Overcrowded. ..under staffed...dirtier than I recall in year's past...long wait for food and service... Apsara is run down and dirty...this may have colored my taste for the food...which was sub par from previous experiences. It may be a long time before I go back. The owners of Apsara are relying on their previous reputation & have not invested in improvements. Adios Apsara! read more

I've been here many times for dine-in and takeout and the food has consistently been very good. However, we ordered delivery recently and the meal was inedible. We ordered the General Taos and a spicy beef dish both dinner specials. The food tasted as if it had been sitting out for 2 days. The egg rolls were soggy and the rice and main dishes were dry and stale and dry. It was hard to believe the food came from the same restaurant read more

A big Cheer to Yelper Erin C for pointing out this fine Thai BYOB restaurant. See my Yelp list for other fine (and not so fine BYOB Establishments throughout New England. read more

I wanted to knock down one star for not offering delivery service as I am still extremely bitter about my Jeep breaking down, but I promptly decided against it. Poor Apsara.. it's not your fault I am car-less. Technically I live so very close, only a couple blocks over and yet there may as well be an ocean between us as the neighborhood that I'm required to walk through, is not the most pleasant. The last time I hustled over with a friend, we were actually spit at. Right. And yet.. their curry rocked my world to new levels of experience cleansing deliciousness. I'll risk the walk. I've dined here ever since the good 'ole days of college (again, I am far too old than I will ever admit) & absolutely nothing has changed. This is a good thing. I adore their curry, do back flips for their Cambodian Farmer's soup (instant love) & will promptly hand stand on command for their banh hoi. Even the fried rice is wonderful, served with fresh tomatoes and pickled veggies. They are always more than happy to substitute, customize and accommodate those with picky tastes. And while I cannot sing their praises enough, there are a few things that have kinda, sorta irked me. For one, their A/C never seems to work. No biggie since I don't usually dine in but hot damn, just picking up dinner breaks me into a sweat. For two, they almost always run out of noodle soup by around 7 or 8 pm. This makes me sad. And lastly, believe it or not, I am not really a screaming fan of their Nime Chow. (Please don't swing a bat at my head.) While it is tasty, I can't help but compare it to Pho Horn's with all of it's absolutely amazing combination of fresh herbs and grilled n' glazed tofu or meat product of choice tucked inside (I dislike tofu but Pho Horn has me on that one). I definitely order Apsara's Nime Chow on a frequent basis but it's lacking that something special compared to a few others I have tried. I could probably write twenty pages on their menu. I would recommend grabbing a takeout pamphlet & taking some time to get to know Apsara. There is something for absolutely everyone here. read more

Looks like a house. Love the variety of food on the menu. Love the chicken wings. The size portion are really big. I took home a lot of food. Very busy place read more

I've been to a lot of Cambodian restaurants and I'm quite critical of certain dishes because I know how they're suppose to taste. I have to say, they do have the best Nime Chow. Ask for the Nime Chow with beef and your taste buds will be quite pleased. My favorite dish is the Bahn Hoi. Its a platter of veggie and meat of your choice. My boyfriend calls it the cambodian taco. You're suppose to wrap whatever filling in the lettuce and dunk it in the sauce... Mmmm nom noms =) The parking lot is sketchy looking but I've eaten there several times and never had an issue. Atmosphere is o.k, nothing special just a few nice pieces of art here and there. The new addition is nice but not in the winter, not enough insulation in the walls and it can get quite cold. I don't like that the womens bathroom is downstairs, it's creepy. Service: I have no complaints, they are quick, fills up my water when it's low. I have a habit of alter many of the dishes,and they do it without any issues and still super friendly and sweet. read more

Clearly everyone else in the area thinks this place is the bees knees but I have to say the total lack of cleanliness really put me off. From grime-covered light switches to the scary industrial carpeting to the downright gross bathroom, it was hard to enjoy dinner there. A few of the dishes we ordered -- nime chow, pad thai and fresh bean curd -- were good, but the beef dishes we tried were all low quality meat and frankly inedible. Apsara is also in a pretty sketchy area. All in all, I doubt I'll go back. read more

This is the Elmwood location of Aspara. I've been for both eat-in & take-out. I do prefer the Hope Street location. Eat-in: Request to the Management -please fix the swinging door to the kitchen. It's constant banging and squeaking was almost enough to drive one mad. I honestly don't know how the staff listens to it throughout service. Service is not speedy. But it makes up for it (a bit) in its friendliness & smiles. I am a sucker for the Bee Bong. I honestly haven't tried much else because I like it so much. I do also love the spicy red sauce with seeds that comes with the nime chau. Be warned when you come in the door that you're entering next to one of the restrooms. Not an ideal welcome. Take-out: no complaints. Called in and it was ready in the window I was promised. Please consider containers other than styrofoam. Overall, I will go back again and again. But occasionally to Hope Street instead. read more

Best chicken pad thai I ever had. The restaurant itself is nothing to look at but its very clean and the service excellent, the menu has many authentic dishes. Very friendly staff. Prices are excellent and get perfect portions. The nime chow was made fresh and very tasty. Just an overall excellent place to eat. Apsara has become my favorite Thai restaurant, highly recommended. read more

5 years later and this will always be my absolute favorite restaurant in the world! I have been coming here consistently for so long that when I order my usual dish, they already know who I am before I'm even done :-D I love coming here and being greeted by the Chefs and Staff; thank you Apsara for always having AMAZING quality food at such a low price. P.S. They always gives me a 1lb of food when I order; maybe that's why I love them even more :-P read more

Oh my god, the people here are so nice and they are super welcoming. I came kinda close to closing but they treated me so well. The food is SO good. I ordered dry Cambodian pho with beef (Ka dui kokh) and the serving was huge, filling, and tasty. I felt like I was at home. Definitely coming again and bringing friends and family !! read more

Food: Absolutely great. Service: Postmates/doordash service terrible. If you eat here, dine in. They have messed up 90%of my all delivery orders, and the woman behind the desk is defensive and careless. read more

If you are in need of hot delicious soup this is the place to go! I love all of there soups just add a little chili paste to make it perfect. They also have the best nime chow in providence,cool and refreshing with delicious peanut sauce. read more

Appealing to yupsters and hoodies alike, it is Apsara's quality and selection that keeps its dining room packed. An eclectic and expansive menu ranges from authentic Vietnamese offerings, such as Vegetable and Tofu Bee Bong, to more traditional "Chinese" faves. A Florida room with large foldout windows allows diners to soak in exclusively Elmwood-ian happenings and presents a refreshing warm-season alternative to the stuffy, pastel and neon decor of competing es- tablishments. Although it shares the namesake of another Hope Street chow-house, the ownership is not (shared). read more

It's easy to miss. I miss living up the street and just getting nime chow. Why doesn't LA have nime chow?! apsara is one of those hidden gems in provie. if you like apsara, try galaxie II off of mineral spring in north prov. it's still decent. i love the pad thai. but what i really love/ miss is the scorpion bowls! read more

They kept the veins in the shrimp and my meal consisted of nothing but shrimp. I couldn't even eat it because I was so grossed out. It also took like an hour to get the shitty(pun intended) food. :-/ I was very disappointed. I did hear their other dishes are good, plus they were pretty friendly, but I wouldn't go back. read more

The first time I dined at this restaurant, I was lucky. The second time I came here, I was not so lucky... The most recent time I went to Apsara, I left a little unhappy. So the menu is big. Which pretty much means that the food you get is a hit or a miss. The only two things that I know are a safe bet here, which are also my favorites, are the Nime Chow (fresh spring rolls) and the Tom Yum soup. I think if I knew exactly what to order, I would be giving great reviews just like everyone else is. I'm sure Apsara is a wonderful place, but only if you know what you're ordering. As for service, sometimes the service is great, and the other times I would have to wait 15-20 minutes to get the check. So if you decide to eat here, don't be like me and try to fill a food curiosity void. read more

I second that, Cassidy. The veggie and tofu Bee Boong kills me. I am like that youtube video of the snake eating a baby hippo trying to cram that large bowl chock-full off mini carrots, beansprouts, water chestnuts, and noodles into my mouth. Nime Chow with Peanut sauce, I miss you, too. p.s. It's BYOB, friends. read more

Awesome!!! Best asain food I have had in RI. Its a bit crowded, but worth it. The recently updated the decor and is very clean and beautiful. The food is very fresh and delicious. DO NOT MIX UP THIS ONE WITH THE HOPE ST ONE. Hope Street Apsara is not the same. This is the place to be! read more

Great big gluten free menu. Staff very knowledgeable about the allergy. Food was great! Defiantly going back. Also the bubble tea was delicious! read more

I was very disappointed with Aspara. We chose this restaurant based on all the great reviews it received on yelp. The menu is very large and I think that they are trying too many different types of cuisine, and everything is very mediocre as a result. The Crab Rangoon was wrapped in paper thin, grease soaked wontons. The filling was delicious, but it was extra super greasy. The Curry wasn't too bad, but all of the chicken was dark meat and there wasn't very much of it. The vegetables weren't cooked thoroughly, and the green beans were obviously frozen. The general tso's chicken was awful. The chicken was cut very small, and it was also all dark meat. As a result, it was very overcooked and difficult to chew. The perfect ending to a mediocre night: we both got sick on the way home. To be fair, the service was great and I love that they bring hot tea to the table free of charge. read more

Its been a couple years since my last visit here but a friend reminded me of it and we HAD to go. The food and service is as just as good as I remember it! The amount of food served is enormous! There is no way myself or my friend could have left there without packing it up to go! Great value! You'll be shocked and delighted at the bill after realizing just how big the servings are. P.S. I highly recommend their nim chow - delish! read more

I love this place since the first day I was introduced to it when I was only a teenager. My children love it as well as all of my friends. The menu options are many and every dish is made consistently well. Friendly staff, busy place so be patient because it will be worth your wait. read more

YUM-O. Brother's birthday. He ordered his usual shrimp fried rice and nim chow. Delicious. Rice was not greasy and was not black from soy sauce. Plenty of veggies. The nim chow - wow - really fresh tasting. Three of us shared an order but we could have easily ordered another. Gf had shrimp Singapore noodles. Mmmmm. Vermicelli noodles with shrimp, cabbage and curry. I ordered 2 specials -- the chinese broccoli long stem and the out-of-control delicious grilled shrimp with smoky noodles. Whoa. Flat noodles (think pad see euw) tossed with nicely grilled shrimp and grilled cabbage. I could go for a plate of that right now. We couldn't finish everything, though we tried, so my brother had a nice sampler plate for dinner the next night. Can't wait to go back. The staff was super sweet. Just a casual spot so feel free to order for take out and enjoy at home. Very small parking lot. read more

Rude and snobbish staff when i go there to pick up an order they act very rude and stuck up and their food smells horrible

THIS IS THE PLACE. This is where I go for Cambodian and Thai. Not the one on Hope St, despite it being a better location, here. Why? Because it's better, the service is better, and the food is fantastic. Don't avoid it because it's in the middle of Elmwood, because you're missing out if you do. I felt very cramped and stuffy the one time I made it up to Hope St. This place is much more open and enjoyable. I highly recommend the nime chow and beebeong dishes. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Providence. The portions are huge! The food is excellent. The service is also excellent. Be aware, this place gets VERY busy in the evenings (especially Friday and Saturday nights). The location isn't the best, but the restaurant is worth the trip. Try this one out, and be prepared to take some of the great food home for lunch the next day. read more

I've been coming to Apsaras for many years now. The food has always been delicious and plenty. If you're new to the area and don't know what to try, try the lunch specials which are reasonably priced and are served 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. . read more

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The Chinese food here is awful. It's not really a Chinese restaurant. Why get boring old crab rangoons, etc. when there's much more interesting, flavorful stuff on the menu? That said, the rest is pretty darned great. I could live on their soups and Bee Bong quite contentedly. I enjoy most of the noodle dishes, but ask for light oil, which they've always happily obliged. All in all, a neighborhood gem, with outside seating and BYOB. read more

Best Chinese in Providence. Also, not just a place for take-out!

I don't like it, but I'm sure you will, since it seems like everyone else in town loves this place. The noodle dishes are greasy and make me feel queasy. My partner drags me here all the time so she can have the satay noodles. She loves it, personally I think it's disgusting. The nime chow is all right, but seems pretty standard to me. I prefer the tofu summer rolls at Pho Paradise. The hot and sour soup is AMAZING though. Big huge pieces of a variety of mushrooms, and an outstanding broth. Unlike the noodle dishes it's very crisp and healthy. Maybe next time I will just order 5 hot and sour soups. At least the waitstaff is very nice, so they'd probably let me get away with it. read more

Very well crafted flavors. The garlic chili lime chicken with lava sauce has everything you could ever want from fried chicken wings: sweet, tangy, sour, crunchy, and spicy. To the best of my memory I cannot recall a more perfect set of sinful fried wings. The beef teriyaki skewers are also very tasty and are paired with a mildly picked salad of cucumber, onion, and carrot. Quite the delicious appetizer. The red curry chicken is a bit bland but has a nice sweet not after a few bites. Lastly, I wasn't a big fan of the seafood pad thai and recommend sticking to the lo-mein or udon if your looking for noodles. Overall this place is probably your best bet for Asian food in Providence, RI. The only other Asian place in Providence I can think of that pleased my taste-buds so is Teriyaki House. read more

The food is amazing, the wings are the best I've ever had. Friendly people and good service. One of my regular stops for lunch

I had another opportunity to try out this place and found the service to be much improved, and we ordered a slew of additional dishes including duck, eggplants, pork buns, squid and lort noodles. I really fell in love with the small, bean sprout appearing lort noodles and the texture was perfect, tender, chewy, just the way I like it. The squid was decent, but there were so few squid pieces that I felt like I was just eating a plate of green beans with some squid on the side. The pork buns was a bit of a surprise with eggs, Chinese sausage and pork enveloped by a very sweet bun. Overall, this was a much more enjoyable experience and our meal came out dirt cheap! read more

Another delicious meal. I am always here 3-4 times a week. They know me! Lol Just to Clarify it is a Cambodian Restaurant. If you go there go there, try the enthuantic dishes instead of the Cambodian version of a chinese-american dish. If that is what your looking for then go to any Chinese take-out and order there so I can get a table order some Cambodian food because there are not that many out there. read more

Apsara Restaurant - Po says, "A dumpling in the hand is worth two in the stomach". - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Try the Soups!! This is, by far, one of my favorite places to eat. The food is always good. The grilled shrimp with smokey noodles are to die for. The tom yum soup, the beef delicate soup, the Kainge soup..... yum yum yum. The Pad Thai is always a good and safe option of you're only thinking about noodles. The staff are very friendly and always unassuming. FAST service, although some of the soups take a little longer. read more

Awesome as always! Delicious, hot, fresh and very clean/respectful to covid protocol! Thank you!

The search is over! Finally I found some lort cha that tastes like the ones in socal and cambodia! Too bad it's more than 40 minutes away though. Pros: Food tastes good. Tea is complimentary. Service was good. Clean. Decent price. Cons: Staff hangs out and talks. (Just like every other cambodian restaurant. ugh!) Location is terrible.. especially for someone who is not from the area. Well, all that really matters is the food and that wins it. read more

Some of my very favorite places to eat, drink and shop tend to be located in neighborhoods where you're always vaguely worried about your car getting stolen, while you're inside enjoying yourself. Apsara on Public Street is one of those places. I assure you, the risk is worth the reward. This town's actually big enough for two Apsara's...but it's not quite big enough for two GREAT Apsara's. This location, in a decidedly the rougher-tougher part of town than its East Side counterpart, wins out for its delicious food and low key atmosphere. It may be a bit tougher to find, nestled in a building that looks faintly residential in the no-man's-land between Eddy and Broad Streets on the South side (parking is available on the somewhat shady streets surrounding this humble-but-wonderful little restaurant). But press on and don't rest until you've found it because--as the tiny strip of paper folded inside the cookie says--fortune favors the bold. I love coming here for lunch: the portions are big, the prices are small, and the food is consistently tasty (if not very healthy; can't have it all!). Combination plates abound. Our group will typically start things off with an order of delicately wrapped nim chow with peanut sauce and teapots all around. I love lemongrass, so I'll usually order some main dish (beef, shrimp) seasoned with that light, terrifically fragrant spice. I don't think I've ever been able to finish a meal in one sitting, but that's part of the joy. Apsara makes for mighty fine leftovers. The interior is a bit more run down than its East Side counterpart. But I maintain that the food is better; it is significantly more flavorful. And I've never had to wait for a seat (I can't say the same for the Hope Street location, where I've waited for the better part of an hour for comparatively bland food). And I do love me some BYOB - that's a never-fail way to earn an insta-star from me, without delivering in any other manner. Don't go changin', South side Apsara! read more

This place is fricken BOMB DIGG. Excuse my layman's terms. But there are virtually no words to express my love for this place. I have to admit it is located in a pretty sketch place on a weird island between a fork in the road. But hey, it gives this place character! I'd like to think of myself as a bold foodie adventurer trekking into the uncharted dark alleyways to sample the delicious Asian eats Providence has to offer. Okay, it might not be THAT SERIOUS but hey, a girl can imagine. What makes this place so awesome is simply the food. You know you got a great place when the decor is "alright" and the location is less then ideal but there is still a constant crowd of people dining in. The Crispy Chicken Wing with pepper is as addicting as CRACK. Their seafood Aspara fried Rice is flavorful. Their nime chow is fresh and yummy. And their side dishes of Chinese egg rolls and hae kainge are just too good to pass up. I must add that they have definitely gotten better at their bubble tea makin'-skills. No more weird powdered aftertaste! Now I always (despite my gorging stomach) grab a taro bubble tea to-go after my meal. Totally worth it. And the best part?! It doesn't break the bank! Heaping portions of great affordable food?!?! You got yourself a fan favorite regular Apsara. Don't cha ever change. read more