Capitol Hill Neighborhood Favorite Chungee’s Will Say a Fond Farewell Soon

Best to get those orders of yum yum chicken in soon. Chungee’s Drink ‘N’ Eat — a popular Capitol Hill Cantonese spot frequented by locals such as star chef Monica Dimas — will close by the end of 2019 after nearly 10 years, the restaurant recently announced on Facebook. “We tried for months to get a new lease, but it really seemed like the owners [of the building] want to leave their options open for selling,” co-owner Tom Farrell tells Eater Seattle. “We needed some assurance that we would have longevity before doing any major upgrades or remodeling.”

The cozy Chungee’s has been praised in the past for its fun vibe and generous proportions of affordable Chinese comfort food items, such as wonton soup and the aforementioned signature yum yum. Every Lunar New Year’s since the restaurant opened, its hosted a lion dance celebration near its entrance on 12th Ave. While co-owners Farrell and Wen Long were eyeing an outpost in West Seattle a few years ago, that plan never materialized. “There was enough neighborhood pushback on the idea that we eventually just sold the property,” says Farrell.

But this latest setback doesn’t mean Chungee’s is necessarily gone for good, as Farrell hints that he and Long haven’t ruled out opening another location down the line. “We just figured when this one closes, we’ll take a wee vacation and go from there,” he says.

• Chungee’s Eat ‘N’ Drink [Facebook]
• Lease Issues Mean Chungee’s Long Lion Dance on 12th Ave Is Coming to an End [Capitol Hill Seattle]
• Chungee’s Trying to Set Up Second Location in West Seattle House [ESEA]