Been here a few times now and it is one of the most authentic Chinese spots in the city. Brought my…read moreChinese friends along and they fully approved and you can tell just by the crowd in there. Weekday visits are pretty chill but weekend dinner time gets busy, just something to plan around. Also a heads up on parking, the lot isn't very big so when it's packed it can be tough to find a spot. Would recommend carpooling if you can. I have a pretty low spice tolerance but there are still so many delicious dishes to choose from if you look around the menu. The soups are so hearty and comforting. Insider tip: the tofu egg dish is not on the menu but ask for it anyway. It is so worth it and the best way I can describe it is like eating a savory cloud puff. So unique and so good. The service is always super efficient, food comes out fast, and the staff will get you in and out. Every single dish I've had has been full of flavor and nothing has missed yet. Would absolutely come back and highly recommend.

The mangolian beef is not made with flank steak which is…read moretraditional in mangolian beef not even 1 hot pepper on the entree which again is traditional the meat was top round and for $22.35 I expected flank steak. The Salt and pepper pork was all batter no flavor at all, not even salt on that batter, it was a terrible and a big disappointment the white rice was dry, $60 for 2 entrees and Luke warm pot stickers. Not to mention the rude service we received, you have to ask for napkins and basics, which seemed to be a bother tithe rude waitress. She never once said thank you or hello Also not very clean either. I should've turned back around when we noticed the filthy glass doors. However I've been wanting to try this place for a while. Don't waste your money on this place like I did. I

The food came out fast and fresh. The waiter was nice and very understanding that we haven't been…read morethere before. Pretty good for a first try and would there again!

Good food, good prices but long wait for a table. I think there are ways to have a quicker table…read moreturn around if the waiter were more aware of the tables to keep to flow moving. We were there in 2 different occasions, different waiters but the same unacknowledgement from them.

Absolutely delicious! There was barely any wait time, and the service was quick. The portions are…read morehuge, and everything was also so flavorful:)

I've been a regular at Cate Zone Chinese Café for a long time and usually go once or twice a month…read more I always order the crispy fish and mala tofu, and up until recently, I loved this place enough to justify a 30 minute drive. Unfortunately, my most recent visit completely changed that. I went on Sunday, 11/23, the weekend before Thanksgiving. I worked from 6-3 that day and placed my usual order online around 1:00-1:30 pm for ASAP pickup so I could grab it before their lunch break. I even left work early to make it there. When I arrived around 2:40 pm, I was told my order wouldn't be ready until 5:00 pm and that I would have to come back. I showed them my order confirmation, which originally showed a pickup time around 2:50 pm. Even when I refreshed the website, it showed 3:30 pm, still nowhere near 5:00. The cashier, a young man, was dismissive and didn't seem to care at all that my time had been wasted or that the information given online didn't match what I was being told in person. This was extremely frustrating and honestly unacceptable, especially for a place I've been loyal to for so long. I wasted my time, left work early for nothing, and left without food. As much as I've loved Cate Zone in the past, this experience was enough to make me question whether I'll be returning.

My daughter was in town for Christmas and requested new China for dinner…read more They were very busy when I arrived, but the food came out hot and was delicious . I don't live nearby but, it was worth a drive.

It was a mistake to try Chinese food on Christmas Day. I hadn't planned ahead and hadn't gotten…read moregroceries, and a Jewish friend of mine mentioned his Chinese food tradition, so I figured I'd give this place a shot. Maybe they're fine on other days, but it took two and a half hours for my meal to be ready, long after the quoted time online. I sat outside in my car for a while when I went to pick it up, and the place was totally packed with people waiting for their food. Perhaps they should have capped orders or something? I'm sure they were exhausted and working nonstop. The pepper chicken was pretty good, except it was missing the egg I paid to add, as well as the rice. After waiting so long, I was really annoyed about the order missing the extras. It was an extra $5 to order online, too. I'm giving them grace because they were way overworked that night, and the food was pretty good. But they definitely need to cap orders or give more accurate time estimates. There were a lot of furious (probably hangry) people there who left without their orders.

Akar is easily one of my top three favorite restaurants. The atmosphere is calming, cool, and…read moreperfect for a relaxed date night out. Every bite of the food was delicious. I ordered the Thai drunken noodles, and they were spicy, well-balanced, and full of flavor. The service was also very nice and made the experience even better. Parking can be a little tricky, but it's absolutely worth it. I came here for a date night, and it was the perfect spot. Definitely a place I'll keep coming back to and keep recommending.

Akar was one of the best fine-dining experiences I've had in St. Louis. With a small, intimate…read moredining room, Akar feels both cozy and elevated and is a great spot for celebrating a special occasion. With such a small dining room, service is very attentive and it doesn't get too loud. All of the food is delicious and beautifully plated: truly a delight for the senses.

My niece and I agreed that these soup dumplings are the best we've had since tasting them in NYC!…read more The soup dumplings are fantastic, the cucumber salad was crisp and perfectly seasoned. The menu is short, but all you really need to know is they have the best soup dumplings in St Louis. Chicken, pork or beef. We tried pork & chicken and loved them both. Ordering is done at a kiosk and then they bring your food to your table. We loved it and can't wait to go back.

Hands-down, one of my favorite soup dumplings in St. Louis. I've been going here for years…read more Steamed dumplings in any of your flavor combination you like. A small cup of broth to complement the dumplings. While the ambience of this place is simple, I do love the fact that they have how to eat a soup dumpling on the wall. This place can get busy, but I've never been afraid to have others sit with me if they need a spot to eat. This practice is very common and other countries anyhow. The service is wonderful. They now have a system where you can order your food that will be brought to your table. The older woman who brings your food is so sweet.

Such a unique and fun concept for hot pot! You pick out all your own ingredients, they weigh…read moreeverything, take it to the back, cook it up, and bring it out to you. It's a great place for friends or family or alone too. They to takeout as well or order delivery. The ingredient selection is really impressive and very vegetarian friendly. Everything looked fresh and they refill often. There are also lots of soup base options to choose from plus a stir fry option if you want to mix it up. The make your own sauce station is a great touch too. The staff works incredibly fast at turning tables and keeping everything clean. They only have one bathroom (it's clean) so just be aware for wait times. They also give you one free rice bowl which is a small but good bonus. There's a good amount of seating though I've heard the line goes out the door on weekends. Overall I really loved this place and I am already looking forward to coming back.

This was my first experience at a hot pot by the pound restaurant. I've only been to all you can…read moreeat hot pot restaurants, so I was excited to try this place out. Apparently, I wasn't the only one because this place got packed by 6p on a weekday! The line was out the door. It can be a little confusing for a first time goer as you enter the place and grab a bowl to select the ingredients you want to eat. The minimum weight that you have to buy is 0.9 lbs, but you really won't know how much your bowl weighs until you get up to the cashier and put it on the scale. My bowl was underweight my first time through, so I went back to grab more ingredients. If I had to guess the minimum cost for a 0.9 lb bowl, it's probably about $16, which is a pretty good price for a hot pot. My bowl weighed about 0.97 and it was way more than I could comfortably eat. The next decision you have to make after you have selected your ingredients is the base and spicy level. I went with #1 Oil splash spicy soup at medium spice level. Now, I enjoy spicy foods, but this was at the upper limit of enjoyability. Although tasty, I think the oil in the broth got to be too much and I will want to try a different base next time. After you pay for your food, you get a number which you take to a table of your choosing and wait for your bowl to come out (they cook it for you). There is a drinking water station next to the free rice station, which was around the corner from the complimentary pickled vegetable station. Overall, positive experience and I would return for more. .|\---/| | @_@ | ..\_^_/..2026

This is one restaurant that my husband and I can always agree upon when we are out. Couples, you…read moreknow the car conversations, right? Well you can't go wrong here. When you walk in you are always greeted with a smile. The seating is quite close but not so close you cannot walk through. Tables and booths. Very clean and well kept. Your order can be family style or individual. Family style allows you to share tea and big serving bowls of soups. Now for the good stuff. The menu is varied with authentic or Americanized "Asian" stirfry and egg rolls. The Pho is outstanding! My goodness, the flavors of the broth, with added ingredients from chicken and beef to vegetarian. What brings it home are the side dishes of flavor bombs they serve along side: jalapeños, bean sprouts, and Thai basil. Add it to the soup and the noodles seem to envelope it all with an explosion of flavor as you slurp even to the last drop. And grab those last leaves or noodles with your chopsticks. It's worth every bite. I highly recommend Mai Lee, as it is at the top of our all-time favorites list.

Mai Lee has become one of our reliable STL comfort spots. The menu is huge, but the staff is always…read morekind and happy to help guide you if you're not sure what to order. My daughter especially loves the noodle dishes here, which makes it an easy family pick for us. Favorites: 17, 133, 34, 14, 54

My friend and I went here for dinner in Friday evening. We both got pho. We wanted to try this…read moreplace out again since there is a change in ownership recently. The menu is different. We both like the pho here. It has great flavor. The portion is enough for us both to be full. There are a few other noodle options, hopefully there will be bun Bo hue and bun rieu in the future. The owners are both friendly. We definitely will go back here again.

We visited Phoenix Cafe for lunch today. The owner welcomed us with a warm smile. The restaurant…read morewas quite small but cozy and adorable. They have a good menu with great variety from Pho, other noodles dishes and rice dishes. I ordered Pho Dac Biet, and my partner got the Com Ga Xoi Mo ( crispy chicken with fried rice). When the owner brought out the Pho bowl, it smelled pretty good. Pho broth was really flavorful, brisket was tender 8/10. I hadn't eaten Com Ga Xoi Mo at Viet restaurant for a long time. I gotta say they really nailed both the flavor and texture of the chicken 8/10. Both of the owners were very sweet to us. They also gave us sweet potatoes shrimp cake to try. We'll definitely gonna come back to support when I am lazy to make viet food. Highly recommended.

Came here specifically because I kept hearing about the jjajangmyeon so I had to try it. Went with…read morea big group of about 8 people for dinner and we waited maybe 15 minutes for a table which wasn't bad at all considering how busy it was. The inside has a good amount of seating and a separate area for shabu shabu, so it's well organized. We ordered a ton of dishes to share and everything came out so fast. I was surprised by how fast and friendly the staff was. The jjajangmyeon is vegetarian and this was very similar but just slightly lighter than the Korean one. Still so delicious. The fried tofu is an absolute must order. I don't know how they got it that crispy and crunchy, but it was perfectly flavored too. The grilled tofu was also really good and flavorful. The noodles were great, and we also got the cabbage dish which was a nice balance to some of the heavier, oilier dishes. They offer tea for the table only $1 per person. Overall just a really great experience. It's a bit out of the way and not really surrounded by a lot of other things to do nearby, but worth the trip. Would definitely recommend!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Five stars for their Sizzling Tenderloin Beef alone! With the best texture, great flavor, and not…read moretoo spicy, it's the dish I tell all my friends to get. For a veg dish, their stir-fried eggplant is so good. If you eat beef, get a beef dish at Tai Ke! Their chicken dishes are also good, but beef is where they really shine. They have fast, easy to-go service if you call to place an order. I usually am able to get a walk-in counter spot, too, since they don't accept reservations for small parties. Casual, welcoming, and good vibes. And, there is a boba place in the same strip mall if you need a dessert after.