I came in with a friend on a Thursday evening for dinner and we were promptly seated, despite a surprisingly busy weekday night. We shared the oysters, octopus (which I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did), bugak, mushroom, and fried rice. The mushroom was my personal favorite, having very rich flavors for a vegetarian dish. We finished off with a bowl of ice cream each (barley and red bean), which is made in house with a custard for a nice rich and creamy texture.
All in all the flavors were incredible, the meal was nicely paced, and the staff go above and beyond to provide excellent service. I highly recommend giving it a try, and will be back to check out their lunch menu and have dinner again some time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amber
Very tiny lunch menu, with barely any drink options. This was the worst tofu soup I've ever had. I am so disappointed with the food.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Voula Giannoulis
Incredible food, really a must try! Some of the best octopus I’ve ever had. Loved the open fire cooking done right in front of you.
Ziyin Qu
We came here for birthday celebration and bring our own birthday cake, initially one of the lady told us there will be an $8 cake fee per person, which is fine. Later she came back saying the cake fee will be waived, but after we finished dinner and ask again for our cake, another lady once again emphasized there will be $8 dollar cake fee per person. This whole experience is so bad, obviously these ladies working in this restaurant is very unprofessional. It ended up to be a really bad birthday dining experience, nobody apologized, nobody wished happy birthday, and can you even believe service like this charged us like 25% as tip. Avoid!!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
S K
My friend and I shared 2 starters and 2 shared plates and everything was so delicious. We started with the octapus and yellowtail. The octapus was perfectly prepared, cooked just right. The yellowtail was very balanced and refreshing. The mushroom didn't disappoint. The oxtail taco was a beautiful combination of flavors! And we finished it off with a yummy barely ice cream. The restaurant is very lovely and staff are incredibly nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stacey Rose
Incredible experience every time at Paju! The menu is elevated, thoughtful, seasonal, and fairly priced. The service is always incredible as well! Must try in SLU!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C.R.M. Henderson
An absolutely phenomenal Seattle experience blending Korean flavors and French technique. Should be in the Michelin guide - easily one of the best restaurants in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vicky
We enjoyed our meal at Paju! The octopus was very delicious! The sauce (dashima beurre blanc, smoked trout roe and yuzu) went well with the octopus. The wine we ordered to pair with the octopus was the han “Seoul Night”. It has plum smell and not sweet. We especially like the side dishes with the steak. The meal became balanced with the banchans.
The parking garage nearby is free on Saturday night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leslie Cheng
Ok honestly food tastes great but like yes its a fancy place so expect pricey and small portion.
That squid ink noodle, and the pork, and some type of fried rice taste great.
Overpriced, small portion, tasty, don’t go often, try once or twice. Also hot in summer.
Now they usually have a special. I’d say if you don’t mind paying $$$ then sure go ahead. But if you care even the slightest about the price, ask about it. One time we had these truffle noodles for $50~…. I’ll never forget it. As in I would never get it again if I knew the price. I know truffle is expensive but like seriously its just noodles with seasoning and truffle.
They have this fire oven type thing that makes it SOOOO HOT in the summer
Sergio Castillo
Food tasted good, not great, but the portion didn't fill me even though it was a $50 dish, even I who don't eat a lot. I should have probably tried the cheaper dishes and it would have been better. In general it was expensive and probably not worth all that money when compared to other similar restaurants in the area.
Paju cam highly recommend by several friends, and did not disappoint! Nice atmosphere, wonderful food, and great service. A total gem in SLU.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Widjaja
Very interesting food, flavors and combinations I’ve never tried before. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I think would be a 5 star for the right person. Would be fun to go back with new people and see how that changes the experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Anna Y
Took my 9 month baby with me to Paju. However, the restaurant does not provide high chairs, so kids have to stay in a stroller, which may be inconvenient for families. The food presentation is beautiful and thoughtfully plated, but the flavors were just average. For the price point, I was expecting more depth and better taste.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Kyle Cooley
Delicious Korean fusion! Every dish was outstanding, but the bugak and the octopus are really special. I'd also recommend saving room for the bingsu for dessert.
That said, be aware that the portions are pretty small, the prices are high, and there's a mandatory 3% surcharge (with no clear explanation). While it's not the most upscale restaurant, you should save it for a special occasion to save your wallet. We spent $250 for 2 without any alcohol!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cai
Probably one of the best mid-tier restaurants you can find in Seattle. Each dish has great curated flavors and surprisingly, the portion of the dry aged steak is not too bad for its price point! I recommend the squid, the yellowtail (for unexpected refreshing taste), squid ink fried rice. The steaks are good if you’re feeling the occasion but it’s definitely more on the leaner side (still tender). The beef tartare with seaweed is yummy too.
If the portions for dishes weren’t so small given the price point, it’d be a more frequent place for me. But it’s a great special treat!
I came in with a friend on a Thursday evening for dinner and we were promptly seated, despite a surprisingly busy weekday night. We shared the oysters, octopus (which I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did), bugak, mushroom, and fried rice. The mushroom was my personal favorite, having very rich flavors for a vegetarian dish. We finished off with a bowl of ice cream each (barley and red bean), which is made in house with a custard for a nice rich and creamy texture.
All in all the flavors were incredible, the meal was nicely paced, and the staff go above and beyond to provide excellent service. I highly recommend giving it a try, and will be back to check out their lunch menu and have dinner again some time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very tiny lunch menu, with barely any drink options. This was the worst tofu soup I've ever had. I am so disappointed with the food.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Incredible food, really a must try! Some of the best octopus I’ve ever had. Loved the open fire cooking done right in front of you.
We came here for birthday celebration and bring our own birthday cake, initially one of the lady told us there will be an $8 cake fee per person, which is fine. Later she came back saying the cake fee will be waived, but after we finished dinner and ask again for our cake, another lady once again emphasized there will be $8 dollar cake fee per person. This whole experience is so bad, obviously these ladies working in this restaurant is very unprofessional. It ended up to be a really bad birthday dining experience, nobody apologized, nobody wished happy birthday, and can you even believe service like this charged us like 25% as tip. Avoid!!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
My friend and I shared 2 starters and 2 shared plates and everything was so delicious. We started with the octapus and yellowtail. The octapus was perfectly prepared, cooked just right. The yellowtail was very balanced and refreshing. The mushroom didn't disappoint. The oxtail taco was a beautiful combination of flavors! And we finished it off with a yummy barely ice cream. The restaurant is very lovely and staff are incredibly nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible experience every time at Paju! The menu is elevated, thoughtful, seasonal, and fairly priced. The service is always incredible as well! Must try in SLU!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
An absolutely phenomenal Seattle experience blending Korean flavors and French technique. Should be in the Michelin guide - easily one of the best restaurants in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We enjoyed our meal at Paju! The octopus was very delicious! The sauce (dashima beurre blanc, smoked trout roe and yuzu) went well with the octopus. The wine we ordered to pair with the octopus was the han “Seoul Night”. It has plum smell and not sweet. We especially like the side dishes with the steak. The meal became balanced with the banchans.
The parking garage nearby is free on Saturday night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ok honestly food tastes great but like yes its a fancy place so expect pricey and small portion.
That squid ink noodle, and the pork, and some type of fried rice taste great.
Overpriced, small portion, tasty, don’t go often, try once or twice. Also hot in summer.
Now they usually have a special. I’d say if you don’t mind paying $$$ then sure go ahead. But if you care even the slightest about the price, ask about it. One time we had these truffle noodles for $50~…. I’ll never forget it. As in I would never get it again if I knew the price. I know truffle is expensive but like seriously its just noodles with seasoning and truffle.
They have this fire oven type thing that makes it SOOOO HOT in the summer
Food tasted good, not great, but the portion didn't fill me even though it was a $50 dish, even I who don't eat a lot. I should have probably tried the cheaper dishes and it would have been better. In general it was expensive and probably not worth all that money when compared to other similar restaurants in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Paju cam highly recommend by several friends, and did not disappoint! Nice atmosphere, wonderful food, and great service. A total gem in SLU.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very interesting food, flavors and combinations I’ve never tried before. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I think would be a 5 star for the right person. Would be fun to go back with new people and see how that changes the experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Took my 9 month baby with me to Paju. However, the restaurant does not provide high chairs, so kids have to stay in a stroller, which may be inconvenient for families. The food presentation is beautiful and thoughtfully plated, but the flavors were just average. For the price point, I was expecting more depth and better taste.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Delicious Korean fusion! Every dish was outstanding, but the bugak and the octopus are really special. I'd also recommend saving room for the bingsu for dessert.
That said, be aware that the portions are pretty small, the prices are high, and there's a mandatory 3% surcharge (with no clear explanation). While it's not the most upscale restaurant, you should save it for a special occasion to save your wallet. We spent $250 for 2 without any alcohol!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Probably one of the best mid-tier restaurants you can find in Seattle. Each dish has great curated flavors and surprisingly, the portion of the dry aged steak is not too bad for its price point! I recommend the squid, the yellowtail (for unexpected refreshing taste), squid ink fried rice. The steaks are good if you’re feeling the occasion but it’s definitely more on the leaner side (still tender). The beef tartare with seaweed is yummy too.
If the portions for dishes weren’t so small given the price point, it’d be a more frequent place for me. But it’s a great special treat!
Loading...