Peony Kitchen

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.

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 levelChow 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.

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

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 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.

Perfect venue to get away from the hustle bustle of DT Bellevue. This restaurant is located in Old Town Bellevue (Main Street). There are street parking, or Meyden parking lot has spots available for up to 3 hours free for this restaurant.Reservations are highly recommended and you can do that online.Restaurant is very clean, open space but does get smoky inside with food preparation so don't wear your best outfits as the food smell carries with you when you get home.Service is TOP notch. Ting was our server, the sweetest and most patient server. We were a group of 10 so quick decisions didn't come that easily especially with so many food options. She was SO accommodating.Corkage fee is $25/bottle. They have a great selection but we took few of our favorite bottles to share.We ordered SO much food and it's easy to do here.Pork dumplings were a hit with the kiddos. It was the best they said. Peony fried rice was yummy, not too oily. You can choose a variety of options, veggie , protein or combination.Duck of course was the highlight of the evening. Perfectly cooked and flavorful.Tea smoked chicken was fancy. It was presented in a smoky dish.Sautéed fish was my absolute favorite, mix of flavors and perfect amount of spices and vegetables.Eggplant lovers, well the eggplant and green beans combo is mouthwatering, perfect amount of gravy goes well with your fried rice.Spicy chicken wings take some time to deep fry so order before hand.Salt and pepper shrimp was delicious and so was the spicy shrimp. Yes, we ordered a variation of the same protein.Dessert we didn't try anything on the menu as we brought our own since it was a birthday celebration. But looking forward to trying some donuts next time.This place did not disappoint, highly recommend it. Kid friendly and perfect for a large family/ group setting.

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

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.

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.