I love to stop in Federal Way on my way back up to Seattle, whenever a road trip allows it. I had heard great things about the dumplings here, and it didn't disappoint at least on the dumpling front. The kimchi/pork dumpling was large and flavorful, and I really liked the sweet/tangy sauce provided at the tableside. The dumplings in the dumpling soup was also fantastic, although the rice cakes were pretty plain. If I had done it differently, I would have rather not had the rice cakes and more of the dumplings themselves. The broth itself was also a little flavorless. Also the banchan was pretty average and tasted like grocery banchan. This place truly highlights the dumplings only, and the rest is okay - even for the broth.

Cute little place. When you walk in it just looks like a take out counter but they ll lead you into the dining area in the next room The fried dumplings were really yummy, the skin is is crisp The yellow daikon was very good and my first time to see yellow colored ones (usually pink or white) The black rice bun is very unique flavor. It's sweet with a hint of saltiness? The coolest thing was instead of the typical tea or water, they give you some kind of spicy broth; felt very good in the cold winter!

Came to get takeout on my way back from south of Washington state. The restaurant is in a strip mall and it is not a large place. The things to get - soup, buns and mandoo (Korean dumplings). The soup is really good as are the buns and dumplings. Service was fast and friendly.

One of the best accidental restaurants I've found, and it feels awfully overlooked too! I went here with a friend on a Friday night after deciding where to eat and came across here. Parking lot is pretty open, and shares it with several other surrounding businesses too, but it wasn't an issue here. We got seated quickly when we went inside, which consists of a small number of tables and a mirror on the side closest to the entrance. It looks like the kitchen and the seating itself are in separate rooms. Water here is self-serve, and their menu doesn't have very many items, which I actually find to be a good thing. We were served not water, but what I later found out was the beef bone broth found in a good number of main dishes they have on their menu - it was very tasty! So I actually got really excited when I had that same broth on the rice cake dumpling soup I ordered. My friend and I also got fried pork dumplings and two king size pork dumplings as part of our meal. It was an overload of food, but I was more than satisfied! The rice cake dumpling soup's dumplings had a slight sesame oil taste into them, as well as with the king-size pork dumplings, and I love sesame oil a lot! The king-size dumpling had an appropriate amount of veggies that added more to the taste than detracted from it, as I've had with other places that serve dumplings. And the fried pork dumplings were crispy and not too oily, all while being flattened as advertised, making it easier to eat. Each order of fried dumplings has 5, and the server did have to confirm whether they still had more in stock. Food was brought out quickly, and our server checked on us every once in a while to see how we were doing. Prices here are very reasonable, and the food fills you up a lot, so I highly recommend this place if you want something that's somewhat off the radar but has dumplings that can quickly rise to your top three! Keep in mind they have a limit of 2 orders of fried dumplings per table, and 10 king-size dumplings per table unless you pre-order them, and there is an 18% gratuity to parties of 5 or more.

Great experience, clean interior. Dumplings were super crispy and filling was flavorful, very generous. The seafood noodle soup was full of clams, there were two shrimp and some fish cake. The broth was clear, not oily or greasy. Tons of noodles that weren't too chewy. We were given hot broth upon being seated, salt, hot and the white pepper gives it a good kick.

The restaurant is clean, simple, quick service, food comes quick - delicious - comfort food at its best - Pork dumpling soup. The broth is so good - it's savory, you can smell and taste the white peppers, can't get enough of the soup and the dumplings have a pork filling - spicy cold noodles - the noodles are cooked perfectly - great chew and absorbs all of the flavor from the sauce - fried dumpling are crispy on the outside soft on the inside and perfectly seasoned - always excellent service there - the staff is always so friendly and they always refill your broth - so kind

Affordable and quick meal option in Federal Way. This place is known for mandoo - steamed and fried variants, but they also have other offerings like noodles. As I went here solo, I only got the mandoos. I got the kimchi pork fried dumpling, one pork king sized dumpling, and one black rice bun. Portions are fairly huge (I barely finished what I ordered) and totaled less than $20 after tax and tip, which is a fair price. The fried dumplings were really flavorful and had a nice kick to it. I love the filling, but the dumplings overall were a bit oily so it wasn't as crunchy as I hoped. The king sized dumplings are steamed and are generous portions at $3.50 each. While the king sized dumplings were served aesthetically in a wood block, the wood block had hints of dish soap flavor that mildly mixed into the bottom of the bun. The regular pork had a bit less flavor, so I would opt for the kimchi pork. The black rice bun was a nice dessert as it was a bit sweet yet there were notes of savory inside. It is an interesting filling to try. Most of the service is self-serve like water, etc and you walk up to the front to pay the bill. Everything is fast and no frills so it is a nice quick spot to support local.

Delicous food all around. My favorites were the pork fried dumplings and the rice and dumpling soup. The price is reasonable. This restaurant appears to be family owned. Service was great. The ambiance is pleasant. My only issue with the ambience is seeing the owners' personal items in a corner table. For me, that feels too cluttered. However, this us not a deal breaker. The restaurant and restroom looks clean.

Returned back to DaeBak after a brief hiatus and I'm happy to report that I had an enjoyable experience as the first. I went for the tried and true black rice dumpling and it was great as the first try. Warm, fresh and decadent. I also chose the pork which I also tried on my previous visit. Both were consistent and well sized portions. Again, highly recommended if you're in the area.

A hidden gem in a small Korean plaza in federal way. They have a takeout counter and a small sit down area. You can also see the workers making the buns and dumplings through the glass counter. Their menu is small but you can tell they do their specialties well. I was craving cold noodles, so I ordered the spicy cold noodles and a mandoo, because you can't go to a place called "great big mandoo" without trying their mandoos lol. The potstickers were really good. The slight fry was crispy and a nice amount of chewy. The filling was flavorful as well. The big pork bun was also pretty good. I really liked the bun. The filling was somehow not as flavorful as the potstickers filling? Maybe just a different batch with slightly less salt. But they were filled generously. Cold noodles were pretty good! The spicy noodles weren't very spicy, had a bit of sweet flavor. Adding some vinegar made it even better. I like that they included fruit in the toppings which added some sweetness and freshness. My one complaint that it didn't quite hit the same as other cold noodles that I've had. I'm not sure what it was missing, but it just wasn't as refreshing and cool as other places I've tried. Additional notes! They provide a complimentary cup of beef broth which was sooo good. Water is also self service. Overall, solid place! I'd recommend it!!