Purple Dot Cafe

Good food. I would go back if I crave traditional Chinese street food. Food was better than what I expected.
The only turn down was:
I ran into a waitress in the restroom and she was wearing an apron and didn’t wash her hands after she used restroom… I just felt uncomfortable and grossed out. Hopefully she didn’t touch my food :/

Quasi hole in the wall dim sum in Chinatown. Good fast carts, not pushy on the items, try the steamed tripe. Avoid long lines on weekend lunches, go weekdays

This is a pretty good place to come with your family. It does get pretty loud in here though that’s one of my main concerns but the food is pretty good! I recommend the Chicken fried rice to anyone!

Worst worst customer service ever. Asked them about an item on the menu. And they told me to f off cause they’re too busy. Nice.

I’ll be honest and say I’ve never actually eaten here when I’m sober. I always come here after clubbing because they’re open till 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Their fried rice, seafood congee, and even their spaghetti are bomb. Service is generally pretty slow whenever I’m here, but that’s because this place is always packed late at night. Nevertheless, the wait times still aren’t that bad, and I’ve never had to wait longer than 15 minutes even if I’m with a relatively large group.
Overall, Purple Dot is the perfect place to sober up after a heavy night of drinking.

Stopped in for a steamed bun after my Sunday-​strollz. Blown away by their prompt service and the delicious variety. Will be back!

My roommate and I stumbled upon this gem while wondering around the International District. There was a decent amount of people for a Sunday so we decided that was a good indicator that it must be good. Oh were we right.
This was my first experience with Dim Sum and I must say I am hooked, I have now dubbed this place my new favorite place to eat.. I really enjoy the small bite sized portions and that the dishes are available table-​side as servers carts the freshly prepared dishes form table-​to-​table offering customers a visual look at the food before deciding. The Dim Sum style comes in small plates and offers a variety of different style dumplings, noodles and creative cantonese dishes. The menu has great dishes and there are a few things off the menu that I recommend including the Salt and Pepper Squid.
When talking about the price I would say it was relatively cheap for Seattle foods but be careful and know what your ordering or taking because the prices vary and are great for some things and absurd for others. We paid $ 6.25 for small plate of green beans (I’m not kidding) that I was not to excited about to say the least. As for the service, it was a bit pushy as they are trying to get rid of plates to keep the fresh ones coming. I would say don’t be afraid to say NO! Other than these small rather petty negatives I would say this place has earned my repeat business for years to come.

I use to come here back in the day after the club would let out and I would super starving. Even at midnight, the place is still packed. Great for a late night chinese food craving.

I went there for a late night snack with a group of friends last night. It is a typical restaurant in International district and serves delicious Cantonese style food. It is nothing fancy in terms of décor or atmosphere. My friends already ordered some dishes so saved lots of time. The server helped us split the soup for 11 people. I loved their spaghetti and pork chop over rice. The service was upbeat and efficient. You can order alcohol drinks.
It was my first time here and I will definitely be back.

Food here is pretty good! I have no complaints for food. But if you want to go to a place with good food and good service, dont count on that here. We got to out table and immediately was asked what we wanted but we barely looked through the menu. We ordered and the food came quickly but the waiter basically threw the food on the table. While the food came, we didnt have utensils or plates. They realized and brought some. I ordered «cantaloupe» bubble tea again. And again, they gave me honeydew and insisted it was cantaloupe hahaha. I was so over it… the drink also again was milk tea and had 0 ice and was at room temp. Milk at room temp… mmmm bacteria. food was good though…
Reasons for 3 stars is the food is good and that Richie Lee, a well known youtuber that my boyfriend is a fan of was eating here and it was also my boyfriend’s 21^st and he treated us to our dinner! So free foood is always a plus and it made shit taste so much better and me feel so much better hahaha.

Look at your bill closely when you eat here!
My parents had lunch here this afternoon and when paying at the register, discovered that they were being charged for 7 dim sum items instead of the 5 that they ordered. Upon pointing out the error, the cashier took one plate (congee) that my parents never even ordered. Well, that’s still one extra plate that isn’t supposed to be there so my mom pointed that out and only after a debate with the cashier did they fix it. So please if you eat here, look at your bill closely. They had the entire bill written out in Chinese so you may not catch the error right away, but watch the prices when you order and make sure you don’t get overcharged for something you didn’t even get. Unbelievable lack of customer service. No thanks.

Love this place. They’re open late and serve dim sum all day.
Best dishes are baked spaghetti and salt and pepper chicken wings.

There are quite a few dim sum places in the international district, but at weekend lunch hour they’re all packed with long waiting lines outside the door. When you’re tired of long lines at Jade Garden or Harbor City and just need a place for less famous but still decent dim sum, the purple spot is your choice.
The place is packed and loud. Kind of mixed feeling because when you’re in a dim sum place surrounded by bunch of loud speaking Cantonese customers, you know the food is authentic. On the other hand, they’re really really loud. I mean, seriously loud. So loud I don’t need to drop ear to hear what they’re talking about.
The waitress had the cart over as soon as we sat down, which was good since we were hungry. It was a mistake because the dishes we took from that cart were pretty cold. Apparently the cart has been around for a while. This is quite disappointing. Shouldn’t they bring the cold dis sum dishes back to the kitchen?
The next cart of steamed goods is pretty good though. The meat was tender juicy and the seafood was fresh. The delicacy in the congee is very fresh but the seasoning is rather bland. It’s not as good as Jade Garden or Harbor city, but still very decent and delicious, probably better than most eastside dim sum places. So it’s still a solid choice for dim sum if you don’t want to wait in the line.

Came here late at night, around 2 am, since a friend just flew into Seattle and wanted to get something to eat. This place is just a swankier version of the traditional chinese restaurants in the area. Is it decorated in bright colors and lights, which is a cross between modern & tacky. It is much cleaner than the other restaurants, which is definitely a big plus.
Since we got in before the bars shut down, we were easily able to find a place to park. I’ve had issues parking later in the night. It was half empty when we entered, but became pretty full in some time. It’s a popular place for the after-​bar crowd.
The don’t serve dumplings after 1 am, so we were disappointed, since that’s what we went there for. We ordered some of their other entrees which were good, but not as good as the other places in the neighborhood. The service was fine, just like in any asian restaurant, but very polite. Prices are reasonable and competitive with the smaller, less swanky restaurants.
It was an okay experience for us. I would prefer to go to some of the other restaurants around the block, where I’ve had better food, unless I specifically want dumplings at night.

My husband and I came here a second time to see if the first time was a fluke. I ordered buddha’s delight the first time. Broth was good but I was still searching for the veggies by the time I finished the noodles. Second time I order Buddha’s veggie chow mein. Lesson learned: veggies means Bok choi, and mushroom.

Never had dimsum here before until recently. Called ahead to make a reservation for a large party, turns out we didn’t have to have one at all since the place was pretty empty on a Saturday at 11am with lots of large tables open. Dimsum met my standard, fresh from the carts and special items available to order. There were ~12 of us and we were all stuffed and price came down to $ 13 per person including tax and tip. Definitely less hassle than waiting in line at Jade Garden. Plan on coming again in the future!

The worst customer service ever. I only give it one star because I went here few times last year and they were like thousands times nicer. Never go back here again.

I’m here every once in a while. Especially when I’m already out super late and nothing else is open. It’s fairly clean here, and the service is slightly better than most typical Chinese restaurants. What always surprises me about this place is how fast the food comes out. It’s always hot and never tastes old, but I do question how they manage to get stuff out so fast. Pricing isn’t that bad either. The thing is that it’s your regular chow mein, fried rice, seafood stir-​fry restaurant. Nothing special. I’d only come by if you’re about out of options.

I think this is my favorite late night restaurant now. I love their baked spaghetti with meat sauce. The best spaghetti ever! Mm mm mm. :3 Their fried rice is good too. I’m not a fan of their noodle soups though. They’re a bit bland in my opinion. They also have a pretty big bubble tea menu.

First time for me and my friends, we ordered 3 dishes. I personally felt a bit salty in all dishes. However, i liked them and would come again to get other menus.

Dirty old international district spot with a HUGE MENU, Excellent food, good service. So, if you want a clean corporate style experience find another place. If your searching for great food until 1am this is a great spot.

Oh, P.Dot. You’ve been so good to me, and I love you. You are the ultimate comfort food spot.
My top 3 food items on P. Dot’s menu:
1. Cajun chicken wings
2. Honey garlic pork spare ribs
3. Baked spaghetti
Some of the best chicken wings in Seattle, no doubt. Crunchy, garlicky, peppery skin on the outside, super-​juicy meat on the inside. Nothing overly complex, but very well-​done and tastes homemade!
The honey garlic spare ribs are incredible. Extremely fatty, yes, but they taste so good. A little crispy, too, in some areas. The sauce is a bit sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The flavors go really well together. I haven’t met anyone who disliked this dish after trying it.
If, like me, you love Filipino spaghetti (customarily sweeter because of banana ketchup — oh, and yes, it has hotdogs!), you will totally appreciate P. Dot’s baked spaghetti. Just try it. You’ll see what I mean. It doesn’t have hotdogs, and I have no idea if they use banana ketchup at all, but the flavors are reminiscent of Jollibee Spaghetti! Unfortunately, they’re a bit inconsistent with this dish. There have been times when it was too dry and not enough meat sauce to go around, but for the most part, they do it perfectly.
It’s open until 3:30am, so it is the place to go for a big group looking to grease up and sober up after a night of drinking at the club.
Service is hit-​or-​miss. We’ve experienced both stellar and neglectful servers here.
Reasonable prices, though.

What to get to satisfy your late night hunger: Baked chicken spaghetti Portuguese style
Quick and fast service. Prices are pretty decent for it’s large portions. Opens till 1am on weekdays. They also have dim-​sum available anytime (if you ask for it/​limited menu)

My favorite late-​night joint in Chinatown. Hands down.
I try not to come here a lot because I honestly just stuff my face in everything I order lol. Our last visit was last night. Got the baked spaghetti, Kung pao chicken and honey garlic spare ribs. Kung pao chicken was slightly too salty for our liking but the spaghetti and ribs hit the spot!!!
I’ve heard good things about the French toast too and that will be next on the list whenever I don’t give in to the baked spaghetti first: p

Open pretty late… When my friends and I arrived here from the east coast at midnight on a Wednesday, the restaurant was empty. The kitchen closes at 1 AM so we all had to put our orders in fairly quickly.
The portion sizes were huge. The wonton soup for instance was meant for sharing and not for one individual. It came out in a large bowl prob the size of a medium phở. The chao and calamari also came out in huge sizes. I guess it is a family style restaurant. Go figure since the tables have the turn tables.
The food was okay and so was the service. We did come at an odd time so I’d say this review is an outlier since we didn’t come at the peak times where the food could have been prepared with more love or service could have been more optimal.

This place is great for intoxicated people looking to chow down late at night! I’ve had soups, dim sum, etc. and nothing disappoints (though I’m going to be honest and say I’ll never touch the spaghetti… sorry I’m not sorry). The best thing on the dim sum menu is definitely a toss up between their BBQ buns and shrimp wontons. The best part about this place is that it’s open late and service is fast.
The aquarium is a nice touch, too– great ambience.

The fried rice noodle with beef and green bell purple is so freaking good! This is random, but the rice noodles are all different widths. They must be cut onsite, but who knows! Portions are huge and prices are fair. The menu is huge with many different offerings ranging from noodles, to rice dishes, to congee and sweets.
Service was just OK. Nothing great to report, but no horror stories either.
The furnishings and floors are definitely in need of some care. Restroom is pretty scary too. The food is great, so if you can overlook those things… it also seems like a great spot for large groups and late night eatery.

Purple Dot is definitely a hit and miss for me. For starters, almost everybody from Capitol Hill will come here after a crazy night and grub on some Asian food so it does get VERY packed here when it comes to the early mornings of almost every weekend. I suggest ordering the Baked Spaghetti, Fried Chicken and the Hot and Sour Soup (FYI this dish gets incredibly spicy).
Overall, Purple Dot is more for the younger adults crowd so if you ever come here, those are the type of people you’ll see and possibly a mutual friend of yours as well. The bathroom is behind the kitchen and it is literally like walking through a maze just to find it.
I had a great first experience here with a few of my friends one night, however; when I brought my family here we had one of the WORST customer service experiences of our lives. My mother simply asked for «fried chicken» and the waiter responded with a smart answer and said, «we don’t have friend chicken, we only have friend chicken wings». Clearly, this waiter didn’t have to reply to a customer’s order with a smart attitude nor did he have to repetitively say that they didn’t serve fried chicken, only fried chicken wings– when they are the EXACT same thing. It would have been nice if he had told us that in the first place, that way we didn’t have to go about this long predicament about Fried Chicken vs. Fried Chicken Wings. On top of all that, it was more frustrating that my mother had told him multiple times to walk closer to her that way they both didn’t have to speak loudly but he simply refused to take a few steps forward and proceeded to take a few steps back instead. Additionally, the waiter didn’t even put our order in after had we had been eating for about 15 minutes and when we asked him where our chicken was he said, «it takes longer to fry smaller pieces of chicken», which is ridiculous because wouldn’t it take you longer to fry more chicken???

Lightning fast service and decent food.
My group of 12 was visiting Seattle for a conference and wanted to explore downtown but our stomachs made us get off at the Chinatown/​International District rail stop to find food. We were led to this restaurant by a local friend and decided to split a few entrees until we had solidified our dinner plans. We ordered: Yellow Curry with Chicken, the Baked Spaghetti, Yin Yang Fried Rice, Chicken Chow Mein, and Ma Po Tofu. The yellow curry and yin yang fried rice were the standouts of dinner; great flavor for the curry with a nice spicy kick and the concept of yin yang fried rice was indulgent and comforting. The rest of the dishes were alright and the baked spaghetti was nothing special like we were led to believe. The service was on point and all dishes came out 5 – 10 minutes after ordering. I can see why this is a popular spot late at night after visiting a couple bars.

3.75 Stars if possible, not just quite 4 yet.
I cannot believe that we have been ignoring this place for dim sum for such a long time. After my big disappointment dining at Harbor View last week, I need to find a new go-​to dim sum place. I was pleasantly surprised how good the dim sum we ordered were.
I always almost base my first impression on the restaurant’s har gaw or shrimp dumplings, and Purple Dot delivered well. The shrimp was big and chunky and still had the crisp with each bite. The wrapper was not too thick but not as thin and delicate as the good dim sum places in Vancouver, BC; but that would be too much to ask for dim sum places in Seattle though.
We ordered the egg custard bun. I thought it would be the typical liu (lau) sha bao where the filling was lava-​like and flowing out with each bite. But I was disappointed that the filling turned to be more solid. We told them our concerns and the server agreed to replace it with another dish. We opted for the baked taro bun. It was the best dish of the day for me. If there is one thing I will order at this place again, it would be the baked taro bun. The bun was a little crispy on the outside, soft and with some chewiness in the inside the and taro filling was velvety smooth and not too sweet. It was delicious.
We also ordered the beef tendon. We did not know it was not part of the dim sum so it was priced more expensive. It was okay, nothing very impressive. Harbor View used to, again I would have to emphasize the word «used to» have very good beef tendon dim sum. I could skip this dish next time. We also had the red bean and coconut pudding. It was good, but nothing spectacular. I hoped that the consistency was less jello-​like and more pudding-​like. It would have been better that way. The last thing we ordered was like a baked custard bun. As you can see I am a big fan of sweet buns haha. It is similar to a pineapple bun, the one with a crusty top, but filled with some sort of custard inside. It was good. But at this point, I was too full to finish it.
Overall, I will definitely go back here. I cannot wait to try the mochi with sweet yam filling and the egg tarts too. They all look good. But will definitely be back for the baked taro bun.

Purple dot café? More like Club Purple! This is thee gathering spot for late night, post club/​bar, I should eat something to sober up before I drive home place to be! The inside compared to most other late night eateries reflects that. With the neon blue lights to the crazy colors and psychedelic carpeting! They know how to bring in that late night crowd!
The food itself, I say is pretty good. I was not fond of their wonton noodle soup. I would rather go next door to hing loon for that. But they make a mean baked spaghetti! Probably my favorite is international district. The perfect balance of sweet and tangy! And the salty fish and chicken fried rice is done so right here. Try that with the chili oil hot sauce!

Purple Dot is my drunchie destination of choice. When I’m not impaired I realize this place isn’t really that good but will satisfy my wonton noodle soup fix. That’s about it. However, on a few occasions I’ve come here with a large group after a night out and get pretty much everything on the menu: baked spaghetti, pepper chicken wings, seafood chow mein, salty fish fried rice, and beef chow fun just to name a few off the top of my head that are actually super good! The food portions are big which is nice, and seating area is big so I’ve never had to wait for a table.
DO NOT COME HERE EXPECTING GOOD SERVICE! I’ve noticed everyone is pretty rude here! But I mostly come here to get a late night bite and that’s exactly what they provide so the servers don’t bother me!

Went here for dim sum the other day, it was pretty good, the carts had what we were looking for especially them chicken feets!!!
Service is ok, you definitely need to flag the servers down if you need something. You can try this, but this doesnt always work… flag down the dim sum cart lady, then she in turn will flag down your server. Good luck with this attempt.

Came here for late dim sum with parents and uncle. It’s a Hong Kong style café with sleek, modern décor — purple walls, neon green seats, and nice sturdy redwood round tables. Flat screen TVs showing HK shows and commercials.
We ordered a variety of dim sum — some were quite good and others missing the mark. Overall I think four stars relative to other Seattle dim sum places. Most dishes I tried were good, with only one miss.
— Xiao Long Bao: Four per order, but they were large, golf-​ball sized dumplings filled with meat. Pretty good flavor — didn’t squirt out broth upon the first bite, but not bad.
–Har Gow: Shrimp dumplings — well cooked and fresh. Could use more bamboo shoots.
–Woo Tao Go: Looked almost like a savory pecan bar — but bleh, a bit dry and hard for me to enjoy. Supposed to be soft and gooey inside I think.
–Steamed Spare Ribs: Didnt have the black beans but the meat was seasoned very well and there was minimal fat — good!
–Chicken Sticky Rice: One of my favorite dishes. It’s well executed. Rice indeed sticky and cooked well, and the filling well seasoned.
Would consider coming back here to try their other offerings — it’s sort of a hip place for dim sum.