Went on a Friday night and have been excited to try this place! IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Service was…read moreexceptional with great recommendations. We sat outside because the inside seemed busy and a little noisy. The downside to this restaurant is the VERY high price of everything, so it would definitely have to be a special occasion type of place. We ordered a lot of things so I'm going to rank them in how much I liked them! I didn't take any photos except the dessert which was served on a platter because we got so much lol We ordered a lot of cocktails as well which were all very good. My favorite cocktail was the lychee one! 1) LONGEVITY CRAB NOODLES ($32): lump crab, garlic butter, toasted garlic, scallions - OUTSTANDING. We ordered two of them and even added shrimp. Buttery and delicious. You can't go wrong 2) CRAZY RICE ($29): shrimp, chicken, spicy ghost pepper sambal, cucumber, shallot crisps, crispy egg - Some of the best fried rice. I LOVED the heat kick it had to it, I think it really made the dish. 3) SIGNATURE CRISPY RICE - WAGYU ($26): sambal, chives, red chili, asian pesto - I thought I would like the spicy tuna one more but the meat was high quality and melty 4) PORK BELLY SINIGANG ($36): crispy pork belly, sinigang braised radish, sauteed spinach, seared tomatoes, tamarind broth, micro cilantro - You cant go wrong with pork belly! I don't like radish so I couldn't experience the full flavor, but I loved the meat 5) SPICY "TAIL OF TWO TUNAS" ($25): spicy tuna, escolar, shallot crisps - You can't go wrong with spicy tuna rolls and shallots. Great quality and loved the crunch. Simple but delicious - we ordered two. 6) TOM YUM SEA BASS ($58): chilean sea bass, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, baby bok choy, tom yum sauce, kaffir lime oil - I typically don't like sea bass but this was cooked perfectly and the fish was SO BUTTERY. No fishy taste at all 7) CHICKEN INASAL ($36): lemongrass, tomatoes, red onion, watercress, achiote glaze, chili lime vinaigrette, grilled lemon - This chicken has great flavor and was very juicy. I really enjoyed the watercress as well. Hit all the notes of savory and umami 8) SIGNATURE CRISPY RICE - SPICY TUNA ($26): masago, chives, sriracha, chili oil, serrano - Delicious but the wagyu one was better in comparison 9) OXTAIL POT STICKERS ($23) braised oxtail, caramelized onion jus, white wasabi cream - Really great flavor but wish it were a bit crispier. It all seemed very soft in texture 10) SPICY EDAMAME ($11): garlic butter, chili salt - very good but everything else was better and it's hard to compare 11) "RIDICULOUS" ($21) vanilla ice cream, ginger carrot cake, glazed walnuts, caramel - Tempura fried ice cream?!? Sign me up! Delicious 12) COCONUT CHEESECAKE ($19) coconut mousse, graham cracker crust, coconut caramel, berries - The texture was unlike anything I've had before. It was so creamy and melty. Delicious! 13) MOCHI ICE CREAM ($19) assorted seasonal flavors of ice cream, wrapped in rice dough - Chewy and yummy!

This was my first time visiting this restaurant, and after reading about its Filipino heritage and…read morecultural mission, I knew I had to try it. They had me at pancit, pork belly, and lumpia which are some of the Filipino staple dishes! As a first-generation Filipino and a foodie, I came in with high expectations, and this restaurant absolutely delivered! The lumpia had the perfect crispiness on the outside with flavorful ingredients inside. The pancit was packed with all my favorite vegetables and protein, and the bonus of Chinese sausage...one of my favorite, made it even better! The atmosphere was upbeat, exciting, and lively, making the entire experience even more enjoyable. Every staff member I encountered, from the host to the server and busser, was absolutely amazing. The hospitality truly stood out. It's clear this establishment is living up to its Cultural Mission and celebrating Filipino heritage through both its food and hospitality. If you're in the Midtown Tampa area, you absolutely must try this place!

Best pho in Tampa, no debate. Fresh, flavorful, and the staff is genuinely sweet. Son't sleep on…read morethe ribeye pho.

Overall, I haven't been very impressed during my past few visits, especially considering the…read morerestaurant is located in a central Vietnamese dining area with many strong options nearby. The prices have increased quite a bit, but unfortunately the food quality seems to have declined, so it doesn't feel well balanced. Both the white and yellow rice were VERY dry, which took away from the dishes. we all could not finish our lunch . The mango sticky rice dessert was also not what I expected,..it wasn't the traditional style with at least half a fresh mango and sticky rice on the side, but instead fried rice in wonton wrappers with very small pieces of mango which are served in boba drinks . It didn't quite feel authentic or as light as I was hoping.

We went to kojo with a big group and no reservation to be sat down immediately by welcoming staff…read more Our waiter Allie was great and checked on us frequently to make sure everything was good. The food was tasty and the menu had many fun options. I would recommend coming here to celebrate or just a good meal.

Visited this spot with a friend, and we had such a wonderful experience! The atmosphere was…read moreintimate and inviting, and it definitely lived up to the high recommendations. The service was exceptional from start to finish, and the food was amazing. We ordered the edamame, fried rice, and split a Wagyu steak and everything was so delicious! Great food, excellent service, and a cozy atmosphere. I'll definitely be back in the future!

I've had Yao's on my list to try ever since the big Yelp party earlier this year (they had one of…read morethe best bites of the night), and I finally made it in for Magical Dining this past month. I took my friend to dinner for her birthday and it was the perfect chance to try a wide variety of their menu. They have a 4 course menu for Magical Dining, so it's definitely a great value for $40 per person. We both started with the chili wontons (pork) as our starter and we're glad we did because they were amazing and we did not want to share, haha. For the second appetizer, we did share the Shanghai sticky ribs and the tuna crudo. Again, both hits -- especially the ribs! I'm not usually a big rib fan, but these were perfectly cooked, tender, and fell right off the bone. The sweet chili soy sauce they're coated in with fried garlic is so tasty. For our mains, she got the Teres Major Steak (asian chimichurri, umami butter, gai lan, smoked salt) and I got the General Yao's Chicken (tempura battered served with rice). We enjoyed a few bites of each before we were absolutely stuffed. They were both huge, generous portions and we took home enough for leftovers the next day. Of course, we saved just enough stomach space for dessert -- I went with the black sesame soft serve (black tahini, brown sugar crumble) and she got the fried sesame balls. I think we both enjoyed the soft serve the most. I'm a sucker for anything black sesame. Overall, I was really impressed with Yao's and the service was very welcoming and friendly, despite being quite busy during Magical Dining. I'm looking forward to returning with my husband soon because I know he'll love it, too!

Since the Magical Dining list came out I saw Yao's was on the list and I knew I had to go. You…read moredefinitely need to make a reservation if you want a guaranteed seat we saw many people get turned away without one. When you walk in it's nicely decorated and the bar has a lighted bar too which was nice. We were seated at a high top table that we shared with several other people, I would've preferred a table but no big deal. My husband and I ordered off the Magical Dining Menu and for the price you get an abundance of food, it's worth every penny. All of the food was amazing, we loved each dish. Everything tasted fresh, well seasoned, and all the meat was tender. As for desserts you definitely have to order the black sesame soft serve. Ambiance is cool & sexy a great spot for a date and the food is beyond any expectations you may have.

Traditional amusement park food is not anywhere near this level. We truly enjoyed probably one of…read morethe top two or three dinners we've ever had in 40+ years of fine dining in all types of restaurants and cuisines. Our server, Toni was excellent and displayed , top notch knowledge of the menu and all of the items in each meal. Because we have food allergies, the sous chef named Robert came out and was extremely pleasant and thoroughly explained any potential food allergies conflicts. My wife and I both truly enjoyed the wontons with chili oil dish and believe it was possibly one of the best dumpling meals we've ever had. My wife's final comment was that she could drink the wonton sauce. It was so delicious. My wife truly enjoyed the shrimp with peanut sauce, shaved coconut, shiitake mushrooms, as well as scallions and noodles. It was both flavorful and full-bodied flavor. The Beef Xi'am Noodle dish while spicy was extremely delicious. Full flavors with small bite-size pieces of beef, Napa cabbage, homemade wide noodles., gai lan, hot chili oil. The banana Napoleon was absolutely to die for. With a nice dollop of creamy vanilla ice cream, and a caramel sauce made with miso that was absolutely spectacular. All the flavors married well together and was very pleasing to the pallet. The total ambience of the entire restaurant was very well thought out with great color pallets, and it was a very warm feeling even with people sitting directly next to us. We felt like we were having a private dining experience. I could easily give this 10 stars out of five.

Spent $135 here and it was terrible. Do not get the double fried wings. It was too doughy and…read moreundercooked at the bone. The spicy wontons were no better than Trader Joes microwavable Wontons. Kids got kids meal, orange chicken and beef and broccoli which wasn't too bad. Atmosphere is nice, workers are nice but the food.... Terrible. Place has potential, maybe a new menu.

Best Thai food lunch special I've had! Was so sad to see Thai 5 leave south Tampa! But so glad we…read moretried out Thailand's location! The lunch special was perfect! They changed everything out to fit our vegetarian diet which was so appreciated! We got to her salad, veggie rolls and veggie sushi and two ditty noodle Soups. Everything was so good! Even our 6 year old loved the noodles! Would highly recommend! Decor is so colorful and beautiful. Service was fast and friendly!

Just too good every time! Went back again yesterday and loved everything! Found photos from the…read morelast review so thought I'd post those up!! I'm telling you, if you haven't been then you are missing out!

This is a tapas place so most of the plates are small. The price point is off for me for the…read moreportion size. The lamb was good but you only get 2 bites the roasted duck was good and you get plenty to share. The fiid comes out when it is ready.

This is a tapas place so most of the plates are small. The price point is off for me for the…read moreportion size. The lamb was good but you only get 2 bites the roasted duck was good and you get plenty to share. The fiid comes out when it is ready.

Nice to meet a budding entrepreneur with a cool concept. She suggested a drink with fruity taste I…read moreenjoyed. Beautiful items to purchase as well

Marina, the owner, is so incredibly kind and welcoming. The food is so good, and the tea is…read moreamazing! They support local artists and artisans, and host a wonderful environment for productivity and are an intimate space for events and gatherings alike. I will definitely be back again! :o)

Ambiance was really good and appear to be clean . Service…read morewas great she was friendi I ordered a combination of sesame seed chicken and fried rice. Fried rice was good and fresh and soft. High over the sesame seed chicken was cooked a little too hard. It was difficult to chew. The taste and the portion size was good. Egg roll not good. I rather have a can soda .

Fully honest review. This was my first time getting food here. My Lo Mien wasn't bad but when I…read moreasked for soy and duck sauce the gentleman at the desk said it was in the bag. I looked and he literally gave me 2 soy and 2 duck sauces. I just said really? And left. I'm not greedy man but ouch. I'm just big on folks being polite. Do better.