Landmark serving classic cross-regional Chinese fare for over 75 years with table & counter seating.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 655 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: (206) 622-7372
Website: https://www.taitungrestaurant.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Tai Tung Restaurant – Seattle
Seattle’s Oldest Chinese Restaurant. Established in 1935 by Grandpa Quan, Tai Tung has remained in the family for over 89 years and has been passed down from …
Favorite chinese restaurant in seattle, WA – Facebook
Seattle Then Chinatown Tai Tung my go to sit down and eat Chinese Restaurant ☕️ Bruce Lee’s favorite and RIP Anthony Bourdain loved it too.
Tai Tung Restaurant is where Bruce Lee loved to eat – Instagram
SEATTLE’S OLDEST CHINESE RESTAURANT- Tai Tung Restaurant is where Bruce Lee loved to eat; By the way, Bruce Lee’s favorite dish there was oyster …
Reviews
James
Any restaurant that’s been in the same place for almost a hundred years is impressive, so I was interested to check this place out in Chinatown.
The Egg Foo Young seemed to be highly recommended here, so I got the pork variety, and rice to go along with it
I was not super impressed by this. For starters, despite being fried, the outside on the foo young was not crispy at all. It felt way more soggy and stretchy than any kind of crispiness. There wasn’t a huge amount of gravy over the top, so not sure why this was the case.
The gravy itself was solid. It was pretty thick, and salty, but the flavor could definitely have been stronger.
The inside was also a little disappointing. While pork was advertised, the pieces inside ended up being pretty minimal. Each patty ended up only having a few ones. While they were decent when present, the majority of the inside was filled by a mix of egg and bean sprouts. I’m not a huge fan of bean sprouts, but the egg was at least pretty good.
The portion size is pretty impressive. For something that came to around $25 including tax & tip, it’s a decent deal. I would say you would need to share this with one other person, as it’s difficult for a singular person to finish the whole thing. I am a little annoyed that when they asked if I wanted rice, they didn’t let me know it would be $3 extra, which I found out later
Overall, maybe their other dishes are better, but longevity doesn’t always equal current quality. 5/10
… moreThe Egg Foo Young seemed to be highly recommended here, so I got the pork variety, and rice to go along with it
I was not super impressed by this. For starters, despite being fried, the outside on the foo young was not crispy at all. It felt way more soggy and stretchy than any kind of crispiness. There wasn’t a huge amount of gravy over the top, so not sure why this was the case.
The gravy itself was solid. It was pretty thick, and salty, but the flavor could definitely have been stronger.
The inside was also a little disappointing. While pork was advertised, the pieces inside ended up being pretty minimal. Each patty ended up only having a few ones. While they were decent when present, the majority of the inside was filled by a mix of egg and bean sprouts. I’m not a huge fan of bean sprouts, but the egg was at least pretty good.
The portion size is pretty impressive. For something that came to around $25 including tax & tip, it’s a decent deal. I would say you would need to share this with one other person, as it’s difficult for a singular person to finish the whole thing. I am a little annoyed that when they asked if I wanted rice, they didn’t let me know it would be $3 extra, which I found out later
Overall, maybe their other dishes are better, but longevity doesn’t always equal current quality. 5/10
Thomas Bradley
I was looking for traditional Chinese special fried rice close to my work. I googled for near by me and found this place. It was just OK, nothing to write home about. It had shrimp, barbecued pork, and some type of sausage. The rice didn’t have much flavor and the meats were very dry, garnished with green onion. I only ate half of my to go order in my truck and I drove home disappointed sad to say. I’m this area the Asian food is usually very tasty and good quality. Maybe other dishes are better, but I needed something to go.
… morePeter Copley
What’s a treasure! We came here because of Bruce Lee, this being his favorite Chinese restaurant. While we were not able to sit in his favorite booth, we’re did get seated after a short wait (in the middle of the afternoon!). We got Kung Pao Chicken and the Beef Broccoli with veggie rolls as appetizers and the hot and sour soup. Everything was perfect, the right amount of spice, temperature, and amount. We left very satisfied. If course we had to walk around the place to see all Bruce’s memorabilia. Great place. We have most of the posters they had on the walls, but the pictures were delightful.
… moreVivian C
We had a simple meal here and savored every bite. The food is delicious—flavorful without being over-seasoned—and the egg roll wrappers are made with real egg, giving them a richer taste. Everything tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. What stood out just as much as the food was the owner’s genuine smile when he checked us out. It’s clear why this restaurant has been cherished for generations.
… moreLaura Granda
Do not go here if you want to have good food! The food here was tasteless, looked unappealing and was not worth the price.
I went with my girlfriend, we ordered egg rolls to share, she tried to order beef low mein. They gave her the wrong order, which is fine there was a bit of a language barrier with our server but he was nice regardless, and I got some kung pao chicken.
Look at the pictures of the egg rolls!!! I have never seen or tasted anything like that, no meat or carrots or even that much cabbage. It was like one piece of cabbage in there with some soggy clear goop, it was absolutely disgusting lol. And I’ve never seen egg rolls folded like that, it looks awful and tasted awful.
My kung pao chicken was ehh at best, I mean look at the ratio of veggies to chicken and you tell me. The chicken is about the size of a finger nail and then you got frozen veggies. There’s about 25 peas to one tiny piece of chicken, ridiculous, if I wanted to eat 20$ worth of vegetables I’ll come back here. And still wouldn’t order the same thing.
I didn’t take a picture of my girlfriend’s wonton soup they brought out for her, instead of her beef low mein, but trust me. It looked bland and was absolutely tasteless. I mean no flavor. The tea they brought out might have had more flavor!
Do not come here if you want to actually enjoy your meal, the only reason I give two stars is because I did really like my server, he was a sweet old guy.
… moreI went with my girlfriend, we ordered egg rolls to share, she tried to order beef low mein. They gave her the wrong order, which is fine there was a bit of a language barrier with our server but he was nice regardless, and I got some kung pao chicken.
Look at the pictures of the egg rolls!!! I have never seen or tasted anything like that, no meat or carrots or even that much cabbage. It was like one piece of cabbage in there with some soggy clear goop, it was absolutely disgusting lol. And I’ve never seen egg rolls folded like that, it looks awful and tasted awful.
My kung pao chicken was ehh at best, I mean look at the ratio of veggies to chicken and you tell me. The chicken is about the size of a finger nail and then you got frozen veggies. There’s about 25 peas to one tiny piece of chicken, ridiculous, if I wanted to eat 20$ worth of vegetables I’ll come back here. And still wouldn’t order the same thing.
I didn’t take a picture of my girlfriend’s wonton soup they brought out for her, instead of her beef low mein, but trust me. It looked bland and was absolutely tasteless. I mean no flavor. The tea they brought out might have had more flavor!
Do not come here if you want to actually enjoy your meal, the only reason I give two stars is because I did really like my server, he was a sweet old guy.
Rebecca Livingston
Seattle’s Chinatown is such a wonderful place to visit and explore. We were looking for an authentic Chinese meal, and Tai Tung didn’t disappoint. It is Seattle’s oldest Chinese restaurant, established in 1935. To be in business for 90 years, you must be doing something right. Every dish was delicious. There was a limitless supply of tea (perfect for all cool autumn day), and the house fried rice was among the best I have ever tasted. I also had egg foo young for the first time. Yum!! The Bruce Lee display was fun to check out. Great meal at a very reasonable price. Thank you!!
… moreShelby Jolicoeur
My daughter and I went here today for lunch and we were so impressed. The atmosphere was nice and clean. They sat us and we immediately had hot tea at the table. There are so many delicious options on the menu that everyone will find something perfect for them. The food was FANTASTIC. It was easily the best Chinese food I have ever had. If lived closer, I would eat there a couple times a week without a doubt. We shared veggie egg rolls, I had the cashew nut chicken and my daughter had the chicken chow mein with crispy noodles. The ingredients were so fresh and bright. It was flavorful and cooked to perfection. The staff was kind. We had a great conversation with the friendliest man who may have been the owner.
Seriously, go to Tai Tung. You will be so happy you did!
… moreSeriously, go to Tai Tung. You will be so happy you did!
Ankita Aggarwal
We tried that hot pepper chicken and vegetable chow mein and the food is just soo freaking delicious! It looks simple and unassuming but everything packs a punch. The chicken was slightly sweet, perfectly fried and had a touch of savory and chilli flavors. The noodles are perfectly cooked, seasoned and well balanced including so many greens and water chestnuts.
As soon as you enter the shop, there is a must smell of visiting your grandparents maybe? But the staff is lovely and offer you complimentary tea and iced water in your own private booth.
This is that not so hidden gem of a place that should be talked about more. We are new to Seattle so I wish people were telling us to go here to get amazing Chinese food ASAP!!! We were sort of homesick and missing comfort food and it just felt right after dining here <3
… moreAs soon as you enter the shop, there is a must smell of visiting your grandparents maybe? But the staff is lovely and offer you complimentary tea and iced water in your own private booth.
This is that not so hidden gem of a place that should be talked about more. We are new to Seattle so I wish people were telling us to go here to get amazing Chinese food ASAP!!! We were sort of homesick and missing comfort food and it just felt right after dining here <3
Oday Merhi
Tai Tung is a name that carries weight in Seattle. Proudly standing as the city’s oldest Chinese restaurant, with a legacy dating back to 1935. It’s a spot that’s been visited by Bruce Lee and other historical figures, which made me excited to finally experience it for myself. Sadly, what I found was a restaurant leaning on its legacy more than its hospitality.
From the moment I walked in, much of the staff seemed uninterested, even slightly aggressive in their demeanor. My waiter, in particular, felt more like someone doing damage control than someone working in hospitality. I tried to engage by asking what their most well-known dish was (a fair question for a first-time visitor). The response? “Everything here is well known.”When I followed up with “What’s your personal favorite?”, he shut that down with, “I’m not the one eating, you are”. When I would ask follow up questions on food items it felt like I was bothering him.
That about sums up the attitude: transactional, cold, and rushed. He took our order, dropped our food off and vanished. No check-in, no follow-up. Someone else entirely brought the bill at the end. It was hard not to feel like we were being ushered in and out as quickly as possible.
As for the food, it was… fine. Portions were decent, and prices weren’t bad. But taste-wise? Pretty average. For a restaurant with such a storied past, I expected something that stood out. Instead, it tasted like the kind of Chinese food you’d find at a random takeout spot. Not bad, but certainly not memorable.
The interior does have an old-school charm…classic booths, vintage signs, and a layout that feels frozen in time in a good way. But it’s poorly maintained. Rusty ceiling vents, unattended peace of trash near the entrance (we stayed around an hour, left, and it was still there greeting customers on arrival), the fish tank looked unclean, and yes..there was even what seemed to be a spider web right next to our table.
It’s unfortunate because Tai Tung could be a living piece of history with the right care. But based on my experience, it felt like a museum without a curator. If you’re walking by and curious, maybe stop in. But I wouldn’t go out of my way for it again, nor would I recommend it to friends. The legacy is rich…but sadly, the experience wasn’t.
… moreFrom the moment I walked in, much of the staff seemed uninterested, even slightly aggressive in their demeanor. My waiter, in particular, felt more like someone doing damage control than someone working in hospitality. I tried to engage by asking what their most well-known dish was (a fair question for a first-time visitor). The response? “Everything here is well known.”When I followed up with “What’s your personal favorite?”, he shut that down with, “I’m not the one eating, you are”. When I would ask follow up questions on food items it felt like I was bothering him.
That about sums up the attitude: transactional, cold, and rushed. He took our order, dropped our food off and vanished. No check-in, no follow-up. Someone else entirely brought the bill at the end. It was hard not to feel like we were being ushered in and out as quickly as possible.
As for the food, it was… fine. Portions were decent, and prices weren’t bad. But taste-wise? Pretty average. For a restaurant with such a storied past, I expected something that stood out. Instead, it tasted like the kind of Chinese food you’d find at a random takeout spot. Not bad, but certainly not memorable.
The interior does have an old-school charm…classic booths, vintage signs, and a layout that feels frozen in time in a good way. But it’s poorly maintained. Rusty ceiling vents, unattended peace of trash near the entrance (we stayed around an hour, left, and it was still there greeting customers on arrival), the fish tank looked unclean, and yes..there was even what seemed to be a spider web right next to our table.
It’s unfortunate because Tai Tung could be a living piece of history with the right care. But based on my experience, it felt like a museum without a curator. If you’re walking by and curious, maybe stop in. But I wouldn’t go out of my way for it again, nor would I recommend it to friends. The legacy is rich…but sadly, the experience wasn’t.
Hals
This restaurant is SO good, 10/10 recommend. It’s the oldest Chinese restaurant in Seattle, and was Bruce Lees favorite restaurant. So of course we had to try! The food was amazing – outstanding flavors. The staff were so nice and helpful. We will definitely return! Prices are also really good.
… more