant) was seated quickly, and service was fast and prompt this time around. We decided to have some dishes be personal and others be family-style, like the Singaporean curry vermicelli noodle and French toast I got. From my last review, the French toast is always a hit, and it's even better when you add syrup onto it. The Singaporean vermicelli was a lot spicier than I remembered but I didn't mind that. read more

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Great place to come after a night out. This was my first time eating here while I was sober and could actually appreciate the food. The waiter helping us was very helpful in our ordering process. Food came out quick and we're attentive and kept our water glasses full. I enjoyed everything but the three dishes that I would need to order again is the Honey Garlic Spareribs, Szechuan Pepper Chicken and Salt and pepper green beans. The honey garlic spareribs were caramelized, sticky and tender so great. The chicken wasn't spicy but it had a great flavor and was also well sauced and tender and juicy. The string beans were really good I'd compare it to DTF for half the price and double the quantity. Restaurant was clean and rather busy for 1am on a Friday night. My friends arrived just before me and was able to get seated before I arrived. read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Szechuan 167. Szechuan Style Black Pepper Chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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OK, that's my sound a little crazy. But we have been eating here for years... yes I am usually intoxicated when me and my crew go... Recently, I went there SOBER lol...to get my favorite salt and pepper chicken wings and also to celebrate the graduation of my children and their friends and I ate nothing. Baybeee, let me tell you... purple dot cafe got ROACHESSSSSS. Them ROACHES did not care about the lights being on! read more

Authentic dim sum spot with great service open until 3:00am--need I say more? They have a limited dim sum menu, but offer their whole regular menu for you to choose from. Quick service, clean interior, piping hot dim sum. Recs: Shrimp dumplings, shao mai, BBQ pork buns, sticky rice, soup dumplings, pan fried buns, fried pork buns read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tasty place to go to after a Mariners game! We came in craving duck, which was delicious. If your favorite part of the duck is the skin, then you are in luck as the skin was nice and crispy. We decided to try some noodles and potstickers, both were great dishes to supplement. Service was great and were extremely attentive. Hope to come back again! read more

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Simple Hong Kong cafe that also serves dimsum in the mornings. They were pretty busy but there were quiiiite a number of things that could've been better. We didn't get to choose our tea, the teapot that was there was cold and half full (leftover from last group?). We were sat next to the fish tanks, and while we were eating, they came by to get a fish and said "sorry, you might get wet" lool. The food itself was okay. Nothing super amazing. The Malaysian sponge cake was a bit overcooked. The steamed bean curd rolls were thin (not much filling) and also overcooked and dry. Overall, a less than ideal experience. I've been once before for dinner and also found that experience less than ideal. Food was also not worth the negative experience. Go somewhere else! read more

This location did not disappoint my evening craving for dimsum. Thank you! We were initially at Honey Court and asked they had dimsum (midnight) but they suggested to go here instead since honey court didn't have evening dimsum but Purple Dot had dimsum which is so nice. I had some extra to go ordered as well. Loved their food. read more

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A great place in the International District that is worth a try! The restaurant is large and clean with friendly staff. The food tastes fresh and was flavorful. My favorite was the soup dumplings as the broth was rich and they were steamed perfectly. The shu mai was a large portion full of pork and shrimp. The rice noodle shrimp rolls were great as well and very filling. Overall, it was great and there are a lot of dishes I still would like to try on my next visit. read more

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Good wonton noodle soup. Good amount of noodles at a reasonable price. Wontons had pork and shrimp.

This is the best dim sum spot. All of the dim sum is delicious, I have come here many times and it is always so good. Everyone I have brought here also agrees. The portions are good and not over priced. The service is great, they are very tentative when you need anything. Everyone should try this place. read more

My first time here and I really enjoyed the menu variety. I grew up eating Cantonese food with my immigrant family, and the items I ordered tonight were stellar - Singapore noodles, black bean clams, pea shoots with garlic and an order of turnip cake from the dim sum menu. Everything was hot, plentiful and fresh. Also, I appreciated that the food was not overly salty or greasy. Was it the best or most refined Cantonese food I've ever had? No, but it was good, it hit the spot, and the prices were reasonable. I'd come here again. read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Pea shoots with garlic, black bean clams, Singapore noodles and turnip cake. - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Seattle gem, very consistent and flavorful. Have yet to try the hundreds of menu options. The chef here has been cooking for Purple Dot for decades. read more

Always reliable and delicious! We used to come here after the bars/clubs because they're open late, but it's also become a spot to grab greasy Chinese food for when the cravings kick. Love their chicken wings, baked spaghetti, thousand year old egg pork congee, and beef chow fun!!! read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Friendly staff, always helpful with ordering and food is hot and fresh with great variety of options for veggies and meat lovers.

I came here a few times a long time ago maybe like 6-7 years ago and I remember really enjoying their food. Purple Dot is an open late restaurant and I don't really go out to the city that often anymore. I was looking for a place to get some food to go and thought about this place because they have the all day all night dim sum. I see a lot of complaints about the service but since I got it to go I didn't see anything different. For most places I could care less about the service though so that didn't really matter to me. I ordered a curry beef rice and an order of siu mai from Purple Dot. I'm not sure what it was, but the curry beef rice had a weird smell to it that really grossed me out. I tried eating a couple of bites but I just couldn't anymore and threw it away wasting almost $20. I think what happened was they used baking soda to tenderize the meat, which is normal but I think they may have added way too much to the point you can smell it and didn't cook through. The siu mai was okay and saved this from being a 1 star review, which I almost never give. Considering how many good dim sum places there are around though, I still probably would not prefer to go here for that. Unfortunately Purple Dot is nowhere close to where I remember it and it's hard for me to recommend when there's so many other good places. read more

They have been in Seattle downtown over 20 years. Food quality is rather not competitive comparing to other similar places like HK cafe or A+ Kitchen/Restaurant. We only go there because we are getting A+ take out for the next day because we are leaving Seattle. Only one dish they have is beef tongue that not other places have. Otherwise we would not go back. Service is good but just the food is not really competitive. Also the place looks very old. We can smell it's old once we walked in. Also don't forget about the fruit flies party right in front of their front door. We always have to fight through that every time. read more

First learned about Purple Dot during a noodle walking food tour with Wing Luke Museum. I had seen an update for its return to later hours. This came in handy driving back north from a late night concert (6/2/23). Something different from the usual default Dick's run. The stars aligned after detouring off I-5N and finding late night parking. The vicinity was hopping between Hong Kong Cafe, Honey Court, and Purple Dot on Maynard. We were immediately seated with menus and hot tea. Ravenous since our last meal was nine hours ago. Vast menu choices plus dim sum! Ordered siomai, custard buns, baked spaghetti, oyster sauce beef, and steamed rice. Everything hit the spot with the hot tea and copious refills of iced water. Definitely will need to return as other menu items looked intriguing. Support the CID! Glad for the late hour - great choice returning home from a road trip or the airport! Substantial, generous, and tasty. Great service too. read more

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honey walnut shrimp was just ok, there was too much sauce and it was too sweet. the shrimp was nice and succulent though read more

Purple Dot Cafe - 172. Honey Walnut Prawns - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

To start I ordered the fricking pancake with ice cream I waited an hour and it never came they said than they ran out of ice cream and was give me the pancake never got it they gave me some boof ass mango pudding and charged me for that it was so bad also ordered takeout shrimp dumplings that had fuzz on it probably dropped it on the ground this place is garabge read more

Dim sum all day! It's "to order" rather than carted-- likely a change since Covid. The space itself is attractive-- very female in design with lots of comfy booths. We ordered four dim sum dishes and tea. Don't miss the Shrimp with Pan-fried Eggplant-- so delicious. And so reasonably priced. read more

Purple Dot Cafe - OMG the Shrimp with Pan-fried Eggplant. Too tasty! - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Popped by at 2AM for late night munchies after a night out. I've always been a regular at next door's Hong Kong Bistro, but as Purple Dot was open later, figured I might as well give it a shot. Overall impression, the pricing is fine and the late night hours are nice, but the food is incredibly sub par compared to HKB. Restaurant was relatively empty (less than 10 tables), but enough people were around that you certainly didn't have the entire place to yourself. The dim sum was fine, will fulfill any cravings you might have, but also nothing to write home about. I quite liked the steamed spare ribs; other dim sum items were very meh. Congee was fine, a little watery for me and kinda bland, but you can always season it yourself. Honey walnut shrimp IS A TRAVESTY. The texture of the shrimp and the fry is not bad, but the sauce???? The shrimp was actually just tossed in straight up mayo. Disgusting will never order again. Maybe their more traditional Hong Kong cafe style are better, but my experience was pretty underwhelming. read more

They charge $6 for hot tea that we never order. Food is not that great but pricey. Never going back here again

Fresh food and attentive service. Purple dot is a nice traditional spot with lots of different dishes to choose from read more

Purple Dot Cafe - Dim Sum Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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