If you're anywhere near Cave Spring and craving sushi, Ben Gui Sushi is an absolute must…read more From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is clean, relaxed, and welcoming without trying too hard. It's the kind of place where you can actually enjoy your meal without feeling rushed or crowded. The food is where this place really stands out. Every roll we ordered came out looking incredible and tasting even better. You can tell immediately that everything is made fresh. The textures were perfect, crispy tempura paired with soft rice and high-quality fish, and the sauces were balanced instead of overpowering. The specialty rolls are clearly the highlight. The Red Dragon Roll and Lobster Shrimp Lover Roll were loaded, flavorful, and worth every dollar. The portions are generous too, you're not getting skimpy rolls here. Each plate came out beautifully presented, and the flavors hit exactly how you want sushi to hit, rich, clean, and satisfying without feeling heavy. Service was solid as well. Friendly, attentive, and efficient without hovering. Drinks stayed filled, food came out at a good pace, and everything felt smooth. For the price point, this place punches above its weight. You're getting quality sushi that rivals spots in much bigger cities, without the inflated cost or attitude. Overall, this is easily one of the best sushi spots in the Roanoke area. Whether you're going for a casual dinner or trying to impress someone, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommend.

A close friend of mine recommended this family-owned Japanese cuisine and Sushi restaurant, located…read morein the Old Country Plaza, to the left of Tanglewood Mall, in the Cave Spring / Roanoke area. It is known for its fresh ingredients, wide variety of sushi rolls, and a family-friendly atmosphere. Before driving to the restaurant for dinner, I viewed there very impressive and informative website, with Japanese music in the background, and found out that Ben Gui Chen, the Restaurant owner and Executive Sushi Chef has been making sushi in the Roanoke Valley since the year 2000, and then in 2006 opened this restaurant with his wife and a couple of staff. It has been voted "Best Sushi" in the Roanoke area for multiple years, and that the "Red Dragon," one of its signature rolls, was voted one of the "50 Favorite Foods" by the readers of the Roanoke Times. Its menu includes classic rolls, sashimi, specialty rolls, tempura, teriyaki, bento boxes, and unique creations. Currently, this family-owned and operated business is run by Ben Gui, his wife and two children. Based on the data I found their "Trust Me" Roll is the most popular dish. And other top rolls include the Spicy Tuna Roll, the California Roll, the Red Dragon Rool, and the Shrimp Tempura Roll. They offer one of the best selections of sake in the area, and also offer a 5-course sushi and sake tasting menu. It is also one of the few places in the area to have white tuna. I arrived at the restaurant on a Thursday early evening, just as they opened at 5:00PM. The restaurant's front was not too impressive, especially after viewing their very impressive website. Old Country Plaza is a small shopping center on Starkey Road spearheaded by Food Lion, with a Buffalo Wild Wings, and other small businesses. Their restaurant's sign was high above, tiny, and unassuming.The Ben Gui lit up in red as the nightfall was arriving but the Sushi stayed unlit for whatever reason, I don't know. But from my experience with a Japanese college student, they are very humble and expected to do their best as their duty and not for a reward. My student had gotten the best grade on the final exam and yet when I congratulated her in front of the class she lowered her head. So this small sign is unassuming, just as my student had been, but the food inside was probably excellent, as my student had been. Because traditional Japanese cuisine, washoku, emphasizes fresh, seasonal ingredients, artistic presentation, and balance. Inside, the restaurant was decorated in a minimalist style but with accents that made it elegant without being too assuming, with a welcoming, comfortable, relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. A lady, whom I assumed was the owner's wife, greeted me and gave me a warm welcome, and after asking me my seating preference, took me to the table I suggested. She then took my drink order while giving me time to review the menu. I ordered some Sweet Tea, and she came back with a bottle. That was one of the things that I felt was out of place in a restaurant of distinction. I feel drinks should be served in a glass, and in my case a glass with ice. Afterwards she did the same serving beers to other customers. After she came back with my drink, she took my order. I ordered the House Soup to start off with and Gyoza (Fried Japanese Pork Dumplings), as appetizer. For my main meal I ordered the Lobster Shrimp Lover Roll and a Scallop Roll. And afterwards for dessert I ordered the Tempura Ice Cream. The House Soup was expensive, but had some Pork Dumplings inside, among other vegetables, and was one of the best soups I've ever had. The only thing I didn't like was the large Japanese soup spoon that it was provided with. It was much too large to eat the soup with and it spilled all over my shirt because of this. A normal size Japanese soup spoon would have been better. But I cleaned my shirt with my napkin and kept on eating it because it was amazingly delicious. The Lobster Shrimp Lover Roll was also delicious. It had something crunchy inside that gave it the perfect touch. And the Scallop Roll was real good but a bit small. Most of the guests there you could tell they were repeat customers and were wealthy, because both a family at the bar and one at a table, kept ordering sushi after sushi, and more sushi. My order came up to $59.60 without the 20% tip that I left my server, but I feel the food, service, and dining experience was well worth it. I was also very appreciative for having met the owner and Executive Sushi Chef, Ben Gui Chen. From the very beginning he was very welcoming, friendly, and hospitable, and was kind enough to allow me to capture in photographs the essence of his restaurant and Sushi making. For this I will be forever grateful.

After being ranked 4th among Yelp's Top 50 Most Prolific Elites of 2025, a distinction recognizing…read moremy consistent community engagement and high-quality contributions, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to go back and write follow-up reviews on those restaurants that impressed me the most during 2025, and Cafe Asia 2, in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example of one of them. This Asian fusion restaurant in the Cave Spring area of Roanoke, is definitely one of my favorite restaurants of all times. And my first visit and review is something that I will always hold very dear. When you finish reading this review I invite you to go back and read that review and view my photographs accompanying that review, for it was a very unique dining experience that I will never forget. From the time you arrive at this restaurant the contemporary building design seems to beckon you to approach and enter. I love their unique logo design made up of letters and a number of a particular font that communicates a certain air of distinction. Once inside, you're like in another world altogether. If the outside of the building was impressive, the interior immediately captures your attention and mesmerizes you with it's beauty. When I arrived today, a very lovely and distinguished lady, dressed very elegantly, welcomed me and led me to the table of my choice. Later did I find out that she was the owner of the restaurant, and I had an opportunity of talking with her about the restaurant, its Sushi Bar, and Sushi chefs. Soon after, my friendly server, who was from Indonesia, came to introduce himself and take my order. To drink I had a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. It was served in a tall glass and tasted marvelous. As appetizer, I had the Dim Sum Platter. It contained 3 shrimp dŕhumai, 3 pork dumplings, 3 pork wasabi shumai, and 2 roasted pork buns. One of those items was extremely spicy, I had to drink water to cool down. The others tasted reasonably good. As my main entrée I had the Lobster Tail Tempura Maki. It was very colorful and tasted, and completely filled me up. My original server did an excellent job serving me the food and coming by to check on me. But then he disappeared and another server, also Indonesian came to bring me my main entrée. I think it might have been a shift change, but feel the first server should have let me know about this fact. But if the first server wad excellent, the second was amazing. He answered all the questions I had about items on the menu, and while delivering special dishes to other customers, he allowed me to photograph this food for the benefit of the readers of this review. Then, at the end, he helped me choose the dessert to have for the Grand Finale of my meal: the Banana Basket. It was amazingly delicious and had slices of bananas, kiwi, mangos, whipped cream, and strawberries. And topped with caramel and chocolate sauces. Considering its friendly and relaxing ambiance, its extensive menu with a wide range of Asian dishes, from traditional Chinese entries to a full sushi bar with raw and cooked options, and its amazing customer service, I definitely highly recommend this restaurant from my own experience. Every time I've dined there I've had an exceptional fine dining experience, and as I'm leaving I'm already looking forward to returning.

Everything we had from here was flavorful, hot & delicious! The restaurant inside is beautifully…read moredecorated, it wasn't crowded when we arrived at 5:40pm on a Monday evening. They were doing a heck of a carry out business, and know I know why. My husband had the wonton soup - he must of enjoyed them because I didn't get to try them, however that broth - oh my delicious- I finished that - easily. I had an order of the crab wontons - mostly cream cheese tasting - wish there was a bit more crab/shrimp, overall tasty. We shared our first hot pot - ribeye, carrots, peppers, stewed tomatoes served with your choice of rice - we chose the fried. Our shrimp tempura roll was yummy! Oh and we also each had a strawberry sangria although they do have other cocktails - I totally missed out on a screwdriver but the sangria was good too. Service was excellent- very nice people. Look forward to returning in the future!

Not the cheapest.. but you get what you pay for. Great quality ingredients and good portion sizes.read more

I wasn't expecting much from Rainbowl, but the chef's special burrito bowl was delicious. Perfect…read morefor quick, easy, on-the-go dining. The place is clean and the owner was really friendly. Customer service from the staff behind the counter wasn't the friendliest. Still worth a stop if you want something fast and tasty.

Competent teppanyaki with genuine charm Ichiban occupies a…read morecomfortable middle ground in the hibachi dining space -- neither a revelation nor a disappointment, but a reliably enjoyable evening out. The theatrics at the grill are well-executed without veering into gimmick territory, and the chefs clearly know their way around a teppanyaki surface. The steak deserves mention. Properly seasoned and cooked to order, it holds up against pricier competitors. The fried rice is a quiet standout - better than it needs to be, which says something about the kitchen's attention to detail even on the basics. Where Ichiban earns its reputation is in the overall package. Communal grill seating creates an energy that's difficult to manufacture, and on a good night the atmosphere genuinely elevates the meal. Service is functional rather than polished, which feels appropriate for the format. The pricing reflects the experience rather than purely the food, and that's a fair trade for most diners. Walk-ins are acc lodated, making it an accessible option without une friction of advance planning. Not a destination for the serious gastronome, but an honest, well-run restaurant that delivers what it promises.

Located in the Southwest Plaza Shopping Center, in Roanoke, Virginia, this Japanese Steakhouse is…read morevery well known for its Hibachi Grill and Sushi. Last time I reviewed it I dined with a friend at one of their Hibachi tables with chef performances. I invite you to read that review and view my photographs accompanying it. It was an amazing dining experience. This time I dined at their traditional dining room next to their Sushi Bar. As soon as I arrived the friendly lady host welcomed me and after asking where I preferred to dine, took me to one of their tables there. Shortly afterwards, my friendly server arrived and took my drink order of a Coke. Then after I had reviewed their menu, I made the following order to my server: I ordered the Gyoza for appetizer and for my main entrée I ordered the Lobster, Filet Mignon (cooked medium-rare), and Scallop Hibachi Dinner which was served with a chicken broth and green salad with the house ginger dressing. The timing of the bringing out the items of my order was perfect. My server did an excellent job serving me the items of my order and making sure I didn't need anything else. This dining area had a more relaxed environment and the food was the same high-quality food. The filet was very tender and juicy. The scallops also tasted very good as well as the lobster meat that was served in a small bowl. The fried rice however tasted somewhat strange. Like if they hadn't rinsed the container where it was cooked well and it had a soapy flavor. It also lacked the flavor of Japanese butter, that it usually has when I had it served from the hot table performance. For dessert I ordered a slice of their Japanese Layered Crepe Cake. I remembered how delicious it tasted last time. This time it also tasted awesome yet not as fresh as last time. In conclusion I still highly recommend this restaurant, preferably eating at the interactive dining experience with a chef cooking at your table, unless your ordering Sushi. Then the traditional dining room with Sushi Bar would be a better option.

For some time now after I ate at Cafe Asia 2, which I consider one of the best if not the best…read moreAsian Restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia, and I encourage you to read my review for that restaurant, I have been wondering if there is a Cafe Asia, the original one. After being awarded the NC Triad Yelp Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Cafe Asia, in Roanoke, Virginia, is a perfect example. One day by searching the net I so happened to finally find it. I gave them a call right away to confirm that it was the original of Cafe Asia 2, and once confirmed, I made a commitment to go there for dinner that day. Before arriving I did my research and found out that it was founded by Feng Chen in 2008 "to offer autentic Asian cuisine for everyone to enjoy." I also found out that this first location in the Bonsack area of Roanoke County, offered a pan-Asian menu that included Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese dishes, alongside a sushi bar. And that due to the success of this family-owned business, the second location, Café Asia 2, opened on Electric Rd in 2013. When I arrived, I was surprised that it was located in the same strip mall as Sal's Italian Restaurant which I had reviewed some time ago. As I entered the restaurant the decor was not as modern as the second one but was still very clean and nice for its time. It had a very comfortable and friendly atmosphere. The Host gave me a very friendly and warm welcome and took me to my table. I noticed that decorating the place they had strips of picture frames with pictures of customers of the restaurant, almost like saying, we put our customers first. My server was also very friendly and helpful. He answered some questions I had about the extensive menu and I gave him my order. To start off with I had a Thai Iced Coffee. As appetizer I had a Sunflower Roll from the Sushi Bar. It had spicy lobster salad, mango, avocado, with soy paper. I walked to the Sushi Bar and watched the Sushi Chef make it for me. He was very friendly and appreciated me recording the event for my readers of this review. He came out with a Culinary Masterpiece. I really savored every bite. As my main entrée I had the Pad Thai Combination. It was so good. For dessert I had two: The Mango with Sticky Rice and the Combination Mochi Ice Cream (Mango & Strawberry). It was truly a memorable meal. In conclusion, I highly recommend this restaurant and clearly see the reason for its success. It has a beautiful decor and friendly atmosphere. A menu with a great variety of items. A wonderful Sushi Chef that can work wonders making culinary masterpieces. They use quality and fresh ingredients, and the Chef can also deliver wonderful dishes. All amounts to an extraordinary dining experience.

I ordered 4 sushi rolls: when I got home the sushi smelled bad and tasted horrible. I immediately…read moredumped it all in the trash to avoid getting sick. Cafe Asia 2 is the best. I will never go to this Cafe Asia again. A waste of money in sushi.

You guys carry a few products that others don't and your deli/meat department are stellar!read more

This is a nice-looking store, like most Fresh Markets. The selection was, as I often find, a bit…read morepuzzling. I came seeking the little protein shakes that are common in health food stores. Finding them neither with the vegetables or with the alternative milks or with the coffee-based mixed drinks, I assumed they didn't have any of this sort of item, only to find a small freestanding cooler that did have some, but not quite the price or selection that I was hoping after all that searching. Similarly, some elements of the fruit and vegetable section didn't quite have everything I was hoping for. This store also had a longer wait in line than I would have expected despite three registers running. There were still some good quality food items to be had, but trying to shop comprehensively at Fresh Market often leaves me a bit frustrated.

Decides to give Hibachi Express a try and not the worst place we've had since moving here, and not…read morethe best either. We ordered orange chicken and fried rice and it indicated it was spicy which it was not. We also ordered sesame chicken and honestly it could have been the same meal except The sesame chicken had sesame seeds on top. The rice was ok - nothing special. We liked the vegetables in each order ! The spring rolls are tiny - that's why there are two together for the price. And the egg roll is very different in that it only had cabbage in it. We had a 15 min pickup window and it was done faster than that. Not sure I'd go back but better than cooking this night!

yes recommend.versatile.options.many locations.parking…read morenice..ive ate 3 locations very yummy

Excellent Espresso Martini's! 3 beans with great foam. Love there Blacken Chicken on a salad…read more.. Very fresh Salads. Highly recommend.

We celebrated our granddaughter s 22nd birthday on Sunday. We had reservations at 6 pm. We arrived…read morewith the cake. The hostess suggested we let them refrigerate it, which was a great idea! Our meals came out exactly as ordered. The drinks flowed. (The bloody Mary is epic!!) Our server was so attentive. Going back soon for brunch.... and more bloody Mary s!