Cantonese Restaurants near Redmond?

[gear02]

Hi everyone! I've just moved from the Durham, NC area to Redmond (guess who I work for...) and I need some restaurant recommendations. I've searched the boards for the last two hours and I have a ton of great restaurants but I can't seem to find the cantonese restaurants. Can someone tell me the good ones on the east side, preferably near Redmond?

I'm also looking for the best and most famous seafood restaurants in Seattle. My parents are here and I want to show them great seafood.

Thanks!

[tighe]

Not that close to Redmond I suppose, but I like Imperial Garden in Renton/Kent.

On the seafood front, I think you'll discover that 'most famous' doesn't equate with 'best' around here. In fact, one could argue that the best seafood isn't at one of the 'fish houses', but at places like Union or Matt's in the Market (currently closed, unfortunately).

[rockdoggydog]

You'll find that most Chinese food in the Seattle area is Cantonese. Near Redmond I would recommend King's (formerly Ming's) in Bellevue and Sea Garden in Bellevue. I have no idea what you expectation of Chinese food is but most here is adequate at best with a few highlights. If you want really great Chinese head north of the border to Vancouver.

I agree with Tighe as well about seafood, Union is my favourite place to go for pretty much anything they do but the seafood is wonderful. Sushi is also a great way to experience seafood in Seattle.

BTW, you'll never see Carolinian BBQ here, it's a wasteland.

Rocky

[gear02]

Are there any decent cantonese places in Redmond? I'm not too picky, I just want some relatively authentic stuff.

About Sushi, any good places near Redmond?

Thanks guys! Oh about Carolina BBQ, I'm ok with that. I wasn't too impressed by that. I'm from Texas so I'm more of a Texas BBQ guy.

[tsquare]

I'm also looking for the best and most famous seafood restaurants in Seattle.  My parents are here and I want to show them great seafood.

Thanks!

←

Most famous: Ray's Boathouse - recent chef change (he went to NYC, to tepid reviews) but Copper River Salmon is in town and you should try some while you can - get King, not sockeye.

Most famous restaurateur: Tom Douglas - fish - try Etta's at the Pike Place Market.

Big view seafood - Waterfront at Pier 70, viewing distance of the new SAM Sculpture Park.

Chinese and seafood - Sea Garden - Chinatown, or I suppose, Bellevue.

Monsoon on 19th, Capitol Hill, will get you great seafood dishes, high style vietnamese flavors.

Matt's in the Market will be open soon. Or not so soon - as of yesterday, it sounds like weeks to go. Oh man, looks like they are going into month 6. In the meantime, you can go over to Steelhead Diner, but the fish isn't strictly NW.

Haven't been to O2 or Twisted, recently opened in Bellevue, but they have good pedigree.

[balomi]

As for Cantonese in Redmond proper, Cafe Ori makes some decent dishes. I haven't been to Jeems in a while because their service problems are so bad but their food was good - he used to be head chef at Wild Ginger.

In Redmond, Sushi is good at Kiku. For cheaper try Sushiland, a conveyer belt place.

Venturing further out of Redmond, Bellevue has two seafood items not to be missed. Szechuan Chef makes a szechuan crab, and Yea's does clams in black beans to die for.

[Dave Weinstein]

Cafe Ori (just on the Bellevue side of the Bellevue/Redmond border) is excellent and inexpensive, but bring cash.

Jeem is great for Dim Sum, but I haven't had anything else there.

And for Szechuan food, Szechuan Chef (a few miles down the road, also in Bellevue) is also outstanding.

[kieran]

Cafe Ori (just on the Bellevue side of the Bellevue/Redmond border) is excellent and inexpensive, but bring cash.

Jeem is great for Dim Sum, but I haven't had anything else there.

And for Szechuan food, Szechuan Chef (a few miles down the road, also in Bellevue) is also outstanding.

←

I second the comments on Cafe Ori and Szechuan Chef. There are a few solid choices in Redmond/Bellevue, but on average it's a culinary wasteland. I work for who you work for, but I live in Seattle and commute.

Other above average choices in the area:

Kiku for sushi (as mentioned above)

Pomegranate is a nice lunch spot for flatbread pizzas, salad, sandwiches (Redmond)

Ooba's for California Mexican food, also good for lunch (Redmond)

Seastar has solid Pac NW choices (Bellevue)

Old Main in Bellevue has a few really good places, including Porcella and the Lebanese place whose name I always forget

A Taiwanese coworker of mine has mentioned a new Taiwanese place in Bellevue called Facing East, which he says is pretty good, but I haven't tried it yet.

Welcome!

[JasonTrue]

The little spot in downtown Kirkland, called Cafe Happy, run by a Taiwanese Buddhist family, serves vegetarian food from little butane stoves. They have only 10-12 actual seats; the food is fairly decent... it always reminds my friends of their mother's cooking (in a good way), and it's really simple.

Cafe Ori is my favorite full-service Chinese restaurant on the Eastside; it seems to lean Taiwanese as well.

If you're going to go all the way to Newcastle from Redmond, you might as well go to Seattle, but Yea's Wok has some strong points (and a few monstrosities, but you'll probably guess from the menu).

I recommend trying out some of the Eastside's strengths, namely, South Indian food, which doesn't really exist in Seattle. Udupi Palace is a chain, but a decent one, if you skip the buffet and go straight for the dosas/utthapam; I think a few other choices in that category have emerged since my last regular Eastside dining experiences a few years ago.

It's far from great, but the serviceable Kikuya in downtown Redmond used to be popular with MS Japanese employees for lunch. I presume that's still the case.

Don't fear crossing the bridge, though

[daves]

It's far from great, but the serviceable Kikuya in downtown Redmond used to be popular with MS Japanese employees for lunch. I presume that's still the case.

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Anyone know the story with Kikuya? Last time I was there, there seems to be all new staff, and they've renovated. The food is updated, although some has remained the same.