I'm so glad I finally got to try this place. Everything was great, from the vibes, to the service…read moreand the food! I have also been looking for a sushi that incorporates lemon for a long time now...I was so excited to see that O-ku had one! I had the crispy rice, edamame, salmon & lemon maki, and clouds of white cocktail. I genuinely loved everything; even the tastes I tried of my friend's dishes and cocktails too. The sushi was fresh and some of the best I've had in Raleigh. This place is super cute and cozy. A great atmosphere for a date night or night out with a group. I'll be back for sure.

Let me tell you the WAYYYSSS I love this place: Quality…read moreSushi & ingredients Delicious appetizers ‍ Friendly staffers who go ABOVE & BEYOND I love sushi, but it can be expensive and spending a lot of money on bad sushi is no bueno! I was having a hard time finding a place in Raleigh that served quality ingredient sushi & was worth the price for the quantity. We found ourselves at O-Ku after a friend recommended this place as her favorite sushi in Raleigh. Immediately was impressed, as we came for my birthday & the staff signed a birthday card for me and gave me a surprise dessert. Excellent service! On my 2 year wedding anniversary we came back again bc we loved the sushi the first time and wanted to have delicious food on our special night. The staff once again surprised us with flowers on the table, a special printed menu that said 2nd year Anniversary & a dessert to go. This place is absolutely stunning inside as well. Beautiful restaurant, they also have an intimate outdoor patio with pretty lights. Highly recommend this place for a special occasion or even just a night out if you're looking for the best sushi in Raleigh! Love ya, O-Ku -- we'll be back!

Two nights ago my Aunt, myself and my puppy had the pleasure of spending our dinner at MCAsian…read morecuisine in downtown Cary! We were met upon entering by Zoe who happened to be our waitress! She asked where we would feel most comfortable sitting! The restaurant is situated in an adorable little house! There were a few small rooms indoors and two diff outdoor areas! We chose to try indoors to begin with! I had already called in advance cause I have a pretty severe allergy I needed to make sure they could change things and accommodate for! They were more than happy to be able to do so as everything is made per order! My aunt knows I love a good sangria and wherever we go she always inquires immediately if they have it! They didn't BUT Zoe came right back over, asked how I like my sangria and with what type of wine and said they could make me one! Shortly thereafter we had met Han, the manager, what a delightful and respectable manager who knows how to handle any and all situations! We had now decided we would like to sit outside even tho it was very hot out! She said let me get your things and she then said how about this little private room indoors as she wanted us most comfortable! Even tho my puppy is a service animal the only other couple in that room made a stink immediately and I said let's just go sit outside under the fans and on the deck! Han brought everything out asked about drinks as I had decided to cancel mine but on second thought decided I'd have one! She asked if I like it on the sweeter side etc! Not only was it delicious but the waitress upon bringing it over let me know immediately it was on the house! The food wasn't rushed but came in a very nice and timely manner and with beautiful presentations and the taste of everthing from our appetizers to our mains was of the highest quality! Zoe, Han and even the person who poured our water were the nicest as was the other couple sitting on the patio with us! Overall I'd give MCAsian Cuisine a five star rating and can't wait to return on my next trip to see my Aunt and I know she can't wait to return even before then! Thank you Han, Zoe and everyone at MCAsian! You have set the bar high!

How many great things can I say about Van & her family's restaurant! From the moment I called for…read morereservations on a busy Friday night I felt her warmth connecting through the phone. I have always loved the location I almost purchased this place when it was a home 30 years ago so I have a soft spot for it & now that it's across the street from the lovely cary park it's extra special. They have made great use of the wide porch with my favorite authentic French bistro chairs for outdoor dining or indoors there is a good use of space & atmosphere. This is a family owned dining experience where the husband is the chef, nephew is a waiter & wife at the hostess desk getting to know old & new customers. I hope I can become a regular! The food was superb!! The tempura asparagus was so light & crispy with a tasty sauce. Flambé manchego cheese (who doesn't love a table side fire show;) the tenderloin beef dish was so tender & I enjoyed learning the Vietnamese use the lime juice with salt to use as a sauce. The truffle fries were light & airy. I LOVE fried food did but very few chefs seem to use a good oil & have a light touch with it anymore! The baguette was good. We had the coconut cake & banana Foster's pudding with the very tasty whiskey sauce really filled us up. The ambience is friendly & upscale in a comfortable fashion. I enjoyed interacting with Van & tired a new lemonichello drink that was very much to my liking. There is a wide selection of sake both filtered & unfiltered & an extensive wine selection as well. Also, scotch & port are well represented. I love a full spectrum bar! Van allowed me to try an additional starch Vietnamese potatoes. We will definitely return!! Make this a priority if you're interested in making your meal an extra special treat!

Incredible service, outstanding fish, and a chicy-boob-boom vibe!…read more Probably the place to go number one for a fantastic sushi experience in Charlotte, this is definitely a place where a cool kids go, but you can be 100% DadBod and, as long as you're not in White new balance and cargo pants, they'll let you fit right in. The menu has so many great things on it, and skipping the tuna flight might darn well be criminal. You're gonna enjoy that quite a bit. The service team there is long tenure and really knows what they're doing. They just got a new general manager, and she's got great energy and standards of excellence around her. The AGM is the best dang manager you're ever gonna see! When I have close friends in town, who really want great meal, this is one of the places that we will for sure go. To a great walkable area and while the youngsters there tried to get all the tail feathers up a little too much, don't let that bother you. The restaurant knows what it's about and who it is serving ultimately

My daughter wanted an Omakase experience for her birthday. After reading reviews and comparing a…read morefew places, I decided on O‑Ku. We'd never tried Omakase before, but we've had other curated dining experiences. Upon arrival, we were seated immediately. Our waitress was pleasant, she started on beverages, and explained that the Omakase would be a two‑hour experience...totally fine. Within the first 20 minutes, our first dish arrived and it was excellent...But then...nothing. We waited, and waited, and waited. An entire hour passed before the next dish appeared. I pulled the waitress aside to check on the delay, she explained they had a sudden influx of customers but she'd ask the kitchen to move a little quicker. The food did start coming out after that, and the managers came over to address the delay, which I appreciated, but the damage was done. I wanted a memorable birthday experience for my daughter, and unfortunately it ended up being a bit of a disappointment considering the time and cost. The food itself was delicious, but poor pacing and lack of attention to the customer overshadowed the entire experience. I didn't ask for compensation but the managers took it upon themselves to comp my wine flight. I hope this was a one off experience but I can't say that I'll return to this restaurant.

If you are looking for fresh, beautiful Japanese food that tastes as good as it looks, Omakase by…read moreKai is a great choice! Every dish was super fresh and plated like a work of art. We tried the following: Tuna Tartare Crisp: Spicy, finely chopped tuna served over a crispy seaweed cracker, crunchy and packed with flavor! Scallop Carpaccio: scallops topped with salmon roe Beef Sukiyaki: mini hotpot with tender beef slices Fresh Sashimi & Premium Nigiri: Generous cuts of salmon, tuna, and white fish served ice-cold, along with delicate sushi pieces topped with uni (sea urchin). Crème Brûlée: Ended the meal on a sweet dessert Everything tasted clean, rich, and super fresh. A fantastic multi course dining experience with incredible quality!

we tried omakase by kai for restaurant week and it was fantastic!…read more for appetizers we ordered the shrimp & vegetable tempura mix + shishito peppers. was absolutely mind blowing, so yummy! for our entrees we ordered the chicken hibachi bento and the chefs choice (not pictured due to us not being able to wait to eat it because it looked so good) the speciality roll we ordered was the rolls-royce. arguably the best sushi roll I've had to date in Raleigh. dessert (also not pictured) was the green tea and mango mochi ice cream. mango was not on the set menu but they did offer the flavor. both I would recommend trying. the ambiance was modern and romantic for date night, and our server was great. service was a tad slow which I must imagine was due to restaurant week, that's the only reason I'm rating 4/5 stars. but our server was fantastic and made sure to communicate with us what was going on in the kitchen which we greatly appreciated. we will definitely be adding omakase to our dinner rotation and you should too!

Food was amazing! There was a line down the sidewalk as we…read morepulled up 2 minutes before 5 when they opened but we were seated immediately. (they had one empty table left) We ordered the spider roll, volcano role and the Land and Sea (yes, you could see and taste the real Maine Lobster!) All were delicious and presentation was spectacular! Service was super fast and friendly. We can't wait to go back next time we are any where near Raleigh or Apex!

Here's a polished version of your review:…read more Great service and a very welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant has a nice ambiance with comfortable seating, making it a great place to relax and enjoy a meal. We sampled a variety of sushi rolls, and everything was fresh and delicious. The prices were very reasonable for the quality and portions offered. We're visiting from out of town, but we would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for great sushi and a pleasant dining experience. We look forward to coming back the next time we're in the area!

I was a little hesitant to come because of the reviews but I had a really pleasant experience and…read morethe food was solid. I could decide between the beef and kimchi dumplings or the pork and crab egg rolls. The waitress said they were both her go-tos, so I got both. And I'm glad I did. Super crispy egg rolls, the dumplings were spicyyy and super flavorful. The dough on the dumplings were a little thick and chewy but still good. They have BOGO sushi Monday-Thursday so I got the Kungfu crunch and the North Hills they were both awesome, huge servings! Dim, sexy lighting but also casual. Right in North Hills!

I heard great things about this place, but I was very disappointed. We started with the Crab…read moreRangoon, too much filler and the sauce on the bottom wasn't appetizing (this could simply be personal preference). We order 3 things meals and they only brought two of them, but luckily they didn't try to charge us. My chicken for the hibachi was extremely dry and I didn't enjoy the flavor. Also, there was a roach sitting on the window seal that ruined my appetite.

Great restaurant for lunch! They do close between lunch and dinner hours so just be mindful when…read moreyou get there. The lunch came with a spring roll and it was hot and crunchy with the sweet sauce. I ordered mixed vegetables which was full of a variety of veggies and my husband's beef fried rice had a good portion. Ambiance was nice with beautiful decor. Spacious, clean and comfortable.

Those spring rolls are sooooo good. First time coming here after moving. Very courteous.read more

Lovely local Thai spot, came highly recommended from the hotel I was staying at. I ended up getting…read moreit to go because I had a long day and noticed portion sizes were incredibly smaller compared to if I had dined in. Also placed an order as soon as they opened and they didn't start working on it until I arrived to pick it up. Great flavors though, would recommend the Thai chilli wings and orange chicken!

Yummy food and wonderful human beings! The perfect combo! A nice menu with a lean towards Thai,…read morealthough a few other influences appear as "special guests" -- Tasted the Bulgogi, a Korean beef dish which was super tender and flavorful! But if you don't like onions, stay away -- I love them! Paired with some Tom Kha Soup for a filling, fresh and flavorful meal. All ingredients fresh and tasty. The Service and people were the best! Super friendly! I left my credit card -- Doh! and they had it waiting for me when I arrived the next day to pick it up. With all the goofiness in the world, so nice to know there are people who care and take care of you! Fully recommend Mai Phi! Southern Pines and surrounding area lucky to have such a place and people as part of their community!

Love the place. The food is excellent. The staff was kind and inviting. We will return.read more

Thai Orchid isn't hard to find, as it's right on the main drag. At first glance, I'd guess this…read moreused to be an old school Pizza Hut, or at least the construction and layout remind of the Pizza Huts I remember from the 1980s. My biggest gripe from the experience here was speed of service -- because everything moved at a snail's pace. Ordering, getting food, getting drink refills, getting the check...it all took far too long. I would be less disturbed by this if the restaurant had been unusually busy or otherwise overwhelmed during my visit, but not so. The food I received was reasonably good, not spectacular but more than suitable. My first selection was for spring rolls and once they (finally) arrived they were indeed warm and pretty well made. The outer wrapper of each was burnt a bit on one end, but not a huge effect from that other than visual. I followed up with seafood fried rice at a #2 level of spiciness, and I was rewarded with a heaping plate. Still, the dish was missing something; everything was cooked fine, but the flavor outside of the spice level fell a bit flat. I wouldn't completely cross Thai Orchid off my list, but better Thai food certainly exists. And this should not be your choice of dining options if you're in a rush or trying to keep a tight schedule!

Stopped in while on a business trip. The food was amazing and I loved the quaint setting of the…read moreVillage area. The Rainbow Dragon Roll and Gyoza Steamed Dumplings were cooked to perfection.

Fresh and delicious. The rice was cooked to perfection. Warm and soft. The sushi rolls had a…read morenice amount of fish and tasted great. The soups we had (Tom Yum) and (Won Tom) were both full of flavors. The price for Neko is definitely on the very high side. Same price as we paid up in New York City. However, the quality give me reason to not go elsewhere in Pinehurst. Service was also excellent. Friendly staff and timing was excellent. You get what you pay for and Neko is just that.... We will definitely make this a regular stop when we want sushi.