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    Purple Dot Cafe

    3.0 (877 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    PURPLE DOT CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Purple Dot Cafe

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    Mushroom with Season Vegetable Tofu ($17)
    Michael X.

    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.

    Branden N.

    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.

    Thu and baked spaghetti
    Thanh D.

    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

    27. Deep Fried Shrimp Dumpling
    Lynn L.

    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!

    shumai pork bun egg roll
    Hannah J.

    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!

    HK style milk and coffee
    Vinh M.

    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.

    Szechuan 167. Szechuan Style Black Pepper Chicken
    Nolan A.

    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.

    117. Fried Noodle with Bean Sprout
    Carolina L.

    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!

    Sammy C.

    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

    93. Wonton and Beef Brisket Noodle Soup
    Juz C.

    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.

    Shrimp and Pork Shu Mai
    Christopher L.

    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.

    Pea shoots with garlic, black bean clams, Singapore noodles and turnip cake.

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    Page 11 of 22

    Purple Dot Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Purple Dot Cafe

    Do you have any dim sum with shrimp but no pork?

    They have excellent shrimp balls at the Purple Dot.

    Are they open for dine in?

    No, take-out only

    How long do they serve dimsum?

    All day!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Dim Sum King

    Dim Sum King

    3.8
    (666 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    Ooh, I'm review #666! Makes sense, this place is good as HELL…read more This casual dim sum spot has a clean, no frills interior. (Basically my dream apartment if it was full of dim sum.) Besides siu mai and har gow, you'll find chow mein and congee on the menu. Hot sauce or soy sauce costs extra, so let the cashier know before you pay. For best results, arrive early before things sell out. Most folks get their orders to go. Want to sit? There's a few tables (about 14 seats). Find Dim Sum King in Seattle's International District. p.s. Full transparency: I was not hungover while dining here. If I was, this place would be SIX stars.

    This place is a true Seattle gem. After sampling the heavy hitters, I'm comfortable saying Dim Sum…read moreKing has the best dim sum around without going to Vancouver. Not only that, but it's also the most affordable with a price-per-piece around $1.35 for most items. The Siu Mai, BBQ Pork Bun, Custard Bun, and Shrimp Cheung Fun are personal standouts. With that said, this is not your typical dim sum restaurant. You'll find no leisurely rotating tables or endless pots of tea. Instead it operates more like a bakery, optimized for takeout. This seems to be a point of disconnect among other reviews here. Service is focused on efficiency, but you can take as long as you need to decide what you want by using the paper ordering sheet and referencing pictures on the wall. There are tables you can usually snag to dine in with, but expect everything to be boxed regardless. Go in understanding this, and you'll have an excellent time. overall 5+/5

    Photos
    Inside the most well-known hole-in-the-wall of Seattle's Chinatown International District, the seating is limited buy comfy.
    Inside the most well-known hole-in-the-wall of Seattle's Chinatown International District, the seating is limited buy comfy.
    Sui Mai, Sticky Rice, Turnip Cake
    Sui Mai, Sticky Rice, Turnip Cake
    Shrimp Dumpling

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    Shrimp Dumpling
    A+ Hong Kong Kitchen

    A+ Hong Kong Kitchen

    4.2
    (780 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We arrived at about 1pm on a Sunday. The restaurant was full with a 15 minute wait. We put our name…read moreon the list. The table turn over was quick and we were seated in about ten minutes. The restaurant was lively with a moderate noise level. A simple family restaurant that puts out authentic Chinese food. My companions both ordered the Black Mushroom with Chicken Rice in a stone clay pot. Their regular meal at the restaurant. I selected the Braised Beef Brisket with vegetables in a clay pot. The two rice dishes require 20 minutes to prepare hence my Braised brisket arrived first and bubbling hot. The flavors were rich and deeply satisfying. So good that my companions plan to order the Braised brisket next time. The Chicken Stone pot clay rice bowls arrived soon afterward. My friends enjoyed their dishes. Fresh tasting and delicious crispy rice. One ordered a Milk Tea and enjoyed it. Highly recommended for an authentic meal when you are in Seattle's International district!

    A tiny place with big portion and authentic food…read more We came here on a Sunday afternoon, the restaurant was almost fully packed. I had my all time favorite dish at a Hong Kong café cuisine, gon caau ngau ho (乾炒牛河), aka beef chow fun, along with a childhood favorite drink, iced Horlicks. I liked how everything moved at a quick pace here and yet the staff were still friendly. The best part was that no one stopped by to ask how the food was while your mouth was full, because they already knew the food was good. The beef chow fun was just as good as the ones back home. It was savory and full of wok hei (iykyk). The bean sprouts were added at just the right time, so they were still a slightly crunchy. The sliced beef was tender too. If you like adding extra spice, be sure to try the crunchy chili sauce on the table. It was awesome, fragrant, spicy, and full of flavor. Just be careful not to choke on it, I did, and it wasn't fun. I hadn't had Horlicks in twenty years, and the first sip brought back so many memories. Be sure to stir it well and maybe wait until the ice melts a little, otherwise it may be slightly too sweet. My partner is a vegetarian. He looked through the entire menu and said there weren't many things he could order (listen, people, choose your future SO accordingly if you like sharing big meat dishes). He ended up ordering the curry vegetable rice and added a fried egg. He said the curry was delicious. I tried a bite of it and agreed. I think there may have some coconut milk in it because it was rich and creamy. The rice was a little too dry to my liking. Sitting there and listening to the background music from the Hong Kong TV news, I felt like a kid again.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Black bean sauce spare ribs in clay pot
    Black bean sauce spare ribs in clay pot
    Garlic bok choy

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    Garlic bok choy

    Purple Dot Cafe - dimsum - Updated June 2026

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