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Regent Bakery & Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Cafes Food Bakeries Restaurants Chinese Cafes, Bakeries, Chinese
1404 E Pine StSte CU
(between 15th Ave & 14th Ave)
Seattle, WA 98122
Neighbourhood: Capitol Hill
(206) 743-8866
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Thu 7 am - 10 pm
Fri 7 am - 2 am
Sat 9 am - 2 am
Sun 9 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
47 reviews for Regent Bakery & Cafe
47 reviews in English
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Review from Rix G.
5/25/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Great Chinese Food on Capitol Hill?!
It's Too Good to Be True.. Oh Wait... IT IS TRUE!!!
Yes, finding Great Chinese Food is very hard to do here in Capitol Hill. Well, here we found it. The place is AMAZING! However, we admit it can be kinda confusing at first. First, the name throws you off a bit. Bakery & Cafe. At no point does it say Chinese.
Thanks to some good friends. We found out what this AMAZING place really was all about. GREAT Chinese Food! Plus it has a Bakery! Wow! Upscale and Modern.
The food has been getting better and better. With a standard taste that will work for everyone, your entire crew will love this place. However, if anyone knows my partner and I, we love things spicy! So, we asked for the highest spice they give. Sadly, the first time, the spice was a bit bland. The food had great flavor but no heat. Well, they are great at listening and we have returned many times. Each time, the spice is better and tastier. They have yet to reach our heat level but the taste is outstanding!
Now, I must Admit.... I HONESTLY have no clue how good the Treats and Sweets Taste. We stare at them every time we have dinner. Yet, we fill up on the Appetizers and Main Dishes. We always say we need to return for Desert and have yet to do so. Since they are Open till Late, we will eventually try the Sweets after a night at the bar or club.
What it finally comes down to with Regent Bakery & Cafe. If you have not tried this place, DO IT. Not tomorrow, not next week. TODAY. I can not urge anyone more when it comes to Chinese Food. Help make this place a success and keep it on Capitol Hill.
To the Folks at Regent... THANK YOU for the Great Food, Great Service and All You Do!! We WILL Return! -
Review from Kenny V.
Seattle, WA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Regent has everything I need. I'm familiar with their other location in Redmond and have been going there for years now. When I heard a new Seattle bakery was opening up, I had no idea they would take it in this direction.
The name wouldn't allure to items outside of baked goods, but their menu food is good. I can't recall the various dishes I've ordered but its all been delicious. Their BBQ pork buns are a timeless favorite of mine and I never leave without one. What I love about Regents is that their desserts and cakes are always "light", never dense and overly sweet.
I like the decor, different from all other asian bakeries as it's modern and clean, very fitting for Capital Hill. Service is quick and attentive and they have an overwhelming selection of items. I'll definitely have to come back several times to try everything I want. -
Review from Dusan S.
5/12/2012
Regent is an odd little place. Nowhere in there name does it even suggest they have a full on Chinese restaurant thing going on. And by full on I mean pages upon pages of food options. It's actually kind of overwhelming.
I've been there twice so far and both times got great service and food and great desserts to go.
I don't know who the server girl was, but she's pretty awesome. She is nice and friendly, she has good recommendations and the last time we were there we gave her a huge food and drink order all at once and she didn't even write anything down. Everything came out perfect.
The Fu Chow fried rice (pardon my spelling) is delicious. I recommend the roasted duck with plum sauce too, that was great. I think my favorite thing by far is the Buddha's Feast veggie dish. The assortment of mushrooms and other veggies in it blew my mind. Drinks are good. I wished my Szechuan Beef had more of a kick to eat, both flavor and spice wise...
Our guests from out of town enjoyed their dinner here a lot and said that the spicy soup was the best they've ever had. This coming from someone who has 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry has to mean something, right!?
And then there's the pastries and cakes. The presentation is outstanding, they all look perfect. They are not too sweet, yet they are mostly delicious. I was a little bit disappointed by the chestnut cake, but mostly because I had high expectations from it!
All in all, I will be back for sure. Many many times again :) -
Review from Joshua O.
Seattle, WA
5/8/2012
I've been VERY suspicious of Chinese restaurants outside of the International District, but this one is so close to my work that I decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did because it is really very good. The food is very tasty, with wonderfully fresh meat and fish and carefully prepared vegi and noodle dishes, though some may be a TOUCH oily. The salt and pepper squid were perfect, and it is one of the few places I've found in all Seattle with a truly delicious egg foo yung. PLUS it has a full bar AND they are extremely kid friendly.
What can I say? I'm impressed and I'll be back. -
Review from Arry Y.
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Finally got to try the new Chinese place in my hood - and for some reason, I was DYING for honey walnut prawn. I ate so much of it - my stomach feels like hurling just thinking about it. I've probably had my fill of that stuff to last me years... Anyhoos...
FOOD: We tried a couple other dishes - Singapore noodles, and this rice cake dish with vegetables. Avoid the Singapore noodles = not good. Rice cake dishes were edible. I'd try this place again for lunch/dinner - but it's not high on my list for actual food... Food is definitely "meh".
OTHER STUFF: But, for those where convenience is king - you can have your coffee kick here, you can get Asian desserts and bubble tea, have a hot meal, get your dessert to go, pick up a cake to go, and even have your cocktail/beer/wine here. It's literally a one-stop-shop eatery. I still have to try their desserts/bubble tea - those items are higher on my list of things to try here. Once I try the dessert/bubble tea, I may do a review update. -
Review from Matthew B.
Seattle, WA
4/19/2012 4 Check-ins Here
The desserts here are so friggen good. Not too heavy, not too gluttonous... just amazing.
In fact, the desserts are so good, I've never made it all the way to dinner! I highly recommend any of the strawberry confections. Also the mango is wonderful. If you're feeling adventurous the green tea cakes are good. Just be sure that you're expecting a VERY strong green tea taste. -
Review from Daren D.
4/3/2012 1 photo
This is a pretty cool place. I like to think of it as a fusion asian restaurant ;) : Part full bar, part coffee, part tea, part pastries, part lunch menu and part dinner menu.
Staff: Exceptional. At first they didn't know where their chai (this isn't the first place where it seems people don't know the name of their "regular" chai...'What kind of chai do you have?' then 'Oh, you know, just the regular'...) box was, then he mentioned they also had rooibos chai tea. I got a tall soy rooibos chai latte as a result. And the lady (co-owner?) was having some issues with the register, I think; a brief hold-up.
Food: The chestnut and taro pastries, one of the chef specialties: Stir Fry Pine Nuts and the chai. The pastries were great. I'm a fan of more simple and subtle flavors regarding pastries. The stir fry was delightful and simple + side of brown rice. It was like a giant mound of diced-sized veggies (corn, ginger, peas, peppers, garlic[?]...) with pine nuts.
Space: Very cool modern design & style. Those lamps are neat!
In case anyone wants sake here, they have 1: G Sake. -
Review from Vanessa A.
Seattle, WA
3/30/2012
Lemme preface this by saying I'm a total Chinese food snob. I'm from Chinese food heaven (Vancouver, BC) and I haven't found any place in Seattle proper to get my fix. I can't stand that Chinese American egg foo yung, general tso bullshit. That is NOT real Chinese food. Purple Dot and Jade Garden will do in a pinch, but it's not awesome. Not good enough to take my parents without them complaining hard core.
I stick to Thai, Vietnamese and some Japanese around here and wait 'til I go home to get some real Chinese food. I have had some decent Chinese over in Bellevue, but that's Bellevue. It takes a lot to get me over to the east side.
But Regent opened up and it was more than a bakery... who knew!? I sure didn't. The menu is huge and it's authentic, amazing Cantonese cuisine. The garlic eggplant stuffed with shrimp -- holy. cow. delicious. Fried rice awesome. Oh, and the BBQ duck was perfection. I dont usually think cocktails at a Chinese restaurant but the lavender one was delightful. The green tea cocktail not quite as good, but not bad.
The baked goods are wonderful and the prices aren't marked up like I thought they'd be. I'm docking one star for not having pots of Chinese tea. You can't have Chinese food without some good old jasmine tea by the pot. Old folks insist that it helps work the fat from the food out of your body. They have tea but coffee shop style -- cup at a time from a tea bag. Just doesn't seem right. Ya gotta bring tea to the table as soon as customers come in. Also, the place is pretty new but our server forgot to punch in an appetizer and forgot one of our drinks too. The food makes up for that. But Regent, pleeeeeeease serve jasmine tea.Listed in: Best of Capitol Hill
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Review from Orcas S.
Seattle, WA
4/18/2012
There are basically two parts to this place. The restaurant half and the bakery half. As far as the bakery goes, I had the cream puff and it was heavenly! Light, cold, delicately sweet, with a hint of citrus. I bought some slices of other cakes, but friends ended up eating them. All thought they were so delicious!
The restaurant half has a HUGE menu! The dishes are fairly priced. I ordered the Chicken with Cashew Nuts ($10) and the Beef with Ginger and Green Onions ($11). Both were tasty. You have to order rice in addition to it, which brings up the cost, but is pretty typical. Each dish could easily be shared by two people.
Going back to the bakery half since since baked goods is a passion, it wasn't until after dinner that I noticed the hearty baked goods as opposed to the dessert cakes and assorted goodies. They have various egg and meat rolls. And pretty cheaply priced! I would definitely love to come back and grab a quick bite of carb goodness before running off to accomplish weekend errands. -
Review from Chi D.
Updated - 4/13/2012
I'm torn - not sure if 4-star is what I should put....
For their BAKERY, It is a 5-star!!! I came back to get a mango mouse for my parents's anniversary and they loved it! I also got myself a slide of the mango cheesecake and of course.. I loved it! But me and everything mango, I can be a little biased..:)
For their FOOD - I'm not so sure. Maybe 3 stars at most. The dishes were very oily. There were more veggies than seafood or meat on both dishes that we had. The flavor was okay, as expected, but nothing spectacular.
The ambiance was rather nice and quiet. It was not too crowded on a weeknight. However, the server was not very attentive. We were not "checked on" and we didn't get our water filled. The first server was nice but she went home and we left with someone who made me feel unattended to.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/30/2012
I'm excited to come back and try more in the near future. I've had cakes from Regent Bakery in… Read more »
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Review from Jamie Y.
Seattle, WA
3/12/2012
Wow. I went here for the first time today and came back later in the evening to take my family. SO GOOD! I didn't realize this was a Chinese restaurant because of the name, so I had ignored its opening until a friend told me about its legendary reputation.
So this afternoon I went to check it out. The bakery is phenomenal, easily some of the best Asian pastries I've ever had. The taro bun and ham/cheese croissant were delightful! My usually stoic husband took one bite and said, "This f'ing amazing."
Later that night I returned for dinner with my parents and brother. We ordered hot & sour soup (huge bowl for only $6.95!), big bowl of BBQ pork noodle soup, XO beef (the most tender beef I've ever had in a stir-fry), mushu pork, fried rice, even brown rice (so light and fluffy!), seafood tofu hot pot, fried eggplant, and three kinds of desserts. The coffee was pretty good too. We devoured everything, it was all so delicious.
Only being a few blocks from my place, I can't wait to go here to pick up random pastries, come here again for dinner, or come in after midnight for some late night eats!
Welcome to the Hill Regent Bakery! -
Review from Francisco G.
Seattle, WA
4/2/2012
The set up is a bit confusing in the way that it seems like it's three businesses in one. Straight ahead is the cafe/bakery; to the right the sit down restaurant; and to the left the bar. The sign is deceiving since there is no mention of a restaurant or bar.
My girlfriend and I ordered a small cup of hot and sour soup and a duck noodle soup dish. The hot and sour soup was large enough for us to share but the taste was disappointing. It had too much vinegar and it was not hot at all. The duck noodle soup was good. I especially liked the crunchy skin-like noodles covering the whole dish.
After dinner we walked over to the bakery and picked up three items: ham croissant, beef croissant, and a regular bun. All three were delicious. We were able to pay our dinner at the bakery along with our pastries.
The staff was great. Our server was sweet and attentive. The interior is trendy/chic-ish, very nice (Borat imitation voice).
Overall, it is a good place, but in terms of taste, not better than the average good Chinese restaurant in the International District. I will definitely return.... but for the bakery. -
Review from Beth H.
Seattle, WA
3/21/2012
Sort of hovering between two and three stars on this one. I gave it the extra boost since the staff was friendly and I have no reason to think I won't go back.
The boyfriend and I decided to grab dinner here a couple of nights ago. We split the dumplings in chili sauce and he got some sort of fried noodles with shrimp and a hint of curry/coconut while I went straight for the dry beef chow fun. Everything was...ok. I liked and disliked things about each dish. Mostly I just found everything to be a bit bland. It was certainly surprising to order something called dumplings in chili and then want to get hot sauce and salt from the waiter in order to doctor it up.
Really that was my whole issue with each dish. The flavors were underwhelming and everything had this odd, watery quality to it. I could see craving this food if I felt ill and needed bland things I could keep down. Maybe that sounds harsh. Like I said, I'll go back - I just hope to pick something off the menu that has a little more pop to it. Either that or they should stock each table with soy sauce and other fiery condiments.
The pros of the evening were the huge portions of food and the little desserts we ordered. My strawberry mousse was perfectly light after my meal and looked darling. Maybe I'll stick with the bakery aspect of Regent. -
Review from Nick V.
Los Angeles, CA
2/26/2012
YES!
Authentic Hong Kong style restaurant!
What I love:
Style, design, food, and for people in Seattle to see that Chinese restaurants are not shitty dive holes. Travel to Hong Kong - and most Chinese places are exactly like this. High end design, with traditional HK comfort foods.
What I dislike:
The parking situation! I will say though, every time I've gone, I've had rock star parking. The non-Chinese speaking servers. Sorry. Just not a fan. There is one girl that has an attitude problem and does not belong there.
In any case, I'm really excited and happy that Seattle's Capitol Hill gets an authentic taste of Hong Kong. Not all Chinese places are shitty greasy places stuck in 1960.
The owners of Regent Bakery & Cafe are old family friends and we've supported them for many years at the Bellevue location. You MUST try their pastries and cakes!
As for food: HK Style Chow Mien is excellent!
The reason why I give this place 5 stars is because the owners took a chance to expand in a completely new market, and Capitol Hill gets a taste of Hong Kong.
They are open till 2AM on weekends! It would be amazing if they were to open till 4AM! (Like the HK cafes in LA).
Haven't been yet? GO! -
Review from Jane C.
Seattle, WA
3/6/2012
Great food! great service! though a little overwhelming...? They have so much to offer that it seems like they haven't found they're niche.
My boyfriend and I visited for the second time this past week!! This time I had the dry beef chow fun and a lovely drink from the bar my server, Alisa, suggested. My boyfriend had the duck noodle soup and he says it was amazing- though could have had more duck pieces.
Our server also suggested we check out the dessert menu and use the 'visual aid' of the bakery cases- I must say those cakes look absolutely amazing...! We chose the Mango mouse and the Swiss chocolate- both were very good.
I left feeling full, satisfied and appreciative of our server she made a bad day so much more worth the trouble. The food was great too ;)
My only suggestion is to be more clear on what exactly you are. I could only imagine how it would to work in this place. Crazy. -
Review from Katy H.
2/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tonight I went to dinner with a friend to catch up. We hadn't hung out in almost a year so it was important for us to pick a spot that was new to us both. We ended up elsewhere on the Hill but noticed Regent on our way back to the car. Seeing the "bakery" sign in the window we both look ad each other and thought, "DESSERT!"
We walk in and much to our surprise, this is actually a Chinese bakery/ restaurant. So we walk in, check out the tables at the bar and peruse the menu. The smells were so good and the food we spied on other plates looked so tasty we skipped the dessert cases altogether and opted for chicken wings and pot stickers. Good thing too, they were pretty good! I'd bet money that they don't make the pot stickers in house but they are steamed then fried, which I like.
For a new spot I want to be fair and not dock too many stars, but to be frank, it was atrocious. I sat at a table and no one came to deliver a menu, ask for a drink order or even say hi. The bartender at the bar was great though. My friend got up to ask him if we ordered at the bakery counter or the bar and he quickly apologized and helped us the rest of the evening. Which was great, but still odd because the tables to the left and the right of us had a server waiting on them. So maybe somehow we were invisible to her? Long story short, I'm sure this is a kink they'll quickly work out. The bartender was very attentive and apologetic and explained that our table was not his territory. We ordered from him, the food came and we had a great time. I'll be back soon. Hopefully the poor bartender won't have to help us out again. -
Review from Aaron E.
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I spent a summer going to a university in Boston and at least once a week my roommate and a neighbor would get Chinese food. While my neighbor would order in Mandarin and the two of us would get all sorts of delectable items (none of which seemed to actually be on the menu), my roommate would only order sweet and sour pork.
While I'm not a huge fan of sweet and sour pork, about once a year I get a craving and enjoy eating it for the nostalgia factor. In my opinion it's pretty hard to mess up sweet and sour pork.... it's fried meat covered in sauce. Regent, however, had no problem at all messing up the dish. The breading on the pork was so thick, slightly gummy, and void of all flavor. The sauce was really thick and slightly slimy and was sickly sweet! Since sour was in the name of the dish I thought there might be something sour or tangy, but no. Just sweet.
Thankfully the other dishes we ordered were significantly better. The shrimp with seasonal vegetables was quite nice. The shrimp tasted fresh (although were extremely fishy smelling), were cooked very well, and there was an abundance of fresh veggies (broccoli, peas, mushrooms, zucchini).
Pot stickers were very solid. The filling was flavorful and the dipping sauce was pleasant. It took an eternity for them to come out though. I was ready to start eating my napkin waiting for them.
The house chow mein was also tasty and was probably my favorite dish of the night. The noodles were nicely cooked and there was an abundance of chicken and BBQ pork. The serving was also pretty generous (the sweet and sour pork and shrimp w/veggies were both smallish).
While I appreciate the fact that they have a bar, the drinks were all mediocre and only occasionally correct. When I ordered a hurricane they brought out a mai thai (a delicious mai thai, but not a hurricane) and their Tom Collins is definitely not a Tom Collins (unless the Chinese version uses vodka).
Service was mediocre. I thought the nice ambiance and slightly higher prices than most Chinese restaurants would warrant better service, but not so much. -
Review from Calvin Y.
2/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Taking over the vacant spot left by Online Coffee Company on 14th and Pine, Regent Bakery and Cafe has glammed up the spot by adding a new bar with clean and new furniture. Clean is the operative word compared to its previous inhabitant.
As I was excited for a Chinese cafe to come into Capitol Hill, I was left a bit underwhelmed. What I know of Chinese Cafe food -- greasy, large portioned, comfort food, should also be affordable.
Compared to the cafes in the International district, Regent is double the cost -- a $6 noodle dish runs between $10-13 here.
I would rather go the extra 3 miles to the International District and pay half the price for taste that is comparable, if not better.Listed in: CAPITOL Hill, All-American Chinese
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Review from Oliver S.
This review is for the bakery portion of the cafe, which was pretty underwhelming.
We came here to buy some treats on our way to a coffee shop. I ended up getting a pork bun and raisin bread.
The pork bun was just bad. The bun was filled with more pork fat than actual pork. The pastry was limp. At this point, I would not recommend the savory treats here.
I also purchased some raisin bread, which was fine. Generic. If I were to purchase more goods from this bakery in the future, I would stay in the sweet section.
Overall, great idea, poor execution. I like that there's a bakery in Capitol Hill a lot. Now I'm hoping they just shape up and make it a good bakery. -
Review from Jack H.
Seattle, WA
3/31/2012
Excellent food, fair prices, chic atmosphere, and a very good bakery!
Plus, it's in walking distance from my home...
Have great day!
Note, the restrooms were spotless. -
Review from wei t.
Seattle, WA
4/19/2012
The selections remind me of bakeries in Taiwan. Though I wanted to grab every single item but I only got taro bun& hazelnut cake. They were great! Can't wait to go back!
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Review from Paul I.
Seattle, WA
2/10/2012 5 photos
After getting carryout last night and dining in with six friends tonight I've got some more details on the place and the food.
The four stars are based on the fact that it's within walking distance of where I live. Because of that, "Yay! I'm a fan!"
Here's the rundown... The place is legit enough to have a menu that you usually don't find outside of Chinatowns. Consequently, in this review I'm comparing it to real Chinese restaurants like you'd find in Chinatown or Chinese food Meccas like Richmond or HK. In other words, I'm being harsh and unfair. I'll definitely eat here again. Like any place, some dishes are better than others. And keep in mind I decided to order a lot of dishes that most restaurants in the ID or Chinatown can't get right... (marked by a *)
Generally the flavour of all the food was pretty good. A few of the dishes didn't have the texture I expected which I would attribute to not enough (roughly... not enough BTUs on the stove). There are a few Americanizations in terms of presentation (no chicken head, no shells on the shrimp, etc... detailed below) but definitely the only Chinese food on Capitol Hill I would consider real.
Going down the receipt from tonight....
Spring Rolls
If you order spring rolls I make fun of you. There are three small egg rolls per order. I did not get one of them.
Hot and Sour Soup
It was fine. Less vinegary than I am used to, but I'm not an H+SS connoisseur.
Green Tea
Their tea selection disappoints me. It's green tea, black tea, or chai (or bubble tea!). The tea comes in a cup with a teabag. I'd rather have a pot of Jasmine, but at least I can get more hot water if I ask.
*Salt and Pepper Prawns
The flavor is decent, but the shrimp weren't in the shell as I had I expected. Then again, I *am* in Capitol Hill. I suppose normal 'mer'cans wouldn't want to bother with that.
*"Deep Fried Crispy Chicken" (
It's a half chicken, so it's not that big. The meat and the flavor was fine, but it's not as crispy as it should be. They don't serve it with the dish of salt that I'm accustomed to. And no head is included. Sorry.
Chow Mein
I had the Tomato Beef Chow Mein. I usually go shrimp, but I figured beef and tomato would be more fobulous. The flavor was decent, but the noodles were soggy. I was hopeful that maybe they'd serve up crispy noodles. It's probably for the best. If they did it crispy I'd probably eat too much of it and give myself a heart attack.
Sea Bass
It's lightly breaded, fried, and served on a hot platter. This isn't totally obvious from the description.
Sauteed String Beans
Tasty, but could be more crispy.
Spicy Shrimp and BBQ Chow Fun
This is like Singapore Rice Noodles (think curry) but in chow fun form (wide rice noodles instead of skinny rice noodles). The flavor was pretty good. I'd be ordering this again. I think they did a better job with this than the Dry Beef Chow Fun.
Dry Beef Chow Fun
This is not beef jerky. This is the first time I've seen an English menu have the different varieties of Chow Fun listed instead of just having a generic "Beef Chow Fun." The "dry" refers to how they don't add sauce (rather, I think they usually have to add a ton of oil to prevent the rice noodles from sticking). Anyway... it wasn't as dry as I had expected. To be fair, I had this dish as carryout. Some of the juice could have been from the beef cooking a little more in the hot noodles.
Chestnut Cake
I think it could use more fat and cream. I also had a taste of one of their other cakes which seemed tastier. It had more cream and the cake part was a little less dry. Quality control perhaps?
Service
Definitely friendly. They realized we were sharing dishes and staggered the dishes nicely, which was definitely appreciated. Granted, they were a little slow on clearing away some of the dishes. For serviceware you get a fork, spoon, and a pair of nice chopsticks. If I have to ask for chopsticks at a Chinese restaurant I get upset.
Menus and ordering
From racial profiling I didn't get the impression that the wait staff spoke Chinese. I could recognize and read the familiar Chinese names for some dishes and then order using the occasionally weird translation. Three Cup Chicken becomes Taiwanese Steamed Chicken, becomes Deep Fried Crispy Chicken and other translations I'm not used to. It's a net positive. I was able to figure out what wanted to order.
The little things...
No babies in the bar.
They have two TVs in the bar and they are willing to change the channel so you can watch Jeremy Lin beat the Lakers.
Want to feel young? They card everyone.
They add gratuity of 18% to large parties
Free WiFi!
It's been two hours and after drinking a beer and no water I'm not ridiculously thirsty. This means they don't use excessive MSG. Sweet! -
Review from Eli W.
2/22/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Finally a decent Americanized/Chinatown-esque Restaurant on the hill!
Regent Bakery is a triple threat:
1 - Bakery
2 - Restaurant
3 - Bar
Let's get the basics out of the way for the people with A.D.H.D.
FOOD QUALITY/TASTE - Good. On par with the usual suspects in the ID, but somewhat pales in comparison to some of the better restaurants/bakeries in China Town. Very Good in comparison to anything on Capitol Hill.
WHAT TO GET - Their Chow Fun is good. I would recommend the dry beef chow fun. As for cake, the Hazlenut one is a good choice.
PRICE - Like what other Yelpers have said, it is pricier than the ID, but considering where the location is and the venue (read: able to take a casual date, clean and on par with some of the nicer restaurants on the hill) it comes out to only be a little over priced. ($13 a dish, ~$3 for a slice of cake, ~$2 for a pastry)
SERVICE - Very nice service. Nothing to complain about.
Okay, on to the details ---
Regent bakery is a decent Chinatown-esque restaurant. It has the usual Hongkongnese based dishes such as chow fun, egg foo young, and fried rice; and they do a good job of it. The taste is close to the standard of China Town, but definitely not as good as some of the better examples down in the ID.
Where I'd criticize the most, like other Yelpers, is the price. It is definitely priced on the expensive side. I would also criticize on the freshness of the single serving cakes and pastries. BUT this issue can be fixed in time and with higher turnover of pastries when/if they receive more traffic.
I have somewhat of a history with Regent Bakery. I used to go to the one in Redmond for bubble tea and cakes. Their cakes are delicious, especially if you order a whole cake because it is significantly fresher (read: made to order)
IF Regent Bakery were not a new joint then I would have given it 3 stars. However, since it is new, and all new restaurants have a period where they work out kinks, I'm giving it a solid four stars.
Regent Bakery has the potential to be a really awesome fixture on the hill. All they need is to work out the kinks and essentially get more people to eat there and I'm sure the resolution of the little problems will follow. -
Review from Amie B.
Seattle, WA
3/10/2012
I've eaten their food twice, now, and will most definitely come back to sample more off their insanely large menu.
It's the time of year when I want good Hot & Sour Soup when I feel a little stuffy, and nothing is as good as my Mom's. However, she's too far away to place a reasonable order. So I thought I'd give this place a try.
The first meal was a few weeks ago, during their soft opening, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the soup. It was perhaps a trifle sweet for me, but still very good. My bf ordered the short ribs, which were also very sweet, but advertised as such on the menu. They were cooked wonderfully and the sauce made it almost a dessert meat.
The second time I just ordered the soup to-go, as I was in no shape to be out in public, and was happy to discover that it was not nearly as sweet as the first time. The Hot spice I wanted was there, and the good vinegar kick that makes it the Sour. It was almost Mom's soup, but don't tell her that!
The atmosphere in the restaurant is a little confusing, I have to admit. I think the main thing that bothers me is the many different lighting schemes. They have pseudo-Asian looking lantern style lights hanging thru out, which are very nice, plus a giant atrocity of a glass chandelier hanging over the main entry-way, AND THEN (pun intended) a strange frosted glass divider or the booth section what slowly changes color. None of this has anything whatsoever to do with the food, but it was an impression. I will say the booths and chairs are comfortable and stylish.
We haven't had a chance to sample anything from their delicious looking baked goods shelves, or their dessert cases, but it sure is pretty to look at! -
Review from Ken H.
Seattle, WA
2/11/2012 8 photos
I agree with all the other reviews. FINALLY, a decent Chinese / Hong Kong restaurant on Capitol Hill that is both sophisticated, but staying true enough to their roots not to become another fusion-wannabe wannabe restaurant.
This is not to say that the Capitol Hill location of Regent has not transformed itself to be more upscale than its original, popular location in Redmond. But I feel they have kept doing what they are good at, and tweaked their menu just enough to cater to the clientele around the neighbourhood.
I went this weekend during their soft opening. The decor is tasteful but typical of what you would see around Cap Hill - exposed piping in the ceiling, dark, solid-wood chairs/table for the bakery/cafe/bar area, and (faux?) marble table and seats with firm but plush cushions for the dining area. When you first walk in you can either be seated in the dining area, go to the bar, or go to the bakery/cafe area to order coffee/bakery goods.
I had a late lunch there and had the crispy fried chicken and the assorted mushrooms/egg plant dish. The crispy skin fried chicken is a favourite HK dish of mine and they do it very well here, and I tried the assorted mushroom/egg plant dish because I haven't seen it in the Redmond location before. Both dishes are delightful. The eggplant dish is made to cater to a more western palate (less salty, slightly sweet, not as strong and doused with the oyster sauce). Overall it is very tasty. Rice is ordered by the cup (sigh, but it's ok, I guess I am on a low-carb diet anyways).
The food menu is larger than the Redmond location, and the items are mostly restaurant dishes, and the single/cafe style dishes are not offered (e.g. pork chop rice, beef brisket rice etc, - some of my favourites from the Redmond location). Hopefully they will at least make them available on a takeout menu at some point.
Since this is a soft opening, they are still getting things ready, so no bubble tea yet :( But the owners mentioned they will start serving it in a week or two. The bakery section contains mostly the cakes that Regent is best known for, and some small selection of danishes and pastries. I am hoping that they will bring their selection of true Chinese bakery goods here soon. At least, bring over the egg tarts!
Keep up the good work! It's a great soft opening! -
Review from Derek P.
Seattle, WA
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been to the Redmond location numerous times and love the Chinese dishes, pastries (sweet & savory) and cakes. Portal cake? Yeah, that's the Black Forest cake from Regent.
This new location in Seattle is perfect. I went in for dinner with my girlfriend last night - their quiet soft launch. I've been to a number of first night / week grand openings and have never had a just opened experience like the one last night. I was surprised to see the menu was even bigger than the location in Redmond. And guess what... No "I'm sorry we don't have that item" from staff. So many times I've visited new restaurants only to discover portions of their menu were missing or unprepared.
The layout is interesting. You walk-in and have your choice of walking straight to the self-serve pastries, preview cakes (whole and by the slice) or be greeted by one of the wait staff for a table. The bar is stocked and has four beers on tap. Awesome.
Delicious Chinese food, dessert and no need to drive to Chinatown or Redmond. Perfect. -
Review from Sonia C.
2/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food here is decent, and definitely better than most Seattle Chinese restaurants, but it's not good enough to justify the higher prices / smaller portions. We tried a variety of dishes including:
- fried crispy chicken: not crispy enough and on the bony side
- sizzling sea bass: good but it's hard to mess up sea bass
- sizzling beef with green onions: I don't remember anything about this dish so it must have not been that awesome / horrible
- green beans: good and crunchy
- fried noodles with beef and tomato: I thought this tasted fine, but there was no crispy parts, it was just wet
- curry shrimp chow fun: This had a good flavor profile
- salt and pepper shrimp: I liked this a lot, but I like anything salty and deep fried
Though the above list sounds like a lot of food for 6 people, it really wasn't. I was still a bit hungry afterwards, so I opted for a slice of their strawberry cake. It was pretty good in the light, spongy, Asian bakery type of way. I wanted to get some of their buns, but they were sitting on uncovered shelves and it was nighttime, so I was a bit wary of how many dust particles might have already settled on the pineapple buns. I opted for a loaf of their thick-cut white bread (wrapped) instead. It was soft, fresh, chewy, and deliciously carb-y. -
Review from Benjamin K C.
Bellevue, WA
** Finally, a decent Hong Kong Restaurant/Bakery on the hill **
Regent bakery is famous for their HongKongese style cakes and pastries, the new addition on capital hill stay truth to their origin but much improved on quality. The pastries are much better than the original in Redmond. You can really smell the freshness when you walk in. And, their pastries are reasonably priced (the same price as a cupcake nearby); can't beat that!
I had dinner there last night and was surprised that the food there was excellent! (better than chinatown). I'm very sensitive to MSG and I can tell they haven't used any on their food. I got the Salt and Pepper Port Chop, Curry Beef and Beef Vermicelli noodles Hotpot, they are all good, flavorful and authentic. The food tasted excellent - not too salty, not too light. Best of all, they have a full bar there, so you can enjoy a glass of local bear or cocktail. I have try their bubble tea next time. They have so many things to offer, and they open late. it's crazy!
Keep it up! -
Review from Stephanie P.
Seattle, WA
2/10/2012 5 photos
Hooray for Chinese food AND tasty pastries on Capitol Hill! We stopped by the day after their soft opening to check it out. They're still getting things together, but it looks like it will be a good neighborhood option for dinner and baked goods.
When you walk in, you can either sit in the restaurant area to the right, walk straight to the back for the baked goods self-serve shelf and pastry case, or head to the left where the small bar area is. The bartender was friendly and apologetic about the fact that they weren't fully stocked yet. The "Vitamin C" house special ($7.50) was tropical and fruity; my coffee was fine but lukewarm, nothing special.
We got a couple of desserts to go: the mini cheesecake and the hazelnut cake ($4 each). Both were SUPER rich and sweet, and we probably could have split one if we'd known how rich and creamy they would be. The pastries include croissants, danishes, filled buns, and full-size loaves, and range from under $1 to $6; you pick up a tray, fill it up, and pay at the counter. I'd like to come back and try some of the savory pastries and croissants. The service was friendly and chatty throughout.
Dinner prices seemed a bit higher than average for a typical Chinese place; most items were over $10, and seemed to be a couple bucks more than other places. But that's a price I'm wiling to pay for convenience if the food is good. I'm excited to come back and try them for lunch or dinner, and I hear they're going to have early morning hours soon to catch the commuter crowd conveniently located at the bus stop outside the door. -
Review from Angel I.
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went here for dinner and dessert last week. I knew I was going to a bakery but was pleasantly surprised that it was a Chinese bakery and restaurant. That was surprising to me because usually you have to go to the ID or Bellevue for this type of food.
I thought that the beautiful ambience, decor and cleanliness of the restaurant was a huge plus since many places serving this type of food are often divier. I also thought their desserts were very yummy as were their coffee drinks. They're in the process of getting bubble tea soon so that will be another plus. However, I'm unable to say the same good things about their food. My boyfriend and I had their Duck Noodle Soup and their Ginger Chicken, and it wasn't on par. I'd definitely come here again for their pastries though! :) -
Review from Chris Y.
2/19/2012
I travel to Hong Kong 3-4 times a year and I'm very familiar with the Japanese-Asian self style bakery that this place models its self. I tried the Strawberry Shortcake and Chestnut cake, the staple cakes for these types of bakeries. The Strawberry Shortcake was dry and the sponge needed more simple syrup to moisten it up. The chestnut was ok, but nothing special.
The most disappointing thing was the croissant. It was soft and lacked that flaky shell that a good croissant should have.
I loved the concept and I agree with others that its a great additional for Capitol Hill, but their execution needs to be better for me to go back again. -
Review from Wally T.
Seattle, WA
3/4/2012
I was so excited to try this new location out, after being such a huge fan of their Redmond location. However, this is nothing like their Redmond location. True, they still have their pastries and cakes, etc., but their menu and decor is a bit more classy/trendy/upscale and it definitely reflects on their prices.
The Redmond site is definitely a more casual diner type feel, with yummy selections of rice plates with beef brisket or duck or roast pork. This Capitol Hill location is much more formal with dressed up wait staff and service. The food was fine, but did not have any of the selections that I enjoy so much at their Redmond location.
A typical lunch at the Redmond location for 2 people would have ran me maybe $25 for lunch; today I paid about $43.
So if you live in the Capitol Hill area, skip this joint and head to the International District instead. Me, I'm gonna make sure to go to the REAL Regent Cafe in Redmond. -
Review from Jessica W.
Seattle, WA
2/15/2012
Stopped by last night and had a satisfying meal. Their menu features different (and more) items compared to that of the redmond location. Some of the dishes were slightly salty but their noodles and sizzling beef dishes were delicious. I want to come back and try some of their chicken & duck dishes. This is definitely the best chinese food I can find in cap hill.
I hope they feature more asian pastries and breads (and of course boba) as time goes on. I took a look in the bakery section and saw most of the cakes offered in the redmond location. However, many of the breads I know and love were not there :( Where are the egg tarts, corn and ham bread, and milk butter buns? I only saw chocolate croissants (and other more western varieties of pastries) and pineapple buns. -
Review from Lana R.
Seattle, WA
3/5/2012
Pretty darn excited to eat through the menu at this place. Hurray for Chinese on the Hill!
Didn't try any of the bakery items this time- we were actually surprised at the full menu and got sucked in, but the pastries and breads look really tasty. (side note: I have never visited the hallowed east-side location)
BF and I split 2 apps and the wonton soup for dinner on Saturday.
Potstickers were totally on the mark- good steam/crisp to them. Maybe a tad salty, but dude, they're potstickers!
Dumplings in chili were also good, pretty similar tasting filling to the potstickers, but more like a mini-shu mai in presentation. The peanut sauce was not what I was expecting (for some dumb reason I had thai peanut sauce in my head) this was purely savory and spicy. Very rich, good compliment to the dumplings.
I was meh about the wonton soup; very shrimp-heavy wontons in a pretty fishy broth as well. Not bad at all, just not what I'm used to. I did like the bok choy added in!
Service was good- attentive and polite.
The decor is a little much for me, but we'll be back- have a feeling that this will become heavy in the carryout rotation for us. -
Review from kat s.
Seattle, WA
2/17/2012
Decent Chinese food on Capitol Hill, and didn't seem Americanized (other than the front of house staff all being white on my visit). Entrees are $10-14/each, a slight premium over comparable Chinese places, which I'm assuming is because of neighborhood rent. The two dishes we ordered were on the smaller side (not enough if you are hungry), but some of the other tables had enormous entrees, and in combination with the bakery, a whole armful of takeout containers for the left overs and additional treats.
I enjoyed my meal here, but its not as amazing as to warrant driving across town for. The staffing during my visit was overly attentive (clearing dishes before we were finished) and didn't offer rice, but that's easy enough for them to work out. -
Review from Lisa B.
Seattle, WA
2/20/2012
Imagine my joy upon discovering that Regent, a new bakery (with an additional location in Redmond), would be opening right around the corner from me. And imagine my further happiness upon seeing that they also offer a full menu (Chinese food) and bar (which is really a cozy, hip, and tasty little space). I explored some of their many offerings in all three areas (dinner, drinks, dessert), but came away feeling that the main reason to visit this place is to stock up on cakes and breads.
Full review: http://sweettoothinsea... -
Review from Tyler J.
Seattle, WA
2/18/2012
I agree with some of the other reviews. It's not good, it's not bad food, it's just OK. With that said, they do charge a premium for just OK food. I could go down to the International district and get the same food for half the price. Their sweets are delicious but very expensive as well.
Their raspberry mocha's are pretty darned good though... -
Review from Joyce J.
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
I like the ambiance and the customer service. The food is just ok. The chef's specialty drunken chicken with yellow wine sauce is worth trying. Everything else, such as the beef wide noodle chow fen, was mediocre. We also ordered all three mousse desserts that this place had on the menu. My conclusion is that the green tea one is the only one worth eating. The mango one tasted like artificial flavoring. The strawberry one is acceptable. One nice thing about this place is that it's a place to which you can bring your non-Asian friends as it is clean and has decent service.
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Review from Nona W.
Seattle, WA
3/18/2012
Best desserts you will ever have!!! HK tea is also very good. Haven't tried the meals yet, but really like the bakery!!!! Highly recommend!!!
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Review from Greg L.
Seattle, WA
4/3/2012
Good food, I'd say as good or even marginally better than the best places in the International District. We had the Mongolian Beef and Chicken Chow Mein, both of which were flavorful and not overly greasy. Service was a bit slow and sloppy when we were there, but it was the first day for one of the servers. Decor is great, clean, love the leather chairs, very comfortable. As the other reviewers have said, it is surprising that this place is a restaurant with a full (and very large) menu; the name suggests it is mostly a bakery with a small cafe, but it is a full restaurant. It is great to finally have Chinese cuisine as good as the better places in the I-district here in Capitol Hill, something the Hill has badly been lacking.
