Chan Seattle — Restaurant in Seattle

I was in the neighborhood and was feeling a little hungry, thankfully they were about to open. There was a pretty healthy line, about 4-5 different groups, but the hostess did a good job of going through the line prior to letting us in to figure out how many per group there were. Even with the solo diners, myself included, she still gave us the option of the bar or a table. Something I appreciated, as many places will automatically shift solo diners to the bar (I get it, they need to maximize their seating space but its the thought that counts).

I opted for the bar, which wasn't too bad to sit at. The restaurant is a bit small, specifically the walking space between the set of tables and the bar seating. Chairs were relatively comfy, and there's a little hanger for your bag or jacket under the countertop.

I went with the Happy Hour bulgogi sliders (2 mini sliders for $6) and their fried rice cakes ($3 for a scoop). Bulgogi sliders were delicious, and will certainly be my go-to order (I've also heard the spicy pork is good). The sliders were pretty small, even for a slider, but they put a considerable amount of bulgogi inside so it evened out. The fried rice cakes were pretty unforgettable, spicy but nothing to write home about.

It was great that Happy Hour begins as soon as they open, but their options (especially for food) are pretty slim. Would be nice if they offered some other options, like the scallion pancake (even if it was a half portion), to round out the menu.

Tips:

-Peanut allergy? Be mindful when ordering the fried rice cakes. Peanuts were sprinkled on; not an issue for me but could be if you're not expecting it. Menu did not have this as part of the dish (only has "sweet and spicy" as the description)

-They have quite a few stand up signs, but the 'alley' entryway is across from the Purple Store

-Even though Yelp offers a waitlist option, the restaraunt will turn this off upon opening. I overheard the staff telling people who were calling in for reservations and/or mentioning the Yelp waitlist feature that the restaurant is a "first come first serve", and they don't offer reservations. I checked Yelp about 5 minutes into their opening and sure enough, the waitlist feature was disabled

-Coming with a group and hoping to do family style? Don't count on the Happy Hour menu to sustain you (small portions and even smaller options). Just order from the regular dinner menu

-Banchan (side dishes) isn't offered (at least with the Happy Hour menu)

-Come early/right at opening. There isn't much space in the entryway to wait, so be prepared to...

Please be aware of allergens that may not be specified on the menu. Service staff may also need more training on food allergies. Food and atmosphere were good but the somewhat lack of awareness of allergies unfortunately ruined our experience.

I’m not trying to bash the restaurant and the staff by writing this review. I would like to raise awareness of this issue and hold the management accountable for improvements as they promised.

Someone in our group is allergic to nuts. We ordered beef tartare which doesn’t mention as anything about nuts on the menu( see photo of the menu). However, there’re pine nuts (see the red circles on the photo) which caused reactions for the person who’s allergic and had to leave the restaurant to rest without finishing their dinner while feeling pretty sick. Needlessly to say it ruined the night both for the unfortunate friend and the rest of the party.

So here’s how it happened. We ordered the beef tartare and chicken wings which shows there’re peanuts in this dish on the menu in first round and told the server to not include the peanuts. Before we started eating, we ordered a second round and specified to the server no nuts in any of our food. However, we were only made aware that there are pine nuts in the beef tartare after my friend ate it and had reactions.

What the restaurant could’ve done better to avoid this from happening again: 1, clearly state the ingredients in the food especially the allergens on the menu 2, educate the service staff more about the allergies and make asking the customers if there’re allergies as part of the routine

What we could’ve done better: be more clear about allergies instead of asking for ‘no nuts’.

After the incident happened, the manager came over to apologize, heard our concerns and tried to make our night better. Apart from the incident, the service and food were pretty good.

All that being said, this was an unfortunate incident that could have been avoided. I hope the issues I raised here will be resolved...

This restaurant’s Instagram is on point and draws you into this restaurant. The ambiance is nice and hip. Service was outstanding especially John who was very friendly, knowledgeable, and gave wonderful recommendations. Menu is very limited so don’t expect a lot of choices. If you’re vegetarian, recommend accessing their menu and reading ingredients before going as though they have vegetarian options, I am uncertain if any are cooked using any meat broth, etc. We had the chicken wings, fried rice cakes, potatoes, black cod, beef pot.

Potatoes and chicken wings were delicious! Flavor explosion. Visually appealing. And senses from aroma are heightened. Highly recommend both. I did NOT like the fried rice cakes. Flavor was bland, texture was chewy. The black cod was moist & flaky and a large portion. But the fish didn’t really have any seasoning or spices. Bland at best. Root vegetables served with it took on a bitter taste and were mushy. Beef pot was also bland. Rice was not seasoned or flavored well. Beef was tender and good but rice, the main ingredient in the dish lacked seasoning and creativity.

This place is certainly worth trying if you happen to be downtown or live downtown but I wouldn’t make a special trip just for the food. The experience was fun in regards to how each dish is presented to you so if you’re more into an experience and getting pics for your IG, then definitely go, but if you’re a foodie, I’d pass. Not worth the parking hassle or cost. For 2 of us with dishes listed + one dessert + cocktail + 3 sodas (no free refills here) it cost $170 before tip.

Also something to note is that to use the restroom, you have to get a key card and then go to the second floor and then try to locate it. Very inconvenient for everyone but especially those with decreased mobility, wheelchair, or with children. As I mentioned though, this is NOT kid...