My second visit to Shanghai Alley is exactly why I believe in second chances. I honestly was not…read morevery impressed during my first visit, but coming back again completely changed my opinion because this place really shined the second time around. They offer a huge variety of dishes ranging from classic Chinese and American Chinese food to handmade dim sum made fresh in house. Everything we tried was packed with flavor, especially the walnut shrimp which I'm still thinking about. The roasted duck and char siu were also standout dishes and you can really tell they put care into the food here. I also love that they specialize in both Sichuan and Cantonese dishes, so there's something for everyone depending on what flavors you're craving. If you want the full dim sum cart experience, definitely stop by on the weekends from 11 to 2. It made the experience feel even more authentic and fun. This visit completely won me over and I'll definitely be back to keep exploring the menu.

Good to know we have more dimsum options in NC. I came on a Saturday morning. Usually on weekends…read morethey have dimsum push carts. I got greeted and seated right away. You have a choice of taking food items off of the push carts that comes by your table like every 10 minutes or so. There are different carts. Some with entrees,some with appetizers and some with desserts. There is plenty of tables inside for group outings. They have booths and round tables. You can opt out of dimsum items and order from the regular menu by scanning the QR code on the table. I was looking forward for sesame balls, shrimp rice or pork rice rolls and fried shrimp balls but they didnt serve them there. Overall good food but not the best Ive had. There dimsum options are more limited then the other dimsum places Ive tried in NC.

It was one of those hectic weekends where the clock struck 10 p.m. and I realized I still hadn't…read morehad dinner. Fortunately, Nan Xiang Express in Durham was still open. The pork soup dumplings were outstanding--the dough was absolutely perfect. They paired beautifully with the chili oil, vinaigrette, and soy sauce provided at the table. The sweet and sour soup also deserves an honorable mention. Beyond the food, it's a beautiful space; the interior would be a fantastic spot to catch a World Cup game!

I really enjoyed my lunch at Nan Xiang Express! This is a fun, fast casual, yet upscale feeling…read morechain specializing in Shanghai-style Chinese foods like soup dumplings, noodles, and drinks. Heads up, the parking lot is kind of small. However, it's not too far from Duke's campus. You can order by kiosk, and sit wherever you'd like and the food came out quickly. The soup noodles were really good! They were well-sized and very flavorful. I also ordered the noodles, which were a decent portion, but didn't really stand out to me as anything special.I think the best part of Nan Xiang was the drinks. I loved the mango pomelo sago. The sago was perfectly tender and the drink wasn't too sweet. Honestly, there were so many drink options, and it was so hard to pick just one. Overall, I liked Nan Xiang express for a quick and convenient option.

Food was surprisingly good. I was craving dim sum in a barbecue state. Spare ribs in black bean…read moresauce, stir fried udon noodles, Chinese broccoli, sui mai, eggplant stuffed with shrimp and sesame balls were all delicious! I love chicken feet but these were not good. It had a weird aftertaste and not as tender. The beef stew was okay but I wouldn't get it again. Soup dumplings were dry. Gyozas were not crispy. There's a bit of a language barrier with the servers. I asked for no onions/scallions in the fried rice or stir fry udon. Upon checking my receipt, it was marked "no veg" and when I asked my server she said "it's just easier to say no veg." I told her we would've liked the carrots and bean sprouts, just no onions/scallions. The conversation was a fail so I gave up. The fried rice lacked color but had nice flavor. Ambiance is great. Wonderful decor indoors with ample seating. I would return when in the area again.

Overall, pleasant experience on a Saturday during lunch time. They pushed dim sum carts and there…read morewere many options both steamed and fried. I liked that they had a menu with pictures if you needed it and that they also came by and named all the items. This is helpful especially for people enjoying dim sum for the first time. This made me believe the waitresses were rather attentive and welcoming to first time guests. When we selected our dim sum they made sure to cut it so that it was easy to share and they also reheated items so they were hotter if they came off the fried cart even without us asking. They also refilled our water several times and checked on us. The restaurant is spacious and has a lot of room outside for parking making it an easier place to bring more people for dim sum compared to other dim sum options in the Triangle area. While I believe the service and the restaurant interior/exterior made the restaurant a great candidate for future visits I do want to note that the dim sum did not seem traditionally Cantonese or up to dim sum standard. There were some dim sum items that I've never seen served in Hong Kong or at traditional dim sum restaurants. Out of the four items I ordered, not all of them were excellent either. Particularly the soup dumplings did not really have soup in them. That being said they still offer the classics like shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and others on the menu but I will have to go back and try them since I ordered other items this visit. The pricing is roughly what you'd expect to see at dim sum restaurants in this area. Overall recommend to visit if you enjoy dim sum experiences.

KoKyu is a new favorite for me! The restaurant interior was full when we arrived on a Saturday…read morenight and we had to wait ~10 minutes to be seated, but they had plenty of seating outside on the patio. The interior is very ecclectic and unique, which I feel is authentic to the feel of the restaurant. The food, however, is worth the wait. There are plenty of filling and flavorful vegan options: We ordered the Ko Faux Bahn and the Tofu and Crispy Rice Lettuce Wrap. Both dishes were delicious but I loved the crispy rice on the lettuce wraps a little extra. I felt the perfect amount of full from splitting both dishes. I will definitely be returning soon to enjoy some of the other dishes!

first of all, I love the atmosphere, the outside patio seating area is very large and inviting! The…read moreflavors of the food are superb, and everyone is so wonderful and nice here! definitely a hidden gem! Took a star away as The kids option was a bit goofy....mostly fries and two small pieces of fish served in a brown paper bag.... sadly my daughter was still hungry and I ended up having to buy an extra kids meal option doubling the cost to the same as an adult option. Somewhat minor, but when paying $20 for a burger, a side of fries would have been nice Family of 4 all in for $106

| Overview + Fast &…read morefriendly customer service + Beef in garlic sauce was well-cooked - Overpriced for the amount of food - Small amount of rice - Menu lacks images - Amount of meat is questionable despite a bunch of vegetables burying them. - Ambiance is not inviting. - They said they ran out of pork belly for the pork dish my wife ordered. | Overall Score: 2.3 | Recommended Alternative Taipei 101 in Cary - has more reasonable prices, larger amount of food for less price, clearer menu, and better ambiance.

Great food at great prices. Super friendly owner. It's always a pleasure to see and talk with her…read more They will customize items. You need to give them a try. Budget friendly too. It's not just takeout. They have seating and seating for family style.

This restaurant pleasantly surprised me. I'm honestly not a huge Chinese food person, and when…read morepicking restaurants, it's usually not something I naturally gravitate toward. I was actually a little nervous going in because certain Chinese dishes tend to upset my stomach, so I tried to avoid some of the heavier noodle and chicken dishes that normally do that to me. Honestly, I think that was the best decision because I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and felt completely fine afterwards. I started with the crab rangoons, which were perfectly creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside -- absolutely delicious. Then I tried the pork-filled bao buns, which was my first time ever having them, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed them too. Everyone else at our table seemed to really enjoy their food as well. I genuinely didn't hear a single complaint. We also ordered some drinks that were delicious, and both our server and the rest of the staff were absolutely fantastic and very welcoming throughout the night. The atmosphere and vibes inside are honestly one of the coolest parts of the experience. It somehow feels like a mix between a brewery, a florist, a bookstore, and a Chinese restaurant all at once. It's such an interesting and unique space that doesn't really feel like anywhere else. Overall, this was a great experience, and I would absolutely come back to try more items on the menu.

Ambiance - casual, intimate, great for small and large groups…read moreService - exceptional, server was knowledgeable and polite Food - super unique dim sum brewery spot, the dim sum came out hot, highly recommend the Nasi Goreng crab fried rice

This was by far the most disappointing Chinese meal I've had. The scallion pancakes barely had any…read morescallions--maybe one piece in each--and when I mentioned it, the server insisted that's just how they prepare them. The vegetable lo mein was just as underwhelming, with only a small amount of carrots, scallions, and broccoli, lacking real flavor while somehow being overly salty. We also ordered the eggplant with basil, but the sauce was thick, overly sticky, and tasted more like sugar than anything else. I can't understand how this could be considered authentic. We had visited this restaurant about ten years ago, and the quality has clearly declined since then.

Decided to come here for a weekday dinner on a whim & so glad that we did! This was also my first…read moreforay into Downtown Cary, which is super cute. We got the: - Scallion Roasted Beef Pancake Roll: Definitely recommend getting this as an appetizer! The scallion pancake is super crispy with unbelievably tender beef inside & perfect amount of sweetness from the hoisin sauce. - Griddle Chicken with Mixed Vegetables: I've never eaten anything like this before, and absolutely loved it. Loved all the spices- cumin, fennel, doubanjiang- & the mala essence; the crispy, tender chicken; and the variety of vegetables, especially the lotus root. - Shrimp Ho-Fun: The shrimp were tender & the wide rice noodles have such a fun, bouncy texture; a flavorful dish. - Spicy Boiled Fish: The fish was super flaky; Taipei 101's version of this has a bit less mala flavor than I like, but this was still tasty. - Chinese Braised Pork: The pork was tender with a good amount of fat and I appreciated the bok choy, but it was a bit too sweet for me. Ambiance is nice, lots of tables. Service was fast. There are parking spots in front of the restaurant, but a little limited in number. 10/10 would recommend!

In town for my niece's graduation and went here for her graduation celebration. This place is no…read morefrills but the food is great. We ordered several dishes and my favorite are the dan dan noodles, crispy fish and sesame tofu. I didn't take any pictures since we were all hungry. The only glitch was my brother ordered salt and pepper calamari and the waitress thought we said salt and pepper ribs. I didn't think she spoke or understood English very well. She was the only waitress working. We were the only customers there and slowly there were more.

This restaurant is conveniently located in Carrboro with parking available. I ordered the mapo…read moretofu, Kung Pao lotus root, eggplant with garlic sauce all to-go. The staff member I interacted with was super kind and gave me extra fortune cookies and utensils, which I appreciated. The vibe is definitely hole in the wall, but you can tell it's a family-run and that they care a lot about the food. The food was solid and it had that mala flavor that I was looking for. Portion sizes were pretty generous and they gave me a ton of rice with each dish. Overall, decent Sichuanese food!