Terrific. Clean modern decor associated with Asian fusion cuisine. Attentive wait staff. Had two tacos, one calamari one sriracha shrimp. Fill was a nice light combo of sprouts, slivered vegetables, and guacamole. Messy but tasty. Had to go to the washroom to clean my hands and got a chance to see their wine books that they have in the alcove. Nice touch, as they pride themselves on their wine list. Their pad thai is over a bed of cool rice noodles, for which I have a congenital weakness. Served with marinated ginger beef. Outstanding. I'll definitely return when I can have a libation. Two tacos and a main dish was a little too much but I forced myself to eat it all. Not crowded during week early dining hours, but I'm sure it changes when school is in session. Price and location away from campus probably puts it out of reach of the undergraduate crowd. read more

Elements - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Great Asian food!!! Great location and excellent seating indoors and out; when it's nice. Love the Chapel Hill location and how it's outside of the town. The food is pricy, but you get what you payed for in the food and atmosphere. The platting is vary artful and visually enticing. I would definitely come back and try more things on the menu. I went for lunch but would be great for a fancy dinner date. The staff are great and service is fast. read more

See all

I know I reviewed this before, but yelp is asking me again to review. Elements in the best restaurant in Chapel Hill. We eat there often and know all of the very professional staff. I recommend this restaurant quite often. Every item on the menu is fantastic. Really. Get the bread as the rolls are excellent. Sushi night Th-Sat and the sushi is top notch. read more

Love the entire staff, the food and the service. Cleanliness was on point too. They rock!

Great food well cooked not a variety that my husband would like but definitely quality at reasonable price so this is our New Year's Eve take out read more

Food here was ok but definitely boujee. They take a great dish and try to complicate it into just an ok dish. If you care more for the looks of food than the taste then you'll love this place! But if you care more about flavor and being full then this is not the spot for you. That being said, the staff was really helpful and our server was extremely patient and sweet. I would not go out of my way to come back here but if I was in the area I would probably stop by for a bite to each for lunch. read more

This place is amazing. Great staff, fantastic service and I even came back two days in a row. Equally as delish as first time. They even helped celebrate an anniversary behind me with complimentary dessert. Great outdoor space too- highly recommend. read more

Wow. We were pleasantly surprised! How has this place remained a secret? It is not your typical Asian Fusion. We were warmly greeted by the hostess. Quickly served drinks by our knowledgable waitress and ordered our appetizers. Paper menu because it changes often. We had a blue fin sampler and egg rolls wrapped in lettuce, mint leaves and cucumber. Superb. We got walnut prawns and diablo chicken for our main course. It could not have been any better. We ended with the sorbet sampler. Again...perfect. If we were going to be very picky parking is tricky but worth it. (They have valet.) Overall, one of the best meals we have had in North Carolina. We will return. read more

I recently went to Elements with my Grandma and was thoroughly disappointed. The pricing of the food indicates high quality cuisine, but the meal could only be described as lackluster. As an appetizer we ordered curry chicken spring rolls with mango sauce. It seems as if the kitchen slapped together food from two different ethnicities and hoped patrons would deem it contemporary. The peas in spring roll tasted as if they were straight off a Sysco truck, and the mango sauce was a poor pairing with the flavor profile of curry chicken. In fact "mango" sauce is what I expect from a cheap Chinese restaurant. For the main course we had the special, Mahi Mahi steak. Based on the fact the steak was 28 dollars I was expecting an exemplary piece of fish, however it did not live up to the expectation. Additionally, the main course was paired with 3 pieces of shrimp and an assortment of vegetables that, again, did not come together. The shrimp was overcooked and rubbery. I was left convincing myself that the entree was worth it, while in fact it was not. The only good thing I can say about the experience are the 4 dollar bread rolls, and the tiramisu we had for desert. However the specialty drinks did look quite tasteful, although I wouldn't know because i'm, 17. I hope it was just an off night. read more

Stopped for lunch... it was awesome! Have the seafood in the bird's nest.... yummy! Service was excellent!!! Think this well become a regular stop for me! I had the coffee Crome' brûlée& how cute the way they packaged my wine to go!!! That was a 1st for me & I am no novice! read more

Elements - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Pretty good options in a nice setting. The chef is same as was at An cuisine in Cary. The menu options are similar. I like that there are multiple vegetarian options during lunch. Prices are reasonable. The desserts are extraordinary. The entryway is elegant. The only downside is the bathrooms felt a bit tight. I will visit again - I liked this place. read more

Where have you been???? I know Chapel Hill pretty well but this little gem was mentioned to me by a guest. Well of course they went on and on and on about Elements so I knew I had to try it. Service, presentation, atmosphere, taste - exceptional. I like when I go into a restaurant and see that the menu is not 5 pages long as I know I am getting their best. Really this place is a must do if you are visiting Chapel Hill. It is off the main drag of downtown and a sweet little find. Go there. Now. read more

Some of the best sushi I've ever had and I have had a lot. It's my favorite food and whenever I travel that's what I get. This is near the very top of that list in all categories. read more

The most memorable dish was the Cha Giò Tôm Cua. I'm Vietnamese and I was impressed by how authentic and delicious it was. Just like the way my mom makes em. Everything else was pretty good in general. read more

VEGANS WILL LOVE THIS! This is the best Vegan food we have ever eaten! My husband has never swallowed a Brussels sprout and tonight he ate a small bowl! The chef prepared a 4-course vegan Tasting Menu meal - Asian fusion style! Chinese starter, Japanese 2nd course, Vietnamese main course and dessert was homemade sorbet. Every course was outstanding! The service and atmosphere were also very good. read more

Great place if you're in the mood for Asian Fusion. We were able to make a last minute reservation on a Saturday Night for the patio area. The scenery outside was warm and inviting with the various greenery. Our server, Angie, was very attentive and made our experience enjoyable. Nice place to go for date night or special occasion. I had the Saigon Noodles and my date had the lemongrass chicken. Everything was flavorful and cook very well. For dessert we had the sorbet sampler and molten chocolate cake. The cake was over cooked and didn't have the "molten" effect but it was still enjoyable. Will be back for more! read more

See all

Amazing service, fun atmosphere, great drinks, and even better food. I'll definitely be coming back. The entire experience from being greeted by the hostess to finishing our meal was incredible. I highly recommend the Watermelon Agua Fresca to drink and you can't go wrong with any of the sushi rolls. Can't wait to go back. read more

Elements - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

We were contacted by the owner of Elements to get more details following this review. I've upgraded the status based on their commitment to make it right and will follow up after our next visit. Thank you, Elements for your quick response. read more

The part owner makes you feel as welcome as you would in a truck stop. Brush, irritated and rude is a nice way to describe her. Had a problem with our meal - a bad piece of sashimi. It was brown and smelled rancid. When we pointed it out she grabbed the dish and brought back to the kitchen. With no apology she returned asking if we wanted something else. With that we asked for check where she tried to charge us for the bad food. Sickening. read more

Went to Elements the other night - have to say that the spicy passion fruit margarita is very very good - anyways I had to take half pictures of the food because I just dug in and remembered I wanted pics halfway through each dish lol - this is the margarita I mentioned, calamari, land and sea roll, walnut shrimp, and the pork catsu- I was surprised with the portions because they definitely give you the bang for your buck- and very great service from David! read more

See all

Really spectacular service from the hostess to the waiter to the owners. The menu is an eclectic blend of Asian flavors. Everything tasted wonderful from the cauliflower appetizer to the glass noodle entree. I would definitely come back. Thanks for a great experience. read more

Elements was divine. Our server Thomas was on point! The food was so yummy and Thomas made my birthday so special. I would highly recommend. Thanks Thomas and Elements!! read more

The food was excellent and David's recommendations were spot on! Overall this is a must go to place in Chapel Hill. Clearly a very well managed restaurant based on the personalities of the staff and the quality of service. Great job! read more

What happened to Elements? Elements was one of our favorites in Chapel Hill. We went last weekend after not visiting for a few months. It has very sadly disappointing. I'm not sure what happened but the quality and portions have degraded severely. It was only half filled on a Sat night at 6:30. The usual portions of our favorite apps like Land and Sea were cut in half and prices of most other dishes went up. They have no soup. The complementary bread is now $3.00 and steak stir fry was almost all veggies with little meat. After dropping $100 (no drinks), we were still hungry and stopped at JuJube to split a dish. I was so irritated I won't be back. read more

Overalls, pretty good stuff. Pleasant atmosphere. The wait staff was timely and very friendly.

I have to say I was excited for this restaurant but it really fell short of our expectations. Me and my wife went here last Friday and we were unimpressed with a lot of the tastes (or lack of) and flavors that we were served. First, sushi rice should be flavored with sushi su or it's like you are eating a slab of fish on rice. I've eaten sushi all over the world and lived in Hawaii for 10 years, this is not good sashimi. The rice is literally one of the most important components of sushi, a little dashi, Mirin and sugar and bam...cut in the rice and now you have sushi rice. Besides that the apps were very average. The best thing here was the bread, seriously order the bread and have 1 entree to share. read more

Excellent Asian fusion Halibut special and walnut prawns were delicious. Sea bass was exceptional Artful but comfortable ambiance. Service was good. read more

Maybe it was a bad night... Let me start by telling you I am not a wannabe restaurant critic, and I do not take pleasure in bashing restaurants to prove I am someone of fine taste. Friend and I are pretty easily pleased - give us delicious food and we are happy. That's really it. I am giving two stars rather than one because the appetizers were on point. My friend had an awesome miso soup, and I had some yellowfin sashimi which was exquisite. That is where the excitement ends. I have some dietary requirements so I asked for a substitution, I think it was asparagus rather than an asparagus roll, in the lobster and scallop dish. Nothing too crazy. The waiter told me it was the up to the chef's discretion, which I understand, but if I am paying $30 for an entree, I do not want half a meal. Then we waited... We waited an hour for our food after appetizers, the waiter had to apologize 3 times for its tardiness. I was not super impressed; when you pay top dollar for your food, reasonable expedience is a part of the agreement. And then... The food was tepid. It arrived pretty cold (both dishes). Now, if you wait an hour for your food, you want it to come in HOT. It was as if our plates had been sitting on the shelf for 20 minutes. How about the dishes themselves? My substitution was not made, so i ended up with a pathetic amount of food on my plate. There were two scallops, a few lobster shavings, and some mushrooms sitting in a tasty sauce. The dish was simply no way worth the price! My friend's was pretty poor also. She ordered the filet. The first rule of fight club is to never dice a filet, unless you are eating hibachi; the second rule is to never cook a filet well done. This amazing chef did both of those things. My friend had a pile of diced filet in the middle of her plate, which kind of looked like dog food. Her fries were cold and soggy. Overall, it was pretty poor. I could have got a much better seafood dish at Red Lobster, and she could've got a much better steak dish at Outback. You hate to hear that. My friend also said she could have gotten way better tiramasu at Olive Garden. You REALLY hate to hear that. Simply put, the food we had just did not make the cut of a restaurant that is supposedly at Elements' level. The price breakdown is thus: 20 % for the food, 70 % for the chef's pretension & pseudo-high-society attitude, and 10 % Stockholm syndrome (perhaps some weird form where you think your food is good because you paid so much for it). Afterwards, we went home and ate (neither of us are obese, just in case you are thinking that). I changed my rating to one star after reliving the evening. Enjoy! read more

Disappointing Experience Started off having to wait for hostess. Another separate couple and my wife and I were standing around for longer than you would expect waiting for someone to seat us. No big deal. I'm sure things will get better. The service was less than adequate, and no apologies for not being more responsive. Don't order the Steak Diane! It was $38, so I figured it would be something special. Turned out being a strip steak that wasn't tender. I've had worse steaks, but not for $38 and called Steak Diane. No one asked if we wanted a 2nd drink, so I needed to request one on my own when the main course came. I asked for a 2nd drink, and she left the table area so fast, she didn't even ask my wife if she wanted one as well. It took forever to get her 2nd drink ordered, and she was just abut finished with her dinner. No apologies for the quality of the steak or for the substandard service. Not a good experience. Too bad. A little more attention and contrition would have gone a long way. read more

Being a frequent client of Elements and in general very satisfied with their food and services, we decided to have our Valentine's dinner at this fine restaurant. Since we did not feel for the Valentine 3 course menu we opted to "eat a la carte". We asked the waitress if it was possible to have the entree out of the menu (filet mignon with lobster sushi and asparagus). She confirmed is was possible for the price of $30. I was disappointed by the meager piece of filet mignon (it was mignon in the French sense of the word- small, cute,...).For me to small anyway. In order to compensate my cravings, I decided to order an Irish Coffee. The waitress of this fine dining restaurant did not know what an Irish Coffee is and would ask the barman. Astonishing considering this restaurant makes the best cocktails and has an extended high-quality wine menu. Confirmed they could make an Irish Coffee with Jameson (for me the confirmation this would be a decent Irish coffee, only made based on Jameson), I got a ordinary cup of coffee with a zip of cold Jameson on the bottom and cold milk on the side.... not a real Irish Coffee in the specific Irish coffee glass, nor warmed Jameson, nor cane sugar flambeed in the cup with the Jameson, nor whipped cream on top. After paying the bill I felt the urge to inform the owner of the restaurant she should verify the lack of knowledge of their staff on how to make a decent Irish Coffee. Surprisingly (being a restaurant owner myself I would have appreciated the feedback), she reacted very blandly, nearly not apologizing, had an excuse that the regular barman was not there,... Very poor reaction towards a regular customer. At home I noticed that apart of de $15 cup of coffee, they charged my main dish $45 instead of $30.(out of a $60 3 course menu). Now I felt really ripped off for $30 and a bad taste in my mouth. So I decided to do what I never do ....to write this review. read more

Elements - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Service: it was very good but you have this feel that they are trying too hard, not being themselves and perhaps this gives it a little bit of pompous formalism that feels awkward. Prices: they were very reasonable for what they are trying to accomplish there (caveat, I looked at the prices but I was not the one paying for dinner, my work was). There is some prejudice amongst some reviewers as some have this misguided notation that, say Italian food should be more expensive than Vietnamese or Chinese or any other Asian cuisine. Folks: It all depends on the quality. Food: I had suggested this place because I wanted to try new restaurants in Chapel Hill as I got tired of going to Lantern, Provence, and Elaine's all the time. It was a big mistake. First, they are not in the same league as this trio. Secondly, the food varies from good to bad but nothing there really catches you. The lowest point was the crab puffy pastry appetizer - the crab had a strong scent of ammonia. I really had a desire for crab since weeks ago I had a terrific crab with grits at the SaltBox in Durham. Anyway, the main dish was OK but now two days after I really don't remember what I had as main course; I guess it was the steak. The dessert (white chocolate and ice-cream) was also not memorable. My overall impression is that the desserts are one notch below their main dishes. In sum, I am glad I tried it but would not go back. read more

Pleasing a party of 13 isn't easy, but Elements exceeded our expectations! We were served at a beautiful large farm-style table, in a semi-private back room, and had excellent service and delicious food. I was designated driver for the night so I didn't partake, but our table split several bottles of wine and the group raved about the options. I was also pleased that my Diet Coke was consistently and promptly refilled. (At other establishments I've noticed that the non-drinkers are easily forgotten - not here!) The highlight of my meal was the arugula salad (with feta, candied walnuts and Champagne vinaigrette). Also delicious was the Saigon noodles and the semifreddo (w/ lemon cake, meringue and caramel). The group really enjoyed the sweet bread served in the bread basket. The standout of the evening as a whole, however, was our excellent server. The service was attentive and professional. I wish I remembered our server's name to pass along our group's praise to the manager; she was super knowledgeable about both the food and wines. One note - the menu changes often, I've been told, but the menu at the time I was there didn't offer many options outside of seafood. I was able to find something I loved, but a pickier diner might want to check out the menu in advance. read more

Now this restaurant is just plain excellent. It's got high quality food and nice atmosphere. I would even call it sophisticated. This is a restaurant that you might find in a large city like Chicago, New York or Boston. read more

My wife and I enjoyed an absolutely wonderful dinner at Elements last night and I think I've found my new favorite cocktail, a Jalapeño - Cucumber Sour. While I'm typically a wine drinker this drink featuring Tanquery Gin, Jalapeño Simple Syrup, Fresh Lemon and Grapefruit juices and Cucumber Water was so delicious I ended up foregoing wine and enjoying two of them with our meal. The chef owner formerly operated AN in Cary which we always liked, I was extremely excited to learn that after a couple year hiatus he'd opened a new restaurant much closer to my home and I was looking forward to trying it out. I wasn't disappointed. Everything was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented, the Walnut Prawns were exceptional, crispy, beautiful to look at, and most importantly really tasty. I had the fish of the day, NC Trigger fish, perfectly pan fried with a delicate Tamarind sauce, a great Seaweed salad that was a perfect complement to the fish and a wild mushroom and scallion rice. We started off with some Yellow Tail Tuna Hamachi that was very tasty and a Land and Sea Roll that was exceptional. Had I known how generous it was going to be I think we would have not bothered with the Hamachi. The dining area has a contemporary look, and the chairs are exceptionally comfortable, overall elements is a great addition to the dining scene here in Durham/Chapel Hill and Will undoubtedly become one of my regulars. About the only thing keeping me from giving a 5 star rating was the service which got off to a slow start, however once our waiter got to us, he did a good job and it may simply have been a case of our going in during the height of the dinner rush coupled with the fact that they have only been open for about 4 months. Having previously worked in the hotel/restaurant industry for almost twenty years I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and would not hesitate to recommend Elements to anyone looking for an excellent meal. read more

Outrageous pricing! After lunch, I ordered a double espresso. When the bill included my espresso at $9.50, I assumed there had been an error. I spoke with the waiter and with the manager, and was told that this was not an error! I cannot patronize a restaurant that overcharges in this way. read more

Superb cuisine including an excellent tuna poke bowl. Nice upbeat atmosphere and friendly service. Not too lunch pricey either! read more

Fantastic! If you want a more upscale dining experience in Chapel Hill Elements is your place. With so many "college" type restaurants, Elements differentiates itself by having an amazing menu that is constantly changing. I've been to this location over a dozen times and I will continue to go back. read more

Elements is one of my favorite places in Chapel Hill! I have been there for intimate dates, small business gatherings, and large parties, and the service has always been impeccable and seamless. The staff is so professional, fast, and friendly. The lighting is perfect and it is quiet enough that you can enjoy conversation yet not feel like you are interrupting other diners if your group is loud. I love that each meal starts with an amuse bouche that changes daily and is always seasonal and delicious. The menu has some of my perennial favorites (The eggplant and tofu is one of my favorite dishes) but has such lovely seasonal additions. I look forward to meals here more than anywhere else in the Triangle! read more

I started with a truly delicious Jalapeno Cucumber Sour. It was excellent. I don't often like cucumber drinks, but this was refreshing with just the right amount of kick from the jalapenos and the citrus helped give it the body cucumbers lack. For an appetizer, I had the Tuna Tartare which was also excellent. Not much to say here other than I love tuna and tartares (is that the correct plural?), and this did not disappoint. For my entree I had the Bo Luc Lac. The Filet and pickled onions component was delicious (though done a bit more than my taste. I would have liked to have been asked how I liked it prepared). The salad was very good. The Heirloom tomatoes were dreadfully bad. They are out of season and should be removed from the menu. The Truffle Pommes Frites had no truffle on them. I sent them back to the kitchen and they returned to the table drenched in more oil that still didn't have any truffle in it. Ordinarily I'd be ok with crappy out of season tomatoes and skimping on the truffle oil, but at the price point that Elements is going for, I was very disappointed. Our server was not particularly attentive, and it seemed like there were several people trying to cover our table which lead to somewhat disjoint service. For example, (delicious) hot bread and butter was brought to the table but we had no plates. My grandmother had to request them. I also tasted (from the other people at my table): The Crispy Dumplings... Delicious. The Seafood Hot Pot... very good, but a bit heavy on the sweet and light on the spicy for my taste. the Seafood Pad Thai... Again, this was very good, but pad thai isn't really my thing. The scallops were delicious. Overall it was a good meal, but given the reputation and price point, I'm only in for 3 stars. read more

Elements has sushi on Friday and Saturday. The sushi is amazing! The fish melts in your mouth like butter and is refreshing. The sushi donut appetizer is Devine. We had a variety of sushi and loved it. It is expensive but your paying for great quality. I would highly recommend elements to anyone who wants to go on a romantic dinner, anniversary or celebration. The chocolate cake and coconut cake for dessert was delicious and a huge slice so well worth it. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a pan asian gourmet experience read more

See all