Seattle's Oldest Chinese Restaurant Was A Go-To For Bruce Lee

In the heart of Seattle's International District, Tai Tung Chinese Restaurant has endured for nine decades. Founded in 1935, it proudly holds the title of the city's longest-standing Chinese restaurant. "My grandfather founded Tai Tung after immigrating from China in the early 1900s," says current owner Harry Chan in an interview with Mashed. "He started out in San Francisco before settling in Seattle, where he and a few others took a chance on opening a restaurant of their own."

Tai Tung's iconic status stems from its connection to martial arts legend Bruce Lee, who dined there regularly. His preferred dish, oyster sauce beef, remains a menu highlight, and visitors still request his favorite booth at the back. "[Lee] was humble, kind, and just another diner to us at the time, but of course his presence meant a lot," Chan recalls. The booth has become a pilgrimage site of sorts, attracting guests from around the world who want to sit where "Little Dragon" did.

The restaurant honors its heritage while adapting to modern tastes. The menu showcases classic Chinese dishes prepared with fresh ingredients. Appetizers include egg rolls, pot stickers, moo shu pork, and fried squid, while soups range from wonton to hot and sour, mustard green, and seaweed. "Some dishes have been popular for decades — fried rice, chow mein, almond fried chicken, and sweet and sour anything with our proprietary sweet and sour sauce," owner Harry Chan notes.

Deep-fried chicken wings with house seasoning are frequent orders, and the oyster sauce beef, Bruce Lee's ideal meal, continues to be a top choice. "All our beef dishes are made with flank steak, ensuring the meat is tender and flavorful every time," Chan explains. Entrées feature egg foo young, kung pao chicken, ginger beef, Mongolian beef, roast and Peking duck, abalone (a rare snail species known for its high price point), deep-fried oysters, squid, shrimp, steamed crab, and scallops.

Alongside New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, Seattle ranks among the most popular cities in the U.S. for Chinese restaurants. "Seattle is a city that's always evolving, but Tai Tung has stayed constant — the same family ownership, the same location, the same cooking style," Chan shares. Tai Tung is a cherished dining destination and a living piece of history. The renowned establishment is a cultural bridge that carries forward the legacy of those who came before, including the late, great martial arts master Bruce Lee.