Advertised as the "Best Sichuanese noodle in Seattle", this location in Redmond is one of two locations in the Seattle area (the other one being in Federal Way). They have been here for more than 6 years, serving up various dishes from the Sichuan region of China. It was another dreary day in the Pacific Northwest, and since both sessions of NFL football had only teams that we didn't care about, my daughter and I took a walk to the Overlake Village strip mall for a late lunch. The main tenant is Safeway, with a few restaurants around the edges. None of the restaurants were particularly busy, so there were plenty of open parking spots that we could see. We were seated immediately, given two glasses of water and referred to the QR code at each table that took us not only to the menu, but also the ordering mechanism. The table also contained pre-filled bottle of tap water, which we could serve ourselves. After we placed our order, the food came in one shot about 10 minutes later. I really like Chinese beef noodle soup, and knew I had to try the version here ($14.99). What's interesting is that my spice tolerance has really come down as I grew older, to the point where I don't order medium or hot anymore. This soup had no choice of spice, instead being called spicy...it really wasn't. It came with the noodles used in their other dishes, with some baby bok-choy. The meat used was from the shank, which had nuggets of beef along with the connective tissue surrounding it....i really think this is the best meat for this dish, and I like it almost as much as oxtail (which is a lot more expensive). It was a decent portion, came with a giant spoon, which I used to slurp and shovel into my face... really enjoyed this dish. The term 'mala' refers to the liberal use of Sichuan peppercorns, a very different reaction than from the typical hot peppers. It's the active ingredient in their most popular dish: Nine Way Noodle ($11.99). It had been ordered as mild like my daughter had before, but the amount of ground peppercorn used was more than expected, making it difficult for my daughter to finish it. So I ended up tasting most of each dish, and enjoyed both, but understand why it was hard to finish (it does numb your tongue quite a bit). It doesn't look like much when it comes out, but after you mix it well (recommended by the waitress) and try the first slurp, it is quite good, especially if you alternate it with some other foods that don't have the peppercorns. You can use the app to close out the ticket, at which point a server will come back to take your payment via a tableside tablet (Toast in this case).
$$ Food was great, but it was a bit more challenging to find something that kiddos would eat. The kids really enjoyed the cucumber salad and pancakes. We loved the ramen and dumplings. Both spicy and let's just say prepare yourself. Service was okay. The waitress didn't come check to on us aside from delivering the food. The time we did interact, she was nice. We got there right as they opened on a Saturday night and writhing 10 minutes it was filling up quick. Looks like a popular spot. I recommended it more for adults and older kiddos.
When I heard that Nine Way was an authentic Sichuan restaurant in Bellevue, I was curious and a little worried for the spice! I was right to be curious, but no need for worry - their chili oil is awesome. We got the Beef Noodle Soup, Noodles with Pork, and Wontons, which all came with chili oil. It's very mala so it's a numbing spice and not a painful spice. I was surprised by how much beef comes in the beef noodle soup, and I shocked myself by finishing all of the broth because it was so delicious. I definitely recommend getting the wontons so you can feel the full spice!
Pretty good neighborhood Sichuan spot, prices are reasonable and the QR code makes it easy to order and pay straight from your phone. I've tried their beef noodle soup and dry pot, and both were solid. The broth for the beef noodle soup was too oily though (the friend I came with tried to scoop all the oil out before giving up LOL) but flavor-wise, they have the right idea. I don't see a ton of places serving dry pot in Seattle/Eastside area, so this will be my go-to spot if I'm craving it. Would not go out of my way to come here, but if in the area, worth a visit! I've never had to wait for a table, although I did see people lined up for prime dinner time so I'd come before then if you don't want to wait for a table.
Was craving sichuan so stopped here for dinner with two other people! We came around 7pm on a Saturday night, they were a bit busy but snagged the last table. We got sichuan style dumplings, cucumber salad, and beef jerky to split. I got the braised beef noodles! I loved the spice to them and was thankful it was actually spicy! I had leftovers but my friend and boyfriend ate their whole noodle dish's. I liked how reasonably priced the food was here too. The service was really good too! Would definitely come here again and highly recommend, especially for my spicy lovers!
Pretty good beef noodle soup! Was craving something that reminded me of the Bay Area and stumbled upon Nine Way as I had to go to Redmond for an appointment and wanted to see what else was in the area. Noodles were ok, wish they were thicker. Beef was tender but wish they had tendons or stomach with the beef. Pig ears are the best I've ever had. I got less spicy which was perfect. Nine Way noodles are ok but similar to a stir fry ramen you'd make. Overall, would come back but wouldn't go out of my way. Still worth a try!
Very good authentic Szechuan menu. Interesting that everyone, but me , were Chinese. Good sign. Had the beef with noodles and some dumplings in hot oil. All very delicious. You scan QR code on table, place the order and the very attentive server brings the food your table. Small room with ample seating at lunch hour. Will be back
Dropped by when I was craving Sichuan food and it exceeded my expectations! The food was delicious and the portion and prices were pretty good as well. I got the beef noodle soup and it was rich in flavor without being too much, and the wontons in chili oil were good too. I definitely will come back to try more of the menu. The restaurant is clean and small and has plenty of parking in the plaza it's located in. Service was friendly.
None of the visits I've made to this place have disappointed me in any way, and this particular visit was just as great! Parking for this location gets full unsurprisingly as it's shared with many other businesses nearby, particularly Bai Tong, Mandarin Buffet and Safeway. There's ample seating inside which gets filled very, very quickly as dinnertime approaches, so expect their waitlist to be utilized later in the day. My friend and I were seated very quickly and by the time we left, their waitlist was indeed utilized and it became a full house inside, all on a Friday evening. You order your food using a QR code on the table. Dishes vary so much here and consists of noodle dishes both wet and dry, and dumplings. For most visits and this one, I've consistently gotten and also loved their braised beef noodle soup. The soup base is so rich in flavor and the beef is very chewy without being too hard, and the noodles fit very well with the overall dish. Their extra noodle portions are very huge though, so I advise splitting it with a friend and not getting your own set like pictured below! My friend and I also got their handmade Sichuanese style dumplings at mild spice, which was still quite spicy partly because of the garlic added on top of the dish. It adds well to the taste of the dumplings, so I still enjoyed it. Extremely highly recommend here, and a must try!
Such a terrific sichuan spot! Came here with my family for dinner on Sunday around 6:30pm and we were seated immediately. Orders are made through the QR code at each table. Service was fast and attentive. We ordered a bunch of items to share family style: - spicy mungbean jelly - cucumber salad - nine way noodle - sichuan cold noodle - braised beef noodle soup - sichuan style pork dumpling Everything was delicious! I would highly recommend the nine way noodle and braised beef noodle soup because the texture of the noodles was perfectly chewy and the flavors were really good. My mom confirmed that all the dishes and flavors were authentic. I also love that the spice level can be adjusted for all dishes.