Our go-to dim sum spot near Chapel Hill!…read more This is a wonderful family-run restaurant that blends modern simplicity with traditional charm. The staff are incredibly friendly and hardworking, and the atmosphere feels both welcoming and authentic. All items are affordable and with reasonable prices! It's the only legit dim sum place near Chapel Hill/Carrboro, about a 25-minute drive for us--and we gladly make the trip almost every week. We simply can't get enough of their food! Warning: Everything on their menu is dangerously addictive. You've been warned! Our Favorites 2. Pork Dumpling (Siu Mai / Siomai) -- Steamed pork in a wonton wrapper, perfectly juicy with just the right balance of pork and vegetables in every bite. A delicious classic done right. 6. Beef Onion Dumpling in Chili Sauce -- One of the best dumplings we've had--and we've been to dim sum spots all over the world! The beef is flavorful and juicy, wrapped in a thin, perfectly chewy skin. The chili sauce complements the filling beautifully without overpowering it. Generous portion, amazing value, flawless execution. 9. Steamed BBQ Pork Bun -- Soft, fluffy buns filled with mildly sweet BBQ pork. Comforting, classic, and delicious every time. 11. Egg Yolk Bun -- Lightly sweet custard filling inside soft steamed buns. The perfect bite of dessert to end your dim sum feast. 16. Bean Skin Stuffed with Pork -- Juicy, lightly seasoned pork wrapped in delicate bean skin. Flavorful but not overpowering--simple and satisfying. 27. Crispy Shrimp Ball -- Juicy and lightly seasoned shrimp goodness inside a crispy ball. They disappeared into the void of my stomach as soon as they touched our table. 28. Crispy Taro Puff with Chicken -- Think of these as bite-sized empanadas with savory, well-seasoned chicken inside--like the best mini chicken pot pies! Crispy, flavorful, and completely addictive. I could easily eat 30 of these! 41. Crispy Beef Onion Pot Sticker -- Pan-fried to golden perfection for that satisfying crunch. The beef and chives inside are juicy and flavorful, and the portions are generous. I dream about these dumplings when I'm asleep. Absolute perfection. Take all my money! The Finishing Touch Dim sum is meant to be enjoyed with tea, and they offer a simple traditional brew that pairs beautifully with every dish. If there's one downside--it's that they're only open Friday through Sunday. We wish they were open all week! Everything on their menu is so good! Best Dimsum and service in Durham!

Objectively speaking, this is one of the better dim sum options within the area, and is a great…read morelocation to get some of the classic dim sum options. I've had the pleasure of eating some really good dim sum, and while I can admit that the dim sum here will never be as good as places in New York, I can say that they do a decent job and that the experience will be enjoyable for any eater. Rather than delivering dishes on the traditional cart, Dim Sum Asian Bistro uses a menu where you can mark off the dishes that you want. There are a lot of different steamed, fried, and a la carte options that you can choose from. A lot of the basics are done pretty well. They have good pan fried dumplings, shrimp dumplings, shao mai, and coconut pudding. They also have some other, complex dishes that we really enjoy. Their curry powder turnip cake is some of the best out there. The curry flavor pops and the fry is absolutely perfect. Crispy on the outside, but warm and soft on the inside. They also make their chicken feet really well, which is a tough one to do sometimes. I know that there will be some good options. Although Dim Sum Asian Bistro has some good things, they also serve some things that you would just be better off not ordering. They have three different types of rice crepe dishes with meat. Their best is easily the shrimp, and you should stick to that. In fact, I would avoid the beef version at all costs, it is made with a beef paste and the texture was so strange, it was kind of unappetizing! I also think their fried rice could use some work, and I think some items, like their custard buns, could have come from the frozen section. I think my family can be pretty critical about dim sum since it has been a big part of our personal culture. However, sometimes I feel I need to take a step back and look at it broadly. I've come here with some of my friends who don't eat dim sum consistently and they are always wowed by the experience. From that perspective, I can see how this place hits the mark. They serve pretty authentic food and make it taste good. There is always a buzz about the restaurant and people come and go over the weekend. It's no wonder you might have to wait to get a table, Dim Sum Asian Bistro is definitely doing something right!

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.

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.

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!

The staff at Szechuan were absolutely amazing and super welcoming! Made it feel like I've been here…read more100s of times! Also the food was phenomenal to add as a cherry on top, also they were very patient with us not having Hotpot before!

Amazing service, everyone is so kind and positive. Food is very delicious, highly recommend.read more

We've seen Chirba Chirba around at different food events, so it was fun that they came right into…read moreour neighborhood! We tried the mini spicy chicken and juicy dumplings....GET BOTH!! They were really good. The regular and pineapple sauces were our favorites. Didn't love the glass noodles, but the fried rice was great and the portions are big. Staff was super friendly too. Definitely a food truck we'll keep an eye out for!

Caught Chriba Chirba on a beautiful Sunday at Joymongers in Greensboro. Very friendly and super…read morequick...I placed my order went in for a drink came back out and it was ready. I had the juicy pork dumplings and they were as advertised...juicy and full of flavor. They had a spicy bean sauce as a condiment that was excellent. Also, I had a bourbon lemonade from Joymongers and it was the perfect pairing. I had an order of 6 dumplings and that was a great size for a light lunch. I will definitely search them out in the future.

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.