I got to work on a more scientific scale. I am not even sure pretty good is better or not bad is better, alright probably is the same as ok, excellent should be better than very good, oh well.
Thai
1800 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC
http://www.twistednoodles.com/
This must be one of the top 5 worst dinning experience I ever have.
- Beef, duck (stew) noodle soup are ok. The food really does not matter when the service is so terribe.
Just opened a month ago (Aug 2009?) in Chapel Hill, there isone in Durham according to
its webpage.
I think the place used to China Chef.
After the bus table girl sat us down and gave us menu and water, she forgot to give us silverware and napkin.
15-20 min before waitress showed up to take order. I asked what the difference between broth and summer style, and which noodle is +1, egg or just thin or thick rice, it is completely unclear from the menu. I cannot really understand of what she said, something about regular is the thin noodle, but is it egg or rice, which you don't have to add $1, whatever, just give us the regular.
Ppeople from kitchen came out to give us food instead (good thing they have chopstick and spoon with them), then we heard the girls next table said worst service they ever have, oh boy. (it took them like 30-45 min before got their bills right, oh mine.)
Duck is not right, supposed to be duck stew, it is just sliced duck (same as roast duck w/o roasted skin I assume) waitress never came to give us napkin and silverware or refill water or sauce.
After we finished, first time she asked whether we need anything, too late.
Have to ask for the check, it took so long, I just dropped the credit card w/o looking at it. She held it and cleaned another table before go to process it.
While i was thinking not giving any tips, noticed one of the dish price is wrong $9.95 instead of $8.95.
I have to walk over to cashier computer and told her the bill is wrong and point it out on the to go menu's price, usually when that happens, they are very apologetic.
Ar ar, no, she said I have the special noodle so it is $1 more w/o even looking at the order, and then she check the in house menu like it could be the togo menu is wrong, geesh.
I told her i didn't even understand the difference which noodle is $1 more, how could i even order that. And mine was exactly the same as my wife's noodle, her entry doesn't have $1 more.
Then she said i can fix it in the tip, no sure how to break it to her, I ain't going to give her zippo. So i told her to get it right just void the thing and start over, 10 min she still can't figure out how to fix the price in the computer and has to get another waiter to void the credit card, he punched it wrong and locked up the credit card machine and has to wait for it to time out. Neither one say one sorry the whole time. And they did not give me the copy of the wrong receipt and the voided receipts either. There is no manager in sight that can complain to (neither email address in webpage)
Do not even go there.
5210 Garrett Rd Durham, NC 27707-3450
chinese
It is a small place, can be packed some times. Get the authentic chinese menu.
I think lady there taking phone order speaks Cantoneses.
301E. Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510
chinese - Szechuan
used to be buffet, changed to menu only Sept 16, 2009.
桂花鹽水鴨 Osmanthus fragrans (sweet olive flower) salty water duck fairly good.
巴蜀豆腐 (Bashu Tofu), the english menu is wrong (that's a good thing), it is actually not chilly sauce over cube tofu, but more a extremely fresh fish fillet, shrimp, ham, shitake mushroom, chinese vegetable with fish ball style tofu, very good.
Hot tea is a bit expensive, $2, and the tea bag they used was not very good.
a little chaotic when we hit it the 2nd day of opening. One of the entree's price was wrong on the check, didn't take into account the opening special price (only listed in Chinese up front on a board), the cashier fixed it immediately (unlike that twisted noodle gang), and the 10% off opening discount is not on the check, only during ring up.
The second time we went that after a week was better. We got the chinese menu. Too bad they were out of 米線 （rice noodle）and the pan fried noodle's sauce was too sweet (the lady said they can customize it for us next time). We tried 雲南米線 (yun nan)another time, it was really good. They were out of pork, so they use beef stew( 牛腩) instead, it was excellent. Turned out 雲南米線 does not use 米粉 (thin rice noodle), but thick semi-transparent one (called 濑粉 in Hong Kong). Becareful, it is very spicy though.
(don't park across the street, there is a sign said you will be towed)
3003 Guess Rd, Durham, NC 27705-2634
chinese - dim sum on weekend
the ladies there speaks Cantoneses.
1742 N Fordham Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC
chinese buffet
has clams and ~6 dim sum.
790 Martin Luther King Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (used to be Airport Rd)
chinese (supposedly dim sum on sunday)
got beef stew noodle soup, beef ho fun (Shahe fen)
1826 Martin Luther King #J, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (used to be Airport Rd)
asian - chinese
san shan shanghai (not exactly sure what kind of 上海麵 that is), san shan jan pong noodle (korean), singapore noodle are all alright. dan dan noodle is the better one.
it sometimes has zha jiang noodle 炸醬麵 also.
4831 Nc Highway 55, Durham, NC 27713
asian buffet
Cook on order noodles - Vietnamese Beef, Wonton (no shrimp, just meat, also comes w/ cha siu aka roast/BBQ pork) , Curry
a lot of different flavor ice cream (mango, orange etc.)
buffet is not bad either - crawlfish, beef stew with red and white carrot, cabbage soup beside hot & sour soup.
mexican ochata drink is available also
6801 Fayetteville Rd, Renaissance Center at Southpoint, Durham
chinese
cantonese scallops and dan-dan noodles are pretty good
usually quite busy
nothing to do with the restaurant -SouthPoint mall does not allow animal even in parking lot, just like Disney Market Place, the mall cop lady in golf cart would politely asked you go away.
410 Market Street, Suite 320, Chapel Hill, NC. 27516 (in Southern Village, unlike SouthPoint or Disney, where a lot of dogs walk around, some times may even see one without leash)
Singapore/Chinese
very authentic noodle soup.
Korean tofu - B.B.Q.
2107 Allendown Dr, Durham, NC 27713
http://www.asianaromarestaurant.com/
100 Jerusalem Drive Morrisville, NC 27560
go for the chinese menu - authentic wonton noodle 雲吞麵, chinese vegetable 清炒豆芽 (supposedly shark fin soup 港式碗仔翅 also in one of their ad before? )
9601 Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville, NC 27560-6902
buffet
cook to order noodle
4215 University Dr # 2, Durham, NC 27707-2527
chinese and Korean
very good deal hot pot 火鍋
2223 NC-54, Durham, NC 27713
chinese/korean noodles.
I think the waitress said owners of the two 燕京 are related, they have similar food.
3808 Guess Road Durham 27705
chinese
i think it suppose to have dimsum on weekends also, opened in Jan 2008
431 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
malaysian & thai
海南鷄 hainan chicken is actually more regular chinese style chicken, not greasy enough. (my old neighbor are native from hainan island, got to eat the real deal all the time when I was a kid)
wonton noodle soup is alright, the wonton not quite there.
(ad said also has 檳城沙爹 海鲜河粉)
261 S Elliott Rd,
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
japanese fast food - has udon
noodle soup only in lunch menu, not dinner menu
it can get really really hot in that place.
the dinnerware has a funny green color.
6118 Farrington Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Japanese
Age togu and banto boxes pretty good
116 Old Durham Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Japanese
Udon is ok
there is a Japanese style room there with tatemi.
54
Japanese fast food, almost look exactly like Japan Express's layout.
206 W Main St, Carrboro, NC 27510
Japanese
Can't remember anything about it except the deco is ok. Food must not be very exciting
2223 NC Hwy 54 Durham, NC 27713
Can't remember much about the food there either, I think it is just ok.
105 N Columbia St, Chapel Hill, NC
japanese
udon is kind of bland there. got a conveyor belt style sushi there
1201 Raleigh Rd # L, Chapel Hill, NC (Glen Lennox Shopping Center)
Another one of the modern asian fusion place. A bit expensive, very good and professional service, nice decor - red/green wall, big B/W 60s photos of people in china. (I am not so sure about the choice though, some people may like to too much to eat under a pictures of young soldiers holding up Mao's Red book), white dinnerware.
Food is alright, suppose to be a blend of chinese and vietnamese.
http://www.redlotusasiankitchen.com/
239 S Elliot Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515
chinese
another one of those asian fusion place. non-traditional, more contemporarily deco (large B/W still life prints), all white, funny looking plates, and more expensive.
does have authentic shanghai dishes like 東坡肉，上海炒粗， if you got one of the america waiter, you may have ask one of the chinese waiter/waitress exactly what those are in the special menu.
chinese
sometimes can be slow, got authentic dishes (in Chinese), the lady speaks Cantoneses.
2815 Brentwood Rd Raleigh NC 27604
chinese
some authentic dishes.
200 W Franklin St # 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Vietnamese.
no parking there, need to park across the street and walk across.
beef noodle soup not bad
2105 E NC Highway 54, Durham, NC 27713
Korean
pretty good lunch dishes. I think it now has on table stove for BBQ also
4015 University Drive, Durham
Durham (one in Cary also and has dim sum on weekend I think)
new age asian fusion with nice decor.
food is not that authentic, americanized and over priced.
chinese
one of the dishes is authentic, can't remember which. We went there 30 min. before crossing, the front desk girl sit us in a section that's already half closed, the waitress of that part forgot about us for 15 min before realized she has customer.
chinese
nothing special, another Asian Fusion one with nice decor, over priced, occasionally one or two half or miss authentic chinese place.
Thai
soup is pretty good
inside supermarket
chinese
inside supermarket
chinese
authentic, menu is in chinese
sometimes has 九層塔炒蜆 special, you can ask them to skip that herb if you want.
noodle soup not bad either.
1135 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary
chinese
chef changed in 2009? It used to more Taiwan style.
10251 Little Brier Creek Lane Brier Creek Raleigh, NC 27617
over priced asian fusion
2945 S Miami Blvd, Durham, NC 27703
Vietnamese
very good noodle soup
969 N Harrison Ave
Vietnamese
nice cafe style decord
alright noodle soup
103 E Main St., Carrboro, NC
chinese
I think only one of the tofu dishes is authentic
5410 Nc Highway 55, Durham
Thai
food is alright, another one of those basically no service, the server dropped the food and disappeared one.
1270 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh
you pile food in a bowl and gave the chef to cook on huge hot plate, which is not new anymore, you can get it in some chinese restaurants (like Hong Kong King (Winston-Salem), or even Wake Forest University's cafeteria (Fresh Market))
http://www.imperialgardenrestaurant.com/
7713-15 Leadmine Road, Raleigh, NC
Greystone Village Shopping Center
menu said it has szechuan mustard green with bean thread noodle,
winter melon soup,
singapore noodles,
cantonese fish kew ??
602 Jones Ferry Rd # R, Carrboro, NC
to go?
3433 Hillsborough Rd Durham, NC 27705
supposed have authentic menu, The server didn't offer it when I was there last time. Otherwise just american chinese food.
1039 South Main Street, Graham , NC 27253 (exit 147 on I40)
typical buffet.
they do have raw oyster for dinner.
few of the places that actually matches the name, there are a lot of bamboos in there, little pots that you can buy for $8/$11. Bamboo in all the seating dividers.
The plates are funny though, they said Luck Bamboo, instead of Lucky, oops.
The tea pot and tea cups are really cute, but too small.
The menu is funny also, the photo in it is not the restaurant's buffet, not even the same layout. It is actually not that uncommon, oh well.
http://www.fullkeerestaurant.com/
3793 Samet Drive #140, High Point. (go in from Sutton Way, you can't actually see it too easily if you drive on Samet Dr.)
chinese
It is not the same as the two very authentic Full Kee in DC (chinatown and falls church). Web page said it used to be "Blue Diamond Chinese Gourmet" in DC.
The waitress said the chef is from Hong Kong. Beef stew in hot pot is real deal. (it doesn't come in hot pot though, just on a plate. And the waiter didn't give us the Chinese menu) Not bad. The second time we went there, they use a metal pot and got the chinese menu sheet (only in one of the two menus though)
Hong Kong Style Seafood Chow Mein is not so good, americanized - slice carrot, mushroom (not shitake), you expect more from a place billed as fine dinning (it is a bit expensive), need to try harder to be more authentic. Pan fried noodle is slight over cooked, a bit too crispy.
Tofu with crab meat is ok. Tofu is in small cubes, not the usually bigger size.
Menu said it only has beef noodle soup (hofun, egg noodle/rice noodle) and marinated beef noodle soup (what's the difference? Vietnamese style?) for lunch, but the waiter said if you ask for them for dinner, they actually would make those for you.
985 Peters Creek Pkwy Winston Salem, NC 27103-4551
chinese
get the chinese menu, west lake beef soup 西湖牛肉羹, shredded pork soup 榨菜肉絲湯, stuff tofu，salt and pepper shrimp, etc. are quite good.
one of the lady there speaks Cantoneses.
Definitely try winter melon soup 八寶冬瓜湯 when it is in season, pretty good.
3374 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Japanese
Opened on 2009.10.25. Excellent lunch Nabeyaki Udon. Noodle soup that comes with shrimp tempura, porched egg, shitaki mushroom, scallop, crab stick. It is pretty tasty while the soup base not too heavy. Miso soup with silk tofu that comes with it is good too. Sushi roll with crab meat and avocado roll has a thin rice roll on the outside instead of the really thick one other restaurants usually ended up making, really fresh. The presentations are very nice also for the dishes, ingredients nicely arranged.
Went back again in 2009.11 for the dinner Nabeyaki Udon (more expensive and no miso soup), it is still fresh and good, but I would say go at lunch. Got to try the edamame (枝豆), not bad too (They are in a funny shape bowl also).
Couple of minor issues, not about the food though. It is quite dark in there even at noon time towards the back of the restaurant, I can barely read my Kindle even facing it toward the window. And they have a funny disco style laser lamp that spread green/red dots on the ceiling and walls. It spills onto the table and it wobbles a bit so the dots "shake" ever so slightly continously. Reading in there is not advisable. The western still life paintings are kind of out of place also, when you expect kimono or an umbrella. I am also not crazy about the modern style dinnerware. Fairly square-ish bowls, may look contemporary, not the best to drink soup from (if you don't use spoon and try to get the last drop). I much rather have traditional round ones.
One thing I never understand, it is not just for this restaurant, every one does that - why they never turn on close caption on their TV? There were some interesting (disturbing) breaking news on CNN at that time, with volume off, I can't tell what's going on except the streamer scrolling on the bottom. Is that some kind of cable/satellite TV restriction, CC copyright IP issue?
Winston-Salem
Japanese
udon and sushi ok, special beef hibachi is pretty good deal also.
Winston-Salem
Japanese, Thai
service was not that greet, nobody came to refill the water for the whole lunch when we were there, the food is alright. They also over charged us wrong on credit card, have to go back and get my money back. (it also happened to us once in the Mimi's Cafe Alamance Crossing)
Winston-Salem
Thai
passable beef noodle soup. duck and curry entree are pretty good, dessert is excellent.
Winston-Salem (inside Harris Teeter)
pretty good beef noodle soup. Curry is alright
Monday's rice soup is very good.
219 W 4th St
pretty good beef noodle soup. A bit expensive, $11.95 for combo with 2 or 3 kinds of beef (V1 and V2), $10.95 for one kind of beef (ball/rare/tendor).
Winston-Salem
Japanese
nothing special
Winston-Salem
Japanese
nothing special
Winston-Salem
Japanese
nothing special. I think ramen is way over price. I hope I got it rigth, I got it and Ishi confused sometimes.
Winston-Salem
Japanese
nothing special
5086 Peters Creek Pkwy, Winston Salem, NC
Japanese
Can't remember what they have, but I remember is alright when we went there no longer after it opens
2995 Bethesda Pl, Winston Salem, NC
Japanese
another one of those you are not sure they are chef or clown "Steak & Seafood" place
(moved from University Parkway to Nort Point Blvd. in 2009) Winston-Salem
Japanese
nothing special, I think it is overpriced
Winston-Salem
Chinese
buffet, got Mongolian grill, clams (and Lobster on weekends)
Winston-Salem
Chinese
curry beef rice noodle soup is pretty good. Malaysian lunch are good too.
Winston-Salem
Chinese
buffet, nothing special but cheap
2091 Peters Creek Pkwy, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese
buffet, nothing special
5723 University Pkwy Winston Salem, NC 27105-1378
Chinese
buffet, nothing special
984 Peters Creek Pkwy, Winston Salem, NC 27105-1378
Chinese
buffet, nothing special
1086 Hanes Mall Blvd, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese
buffet, nothing special
134 N.Spruce Street, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese
Another asian fusion place. Singapore noodle is passable. I would rather it be cheaper than has a fancy menu placed inside a bamboo tube.
Northpoint, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese
to go
fast.
chinese vegetable shrimp, shrimp with lobster sauce, beef with brocolli (I wish it is real chinese brocolli 芥蘭 instead) are not bad.
Better deal at lunch than dinner, hot & sour soup is included for specials.
2822 University Pkwy, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese
to go place, nothing special
Winston-Salem
Chinese
to go place, nothing special
3040 Healy Dr, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese
Hot and sour soup is different than other places, can't remember how different, it is not better or worse, just different
612 Hanes Mall Blvd, Winston Salem, NC
Chinese/Japanese
Yaki noodle is alright. No udon soup though
Winston-Salem
Chinese
to go place, nothing special, Singapore Noodle is pretty good.
Winston-Salem
Chinese
to go place, nothing special
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
ARAMARK run cafeteria
Be careful on chinese days - Grilled beef chinese noodle's sauce (@cook to order pasta station) and bok choy soup, they are supposed to be lightly salty, not sweet, and they are really really sweet. I have to used up the every square inches of the whole comment card and tell one of the people there the next day, hope it is better next time.
King
Chinese
to go place, nothing special. One time I did get beef noodle soup that does not have beef it in, check your to go.
607 S Main St, King
Japanese
nothing special
(name changed recently in 2009)
161 Retail Cir, King, NC (next to Mountain View Road Food Lion)
Japanese to go
nothing special
4045 Premier Dr, High Point, NC
Japanese
nothing special, if I remember correctly, it is alright
5318 W Market St, Greensboro, NC
Korean
very good BBQ
510 Nicholas Rd, Greensboro, NC
Korean
very good Korean buffet, BBQ buffet, sushi
4205 High Point Rd, Greensboro
Vietnamese
pretty good beef noodle soup
423 Tate St, Greensboro NC (next to UNCG)
Japanese/Korean
very good bibimbap (be careful, very hot in that stone bowl), they added udon and ramen in 2008/2009, those are less exciting (and expensive)
Credit card receipt still said Sushi Republic (moved up the street?), may be owned by same people?
chinese/japanese
it was good, oh well
japanese
so, so food, really dark inside, probably nobody would miss it.