Top Gun Seafood Restaurant
12450 SE 38th St
Bellevue WA 98008
Ph:425-641-3386
One of the definitive spots for Dim Sum
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To many people, the name Top Gun conjures up images of Maverick and Goose, F-14s, and Val Klimer as the cocky and equally despicable Iceman. Of course, we had a few snickers here and there when we heard the name of the restaurant called Top Gun Seafood Restaurant, but if there's one thing that both places have in common: they truly are real blockbuster successes.
(For those who are new to the dim sum experience, check out our dim sum guide that gives you a crash course in what you need to know.)
Located in the Factoria area, Top Gun is easily one of the best places for dim sum in the Northwest. Originally, there were two locations for Top Gun, one in the International District and another in Factoria, but only the Factoria location still remains. Much like searching for the lost city of gold, Top Gun can be a little hard to find for the uninitiated. Sandwiched between two building in a small office complex, you would never suspect that a Chinese restaurant is hidden there. Finding the place is only the first of your problems, parking is another task in of itself especially on the weekend.
Once you make it through your early trials and finally get pass the doors of faded pink walls, you'll be quite impressed with Top Gun's stylish interior. Designer track lighting and intricate wall sconces projected a modern look that is normally not seen at other dim sum restaurants that have been around as long as Top Gun, such as Noble Court.
You'll find your garden variety carts always roaming through the dining area. Each cart has its own specialty ranging from steamed items like siu mai and ha gow, to fried and pastry items like the fried taro ball and BBQ pork buns.
During our visit to Top Gun, the service was surprisingly pleasant with carts coming by our table at a very frequent pace. In fact, the carts seemed more efficient in terms of service as we were digging into our food long before tea and water got to the table. Though it was a small hiccup in an otherwise enjoyable meal.
Overall, Top Gun Seafood really lived up to its reputation of delivering top notch dim sum. While the location is somewhat hidden and the parking a little scarce, these are only minor issues that you quickly forget as soon as you sit down and take that first bite of dim sum.
