Vivian's Bistro on Mercer Island is exceptional. Period. Whether you're planning a solo date, a night out with your partner, a gathering with friends, or a larger celebration, Vivian's somehow manages to fit the occasion perfectly. The menu hits all the right spots, the staff are wonderful, and the entire experience feels intentional. And the food? I honestly can't even begin to describe it. Everything is flavorful, beautifully prepared, and made with what feels like genuine excellence. I could go dish by dish, but honestly, there were so many things I enjoyed that it would be overwhelming. My advice is simple: go experience it for yourself. Vivian's offers both morning and dinner service, so just be sure to check the hours before you go. Then treat yourself, bring someone you love, or take yourself on a solo date. Do yourself a favor. Go to Vivian's Bistro. read more

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Surprised by tasty Chinese food on Mercer Island at Vivienne's! On the pricier side, but everything was quite tasty. Traditional Chinese dishes with a spin, plus a seasonal menu with other Asian dishes (ex. Viet). Got the fried oysters, peking duck ($85), squid ink fried rice, bo kho w grilled banh mi, dong po rou (braised pork belly), mapo tofu with fish, okra + eggplant in garlic sauce, and green beans. Fried oysters, eggplant w garlic sauce, green beans, and mapo tofu were good, but felt a bit overpriced given the quality and quantity. Have had better versions of these dishes elsewhere, but not bad choices here if you need non-meat options. Peking duck was good, and the addition of candied lemon is similar to that of Peony Kitchen. Came with steamed buns, but a bit pricier than PK. Dong po rou also came with steamed buns for sandwiching the meat in. Meat was very tender. I haven't had authentic bo kho (oops), but we thought this tasted quite good! Tender meat and veggies, good flavor, and came with banh for dipping. Squid ink fried rice was pretty good, and came with a thick layer of cheese on top. Couldn't really find the chunks of squid, but was quite tasty. On the pricier side, but worth a visit. Free parking garages available. read more

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Food: the food is good if you live in the area or close by. The portion size was generous, definitely could share with multiple people. Food came out hot and fresh, as it should always be. Service: We wanted to do family style and the waiter that we had was very stand off from the beginning. We had an awkward conversation with him while we were trying to order and he was being confrontational for no reason. As the food came out, his attitude started to calm down and the service was fine afterwards. Would've given a 4 star but with the first part of the interaction threw it off. read more

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Ordered spicy wantons, forbidden duck and green beans in garlic sauce. Also a few drinks. Food was pretty good. Service almost nonexistent. Beans came out at least 15 minutes late. Tried to order more drinks, eventually went to the bar myself - no bartender on duty. Then we sat 20 minutes waiting for our check. Again, food okay, service is awful. Won't be back anytime soon, and we live just up the hill. So disappointing. read more

Loved our experience here. Multiple servers checked on us throughout our dinner and were very attentive. The space was welcoming and comfortable. The food was delicious! Our group ordered the spicy wontons in chili oil, pan fried pork buns, and potstickers to start. The pan fried pork buns were lightly crispy on the outside and delightfully fluffy on the inside. We enjoyed the chili oil - it had the perfect balance of spicy and savory flavors - so much that we could have drizzled it on everything. For dinner, we shared orange peel beef, honey walnut prawns, chicken fried rice, and chicken master chef noodles. Everything tasted fresh and we would definitely go back. read more

Good: we split the honey walnut prawns and the nine flavor basil beef with a side of brown rice. Both were very good, and we agreed that the beef was better. Service: very friendly and attentive enough Ambiance: peaceful, clean, comfortable, easily accessible It's pricey, but it's Mercer Island, so . . . read more

Such a unique take on familiar dishes. It's no fluke that they are so highly regarded. Service was especially top notch. read more

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Served with quantity but not quality. The restaurant's location, exterior and interior set the bar for high quality. But the food is underwhelming. The lollipop chicken was nothing like the menu's photo. The serving was excessive for an appetizer. The garlic was all concentrated on top and overly potent, while the breading had no flavor. The eggplant was a little too sweet and quite bland. Where's the spice? The Kho beef was served with an excess of baguette. Half the baguette would have been enough. The dish is very fatty and difficult to finish. Three dishes, three misses. Service was alright. Staff is polished and attentive. The room was surprisingly noisy despite the restaurant having a lot of empty tables. read more

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I have been wanting to try Vivienne's Bistro for some time, as it is one of the few restaurants on Mercer Island that has a lot of highly rated reviews, and I am glad I was able to stop by for a quick bite to eat. We went on a Sunday around noon and had no wait to get seated. There is a parking garage nearby that you can park it for free, and there are also free 2 hour parking spots streetside really near by (~1-2 minute) the restaurant. The ambiance of the restaurant is dimly lit casual dining. There are plenty of seats from tables to booths scattered throughout the restaurant. Ordering is done through waiter, and we were able to get our food in about 10 minutes. We ordered two dishes, which I'll review down below: General Tso's Chicken ($19.50): Decently flavored General Tso's chicken, not super sweet and comes with a good crunch from the breading. There are some chilis for decoration, but there is a very tiny amount of spice in the dish. There is slightly too much breading on the chicken - but I guess that is standard for this dish. I think for the price, this dish definitely leans on the side of more expensive - I personally think that most average people could finish this dish on their own if hungry. Salt and Pepper Shrimp ($22): I definitely liked this dish more between the two dishes that we ordered. The shrimp is crispy, and is flavored nicely - you can taste the spice in this dish more than in the General Tso's. It is always nice when shrimp is fried to the point that you can just eat the whole thing, shell and all. I think there was about ~7 shrimp in this dish so I think that although the presentation make it look like there is a good amount, you might walk away hungry. As several other reviews have mentioned, flavors are decently good and nothing would really blow your socks off if you have tried many other more authentic Chinese restaurants. I think the not so good part is that the food does indeed lean on the more expensive for the quantity and quality of food that you get. I am personally glad that I was able to check this restaurant off of my list. As mentioned, in comparison to other Chinese restaurants nearby, I think Vivienne's Bistro is only alright if you are looking for authentic and powerfully flavored Chinese food. (3.5 stars) read more

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Great ambience. Locations have only street parking. Our server was great. We keep getting other people's orders on our table throughout our meal. The fried oysters were cold inside. The spicy squid $38 dish has Saran Wrap inside. They comp those dishes because the waiter takes ownership of the mistakes others made. It is pricey for what they serve but if you are looking for happy hour and drinking. This is the place. read more

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I was introduced to Vivienne's Bistro by a friend and I was blown away by the variety and the flavor profiles of all the dishes. There's a variety of dining looks from an intimate setting to a space for a gathering. The team was helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and made it easy to find options for me. read more

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Vivienne's Bistro is an upscale option for Chinese food on Mercer Island. Overall, nothing blew my socks off, but everything I tried was quite good. Be warned that prices can be quite high and although they technically have underground retail parking, the lot was completely full on a Saturday night around 6:30 PM. Getting a reservation for two was quite easy just a couple days before, but honestly the restaurant was only at ~60% capacity. Forbidden Roast Duck (4.25/5): This is roast duck, not peking style, so you won't find any crispy skin here, but the flavor was still quite solid. A bit fatty, but personally I didn't actually find that the candied lemons cut through that. As with some of the other reviews, I found the number of buns to be a bit disappointing, but they do actually give you quite a bit of duck. Squid Ink Baked Rice (4/5): Unique take on baked rice and I personally didn't find the rice to be too mushy or too dry. Obviously, it wasn't as fluffy as regular steamed rice, but I quite like the seafood and mild creamy cheese combo. Crispy Pork Belly (4.25/5): The fry on the pork belly is perfect and even though it was fat on fat, it didn't actually feel greasy. Thoroughly enjoyed the spices on it as well. read more

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We ordered shrimp fired rice via uber eats. It was a buy one get one free deal. The rice was really really undercooked. We ate some but ended up throwing away. My mother even had upset stomach next day. I had heard a lot about this place and was highly disappointed. Also the two fried rice boxes didn't even have same quantity of food. read more

I had no idea there were restaurants over in Mercer Island. Let alone, an amazing Chinese Restaurant. I was very impressed with the high end entree selections they had and they were able to deliver and execute them quite well. Came here with friends on a reservation and we ordered some nice meaty quality entrees. The peking duck with for sure one of them and my friend highly recommended the slow braised short rib. We also got the salt and pepper pork chop. All of the food was amazing and I'm shocked to have learned about this place so late. Honestly, sluffin' on this restaurant. It's got a high-end vibe to it as if it were a restaurant you would have in downtown Bellevue. The service is quite nice and honestly, it definitely feels like a place I would go to if this were in Richmond, Vancouver BC, Canada. Yes, it has reached up to that level of Chinese food. Well done. I'm glad this was recommended to me. I definitely want to take my parents to this one over the holidays. They would be impressed. read more

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We have table of 9 people. Everyone liked the food there. And the service was great. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Service--4 stars Food--4 stars delicious we had hot and sour soup with chicken totally hit the spot on this rainy day but the soup is a bit too sweet??? Chef's chicken chow mein was delicious great flavor. Cumin Lamb deserves a 5 stars Oakra and eggplant is super yummy Grilled tofu was just okay. Sorry had to mention this the bathroom really need some good cleaning despite it has just opened at 11:30 am Overall great experience meals and service read more

Everything we had here was delicious! The duck is not traditional but I enjoyed their take. The caramelized preserved lemon thing added a really interesting flavor. All the other dishes we had were fantastic and seasoned to perfection. The one thing I'll mention about the pepper flank steak is that it's spicy. It might depend on the jalapeños they get that day but it was definitely spicy for us. Service was good. They checked on us without being overbearing. I would definitely go back when in the area. read more

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We get the same four items every time and they are always good. Service generally good although service outside can be slow if you are the only table being served, sometimes they forget to are there. read more

Vivienne's has a modern look inside and can accommodate large parties which was great for us! The servers are very friendly and helpful, pointing us in the right direction. They have so many options which made it hard to choose from. Some highlights on their menu were: Master chef noodles- so umami and light, great flavor Basil beef- not too chewy, rich flavor but not too heavy Slow braised beef short ribs- SUPER tender, a little fatty, but amazing flavor worked in and super juicy General tso's chicken- lots of breading but was crispy and had a nice tangy flavor This place is awesome! read more

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3.8 star rating. I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while. It seems a bit overhyped for this place. However, the food was decent overall, though the portions were a bit small. Probably due to the location, they charge a bit higher prices. It leans more towards fusion Chinese cuisine. The server was friendly, and parking was easy to find with clear directions to the garage. It wasn't too busy for a Saturday night. We ordered the forbidden duck (Peking duck), which came with 6 bao buns. The skin was crispy, but the meat was a bit dry. However, with the sauce and everything, the kids still loved it. The crispy honey lemon on the side was a nice touch that I enjoyed, but not so much for my family. The pork jowl was soft and not chewy but had very fatty pieces that were a little too much for us. The lollipop wings were good for the kids, though my husband wasn't a fan, and I prefer mid joint pieces, not wing drumlette. The chef noodles were okay and nothing too special. The eggplant with orka was probably my favorite, with nice flavors and a good amount of wok hei. The squid ink rice with cheese was also a popular choice with the kids. They love anything savory with cheese! For our family of 4, it was ~$230, a tad expensive. read more

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My friends and I came here on a weekday evening for dinner. I had made reservations online in advance, but on a weekday, I don't think they are actually necessary. Vivienne's is not your average local Chinese restaurant. It's a trendy and upscale Asian-fusion restaurant serving dishes with a modern twist. While you could easily do family-style at this restaurant, we decided to get individual dishes. My friend ordered the TRIPLE PEPPER CHICKEN (+$18.50) which had bell peppers, I think birds eye peppers, and jalapeño peppers. He picked out half of the jalapeños because it ended up being too much for him, but he liked the dish overall. My other friend ordered the PUMPKIN CURRY WITH CHICKEN (+$20) which honestly looked like any other curry from a Thai restaurant. However, she enjoyed it and didn't have any qualms about it. I ordered the NINE FLAVOR BASIL BEEF (+20) and a side of brown rice. The beef was wonderfully marinated and had strong flavors of basil, soy sauce, peanut, and a tad of sweetness from the hoisin sauce. I'm not sure what all nine flavors were, but it was extremely tasty and honestly tasted more Thai than Chinese. The beef came with sautéed bean sprouts, which I thought added a nice textural contrast to the soft beef. Portions are on the smaller side, but that was to be expected. Service was decent. We had two younger guys as our servers who were friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Bathrooms are clean. The women's bathroom is quite bright and flashy with patterns of red tiling. Overall, 4/5 for food, 4/5 for service, 4/5 for atmosphere read more

Vivienne's Bistro - Nine Flavor Basil Beef - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

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Located on Mercer Island, this is a fantastic little restaurant proving a variety of Asian food dishes. There is parking in the garage which is accessed through a side alley. It can seem a bit confusing as it feels like you're parking in the apartment complex parking. Came here for lunch and there are several combo options available. I opted for General Tso's chicken. The combo comes with fried rice, egg drop soup, and fried dumplings. The dumplings were deliciously fried and crispy. The soup was just ok. The fried rice was nice and not too greasy. I found the chicken to be cooked well with a crispy exterior and juicy interior. The sauce was sweet and just enough spice provided by the chili peppers cooked with it. read more

Vivienne's Bistro - General Tsos Chicken lunch combo - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

A belated review! Came here on a date for Valentine's Day this year and felt comfortable in the intimate style of the restaurant. They have a hook outside every booth for you to hang a coat, purse, hat etc. that I found very considerate. More places should do it! We ordered a sweet and sour pork, honey crispy shrimp, and the squid ink baked rice. I'm not a huge fan of chewing shrimp peels no matter how crispy they are, but I enjoyed the flavor of these enough to take the time to chew everything thoroughly through. The pork definitely won for me, though we probably should've ordered the two dishes in more contrasting palates because I found myself craving salt at the end lol. The squid ink baked rice was a very fun experience and squid ink pretty much tastes a little bit like the ocean, but a little bit fresh. I've had squid ink fettuccine before but I was glad that the flavor came through much stronger here! It's very memorable so I don't think I'd feel the need to try it again unless I was craving that flavor, but it is well done here :) Service was attentive and good came out after awhile, which is OK considering they were quite busy. All in all, it's a romantic, pretty spot that is absolutely worth another visit, but I need to do a better job ordering, hehe. read more

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I came here with a large group on a Saturday night and we had made a reservation in advance. The restaurant was busy throughout dinner, so the reservation felt necessary. Vivienne's is a more upscale, contemporary Chinese restaurant, with some fusion dishes. We did family style and ordered a variety of dishes - pea vines, snow peas, baked squid ink rice, forbidden duck, basil beef, salt and pepper sea bass, steak fried rice, pork belly, and some other dishes. The portions weren't huge, especially the vegetables, so we ended up ordering a couple of each. Everything was cooked well and delicious, although I wasn't particularly impressed with either rice dish (the steak fried rice wasn't anything special, although the steak was cooked well, and the squid ink rice didn't taste like squid ink). My favorites were the pork belly, duck, pea vines, and the salt and pepper sea bass. Service was quick and attentive, and the food all came out really quickly. Between the food and service, this was definitely worth the price tag! read more

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Excellent Excellent Excellent! Food and Service! Not much more one can say in. 5 star review. My niece was visiting from out of town so we had to bring her to Vivienne's for their Forbidden Roast Duck. We also ordered Dong po rou (braised pork belly). Perfection with a Capital "P", Beijing pork chops, garlicky stir fried string beans. We were a party of 5 including my 18 month old grandson. They provided a toddler's bowl, dish and spoon, plus a paper cup with a straw. And of course high chair. So thoughtful of the establishment. Love this restaurant! They also have free 4 hour parking in the building's garage. Restaurant' restrooms are well kept and clean. Tip, if your order the roast duck. Ask the server to provide you with the duck carcass so you can make duck congee (rice porridge ) at home. read more

Vivienne's Bistro - Forbidden Roast Duck - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

This spot is fantastic. The food is absolutely delicious, the staff is warm, welcoming and passionate about their craft, and the interior makes you want to stay and enjoy what they have to offer for a few hours. THE BAR PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE BEST IVE COME ACROSS IN QUITE SOME TIME, VERY TALENTED. They participate in fundraisers for the local schools, and that's pretty cool. Looking forward to my next visit. Thanks guys! read more

This place became a favorite for my family on the first visit!! It's also one of the only places we have found that have the Peking duck with the buns. The Peking duck was also very meaty and nicely presented. We also got the honey walnut prawns and crispy pork belly which both were super good as well as the master chef fried rice. I think they only have one big table for large parties so if you are large party you may be sharing a table with another large party depending on party size. We were a party of six and shared the table with another large party. read more

Vivienne's Bistro - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

Heard a lot about this place and maybe it was over hyped but it didn't deliver for me. We made reservations for 5pm for a group of 8 people + toddler. The place was nice, simple yet sophisticated. However, for our group, we had to share the table with another group...which was a little weird for me.... Food wise: Peking duck: duck was tender and meaty. The sauce was on the salty side and the orange slices were on the sweet side. So you got to eat everything to be balance - not bad though. Fried pork belly - this one was good too, like the texture and not sure what breading they use but it has a nice flavor. Lamb chops - cooked well and flavor was good. Squid ink fried rice - eh. Very cheesy, not fried but more like sticky rice texture, barely any bacon or onions. Baby bok choy --- super cheap presentation for high price and it was standard. Honey walnut prawns - standard Basil beef - standard For all 7 dishes + tax + automatic gratuity, it was $300+ I think the food overall was ok, some were better than others, but for the price tag, it wasn't worth it. You can easily get some most of these dishes elsewhere for a fraction of the price and it would taste the same... Overall, it was good to try once but probably not coming back read more

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We celebrated a birthday here tonight, and the whole experience was lovely! It was easy to make reservations on their website, find the restaurant with the help of lots of street signage, and the ambiance, service, and food/drinks were perfect (get the duck!!). The staff were friendly and attentive and made our celebration extra special with a complimentary scoop of milky matcha ice cream. The only downside was the parking lot; visitor spaces were very limited in the lot, so we ended up parking across the street. read more

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This is my 3rd time eating at Vivienne's bistro. I went for lunch with a friend and I must say, every time I have been, it has been better than the last. The 1st time I didn't think it was that great (average Chinese food, pricey) but last week's lunch deal was good. You can choose your rice (fried, white or brown) and your appetizer (2 potstickers or a veggie croquette). I ordered the General Tao's chicken with brown rice and potstickers. My friend ordered the Pork Chops (boneless) with fried rice and veggie croquette. My friend loves that they put the peaches with the pork chops. It was pretty good. Similar dishes except the General Tso's didn't have peaches and had some spice to it (red peppers) We also got a side dish of garlic stir-fried ong choy. It was perfectly cooked with still a crunch to the stems and I loved that it was thin stems. Free parking is available as well in the building but spaces are tight. Service was quick and the decor is modern and clean. I still have yet to bring my family here to try it. I also would love to try their Peking Duck at some point. Overall a solid restaurant on the Island and would be happy to try other dishes in the future! read more

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I Went for my birthday and I must say this place is quite a delight. I went closer to 7pm, and you can tell the place exudes ambience as it's dimly lit and very intimate. Service was great, they checked up on you and they were accommodating. Food was superb. The steak stole the show, but the shrimp and scallop dish was a close second. Diver scallops with a healthy array of vegetables is quite value. Rice was good. Everything was flavorful. Overall, would recommend, would go back. Can't wait to try their other dishes read more

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The Forbidden Roast Duck is a MUST TRY! Though on the expensive side, the quality shines through. Six bao, various veggies, and hoisin sauce... Simply the best. The candied lemons were both pretty and delicious! The Hot & Sour Soup was just okay. A big portion, but the quality was average. Sour and lots of white pepper. Nothing special. It definitely gave me lots of warmth on a rainy day! Overall, the restaurant has a beautiful ambiance. Modern design and good for groups or family dinners. The staff can be pretty absent... but once you flag them down, they are really friendly. read more

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A surprisingly good Chinese place considering that it's fusion and also kind of elevated. Still a bit Americanized, but the food is good! I especially like their fish filet and their fried rice. I've also ordered the Peking Duck here before, but the quality can be a bit variable so watch out for that. read more

Vivienne's Bistro - Fish Fillet w/ Ginger & Onion - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

Nice and cozy spot inside and food was fast and good quality . We came here for my mother in law bday and it was good . read more

Vivienne's Bistro - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

I only ordered two things from the menu: squid ink baked rice and roasting duck. Over $100 for the two but it was delicious! You can order more buns for your duck since the duck to buns portion is off. You'll definitely want the extra 4 buns. Atmosphere was great, though low lighting. Friendly service. We made a reservation and got seated right away. There's a garage parking for retail spaces a few buildings over. Looking forward to coming back and trying more things on their menu. read more

Vivienne's Bistro - Forbidden Roast Duck - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

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Food is okay, but the price is so expensive. Not worth it. Great locations and decor. Waiter is great but the reception is awful. I will not go back for sure. read more

I like their roasted duck, the skin is very crispy but they give too few buns and we had to make another side order. Brussel sprouts was delicious despite being very oily. Wantons were not the best, especially the spicy wantons - not spicy at all. The service was good, staff was attentive. Nice place and I love their background music too. read more

The food in this place is exactly what a higher quality Chinese cuisine should taste like. I tried several dishes and they were very flavorful and truly delicious. I did a take out but the service was good on pickup. The ambiance is very moody and in a good way. Great overall, I recommend. read more

Stepped in on a Saturday night to a full house but there were lots and lots of availability online for a reservation so make sure you do that to avoid a wait. Service was good and servers were attentive. Food also arrived in a timely manner with beautiful presentation. I ordered a couple of the "must get" items according to people that love this place. The "must get" pork belly is a "pass" for me. I was expecting super crispy and thick pork belly pieces but they were thin almost pork chop like pieces that were not crispy. The other "must get" is the forbidden duck which is a fancily presented Peking duck. Only comes with 6 buns so you'll have to order more as a side if you're wanting to eat more. Kind of fun that they served it with some candied lemons but I could do without it as the pith made it bitter. Great presentation though and probably the only reason I would consider coming back to this place. Oh and get the green beans, can never go wrong with garlic green beans. Other items were forgettable and not worth mentioning. Unfortunately, I can't justify coming back here for the stiff price tag we paid for a 3 star* dinner but would be worth a try if you're craving a fancy Chinese dinner or some hard to obtain Peking duck. read more

Vivienne's Bistro - forbidden duck - Asian Fusion Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

This is a beautiful restaurant with delicious food. The place was decorated with Lunar New Year decor when we went and it was a really nice touch. This is also a very family-friendly restaurant which was great because I brought my 9-month-old to meet up with my friend for lunch. We shared the truffle fries, seafood rice soup, squid ink rice and the mushu tacos. Everything was pretty tasty! I wished the squid ink rice had more flavor but it was still good after being reheated in the microwave. We had tons of leftovers. The duck looked really good, but it's a huge portion so maybe I'll come back to try that another time. read more

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