Sunrice

I have eaten here twice during lunch (take-​out order). The first time, we had a large order. This place is tucked away, and the parking situation in the back lot can get a bit congested. The japchae is SO good, and I love the super spicy tofu! I had the spicy beef before but I really think the tofu is the best dish here especially for lunch. Really a great amount of HEALTHY food for not that much! GO korean food!!!

This place is pretty good, it’s small though so it can’t get tight. Also bring milk if u can’t handle spicy.

–The food is clearly inexpensive.
–The ingredients are so fresh and it seems like the people running this establishment genuinely love mankind and want them to be healthy. Even in my towering cynicism I cannot deny this.
–After eating here I always feel healthy, alive, and generally good. It’s weird. Usually when I go out to eat it all ends with a feeling of vague regret and bloating. Sunrice won’t do that to you. They love you too much.
–Everyone else has pretty much mentioned the bizarre hours. It’s a drawback, but… you have to make time for Sunrice. That’s life, babe.

The food here is EXCELLENT! But I was very disappointed in the wait time. I waited 35 minutes for the lunch special without warning from the employees. (the restaurant doesn’t seat very many people so it’s difficult to tell how backed up they are if orders are called in or people come back for their food)
The ladies working there were very friendly but I expected this to be a quick lunch and the delay pushed into my afternoon meetings/​schedule.
After I waited 15 minutes, I heard the employee tell a new customer that her food would take about 30 minutes to make. This would have been very welcomed information when I ordered my food… and I think this is a good message to tell your future guests. I will return for the excellent food but I’ll ask ahead of time how long it’ll take to make.
Also — it’s cash and check only, be prepared for this :)

I have so many questions about Sunrice: Am I eating in someone’s personal dining room? Why is this restaurant only open a few hours a week? How is the food so cheap? Why isn’t this place more popular? I recognize Sunrice’s brand because I’ve seen their wholesale pre-​packaged meals around, but I had no idea that they owned a restaurant too. My friend and I ordered the tofu stew and spicy noodles for lunch on a Wendesday. Both dishes were fresh, homey, and generously-​portioned. My stew was a tad bland but tasty enough to peak my interest in returning to try more of their organic and vegetarian options. Sunrice is run by 2 – 3 ladies and it is cash/​check only. The owner was very adamant that I don’t tip for my meal which was quite refreshing– they’re just about serving good food and I really appreciate that. As far as space goes, Sunrice is very small, not a ton of décor, and they don’t play music. The silence is both intimate and awko taco.

This place is delicious! When I first found it online, I doubted that I would make it during the limited open hours. Thanks to a fluke found myself just up the block midway through the open hours.
A friend who has never had Korean food, myself, and my two year old popped in on a warm September day. The small dining room had one other patron but was super warm. I imagine August was rough for eating in.
We ordered our food and sat down to wait (keep in mind it is cash or check only). The prices were very reasonable, so we were not sure what to expect. I ordered the mild beef lunch and my friend the mildly spicy chicken.
What a revelation!
This was delicious! The chapchae was so good that my two year old immediately started stuffing his face (using the toddler plate they brought him). The nuttiness of the brown rice perfectly complemented the flavorful meats. To top it off, a drink is included with your meal.
Wow. By the time we left, our boxes were empty and our bellies full. If I lived locally I would be here every week.
Don’t be put off by the limited hours. This lady knows what she is doing and it’s totally worth the inconvenience to fit into her schedule.

The spicy chicken and spicy tofu lunch special were delicious! They were indeed spicy, came with japchae noodles; brown rice; a simple salad; and a bottle of water. Given the tastiness of the food and cheap price; this place is a WIN!
The only downside is that they open for 2 – 3 hours only.

Cozy little lunch spot. The lunch special is from 12 – 2 and includes rice, noodles, meat or tofu, and a salad. More than enough to fill you up, and only $ 7.75! Cash or check only.

I was forced to give this little place 5 stars. Its absolutely fresh and amazing with a very affordable price. Don’t be dismayed if she says «5 more minutes» for the food. Trust me its worth the wait. Very generous portions made with healthy ingredients. I also appreciate that she will actually make it spicy hot if you request it. Highly recommended!

literally the best korean food ive ever had. high quality ingredients, great lunch special that comes with a sparkling water. Mrs. Kim is a dream, so nice!

As other reviewers have mentioned, this place is tough to find unless you know what to look for. I have lived less than a block away for almost 2 years and this is my first time eating here. Their hours are very short (12 – 2 on weekdays) and they don’t take cards, but other than that I can’t find many nits to pick.
I ordered the chicken with spicy Sunrice sauce lunch special. For $ 7.75, tax included, I got a large takeout box full of chicken over brown rice, noodles, and salad. The meal seemed healthy, but not in a gross «talk for an hour about cutting out gluten and animal proteins» kind of way. There was plenty of chicken and the noodles were served chilled, with a nutty flavor to them and a chewy texture. I was completely full by the end, and even had to toss some of the rice. The meal came with a drink (talking rain or bottled water). Tipping was discouraged, which was liberating, but that’s a tangent for another day. My chicken wasn’t as spicy as I would have liked, but luckily they have a «super» spicy Sunrice sauce for my next visit.

Boy, when people say «hidden gem», they weren’t kidding! lol, I had to do some back tracking but my nose found the place. It’s tucked into a corner and it’s a small cute place. It’s pretty nice in Seattle today, so inside this place was burning up so it would have been nice to have some air circulating around.
Ordered the spicy chicken lunch combo and it was very very good. Lots of flavor but not too overwhelming. Came with a generous portion of brown rice, salad and noodles, all very good and light in flavor. I also liked the final touch of sesame seeds before she handed it over :)
I would suggest calling beforehand if you’re on a time crunch. Fortunately for me, it’s about a 10 minute walk to/​from work so I made it back in time, yay!

Ate there today. The lunch special is excellent. Highly recommended. A little tough to find and almost no signage.

Mrs. Kim is simply the best. You get an enormous amount of food IMO for $ 8. All organic! She serves her lunch box with salad, sweat potato noodles, brown rice and Chicken/​beef/​tofu. She has other stuff on her menu, but I have never made it past the lunch special. I did have to beg her to bring up the heat level, but now she knows me and puts Thai chilies in my lunch box which gives me all the kick I can handle. Last time I went in I was sick so Mrs. Kim told me to come back and she would make me some kimchi soup. Said it was supposed to make me get better fast. The Korean version of chicken noodle maybe, but she gave it to me and wouldn’t take any money for it. That was on top of my regular lunch order. What a great local business!

I love this hidden gem which is located in a little nook of a business building. There are no bells and whistles here, just simple good Korean-​inspired, pretty healthy food– The owner/​cook is dedicated to avoiding ingredients with preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavor enhancers like MSG.
This super relaxed place is only open for a couple of hours for lunch since the bulk of her business is wholesale and supplying her food to groceries such as PCC Market and Whole Foods Market, which I actually don’t find as delicious as getting it directly from the restaurant and eating it fresh there.
I almost always order the same thing all the time which is the Tofu with Super Spicy Sunrice Sauce (TSSSS) Lunch Special for $ 7.50. It comes with Brown Rice, Chapchae (Sweet Potato Noodles), Green Salad, and a drink… Yummy!!!

Very lucky find for my wife and I yesterday while walking around the neighborhood. Decided to give it a try after seeing the restaurants hours and we were happy we did.
Fresh, high quality, and delicious food.

I am selective about who I give five stars to. With each bite of my spicy tofu lunch special (which came with a heaping portion of brown rice, Korean noodles with veggies, salad, and a can of fruit flavored sparkling water) I ate faster and faster. Didn’t even get a chance to take a photo.
So naturally I had to go back the next day and order another lunch special, this time the spicy chicken, so that I could have a photo to share with my Unilocal readers.
The value is unbeatable. The quality and quantity of the food is superb. The restaurant is small, clean, and sunny. The woman who took my order is a motherly Korean lady who I want to hug and say thank you to.

Wow, so delicious and also so friendly. The owner (I believe she was) was so nice to me. I forgot it was cash only and instead of holding my food back she gave it to me and said that I can just come back whenever I have cash to pay her back. You don’t see people with this trust anymore! I immediately went to an ATM but that was impressive. Plus for under $ 9 you get a big meal and it comes with a soda water! The food was really tasty too. The only complaint I have is that I wish they were open more so I can go more often but it would probably kill the coolness of it too. Somewhat similar to the Grouchy Chef up north in Everett if you have ever been there. Super cheap, super high quality food.

Hidden gem that I stumbled across during lunchtime! Food is amazing, staff is friendly and the ingredients are fresher than the Prince of Bellaire.
Seven hundred and fifty pennies (tax included) will buy you a full well rounded lunch with room for left overs.
I ordered the spicy chicken and the spicy beef to go. It included a generous helping of brown rice, light and delicious noodles and of course a healthy portion of meat.
Best Asian lunch option in northeast Seattle – great value too as you get a sparkling or flat water included. Do yourself a favor and stop by. Allow about 10 – 12 minutes for your food to be ready.
Excited to go back and try other options when I have lunch meetings in the area.

Tiny little quiet spot. Smells great. Obviously focused on healthy preparations!
— This is a great find. Yes, they are hard to find. Yes they only take cash. Yes, they have limited hours. And YES you should go there anyway and have one of the best and most healthy, affordable and fresh lunches on the NE side of Seattle, or anywhere in the Seattle metro area.
My lunch today was excellent and fresh. And it was big and filling. To add to the satisfaction of the great food, it was $ 7.50…total. They include tax and they don’t accept tips. When I offered to tip anyway (deserved because of the friendly and prompt service) my gratuity was declined. «that’s our policy» explained the lovely woman that served me. By the way, this included a sparkling water– they only have water and naturally flavored sparkling water, which is nice and refreshing considering how often soda is the only option for lunch specials.
Sunrice has a lovely little quiet dining area. It is quiet, seclude, and peaceful. No music, no fuss, and it wasn’t crowded. It was clean and nice.
I got take out because I live close by. But I would have eaten there if I had planned better, and I will next time.
Sunrice is obviously doing things exactly how they want to and they are doing a nice job. I will be back and I highly recommend that anyone that is near the U District at lunch give it a try.