Facing East Time - Downtown Bellevue

Facing East Time – Downtown Bellevue is a must-visit if you’re craving authentic Taiwanese food in Bellevue, WA. I visited several times on different days and these are the items I’ve tried so far: The Taiwanese Seafood Pancake was a good smaller appetizer or snack size portion: a pan-fried seafood pancake made with shrimp, oysters, squid, eggs, and vegetables—crispy on the edges and tender inside. The Pork Chop Bento was well-rounded, served with white rice, pickles, a fried egg, a side dish, and vegetables—a complete, classic bento that hits the spot. I ordered the Five-Spiced Braised Chicken Leg Quarter and The chicken was tender, The braise tasted light and savory, it was oven fried at the end providing for a crispy finish and the portion was a good sized And the Pumpkin Braise

The new-ish “Facing East Time” (FET) in downtown Bellevue is a return to dine-in from “Facing East” (FE). The original FE is a full-service restaurant with table ordering. During/post the pandemic closures, FE moved to a small place on Bel-Red for take-out only (still there). This new FET is an eatery with self-ordering and self-busing. We arrived at a quiet time, and we ordered via a staff member. When the restaurant became busy shortly after, that same staff member directed all customers to order at the tablet by the door. The tables are small and limited with maybe 20 seats total, including bench seating. This eatery is not good for a group hang-out especially during mealtimes. We have not been to FE since they became take-out only. We are happy to be dining in again even in a small eat

Truly a surprise! We got the classic beef noodle soup and honey glazed bbq pork. Starting with the soup, very rich and homey. A little more on the richer side compared to my preference but the noodles and beef are well seasoned and cooked. The bbq pork was truly spectacular in savory sticky sweetness. A little fatty but normal which paired excellently with the mustard sauce and pickled veggies. The milk tea was very delicious as well, classic tasting that pairs well and washes away the greasiness at the end of the meal. Would come back again if ever craving. Note they have a parking garage with validation too! Street parking is difficult but nice to have a garage option.

All the dishes taste really good. The bento has a good look and a perfect mixed flavor. Beef in noodles is so tender. A little bit spicy but ok for both of us. Will visit again.

It’s not bad! It’s not super authentic or anything, but the prices are good. We ordered beef noodle soup, the seafood pancake, pork chop bento, and popcorn chicken. The seafood pancake is like a super gentrified Taiwanese oyster omelette - the real version is usually chewy and with lots of variance in texture, but this one is more homogenous and crispy. It’s still good, but not authentic. The popcorn chicken is not bad, crispy and tender, but needs more five spice. The pork chop bento and the beef noodle soup are both just alright. Good prices, and good location. It’s alright. 6.5/10.