Peony Kitchen Bellevue

One word: Disappointed. The food was mediocre at best, and service was ok although the dessert course arrived mid way through the main course. We decided to try Peony for Seattle Restaurant Week, and we will not return. There is so much filler in the appetizers that the protein is lost. The Kung Pao Prawns contained medium shrimp swimming in jarred sweet and sour sauce with a few peanuts thrown in, the Fire Cracker Chicken was bland, and our dessert was clearly fried in the same oil as the proteins…those were immediately evacuated from our mouths. An unsavory attempt overall. Such a shame given the restaurant’s prime location. The only positive mention is a decent atmosphere, clean bathrooms at 5pm, and friendly service.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Peony Kitchen has become one of my go-to spots in Bellevue—we’ve been at least seven times, and every visit has been consistently incredible. We started with the lettuce wraps, cucumber salad, and spring rolls, which were fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. But the true star for me is always the crispy duck. I rarely eat meat, yet this dish is unforgettable—the crisp skin, the perfect sear, and the way the lemon and sugar create that pop of flavor, paired with lotus flower and herbs, make it absolutely divine. The menu here is extensive, so I recommend looking ahead because there’s so much to try. Everything I’ve tasted has been spot-on, and the consistency keeps me coming back. The atmosphere is modern, stylish, and designed to handle both intimate dinners and larger private parties. It’s not the warmest greeting when you walk in (something they could definitely elevate), but once you’re seated, the service is reliable and the dishes always shine. I’ve only had one truly exceptional greeting, and it reminded me how powerful it feels when a restaurant not only delivers amazing food but also makes you feel genuinely welcome. ✨ Parking & Location: Parking can be a little tricky—there’s limited street parking, plus some parking behind the building. The location makes up for it though: you’re steps away from Bellevue Downtown Park (perfect for kids to run around), boutique retail shops, and Molly Moon’s Ice Cream nearby for a sweet finish. This spot is family-friendly and wheelchair accessible, making it a comfortable choice whether you’re dining with kids, friends, or colleagues. That said—Peony stays busy. A reservation is highly recommended unless you get lucky walking in as we did. 💡 Final Note: If you’re in Bellevue and want a dining experience that blends consistency, modern vibes, family-friendly surroundings, and dishes that impress every single time, Peony Kitchen is it. 📍 Peony Kitchen Bellevue | #BellevueEats #SeattleFoodies #PeonyKitchen #BellevueLife #CrispyDuckGoals #FamilyFriendlyBellevue #FoodieSeattle #SeattleEatsFirst #BellevueDining

This place improved…. Slightly from 2 years back Expensive… while that is ok - didn’t expect a place like this to deep fry pork belly and call it crispy pork belly…. Would have expected them to do properly…. Other than that, while the price is high. the portions were pretty good as well. All the dishes were very well done, the chao fun could use a little more seasoning - but they had great chilli selection so no issues with that. Definitely will come back - please fix your crispy pork belly or change its name to deep fried pork belly….

Decent food presented well, but at a premium. The mapo tofu was pretty good but perhaps not that traditional. The beef and bean sprouts were interesting, but the basil and licorice (?) were a bit overwhelming. The rice cake dish was my favourite. We had some trouble getting the bill and splitting it, requiring extra work up at the front, not to mention the 18% mandatory gratuity despite being a group of 4. Overall, above average food, but expensive

Been a customer for so many years and always loved coming back because of the great food, service and atmosphere,but the price went up too much. I understand that everything is going up in price,but this is just too much. Also the portion has changed so much as well. I never tip under 18 percent,but now the restaurant automatically charges 18 percent service fee when you dine in. It just feels different when you are willing to give that much compared to just being automatically charged by the restaurant. Everything is good, but probably won't be coming back because of how expensive Peony has became. It's sad that this place is no longer where I will be bringing my friends or family when we crave pecking duck.

Delicious fusion-style Chinese cuisine paired with attentive service and a welcoming ambiance. The atmosphere is perfect for relaxed lunchtime conversations with friends.

Lots of seating so there is no wait on a friday which is unusual for Bellevue. Service was great. Decent vegetarian selection although flavors were pretty muted.

I had a big dinner here today. The food was amazing. Staff were kind and attentive. Every menu item seemed well curated and well made. We splurged and spent about 90/person although the menu is a bit more affordable than that if you’re not gorging on food. Definitely will be back!

Great food! We had the tea smoked chicken which was great! The seating is nice and lighting is great! The service was also really fast!

Not nearly as good during dinner, Peony Kitchen has Bellevue prices with good to mediocre dishes with decent servings. Our family of three got to stop by for a Tuesday dinner, with prices coming out to about $40 per diner. For those prices, the food should have been better than what it was. Garlic Crispy Chicken ($24) - it's a good simple dish, for the Sesame Chicken/General Tso fans in the group. Seafood Chow Fun ($26) - wide rice noodles, with a decent amount of seafood like shrimp, mussels. Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup ($19) - a decent dish, with the broth reminding me of a watered down jjamppong. Mapo Tofu Pork ($18) - with ground pork, this was skippable. White rice is extra ($3.50 a bowl), though it was comped by our waiter because he felt he wasn't giving us enough attention because he had to man so many tables (we thought he was fine for his situation, but won't turn down free food). They are also running a July 'Wheel of Fortune' where you spin and get a prize. Ours this time was free tea (normally $6). They automatically charge a 18% service charge.

The Peking duck here is amazing and perfect for celebrations! I came here for a friend's bday dinner and we loved every dish we ordered. The mocktails here are great, although a lil pricey for the size, it's still delicious. Service could've been better. Although it was a busy night, they forgot about my drink until we were almost done with the entree. Everyone at our table received their drinks but after asking 3 times I still hadn't received mine, so I gave up on it. I only knew the mocktails are good because my friend let me try hers. They also forgot about our dessert which felt awkward to ask for since I had to ask for my drink multiple times too. Ambiance was great, the decor is pretty and was nice for photos.

Drop by for lunch on Friday. Love the service, ambiance and food. Pricing in the high side but portions are good. Particularly enjoyed the beef short ribs, xiao long bao, beef chow fun.

Peony's Kitchen offers a cozy and casual atmosphere, perfect for a relaxed dining experience. We decided to try a variety of dishes to share, and everything was prepared exceptionally well. We sampled both the happy hour menu and the main menu, and were delighted with our choices. The spicy wontons were a standout, bursting with flavor and just the right amount of heat. The pork soup dumplings were equally impressive. We also enjoyed a couple other items like the garlic, crispy chicken, the green beans, and the chow mein

Went on a Monday night. Place was super empty and I think they only had only section open. The view was kinda weird because we were sitting at like a basement level and could only really see the feet and legs of people walking on the outside. Just felt a bit self conscious especially after we went outside and were like "oh so that's how people see us." Anyhow, service was quick. They had a few promotions going on for the month of May. It was $20 off of their beijing duck and $5 off of their fried rices. We didn't really get any of those because we've had those dishes pretty recent. We got the seafood with rice cakes, mixed vegetables, tea smoked chicken, and five flavored beef. Only the rice cake was solid. I guess we underestimated how much of the mixed vegetables was going to be ones that we actually ate. We ate about half and other types like bell pepper were just untouched. The tea smoked chicken had the crispy skin that I liked, but there wasn't really tea infused or marinated into the dish. It was all just smell. And lastly, do not get the beef, it was so so so salty. Being the second most expensive dish on the table, the five of us each had a slice and didn't even look at it afterwards. We were celebrating mother's day late so I appreciate the server being smart and taking our cards instead of hers.

Went here with a large party of 11. Host was great in seating us and very welcoming. Ordered the smoked duck, cucumber salad, cauliflower, beef chow mein, salt and pepper prawns, and eggplant with beans. We asked for all dishes not too spicy. All agreed that each dish flavor was different, not too salty, and delicious. Cucumber salad was crunchy, prawns were crispy, and eggplant just cooked enough and not too mushy. Wait staff was attentive and pleasant with no pressure to leave. And easy free parking. Definitely be back!

We went here for happy hour and enjoyed it! Pricing: Pretty good for a nice restaurant in downtown Bellevue! There was also a special on drinks since it's a Monday- $4 off signature cocktails and $9 standard cocktails. However, the server didn't mention the $9 special and I saw it posted at the front on my way out :( I would have ordered the $9 cocktail instead of the $12 one (originally $16, but $4 off). Another thing to note is they automatically include an 18% tip in the bill. The server did mention it as he set the bill down. Ambiance: I like the ambiance! It was cute and good lighting - not too harsh. Lots of windows so it wasn't dark either. It could get loud if it were full but it was maybe 40% full while we were there (Monday) Food: We liked what we had! The cold noodles were a little bit spicy. Service: Service was good and our server was nice. He forgot to mention the $9 cocktail special but that was all. Our egg rolls took a really long time to come out- like 25 minutes or so, but we didn't mind.

Our experience wasn't as good tonight. The server suggested fire cracker chicken and we found it crunchy and spicy but very, very dry and piled high with dry chili, which we did not eat. The combination noodles were good. Lots of bean sprouts which we enjoyed, and various proteins. The flavor was one note and brightened with hot sauce. The garlic green beans were pretty good. Need a better serving utensil for them. The soup was tasty as remembered, but with fewer ingredients floating in it. Still love the garnishes of shrimp and crispy rice. The pumpkin custard balls are still tasty, but not cooked as well as those we've had in the past. Super soaked with oil. Served very hot, but no dishes to eat them on. We used a napkin. My biggest issue was our soup was served and before I finished one spoonful all the rest of our food was served. It sat there getting cold while we finished a small bowl of soup. We took the rest home so we could start eating the entree. Very disappointing. The sun bounced off a nearby building, blinding my companion. He finally moved after being unable to escape it (see pic).

Updated review: I have been going to this restaurant every once in a while with my mom. It is one of her favorite places. I do love the food here and the cocktails are satisfying too. Service was great the last couple times I have gone. Some of my go-to meals here are the peking duck and short ribs. The short ribs are so delicious. They are so tender! I am immediately in a food coma after eating it. The peking duck is super tasty and well cooked too. Its so crispy! I am obsessed with the homemade pancakes (thin dough) that you use to wrap the duck and lemon in. It kind of tastes like a dumpling duck sandwich.

The boyfriend brought my family here and it was a lovely dining experience! The food took a bit to come out, but once it did, all of it came out at once which is always nice. I agree with other reviews that say the portion size is a bit too small. Regardless of the price (more upscale, sure), I believe that plates should have a predictable amount of food. The Chow Fun was in a very shallow plate and not a large pile, and the Honey Walnut Shrimp had maybe...10 shrimp in it? Along with a bunch of honeydew. Interesting, but would've appreciated if it was just more hearty. I always expect with Chinese restaurants for the amount of people +1 carb option to be a pretty fair amount of dishes to feed everyone, but we left feeling...like we had a lot of room for dessert (even after the Pumpkin Donuts!) The Tea Smoked Chicken was well presented and had the smokiness in the crispy skin, which we all agreed was done really well. But honestly, I missed the tea and the flavor didn't permeate through to the meat as strongly as I wished it did. Also, we realized that the Eggplant and Green Beans kind of tasted like...fried tofu. I think the oil was reused one time too many. The flavor otherwise was fine and there was a good amount of it, but no one wants to be thinking about how old their oil is. Our server was nice and friendly -- they take 18% service fee regardless of what you order or party size so just watch out for that! I rate 3.8 but round up to 4.

Food here is always great. Derrick was our server who was amazing. So patient with us as we had a 90 year old with us. His customer service and understanding was exceptional. Took extra care with our dietary requirements. So impressed with his service standards. This place could do with a little more ventilation as you smell of food but overall great vibe and clean restaurant. I've been here numerous times but wanted to give a shout out to our amazing server.

An upscale modern Chinese restaurant with a beautiful interior and food - Great for a parent's birthday or reunion event! Each time we come, the roast duck is a favorite, as well as the clay pot pork belly and the mixed vegetables. If you're interested in cool looking food, the squid ink fried rice and beef short rib are good choices! The food is beautifully presented but I feel like most items are not worth the price here. There's free parking by the CVS underground and it's a beautiful area to walk around after! Service is hit or miss.

The amount one has to pay for this location in DT Bellevue, along with the cosmetics and glamour - tend to raise some flags with me. But the food here is the real deal if you order the right dishes. The duck is a solid choice; just don't make comparisons to authentic Beijing duck (北京烤鸭) - think "fusion" LOL. The tea smoked chicken is also one of my favorites, but that flavor is not for everyone. They do the Panda Express, generic, Americanized Chinese food classics very well too, if that's your thing. Absolutely no shame. Good food is good food - if you enjoy it, that's all that really matters. That said, not sure what's going on with their mapo tofu. It's not horrible, and I still order it, but they know how to make it much better.

Peony Kitchen Bellevue delivers delicious comfort with flair. The Mongolian beef stole the spotlight--tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. It's the kind of dish that makes you pause mid-bite just to appreciate the taste. Definitely worth the visit!

The happy hour is fantastic with 11 food items that are all under $12. We had three of them and they were fantastic. The happy hour menu contained a nice mix of appetizers and main dish items, which is unusual. And they have a special during happy hour for 40% off of bottles of wine. Highly recommended.

Me and my friends came here to celebrate Chinese New Year and the atmosphere was so vibrant! The food was a good fusion of Chinese and Western cuisine and I love the presentation of the Tea Smoked Chicken. The server often checked up on us, making sure the order was complete and helped us add more dishes!

The Peking duck used to be really good but they must have changed the chef; the duck honestly tastes like roast duck so it's not worth it anymore.

We had a large work group , so appreciated the staff for being so patient with our large loud party. Peony has a nice , modern vibe to the restaurant environment , which is not usually the case for Chinese restaurants. Sometimes that makes me skeptical of how authentic or good the food will be for how much more expensive it was. Peony did pretty good! We got like 10 different dishes, but my favorite was the smoked tea chicken. Super juicy and flavorful with the ginger scallion oil dipping sauce. The duck lettuce wrap was also different and full of flavor. Shanghai rice cakes were classic, but the seafood one was done very well. Rice cakes were very soft and chewy. Squid ink baked rice and hot iron black pepper beef was underwhelming .

Had really high hopes for this place with the description. Best Chinese food in Bellevue but unfortunately was somewhat disappointed with the food itself. We got the fish fillet and chili oil and it was nothing like what we expected, and more of a broth or a soup. The squid ink fried rice was quite good but we also found the five kinds of pork buns just so so. Great service and a beautiful ambiance but the food was not up to par for the price in my opinion. Well happily give it another shot next time I'm in the area. Parking can be a little tough since it's straight in the middle of downtown Bellevue

Much better today Service excellent Even spoke to the chef Green beans very good Steak delicious

The ambience and the service is stellar - the reason for the star off is the overhyped and overpriced peking duck...it was definitely not the best I have had - in fact the best I've had is in San Francisco Chinatown at 1/3rd the price. Let's get to my favorite dishes that got this place the stars from me - The Sing-Song Girl Cocktail -- made with Lychee liqueur was da bomb! The forbidden fried rice and the fire cracker shrimp and chicken were three of my favorite dishes by-far. I have added menu photos and photos of everything that I tried and it was a lot - definitely a great place for a team dinner or a small intimate party but if what draws you is the food - I would strongly recommend finding a more authentic option

This restaurant serves amazing Chinese cuisine in the heart of old town Bellevue. We had a large party and ordered 2x of each dish and they came out in a very timely manner. Our waiter was very attentive and checked up on us to make sure we had everything we need. The food was on point and tasted exactly what it's supposed to. We are happy that we decided to try a new restaurant. We must compliment the crispy duck! It was the star of our epic lunch meal. The 5 flavor pan fried buns were good as well. All of the dumplings are delicious. (We ordered a lot more dishes, but didn't have time to photograph.) The restaurant is designed with both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat at a window and it was opened out to give a nice outdoor feel. It was very nice. We recommend this restaurant whenever you're in town.

Food: overall the food was good, we got the crispy and spicy fish fillet, Peking duck, and ginger live crab with noodles. The spicy fish fillet was pretty good but I got sick of the flavor after a while. The crispness was perfect and the chilies and seasoning on the fish was great. I would say the flavor of the breading was what was lacking. It wasn't bland but I wasn't a big fan of the flavor. The Peking duck was good as well however the skin wasn't too crispy and the meat was super tender however it felt a little dry. The live crab was decent. It tasted normal to me, the ginger noodles I thought was the better part of the dish. The live crab was also nearly 100 dollars, so you can it was definitely not worth it for the price however it did taste good if you ignored the price. Service: our server was nice when he was here. However we kinda felt neglected a bit. We ordered tea and rice and had to ask a couple of times for us to finally get those items. With the 2 or third time asking for rice he gave it to us immediately. The server was very polite and friendly though. The place was also nice. There's an outside area that is nice. They opened up a part of restaurant so there was nice air in the restaurant as well. Overall this place is good however these 3 dishes all totaled to 300 dollars (after tax ,service) so taking that into account it would be a solid 3 stars.

High quality food but pricey. Located in downtown Bellevue, Peony is easy to find. There is ample street parking but you can also park for free in the garage behind the building - look for the big CVS sign. We have been here a few times and the service has been pretty good - the food has been better. Try the hot and sour soup with the crispy rice. The roasted duck is unique with candied lemon. They do add 18% service to the bill regardless of party size. There is a clear line that reads: additional tip.

This is a good place if you are in a larger group. They can easily accommodate a group. Food was also good. Definitely worth a try.

I was debating between a 4 and a 5 and decided to settle on a 4. A 5 star experience for me needs to be absolutely perfect. Drink - I've been off alcohol so I ask restaurants to make me a super customized mocktail. This is one of 2 places that has added sugar to my drink. If your not sure please ask. They remade the drink for me and I was happy. Soup dumplings - Good ,but not din tai fun level Chow mean noodles - so so good. It had the perfect blend of spices, fried to the right level and the right kind of heat. Beef in hot oil - I wish I knew the size of this dish. It was enough to feed 4, and we were just 2 with so many other dishes ordered. I must say, this dish was perfectly cooked. Beef was well cooked, the gravy had the perfect blend of spices in it and also the right amount of heat. Mushroom lettuce cups - this dish might be a game changer for me. I never knew healthy could taste so good. Overall I'll visit them again and also recommend this to anyone.

Peony is the queen of flowers for Chinese. Got to try. They did not disappoint. The decor were of good tastes. There were "industrial arts" on the wall and a subtly painted mural of Chinese models of 50s. Seating were comfortable and beer selection excellent (many Georgetown brews). Eggplants were the star of the meal. Sizzling beef were made perfectly. Chow fen was exactly as it should be. Then we come to the controversial ones... The Firecracker Tofu were deep fried and drenched with sauce so spicy to burn your tongue off. We had people very capable for spicy foods and it was on the edge of their capability. The fried baos were just that. Get some previous steamed baos, put them on a skillet to brown the bottom, then serve. We expected raw baos first put on hot skillet to brown the bottom, then added water to steam to done. This way, the shell will be full of flavors and aroma from the filling. They were not done so and fell way off the expectation. Order "safe" ones and you will be fine.

I ordered the mushroom lettuce cups and a well drink from the happy hour menu which ends at 6. The mushroom lettuce cups were tasty and fresh. I got the tea smoked chicken without reading the menu too carefully was surprised when the waiter came out with a dome cover with the food encased in smoke. He asked if I wanted to take a video so I'm adding it to my review! The chicken had a nice subtle flavor and I loved the green onions and sauce it came with. The chicken was slightly dry though. It's kind of pricey but I ended up having lots of leftovers so it evens out. The space is big and open and the service was very attentive. There is free 3 hour parking in the next to the restaurant through the Meyden apartment but make sure you park in the spot that's labeled "retail parking" (further in the back)

Service is okay... with a lovely server. I'm not thrilled at ALL with the food. Very sweet and really only good thing about the meal was the jasmine tea!! Worst of all is the dead and struggling fish in the tank close to our table !! I am incensed.. who in the world does this.? We are in one of the loveliest most beautiful cities in the US .. why have a restaurant like this ??

One of the best restaurants I've had, ever. It's a nice chill spot, good cozy ambience. But the food. It's incredible. Like sell your mother, incredible. I've had the roasted duck dinner which is a bit pricey but soooo good. The skin is soooo thin and crispy like a wafer hiding the meat. Served with little tortilla wraps, cucumber, cilantro, candied orange, and a delicious sauce. Sooo good, great to share. The baked squid ink rice is soooo good too. It comes with melted mozzarella and crispy fried garlic. Literally stop. The orange chicken is soooooo crispy. Maybe a little too sweet for some, but I loved it. The soup dumplings are such a sleeper hit. They come with this pickled ginger sauce. Christ. It's incredible. I haven't had a single thing here that didn't make me punch the table. It's sooo sooo good.

Great food. Love the fire cracker tofu, forbidden rice, cucumber salad, pork dumplings and stir fried veggies.

Cozy casual atmosphere with excellent service and delicious food! I love the ambiance here and how spacious it is. The service is great and servers are super friendly. We got the eggplant and green bean stir fry, brown rice, cucumber salad, and pan fried buns. All of it was amazing, especially the buns - each one was a different flavor!

Unfortunately, this overpriced restaurant falls short in several areas. I likely won't be coming back. TIPPING POLICY - 0/5 They automatically apply a 18% tip even for parties of 2. They never mentioned it until the check came. In the end it's fine since I was going to tip that amount anyway, but the feeling for guests is completely different when you're forced to pay for something that should be up to the customer. It feels a lot more like paying for their salary instead of tipping for the good service. AMBIANCE - 5/5 It's a very clean and spacious restaurant. I loved the ambiance. TEA SMOKED CHICKEN - 3/5 I liked the skin which was nice and crispy. But it was nothing special and really overpriced. GRILLED BARBECUE PORK - 2/5 I loved that it came on a wooden platter. The presentation is very nice. The issue is that it was way too salty! CHOW FUN - 4/5 The chow fun was good with the wok hei flavors coming through. It was a bit overpriced though.

Duck, infused chicken, beef rib, and forbidden chicken, all are very very good. I really like this place.

Almost rooten meat , 18% mandatory service charge ! We ordered a black peppered beef . But the beef cubes they used were mixed with fresh beef and beef that gone bad with this nasty sour taste in my mouth . Even the king county health depart gave them an OK rating in term health safety inspection. They also charge a 18% mandatory tip for anyone dinning in . Regardless of what services are provided . Horrible place . Will not visit again and will make sure to tell all my friends to never come here .

We have gone to peony multiple times and it's always been an amazing experience. The servers are always nice and caring, going out of their way to help us. We ordered the cucumber salad, which was good and tasted traditional. The xiao long bao that we ordered showed that the chef put in effort, with the dumpling covers the same thickness and the pork perfectly tender. The chow fun and Singapore noodles had great flavor, and were a major hit. We ordered both with just chicken, and it was good. Although the prices are high, the food that you get it proportionate to the prices (you get a lot of food). Overall, an amazing experience and I will come again soon. This is a must try if you're in Bellevue looking for an uncrowded restaurant :)

Cute place with great drinks. Love matcha and u can find all things matcha here. Definitely go here more when in old bellevue

I don't know why I've been overlooking this place for so long. Thought it would be too heavy on the westernized side of Chinese food but I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely feels upscale but the food still had an air of authenticity, especially this spicy dish dish we had. Really liked that a lot, and it was like what you'd get at the Asian specialty places for this. I will def be returning for more!

This place has a nice atmosphere to it. The place is spacious and decorated well. The best thing we had here was their Peking Duck. It's one of the best I've had so far. The quality of the skin and meat was delightful. They do provide you with the majority of the duck. The sizzling beef dish was also good, but I think I would just come here if craving for Peking Duck.

*** 18% MANDATORY SERVICE CHARGE *** When the waiter brought the bill he said: "The MANDATORY 18% service charge is shared among the staff who work in the back. Anything on top of that is for ME!"

I came here a couple years ago for a team dinner. It's elevated Chinese food, which usually translates to it being super Americanized and this place is no exception. The service was alright, but our dinner overall was totally chaotic. This is partially my team's fault since we were a ton of people and ordered way too much, probably overwhelming the kitchen -- and that's why I give 3 stars instead of 2. The food is not great (but then again, maybe if you enjoy authentic Chinese food, you're not the target audience), and I pretty much disliked everything except maybe the fried rice. Also, one of our orders of pork shumai came out completely uncooked (like fully raw)... so that was pretty bad. They brought it back in and cooked it but didn't offer anything to make up for it either.

peony offers a contemporary twist on chinese dishes, with no specific regional specialty. the food: if you know the right dishes to order, it's a delectable dining experience. the crispy duck is always a classic, but unfortunately it is served with a disappointing pancake. i'd recommend just eating it with the sauce, lemon, and cucumber. we also got the mixed vegetables, pan-fried pork buns, ribs, and seafood pancake. the ribs were definitely the star of the show. flavorful, tender and falling off the bone. the marinade also penetrated the carrot and turnip, which were just as tasty. the service: speed was quick, but since there aren't many servers in each section, it can get slow -- especially when there are customers unfamiliar with the menu and need explanation. nevertheless, the servers are always polite and accommodating. the atmosphere: definitely upscale, with beautiful decoration and plating.

Firecracker chicken is the food I crave when I want something spicy/salty/perfectly crispy and delicious. Was attending a work party and our large group was handled well, as were the various dietary restrictions. Staff was welcoming and helped make a fun evening even better.

Went with friends after jazz concert. Service okay but I like it when waiters check back occasionally. We ordered 4 dishes, one never came. We hot a dish of breaded fried fish. Looked great but way too salty for everyone. Another dish was a Szechuan chicken dish, again too salty but less do. Third dish was mixed vegetables all agreed was best dish. Nice place, modern decor. Probably worth another try at this place. Restaurants often warn of the spice/heat level but never the salt level.

I normally don't write reviews on Yelp, but I feel compelled to after eating a meal at Peony Kitchen with my friend on December 4, 2024. Normally, the food is really good and I default to my favorite dish, beef chow fun. When I tasted the meal, it had zero flavor. Just noodles and beef, which I can easily make at home. It was an expensive meal ($25) for just a bunch of inexpensive and flavorless noodles, but I grudgingly at the meal without complaint and took the leftovers home for my husband, who also said it was flavorless. But the thing that really griped me is that the server had the audacity to add an 18% gratuity on top of the bill! Since when are tips an expectation rather than a privilege for doing a good job serving a meal? Literally, all the wait staff did was bring the meal to the table and take it away. This is a presumptuous practice, as the diner should be able to determine the tip, not the staff or restaurant. At best, the tip should have been between 10-12% and up to me to decide, not the restaurant. I can understand a mandatory minimum tip for large parties, but this was just my friend and me. When the minimum wage went up in WA state, we were told that tipping was no longer necessary since workers were now getting adequately compensated Plus, there is no tip credit in WA state like in other states. Meaning, workers get the full minimum wage for their jurisdiction in addition to the tips. As a result, I will never go to Peony Kitchen again or, for that matter, frequent any restaurant that adds a mandatory tip to a so-so meal. Good luck attracting customers.

It's impossible to get a Peking Roast Duck that reaches the standard one can get in China and other parts of Asia because ducks are raised differently in the US. Kudos to the chefs at Peony's for sourcing good raw materials and roasting their ducks to as high a standard as they did. The four of us ordered a whole duck plus some soup dumplings and a couple of vegetable dishes. All the dishes were very tasty.

TL;DR: great for groups and eating Family Style -- think: large, sharable tapas. Do not get the tiramisu. Parking: garage or street parking only. Nearby garages have free retail parking for up to 3 hours, which includes Peony Kitchen. Menu: flimsy printer paper. Descriptive, no images. If you have a large order, you can mark the menu with a pen and hand it to the server. Atmosphere: feels like a Din Tai Fung. Is a bit dimly lit the further you go in. They will open the glass walls during summer so be ware of flies if you wish to dine. We had a couple that kept hovering around our food as we ate Family Style so it was hard to shoo the flies away with our hands in the center of the large table. Service: order and pay at the table, water yourself with pitchers provided. Larger groups can be seated in slightly more private rooms. 18% tip included in bill for large groups. Orange Chicken: was surprisingly really good! The sweet and sour flavor was nicely blended and the chicken had a delightful crunch with each bite. The meat was also tender and not dried or overcooked. Crispy Duck: I like this one! The skin was indeed crispy like a chip and putting the ingredients in the wrap is a cool thing to do with groups. The flavor is good too. I recommend this one if you have a group of people to dine with. Or, you can get it for yourself too -- I won't judge. *wink* Cold Tossed Noodles: Serves as a nice palate cleanser or side dish but I wouldn't go and eat a whole bowl to yourself. It's a bit much and your taste buds get tired of it really quick. The cucumber chunks are a nice touch and are so refreshingly crunchy. Mixed Vegetables: everything is so nicely blanched and tasted very fresh. Lightly flavored and is an excellent palate cleanser between the strongly flavored meat dishes. I really like the al dente snow peas and the lotus roots. Five Flavored Beef: good flavor but a bit overwhelming on it's own. Packs a huge flavor punch. Use rice or veggies as a palate cleanser. Crispy Pork Belly: wow this is good! Not overly salty at all and has the most satisfying crunch. Really good appetizer or side dish for those in-between-bites. Tiramisu: Do not get this. I think this is by far one of the worst slices of tiramisu that I've had. The sponge was sopping, dripping wet, and it was like 90% cream/frosting. The flavors were there but the texture and cake to cream ration was poorly executed.

I came here for Saturday lunch, and there was plenty of seating. Food came out very quickly as well. We had the seafood Singapore noodles, the garlic crispy chicken, and the Peony shrimp eggrolls. The eggrolls came out hot and fresh, and were delicious once they cooled down a bit. The curry provided a nice coating to the noodles, and the garlic chicken was amazingly crunchy. There is a fixed service fee of 18% for all dine in, but I thought the price wasn't too bad ($78 with tip for 2, lasted us lunch and dinner). Another great restaurant on Main!