Chef Liao Asian Fusion Cuisine

When chef Eleni Ponirakis Henry asks you out for dinner, and she recommends Chef Liao, only fools pass. Thank god for grand children, Eleni's Greek-heritage influenc fame stretches from her home in Greece back to her home in Seattle. Many may recall the loss of her Greenwood Ave restaurant due to a neighbors gas explosion. Regardless, there’s clearly something special happening here. Quietly hidden within the menu is Chef Liao gluten-free options, don’t hesitate to ask, not everything is, but many dishes are absolutely worth exploring. This is truly a family affair, with the team dedicated to preparing fresh, family-style dishes that highlight clean, uncomplicated flavor profiles. I was especially drawn to the squid. Don’t expect calamari, while calamari is squid, this dish features steak cuts from much larger size squid, than the smaller calamari-size fare. Also I wouldn't call myself an eggplant lover, BUT I would return for both these again....

Don't let the faded exterior fool you! It serves delicious Cantonese-style food with an open kitchen. Plenty of affordable lunch specials and regular dishes. The ~$14 lunch special (before tax) comes with a great portion, a spring roll and hot & sour soup, The food is freshly cooked and flavorful. Professional chefs, friendly staff and fast service. Takeout is also available!

First time in Seattle and staying at an Airbnb a short wall away. Was looking for a quick bite with gluten free options and boy was I blown away!! It’s pretty rare to find a Chinese restaurant that’s super knowledgeable and accommodating to gluten free needs. Ordered the eggplant in black bean sauce, singapore noodles, and salt and pepper squid. The absolute BEST Chinese meal I’ve ever had since being gluten free for the last 8 years. Everything was perfectly seasoned and came out super quick.

Came from Vegas and visited the woodland park zoo. This was 1 min away from the zoo and we were famished from walking all day! And we were not disappointed! Portions sizes are huge and plenty for a family of 4. We ordered the shrimp fried rice, almond fried chicken, and beef broccoli and they were so delicious! Almond fried chicken was crispy and tender and the sauce paired well with the chicken. The beef was super tender and the brocccoli was not too soft and had a crunch (which we like!). And don't forget the fried rice! They were so yummy and paired well with everything we ate! Soo goood! Friendly family owened business. Owner was super nice and suggested places for us to visit so we wouldn't get stuck in traffic. Will definitely stop by again whenever we are in town!

Love this place. I'll be so sad when they rebuild this block and we lose them. Best Chinese in the Frelard/Greenwood area. Fun to watch them cook it right in front of you, always have interesting meals for their own lunch. Friendly staff, fast preparation and delicious food. Lots of options and lunch vs dinner specials. Ask for higher spice, they are geared for local low tolerance star values. Large family table with rotating center for sharing, small private tables for couples. Come enjoy the food or order for take out like I often do.

Love the honey walnut shrimp lunch combo. Great deal (considering Seattle prices) - will bring my friends here if I'm back in the area. Highly recommended!

This restaurant serves amazing Asian cuisine. We ordered one of the chef special dishes, which was braised prawns in hot chili sauce. We also ordered garlic ribs and pork fried rice. Every portion of the meal was incredible, the braised prawns in hot chili sauce and pork fried rice were noteworthy. The service at this restaurant was outstanding, our server was extremely attentive and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Food is pretty tasty and healthy, we ordered eggplant with black bean source, Mushu with chicken, wonton noodles soup. Really enjoyed the freshness of them.

Some of the most solid American Chinese you will find in the city, without a doubt. They've got what you're looking for.

Great food and friendly service nice neighborhood restaurant traveled all the way from south Seattle

We were craving a quick Chinese lunch so stopped into Chef Liam's. Just order a couple of their lunch specials which included a main course, soup, egg roll and rice. Perfect quality for each of us and the Chinese curry and Mongolian beef were both delicious. The ambiance was nothing special and in fact I asked if they could wipe our table as it felt sticky. They very nicely had no problem with that and in fact were very nice and friendly. We've ordered take out before but this was the first time we ate in the restaurant. We will return.

This restaurant serves amazing Asian cuisine. We ordered one of the chef special dishes, which was braised prawns in hot chili sauce. We also ordered garlic ribs and pork fried rice. Every portion of the meal was incredible, the braised prawns in hot chili sauce and pork fried rice were noteworthy. The service at this restaurant was outstanding, our server was extremely attentive and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

After a decade this is still one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I've had 12 course meals for hundreds and street food for less than $10, and while I've never been to Asia I hands down love Chef Liao. This is family owned by nothing but delightful, kind, hard working people who offer incredible service. I was so afraid during the pandemic they would close and I'm relieved to see their business is still thriving years later. This is my go to when I'm sick; I love chicken and veggies which they've even made as a soup option in the past and heals whatever ails you. Mushu pork, Mongolian beef, lemon or orange chicken, fried rice or chow mein (all of which my kids love). My mother loves the salt pepper squid and asks to go here when in town. You can't go wrong at Chef Liao. Clean, great service, timely, filling and delicious. 10/5 in my book.

Our first time ordering from Chef Liao. The food was well seasoned with the perfect amount of heat and cooked to perfection. The hot and sour soap was the best we've had here in Seattle so far. The moo shu pork was equally tasty. And the Kung Pao prawns had a spicy sauce, so good with nice crunchy vegetables. We're definitely trying them out again for dinner.

Really great American Chinese food. I think they should do a Chinese menu with traditional items too.

Our go-to for cheap and reliable Asian take out. We've never eaten in but there's plenty of seating. Family run restaurant, sweetest staff. Easy to order over the phone! We've never had a mistake order in the dozens of times we've gotten food. Big portions, we typically order one entree and assume 2 meals. Good vegetarian options!! The moo shu and pad see ew with tofu are our typical go-tos. Support this local business while you can, there's a sign for a 5 story apartment building up for months now :( hopeful they'll locate somewhere nearby.

Wow!!Amazing food! Everything was made to perfection! The young man waiting on us was super nice and courteous. Great service and family friendly! Definitely recommend!

Friendly and helpful servers. Pro tip: if you order the chow mein w/out veggies.. make sure to mention you don't want soy sauce or else it will come out dark and salty and almost inedible. They will remake it for you but then you have to wait and if you are hungry I would rather them get it right the first time, wouldn't you? Anyways they give you discounts if they mess up and make sure to make it right with you! Fans are always going and the windows are always completely open and honestly its grounding being able to reach out the window and be with earth and not closed off while you eat. They have regular tables and then some big circular tables for big parties. You can see the cooks make your food if you want, it's not blocked off. I suggest to get atleast 3 stars for the Mongolian beef or it might not have enough flavor.

A neighborhood gem for delicious Asian food. They offer a variety of items and the family that runs it is always friendly. Ordered food to go: honey walnut prawns, shrimp fried rice, salt and pepper squid, and Buddhist tofu. Order was quick and hit the spot. The honey walnut prawns are one of my favorites and it was so crispy, the walnuts perfectly toasted and sweet. I'm salivating at the thought of them. Everything we ordered tasted great even as take out. It was more than enough food for 2.

I have ate here for years! Our favorites include shrimp and green beans, Mongolian beef and Walnut prawns. I have also tried Moo Shu chicken, orange chicken and many other dishes that are great! Tonight I tried a new appetizer " Crab Rangoon" and it was the freshest best tasting appetizer! I would definitely get it again. The service is always fantastic (Kevin) and all the family are very pleasant and welcoming. It will be a sad day when Chef Liao closes! In the meantime......Give this place a try. The prices are decent and you won't be disappointed!

Super good food!! Solid Chinese food, family style. Service was good too our server was super friendly.

I came here with a friend today for a quick lunch and found this spot in Yelps search. They have a pretty good rating so I decided to stop by as well. Family owned restaurant for sure. This place the menu seem pretty simple and a little ,ore option than Panda Express. It remind me of Chinatown NYC, those carry out places haha. We ordered 3 lunch special to share. "Family style" We got Mongolian beef, Mapo tofu, and Honey walnut shrimp. All came with soup, rice, and a spring roll. The food came out fairly quick! Decent portions, everything tasted good. But the shrimp is tasted a little spoil the borderline. I can tell right away but it was still good and edible lol... Overall, I wouldn't mind coming back here if I want some quick Chinese food in the area. Chef Liao!

Food was great! Service was super welcoming. If we lived in the area we'd make it a regular spot.

Great neighborhood Chinese food. Wonderful and friendly service. Loved the won ton soup and mu shu pork.

It's hard to find good Chinese in Seattle. Maybe the chefs changed because I used to really like this place. My most recent experience was terrible. The green beans were decent and the salt & pepper squid was cooked nicely, but both were bland.The hot & sour soup was more sweet & sour. I had to doctor up each item. **The beef chow fun was inedible. It seemed like week old noodles with a can of fruit cocktail and left over beef from plates customers didn't finish.

Their food is excellent. The pot stickers are HUGE and so tasty. I've never had anything I didn't really enjoy here.

Nice food, will come again, the boss is very nice and friendly, Mongolian beef is especially tender

Our first time ordering from Chef Liao, we chose take out. Ordered Orange Beef and BBQ pork with wontons soup. The soup was salty and sesame oil heavy and absolutely NO bbq pork to be seen. The Orange Beef was overly sauced, soggy and the pieces were HUGE and fatty, the orange essence was hard to find. There was one little carrot coin and one overcooked one inch piece of (I think?) cabbage. I called to confirm my order, was confirmed and the man seemed genuinely sorry, stating that he would talk to the kitchen. As an extra disappointment, the fortune cookies were soft and stale. Will continue looking for decent Chinese food in Seattle.....

Chef Liao is an Asian Fusion restaurant. They serve various dishes but mostly Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. A lot of times, people say they don't trust places that do multiple cuisine because you have to pick one thing and do it well. I really wanted Chef Liao to prove me wrong, but sadly it did not. The Pad See Ew noodles were very overcooked - my boyfriend described them as a bit slimy and mushy. Probably the worst Pad See Ew I've ever had. The sauce was also way too sweet (I understand the sauce for this dish is mostly soy sauce and it's not a very complex flavor profile, but something was off). My boyfriend's kalbi plate seemed to be better. He liked it and the meat was okay. I will not say it's the most authentic and best Korean kalbi I've had, because it's not, but for the price it was okay. On the bright side, it is a family run business and the portion sizes are huge.

We got this food to go and we are only a mile away. However, the food was so oily, made my wife sick. This place had good reviews so decided to try it. My supposed vegetarian dish tasted like it was cooked in pork juice...went right into the yard waste. The sauted green beans were floating in oil...so soggy. I will give a thumbs up for their fried rice with veggies. Wish I had a better experience as I miss good Chinese food.

Wow! Great lunch deal, with egg roll and soup! I've purchased dinner take out several times and it's always great. This is my first lunch and what a deal! Thank you chef Liao!

Fresh tasting dishes, great green beans and excellent honey walnut shrimp. Reliable and usually quick with service.

Just to lay down some background, I'm chinese and have been eating chinese food pretty much my entire life, specifically Cantonese food as well. Chef Liao's is nicely located in my area (Fremont/Wallingford/Green Lake) which made it very easy for us to drive over and get takeout in a jiffy. Their fried rice was my favorite of the three dishes we got, lots of add in and flavor! The honey walnut shrimp and Salt Pepper Pork Chop wasn't the best I've had but still good. I wish the shrimp had more walnuts and a little less sauce. The pork chop had a coating over it that I wasn't used to but was still tasty overall. There was street parking right outside restaurant. I can't speak to how large or crowded the place gets during these tough times but I strongly urge everyone to support local if you're able to! In conclusion, I definitely still recommend everyone give this place a try if it's in your area and craving Chinese food!! I'm looking forward to trying some other dishes from here as well!

A tad outdated, but quality fare. Especially try the general tsos chicken. It's epic. Hot and sour soup was just OK. BBQ pork is fresh and hot with some with some wicked spicy mustard. Service is good. They seem to be in with the college kids and there are a ton of eager 19 year olds running around, sweeping, checking and being attentive. A little under trained, but trying hard.

The egg flour soup a little thin. The BBQ pork was great. Fried rice was excellent . The chow main was not so good. The price was reasonable .

This is the worst vegetable curry I've ever had.. no joke. There's literally no flavor. None. I had such high hopes :( Also rice was almost $2 extra?? For curry??? A dish that usually comes with rice? So i went home and made my own.. Should have just made my own curry too

Sometimes you just want some really, really tasty old school American Chinese food. Chef Liao is definitely the place to go for delicious egg foo young, sweet and sour chicken, and more (try the Hong Kong crispy noodles!). The atmosphere is a little tired, but the employees are always friendly and the service is fast. My only wish is that they were on more delivery services!

Love that they deliver within a certain vicinity. The honey walnut prawns are tasty. The Mongolian beef is a nice option with addicit flavor, ordered a 3/5 spice and not much heat to it at all. Overall, nothing spectacular but will be ordering again.

Suprizas! I was very surprised about the amazing quality of the food as well as the terrific service that we received here. Hankering for some good Chinese food, we were in the neighborhood and used Yelp to find a good option. Little did we know that we would discover a great place like this. We were seated immediately. As we looked at the menu, I was a little skeptical as they have all sorts of Asian food ranging from General Tsao's chicken to Pho and Sukiyaki. We stuck to the Chinese food and everything that we tried was great. We over ordered and we're lucky to have leftovers to take home. Those leftovers were great and we enjoyed warming them up and eating them at home. Now for the service. We were really happy that our servers were so attentive. They came and checked on us constantly and brought out the dishes as they became ready. The service was great and we were very happy with the whole dining experience. The restaurant itself is a little bit small and I was sad that it looked like it would be hard to accommodate a bigger party. But I can highly recommend this place expect to come back soon.

The Kung Lao tofu was really good here and they had it ready lickety-split. I came in last minute and they were still able to accommodate.

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Seattle, hands down. I moved here from the east coast ten years ago and it reminds me of some of my favorite spots out there, family run, friendly, and food made with love and grit. Portions are large and you'll have plenty of leftovers (because Leftover Chinese food is the best). I get something new every time and I've never been disappointed. Please support them during this pandemic. If they don't make it, I'll be devastated. Don't forget to tip well for takeout too, they're always super friendly!

Such a fan! Been coming here (or getting delivery) for so many years! The lunch specials are incredible and their dinner portions are huge! Everyone is always great and the food doesn't disappoint!

Clean establishment. Friendly staff. Great food. If you like your food spicy level 5, that is not spice at all. I did requested originally level 6 which it should be really spicy, but it wasn't at all. Next time I will ask for level 10 spice. Overall, it's great.

This place, are you kidding me? It's a DREAM COME TRUE. My boyfriend and I ordered enough food for at least 5 people the other night and each dish was outstanding. The people that run this restaurant are the real deal-kind, hard-working, clean, use fresh produce. Love the open kitchen style so you can see all the chefs in action when you come to pick up take out. Order from here. Again and again. You will NOT regret your decision. Thank you Chef Liao for being awesome, please never close.

Review in the Time of Covid I've previously enjoyed Chef Liao's before Covid, so I decided to get my fix by calling ahead for delivery, because they used to do their own delivery. They informed me, however, that they don't do delivery any more and you can order through Postmates. Not wanting to go through a third party, I ordered for pickup. I was a little disappointed when I came in and found that no one was wearing a mask. It's an open kitchen, and everyone is working near the kitchen area, and I imagine it's more dangerous to work with a mask with oil and grease around than it is to wear one, but still. It would have been nice if the person in the cash wrap area had a mask. There was sanitizer available, but only one pen. I wasn't able to pay for my order before picking up, and I think if I had been able to pay over the phone I would have had a little less anxiety. The food was good - there was no drop in quality or real change in flavors compared to pre-Covid times, which is something I've noticed happening at other restaurants. My favorite was probably the BBQ pork chow mein. I ordered 2 stars on the Mongolian Beef, and it was just the faintest bit of heat, so when ordering again, I might order 3 stars. Overall, the food was good. I would prefer pickup to require me waiting outside, or allowing me to pre-pay so I don't have to spend too much time in doors around unmasked folks. Pro-tip! You get the best deal by going direct to their website (or find their phone number and menu) to order for pickup or delivery in another browser window, not by clicking through any links here.

Since Seattle dine-in is closed delivery and takeouts are a savior when you get bored of home food. First time we tried chef Liao Asian fusion and it was amazing. We ordered chicken chow mein, chicken fried rice, Mongolian beef and braised prawns in spicy sauce. All was exceptionally well cooked. Take out was neatly packed and no delays of any sort. I'm happy local businesses are trying to keep afloat even in these trying times . Thanks

easily our favorite chinese food spot in the area! most things i've tried here I love, but the shanghai noodles are a standout dish in particular. I also love their lunch special, it's a great value! if you're craving the classic american chinese takeout flavors, look no further.

1st time customer, ordered on line for a specific time to pick up. Order was ready as requested, each dish ordered were delicious, sufficient serving and able to serve 5 (3 children, 2 adults). All of us enjoyed our meal and each item, 4. Will return again

This place has the best general tso's chicken! Easy to order, fast, and fantastic friendly service here. Highly recommend.

Amazing!! Picked up a meal at Modern Japanese last week down the street and while waiting outside I saw the sign for Chef Liao and was intrigued to say the least - rainy foggy night his sign a silhouette outside - I ordered last night remembering the moment seeing Pan Asian and it was truly wonderful for all family members no matter which mixture of noodle, veggies protein and their sauces so light and delicious I am anxious in 2021 to have a New Year Year of Ox meal at Chef Liao!!

Such delicious food and quick, friendly service! We love their Mongolian beef and pork fried rice. Soooo good!

Wanting to try some Chinese food in Seattle, this place was one of the closer locations to me and yet also one of the best with the most reviews. Walking in, it is not a big restaurant with a lot of space, but one could tell, this place is a popular place to Togo food. There was a whole long row of Togo orders for a row of people to pick them up. This and the staff in the kitchen was working none stop, so it tells you about how popular they are. My friends and I ordered about six dishes for four of us, and though we didn't finish it all, I wish I could have because it was good Chinese food. Not the best I have ever had, but good none the less. The fried rice for instance, it was a bit saltier than I am normally use to. But then again, that did not make the dish bad, it was just different. I personally loved the stir fried green beans the best! Give this place a try!

the customer service was above and beyond, the food was incredible, and the atmosphere was peaceful and homey!!! would absolutely recommend to everyone.

Note to those (like me) who only try to order food delivery through an app - Chef Liao delivers if you call them! Their delivery area is on their website. We had just gotten back from a trip and didn't feel like cooking. We wanted some Chinese takeout, and thought of Chef Liao who had come recommended to us by some friends. I called in and placed an order for the Shanghai garlic noodles with chicken (basically chicken chow mein with a thicker noodle), orange chicken, Mongolian beef, and some steamed rice. The total pre tip was $43. They told me their orders were a bit backed up so it might take an hour, hour and a half. 45 minutes later, the delivery guy arrived with a very heavy bag of food. The shanghai garlic noodles and orange chicken were perfect. The Mongolian beef was a little sweet for my taste but my boyfriend liked it. It was slightly greasy and stick to your bones comforting in a good way but not too greasy.

So heard about this place while listening to KISW 99.9 FM radio. They were talking about how grub it is. I went home & promptly Yelped it. Saw the awesome reviews & "bookmarked" it. So last week when hubs & I were wanting some Chinese food I pull up this place. Man am I glad I did. :) Arrived about 12 noon on a Monday. They were not busy at all. We got a table, menus & water right away. I ordered the beef with vegetables. Very tender beef with an assortment of veggies. Delish!! Hubs ordered the sweet & sour chicken. What a nice presentation. It was a whole chicken breast! Breaded, fried & covered in delicious sweet & sour sauce. Only minor complaint was the big hunks of raw green bell pepper. Had to request hot mustard & soy sauce as none was provided. Tea was very strong!! Look forward to many more lunches here & it is out of our way to go there but we will! Note: Street parking seems to be easy during the day. :)

We love ordering take out from this family run restaurant! The food is consistently fresh & delicious. We've ordered pretty much everything on the menu, so you can't go wrong in my opinion. Some of our favorites are the garlic noodles, Mongolian beef, and wonton soup. Classic American Chinese take on these dishes, which has its time and place. For us, most Friday nights! Thanks Chef Liao!

We love this restaurant if we can dine in. For Togo, not recommend it. Mongolian beef and mapo tofu are the must-haves. My husband tried to order them Togo during the pandemic and he didn't like it. Hopefully they will let us dine-in soon