Bida Manda mean "father and mother" in Sanskrit. This restaurant was started by siblings (a…read morebrother and a sister), and they named their restaurant to honor their parents. What a great idea! I like to come here for one dish: the squash curry or the pumpkin curry. It's either vegetarian or vegan, so yeah, it's pretty much the highlight of the menu as far as I'm concerned. It's called the Manda Curry or Mom's Curry: Slow-cooked house coconut curry with fresh root vegetables, jasmine rice, and pumpkin. It reminds me of Vientiane Palace's Squash Curry. Upscale ambience!

I have not been to Bida Manda in years. It is a classic in downtown Raleigh and highly regarded as…read morethe predecessor to Brewery Bhavana. We came in with some friends on a Monday to celebrate a birthday. My friend has a gluten and dairy allergy, which was actually no problem here. So if that is a dietary concern for you or a loved one - this is a great spot to bring them! We were all able to enjoy a majority of the food. My partner and I both enjoyed a mocktail version of the roselle freezy - it was amazing! Either as a mocktail or a cocktail, you should try this drink. For starters, we had the crispy chicken wings, spring rolls with veggies, and the lettuce wraps. We all enjoyed the chicken wings so much that we got a second order of them. I enjoyed the spring rolls much more than the lettuce wraps as they had more flavor to them. For dinner, we shared an order of the Manda Amphone's Curry and the chicken pad thai. I originally did not expect to be blown away by the pad thai - boy, was I wrong. This is hands down the best pad thai I have ever had. If you love pad thai, you need to try theirs. I also thoroughly enjoyed the curry. Both dishes were rich and flavorful and came with enough to share between 4 adults. Overall, not having been to Bida Manda in 10+ years, I was impressed and will definitely return.

I have to say about this little gem, I've been cheating myself…read more Why is it that I moved to my current location in 2021, and never think to look at places on Six Forks Road? Maybe it's because I lived in Wake Forest, maybe it's because I work there still, IDK, but I've glad I can make up for lost time now. A friend wanted to meet for lunch and suggested this place. Funny thing, he got the orange chicken and didn't really like it. It is VERY orangey. I got one of the other lunch specials, I think maybe the beef basil one. Mine was good, so good in fact that a few weeks later when my family was needing an Asian fix, I sent them to Ni Asian. They were pleased, but got Chinese food. Last week, my daughter and I went, and wow, yes, WOW............I got the noodle dish listed first on menu (not a lunch special), ad it was good, but my daughter got the Pad See Ew, something I have never ordered, being a Drunken Noodle fan myself..........but I tasted hers, and it was so good, I was jealous. So, yeah, we went AGAIN yesterday, she got the Pad See Ew again, and I tried the Drunken Noodles, which were amazing..........not spicy like I'm used to getting, but so flavorful. What will I try next?

Love their Spicy Korean wings and the lettuce wraps are delicious! Everything is always delicious…read moreand the staff is great too!

Amazing quality and service! Ordered drunken noodles with extra wide noodles…read more A great and authentic food for take out before a wedding.

My go-to Thai restaurant! This place is a favorite of mine, and the fact that it's right next door…read moreto my nail shop is a bonus! Whenever I get my nails done, I go right next door and have lunch here after I'm done. The pad see ew is my favorite dish here! I also LOVE their Thai iced tea! The menu has so many dishes to choose and the prices are very reasonable. The staff are always so nice and friendly! It's a small restaurant, but they also have outdoor seating.

Our party of three used take-out service. All three of us confirm that food is excellent esp Thai…read moreselections! Restaurant called us 30 mins after our pick up to ask if the spicing on our selections was as ordered. We confirmed that it was fine, but were impressed that they would bother to call us about a possible misunderstanding on their part!

Service was easy, no complaints there. Singapore rice noodles were good but different , it doesn't…read morehave curry, instead it's like a soy sauce. Also the spicy actually isn't spicy at all for the 5 star spice I wanted. Okay portion , two meals was about 30$. A little worth the price but just wishing the curry was incorporated into it . Overall not bad.

This was such a gem of a find! We were craving great Thai food and my maps pulled up Thai Villa as…read morewe drove home from a doctor's appointment. LOVE THIS new find. The spring roll was so fresh it tasted as if the herbs had just been picked. I loved my panang curry - perfect heat to the dish and so delicious. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his cashew chicken. We even ordered an extra entree to take home, and it was fabulous as well. The owner is named Midji (spelling?) and is so caring and kind. The kitchen team really has a handle on authentic Thai food at a great price point.

I've driven by this place a million times and seen the sign yet never stopped. Today I decided to…read morefinally check this place out and I'm glad I did! The food here is phenomenal! I got the pad Thai and it was some of the best pad thai I've had in many years! Also the service here is really good. The only semi-negative thing I can say is that the bathrooms here are super tiny.

I love the food at this restaurant, my favorite dish being Duck Kee Mao. The seasoning is spot on…read moreand it is cooked to perfection. Topped with a Thai Iced Coffee, delicious!

We drove 20+ minutes to get Thai and walked in to a totally empty restaurant. Eventually they…read morenoticed us and asked if we were picking up "to go" order. I said no, we wanted to eat here and asked if we can sit down. She asked if we needed a menu. Yes we have never been here. She asked my phone number which I thought was weird. I gave her my phone number. After reviewing the menu my husband and I ordered. She asked us to pay before we got our food. Weird ‍ We asked for water and it came in a plastic cup with a lid. Then our food came packaged to go. Someone else walked in and wanted to dine in too. I'm sure he will be shocked when they give him his order in a bag as well. We brought the food home which was not the plan. Food was decent but overpriced in my opinion. I tipped in advance and tipped too high based on service and experience. The ambiance is very lacking and there is no indication on the door that this is a TAKEOUT restaurant. Maybe most know this but when we walked in we told them this was our first time. Bad vibe and nit likely to go back.

Stumbled upon this place on a holiday when a lot of restaurants were closed. It is located in a…read morenice neighborhood and definitely feels like a welcoming place to eat or meet up with a friend. I saw a lot of kids walk in and families come in and out, suggesting to me that it really serves the neighborhood or community it is located in. That's a feeling I don't get at restaurants that often and I think is unique to this place because of its location. Enjoyed the flavors of the food much more than I anticipated. I particularly found the popcorn shrimp to be fried well, juicy, and have a lovely yuzu flavor. The rice to protein ratio for the Basil Rice was off but the flavor was delicious. The ramen was pleasant but not outstanding. Overall prices are on the higher side for what they serve. The service was satisfactory. Served well but the staff was not necessarily warm or friendly. Recommend it for a cute, casual date or family friendly spot!

Good food but mid drinks, unfortunately. Friendly employees. Great casual option for Asian food…read more Cute mural on the wall inside. The strawberry matcha? Was super disappointing and boba wasn't that fresh but the food really is fantastic.

Highly recommend making a reservation! Our reservation was at 9pm on a Saturday night and the…read moreentire restaurant was PACKED! I was really surprised that even at that hour the whole restaurant was busy. The interior was stunning!! I loved the lighting fixtures and drappy curtains. I would say that I didn't like that they dimmed the lights sooo low that I could barely see my food or my friend across the table. There's mood lighting and then there's "I can't see lighting" and it was definitely the latter, which I didn't care for. The food was absolutely amazing!!!! 10 out of 10, the staff was also incredible! Can't wait to come back for more! My favorite was the Pork & Chive Shumai (dumplings with caviar) it was my first time trying caviar and I loved it. I didn't like the seafood dumplings as much as I expected. They were really good. I just loved the pork ones more. The beef and crab rice was also EXCELLENT!!!! Well worth the price. Beautiful place.

Cantonese cuisine is well-executed at this restaurant…read more My husband and I ordered the curry chicken baos, tofu skin cold noodles, and Generals Tso chicken. The curry chicken baos were my husband's favorite. They were soft and bouncy baos filled with a spiced curry. I enjoyed the bouncy cold noodles as a palate cleanser between my favorite dish, General Tso's chicken. It was a delicate batter with juicy, flavorful dark meat chicken. I also ordered a pot of jasmine tea, which elevated the overall dining experience. The restaurant is beautiful with lots of natural light. Though I do think service could use some help. Our server was not very attentive. Our experience was extended not due to food wait, but for the time the server would continue to move service along with taking orders, and expediting the check.

Great fresh food with fabulous flavor! Presentation was really nice, but the flavors of both mine…read moreand my husband's food is what impressed me! Already looking forward to next visit which will be soon!

This restaurant is located in a shopping plaza with other businesses. We dined at a table outside…read moreduring our visit. The business has a rewards program that you can sign up for which includes getting a discount for your birthday. Our server, Xavier, was friendly and helpful. I ordered the basil spicy chicken with rice. It was fresh and flavorful. I would come back and get it again.

I used to love this restaurant and was a loyal customer for years, which makes this experience…read moreespecially disappointing. I ordered the lo mein, bamboo flounder fish, and a side of fried rice. Unfortunately, the lo mein was extremely greasy, the fried rice was overly salty, and the shrimp was hard, overcooked and not fresh. When I informed the waiter that I would not be eating the lo mein due to its condition, I was told that I would still have to pay for it and that it did not matter whether I liked it or not. He initially refused to remove the dish from my bill. After eventually taking it off, he told me that he never wanted to see my face again as I was leaving. What disappoints me most is that I genuinely enjoyed this restaurant and had been a repeat customer. The decline in food quality combined with the way my concerns were handled has left a very negative impression. Unfortunately, I will be taking my business elsewhere.

Chuan cafe is a cozy hidden gem in North Raleigh. The shopping center it's in is definitely in an…read moreunassuming strip mall, but trust me the food and the service are worth It! I came right before a show at the Alamo Drafthouse around the corner, which makes it the perfect night out for dinner and show. It looks like a lot of people order takeout here, but they have ample tables and do offer an excellent dine in service. I loved their green beans and eggplant. All their food felt more authentic and homestyle than your typical run of the mill Chinese place. The food had flavor, and it wasn't overly greasy either! I'll definitely come back next time in near north Raleigh.