Paik's Noodle — Restaurant in Bellevue

Paik’s Noodle is now one of my favorite restaurants in the Seattle area for jajangmyeon (jjm). The sauce is good but the noodles are even better and really separate this spot from others. Their sweet and sour pork is decent and I also really liked the chili shrimp. Definitely check this place out if you love jjm like me!

Food My table ordered the stir fried jjm, one with no spice and the other very mild spice level. The mild had just a hint of spiciness and was a good level if you cannot handle spicy well. The noodles at Paik’s separate out this restaurant from other noodle spots. It’s got a good bouncy texture that makes you want to go for more. The sauce was good and not too oily, which I find to be a problem and some jjm places. There was a good amount of veggies and meat in it. The sweet and sour pork was pretty good too. The batter around the meat was not overly thick and had a slight crisp to it. There was a good amount of meat per order and the meat was not dry. Sauce was decent but nothing too special in my opinion. If you are looking for a primarily seafood dish, the chili shrimp was pretty good. It’s actually more sweet than spicy. We also got the jjampong but I didn’t try it since we ordered it pretty spicy but everyone else at the table side that it was really good.

Atmosphere There is a good amount of seating and the tables can be moved around to accommodate large groups. We had 9 people and we were all able to sit comfortably. Interior was clean and nothing too fancy. Noise level was not too loud for a Monday evening.

Pricing Prices are average for jjm and everything else. I would definitely come back if I wanted good food at an affordable price. The quantity was also worth the amount we paid.

Service You have to know what you want to eat before you are seated because you order and pay first at the front counter. The servers will then bring out your food. After you are done they will clean the table. The servers were nice and food came out fast.

Other Plenty of parking around in front of...

Paik's Noodle is a recent discovery for us, offering Chinese-Korean dishes in Bellevue downtown. It’s located in the same mall area as Uwajimaya Bellevue, with plenty of free parking spaces, though it can be crowded due to the downtown location and the popularity of Uwajimaya. Additionally, the individual parking spots are a bit narrow, making parking slightly challenging.

The restaurant's decor is simple, and there's usually a line, so expect a bit of a wait. The setup is similar to a mall dining hall where you order at the counter, pay, and then wait at your table for your food to be brought out. The menu features signature Korean dishes often seen in K-dramas, including Jjamppong, Jajangmyeon, and sweet and sour pork. So far, these are the best versions of these dishes I've tried.

The portions are generous and the prices reasonable. Both the Jjamppong and Jajangmyeon are filling, so bringing others to share and try different dishes is a good idea. The noodle texture is excellent. The Jjamppong soup isn't overly spicy, making it enjoyable even for those who don't usually like spicy food. However, note that they don't allow adjustments to the spiciness. The Jajangmyeon is outstanding, with the paste perfectly flavored. The downside is the typical lack of meat in the dish, which might be due to the price of around $10.

The sweet and sour pork stands out, deep-fried in a special batter that makes it white instead of the usual yellow and not overly crispy, which is a good thing. The pork is a bit thin, but the combination with the sweet and sour sauce is fantastic. One thing to keep in mind is that if you order takeout, the noodle texture might not hold up well. Reheating everything in a pot or pan before eating helps.

Overall, Paik's Noodle has become one of our favorite spots for affordable comfort food. The combination of a great location, delicious food, and reasonable prices makes it a place we'll return...

This fast-food style Korean-Chinese restaurant features a counter-ordering system with table service. I tried several dishes, and while the flavors were consistent, there were a few notable points worth mentioning.

The black bean noodles (Jajangmyeon) had a watery sauce and a sweeter taste than expected. The noodles could use better draining, and although the black bean sauce was fresh, it leaned too much on the sweet side. The seafood noodles (Jjamppong) were quite disappointing. They lacked sufficient seafood and didn't even resemble the picture on the wall. The soup missed the depth and rich broth flavor, making it a dish I wouldn't recommend.

The fried rice also fell short compared to what you'd find in a traditional Korean-Chinese restaurant, missing some key flavors. On a positive note, the Sweet and Sour Pork was commendable, distinguished by its use of glutinous/starch rice powder, giving it a unique, whiter appearance.

Details about the restaurant:

Location: Ample free parking, though it's in a busy area shared with the Asian grocery store Uwajimaya and other restaurants. Food: Best bets are the Black Bean Noodles and Sweet and Sour Pork (different from traditional Chinese versions). Service: Friendly and attentive, but less experienced. During busy hours, they can be disorganized, sometimes forgetting to explain the ordering process to new customers or missing side dishes like yellow radish. Restroom: Clean and this restaurant has been open for about 7 months (no diaper changing station). Price: Reasonable. Ambiance: Not a fancy spot, and quite busy--akin to a place where office workers would grab a quick...