For the last month my roommate/best friend, my girlfriend, and I have been coming to this place for the Sunday Kareoke, less busy than their Thursday Kareoke so me and my bestie can just sing 5-8 songs each and a couple duets. It’s very fun and the people that work there are cool and don’t mind that my group will get silly and rowdy. We playfully call our time there the “lesbian takeover”, and I have joked to others that we are doing our best to make this place a gay bar in the ID. (We need one in every neighborhood)Please tip well when you are there and try a black milk tea with a shot of whiskey.Also, their fries have little chilies on them and they are delightful. Girlfriend says the kimchi bacon fried rice is really yummy. Roommate recommends the orange chicken.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oren Jenkins
Such a cool spot :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eliza Fox
Super fun little dive bar. Great vibes. Order a White Russian.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
T F
It's a dive bar with great service and amazing food. The flavors reminded me of Singapore. Their xo green beans were straight up delicious. I loved the chow fan. Even the fried chicken was great.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Green Bean Stir Fry, Beef Chow Fen, Home Style Chili Wontons, Fried Chicken Legs and Thighs
Monica Cowdery
I love this place so much. The food is regional bar food in a home cooking style made with lots of love. The bar seating is excellent for chatting and it is such a fun spot. My biggest complaint is that they are tiny so you can't always get a spot if you have a group but that also feels like part of what makes it feel homey and special.Oh, and if you want to be basic and order the orange chicken, no one will judge and it is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
alex slone
A+. Special!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Caleb Robinson
I'm vegetarian, so I had their mushroom mapo tofu and garlic green beans. All of it was absolutely delicious. The vibe was impeccable and the staff were super helpful. Fun karaoke too.I don't know his name, but whoever was serving the outside table around 10:00 pm on January 4th, 2024 was maybe the coolest person I have ever met.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushroom Mapo Tofu
Derry Cheng
Honestly best Chinese restaurant in the city. Folks don’t miss out on the Eel Clay Pot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings, Traditional Clay Pot Rice
C U
Best place ever for Karaoke. So family oriented. I loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Bell
Sam the Saturday night bartender is excellent. I got the Singapore noodles and soon returned for more. Super good vibe, great playlist. Welcoming atmosphere. Can’t wait to get back again.
Quick eats here. As for expectations, it is a small venue and a very chill vibe. Our waiter Derek was awesome! He recommended some dishes and they were delicious. Too many good things on the menu so we will have to come back and try more dishes in the future!
Emelina Wang
The food here is great! I like everything I ordered! They have a digital full menu which is not a lot of options but enough for me to choose things I want.They made the food after ordering so it is fresh and hot, but take a bit of time.The surroundings there is cozy and friendly, very small place but decorated well.Great place for after work gatherings. Street parking available around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Celeste Liberty
Gan Bei is a gem of a hole-in-the-wall, intimate neighborhood spot. Great for a low-key drink with friends or a chill date night. The wontons and hot & sour soup were superbly comforting, and service was stellar. Great cocktails too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hand Shredded Chicken, Home Style Chili Wontons, Mandarin Breeze
Bryn Y.
After living here for 7 years, I stumbled upon Gan Bei after seeing it on @acooknamedmatt's instagram page. I've always labeled seattle as a sleeper town when it comes to food but my first experience at Gan Bei changed my mind completely. You walk into their dimly lit restaurant with quirky decorations and a narrow entrance to what may appear to most as a dive bar. Take a look around and you'll find happy customers engaged in their own conversations or singing karaoke with tables full of steaming Chinese dishes. Their menu is an assortment of classic Chinese fare most people have had one time or another such as orange chicken, won ton soup, mapo tofu, clay pot rice, and noodles. So you're probably wondering, why is Gan Bei any different from the numerous other Chinese restaurants in the vicinity? It's all about the quality and flavor of their food. My boyfriend who is Chinese and grew up eating Chinese food his entire life was even blown away when I took him here. For example, they have sticky fried rice that's made fresh and has the perfect sauce combination, without needing an excess amount of MSG. The chicken wings with gravy here are one of their star dishes - a classic twist on southern fried chicken but with Asian flavors. And to cut through all of the greasy fried food, you have to order their lemon hand-shredded chicken. Think hainanese chicken with a strong acidic lemon flavor on top of a bed of fresh shredded cabbage that pairs perfectly with the rest of their offerings. Their mapo tofu isn't too spicy or too oily, but you know it isn't made with the store-bought packets that most Chinese restaurants use. The cherry on top is their level of service and hospitality. Money, the young woman who is always working, is the magician behind most of these dishes. Money and her staff are kind and attentive while they work tirelessly to keep the good vibes going. I'm so grateful to have found this hidden gem in Seattle. This is officially my go to restaurant when friends come to visit! Come by for top tier Chinese food and delicious drinks too!
Emelina W.
The food here is great! I like everything I ordered! They have a digital full menu which is not a lot of options but enough for me to choose things I want. They made the food after ordering so it is fresh and hot, but take a bit of time. The surroundings there is cozy and friendly, very small place but decorated well. Great place for after work gatherings. Street parking available around.
For the last month my roommate/best friend, my girlfriend, and I have been coming to this place for the Sunday Kareoke, less busy than their Thursday Kareoke so me and my bestie can just sing 5-8 songs each and a couple duets. It’s very fun and the people that work there are cool and don’t mind that my group will get silly and rowdy. We playfully call our time there the “lesbian takeover”, and I have joked to others that we are doing our best to make this place a gay bar in the ID. (We need one in every neighborhood)Please tip well when you are there and try a black milk tea with a shot of whiskey.Also, their fries have little chilies on them and they are delightful. Girlfriend says the kimchi bacon fried rice is really yummy. Roommate recommends the orange chicken.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a cool spot :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Super fun little dive bar. Great vibes. Order a White Russian.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It's a dive bar with great service and amazing food. The flavors reminded me of Singapore. Their xo green beans were straight up delicious. I loved the chow fan. Even the fried chicken was great.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Green Bean Stir Fry, Beef Chow Fen, Home Style Chili Wontons, Fried Chicken Legs and Thighs
I love this place so much. The food is regional bar food in a home cooking style made with lots of love. The bar seating is excellent for chatting and it is such a fun spot. My biggest complaint is that they are tiny so you can't always get a spot if you have a group but that also feels like part of what makes it feel homey and special.Oh, and if you want to be basic and order the orange chicken, no one will judge and it is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A+. Special!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I'm vegetarian, so I had their mushroom mapo tofu and garlic green beans. All of it was absolutely delicious. The vibe was impeccable and the staff were super helpful. Fun karaoke too.I don't know his name, but whoever was serving the outside table around 10:00 pm on January 4th, 2024 was maybe the coolest person I have ever met.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mushroom Mapo Tofu
Honestly best Chinese restaurant in the city. Folks don’t miss out on the Eel Clay Pot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings, Traditional Clay Pot Rice
Best place ever for Karaoke. So family oriented. I loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam the Saturday night bartender is excellent. I got the Singapore noodles and soon returned for more. Super good vibe, great playlist. Welcoming atmosphere. Can’t wait to get back again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Quick eats here. As for expectations, it is a small venue and a very chill vibe. Our waiter Derek was awesome! He recommended some dishes and they were delicious. Too many good things on the menu so we will have to come back and try more dishes in the future!
The food here is great! I like everything I ordered! They have a digital full menu which is not a lot of options but enough for me to choose things I want.They made the food after ordering so it is fresh and hot, but take a bit of time.The surroundings there is cozy and friendly, very small place but decorated well.Great place for after work gatherings. Street parking available around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gan Bei is a gem of a hole-in-the-wall, intimate neighborhood spot. Great for a low-key drink with friends or a chill date night. The wontons and hot & sour soup were superbly comforting, and service was stellar. Great cocktails too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hand Shredded Chicken, Home Style Chili Wontons, Mandarin Breeze
After living here for 7 years, I stumbled upon Gan Bei after seeing it on @acooknamedmatt's instagram page. I've always labeled seattle as a sleeper town when it comes to food but my first experience at Gan Bei changed my mind completely. You walk into their dimly lit restaurant with quirky decorations and a narrow entrance to what may appear to most as a dive bar. Take a look around and you'll find happy customers engaged in their own conversations or singing karaoke with tables full of steaming Chinese dishes. Their menu is an assortment of classic Chinese fare most people have had one time or another such as orange chicken, won ton soup, mapo tofu, clay pot rice, and noodles. So you're probably wondering, why is Gan Bei any different from the numerous other Chinese restaurants in the vicinity? It's all about the quality and flavor of their food. My boyfriend who is Chinese and grew up eating Chinese food his entire life was even blown away when I took him here. For example, they have sticky fried rice that's made fresh and has the perfect sauce combination, without needing an excess amount of MSG. The chicken wings with gravy here are one of their star dishes - a classic twist on southern fried chicken but with Asian flavors. And to cut through all of the greasy fried food, you have to order their lemon hand-shredded chicken. Think hainanese chicken with a strong acidic lemon flavor on top of a bed of fresh shredded cabbage that pairs perfectly with the rest of their offerings. Their mapo tofu isn't too spicy or too oily, but you know it isn't made with the store-bought packets that most Chinese restaurants use. The cherry on top is their level of service and hospitality. Money, the young woman who is always working, is the magician behind most of these dishes. Money and her staff are kind and attentive while they work tirelessly to keep the good vibes going. I'm so grateful to have found this hidden gem in Seattle. This is officially my go to restaurant when friends come to visit! Come by for top tier Chinese food and delicious drinks too!
The food here is great! I like everything I ordered! They have a digital full menu which is not a lot of options but enough for me to choose things I want. They made the food after ordering so it is fresh and hot, but take a bit of time. The surroundings there is cozy and friendly, very small place but decorated well. Great place for after work gatherings. Street parking available around.