Food is undoubtedly a 5/5. The takoyaki, fried squid and volcano rice were amazing…read more Very cute vibe inside. Service was not the best but not bad. Would definitely go back.

Ran the table here. Very mixed reviews with several recent negative reviews by serious local…read moreexperts. As you can read, I'm love Japanese food. The fried squid was well-breaded, light and crispy, but they were a touch tough. Still excellent and the oil was clean. Their burnt ends were fusion perfect! Lots of clean garlic cloves, mild and slightly sweet sauce on a hot stone. Most importantly very tender ends. Finally the house tonkatsu ramen. Wow. This is not the 5 year old mother base, but a mild and delicate creamy beef broth. Balanced rather than deep. The pork is not the danish sheets, but seared silver dollar sized chunks. The noodles were the right texture and firmness. The eggs were shockingly correct, firm all the way to a perfectly runny 2cm cup. Very rare for that kind of attention. Finally service, could not ask for anything better. Attentive but not overwhelming. Polite and thoughtful. And, didn't push the round 2 alcohol like some places.

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.

A Great Hole-in-the-Wall Korean Spot…read more I was really in the mood for Korean food, and as Korean culture has become more mainstream, I've noticed that some Korean restaurants have started to feel a bit commercialized. As someone who cooks Korean food myself and spent time living in Korea, sometimes you just want a simple, authentic, no-frills spot that focuses on the food. Thankfully, Asian Kitchen Korean Cuisine, located at 8423 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO, delivered exactly that. I knew I was probably in the right place as soon as I walked in and was greeted by one of the owners, whose direct and no-nonsense personality reminded me of many family-run restaurants I've visited over the years. It gave the place a lot of character. I kept my order simple and went with the beef bulgogi, while my sister ordered the chicken bulgogi. Both came with rice and kimchi. We also shared an order of vegetable potstickers, which were fried perfectly. Everything was delicious. The food had a homemade quality that felt comforting and authentic. The bulgogi was flavorful, the kimchi was satisfying, and the potstickers were easily one of the highlights of the meal. We ordered everything to go, so unfortunately I didn't get any photos, but the food definitely spoke for itself. One thing to keep in mind is that there may be a bit of a wait, but that's because the food is prepared fresh. If you're willing to be patient, it's well worth it. Overall, if you're looking for solid Korean food in the St. Louis area and don't mind a straightforward, family-run atmosphere, Asian Kitchen is a great choice. 4 out of 5 stars.

I remember going to this restaurant over 10 yrs ago back when I was still in middle school. But…read moreunfortunately things are not the same anymore since they seem to give less banchan than they used to, and the menu appears to be smaller than back then, and they appeared to do some renovations since then. Despite that, the seafood pancake was crispy and yummy. The fried rice was alright, but it could use a little more seasoning. I was going to get omurice, but it's no longer on the menu so they need to either put it back on the menu or take the photo of that dish down near the entrance. Also, it was very warm and a little humid inside.

I've been searching for restaurants on Yelp all wrong! Normally I do distance. Today I tried top…read morereviews and I love it over here! I found restaurants I never knew existed! Fire Chicken has great reviews! I was so excited to try them! I got the shrimp and steamed rice. Good flavor! Unfortunately, the shrimp has a lot of breading. The rice was sticky. I'm not giving up hope. I plan to try them again.

A favorite in our neck of the woods, fire chicken offers quick service and delicious flavors…read more We typically get the fire chicken which comes with rice. It is SPICY and soooo good. The rice is always cooked well and it comes out HOT! It does not reheat well so eat it first thing!

The Bao is a modern Asian restaurant and cocktail bar in the heart of Clayton, MO…read more Dimly-lit, this small restaurant space delivers on big flavor. The menu consists of asian-fusion steamed buns, rice bowls, and udon noodles. Our favorite bao buns are the Fried Chicken, Wagyu, and especially the Bangkok Chicken. Their bar encompasses a significant amount of the space offering craft cocktails and a wide selection of premium spirits including soju and sake. We stopped in after running an errand in Clayton and found out it's Clayton Restaurant week. Their Restaurant Week menu was a great deal of 4 courses at $39 including your selection of 3 bao buns to try. Unfortunately we did not have big enough of an appetite to order the Restaurant Week menu but did partake in their happy hour when a selection of cocktails are $10. Their happy hour is Sun-Thurs 4-6 with specials on wine, sake, beer, and select bao buns and snacks. Service is always polite and brief here to allow for a relaxing, and possibly romantic, dining experience. Although a smaller restaurant, they are able to accommodate larger reservations by pushing tables together. Can't wait to go back and try the rest of their menu!

ome girlfriends and I went out to eat here because it was new to us. We were quickly seated, but…read morethen had to wait a while before we were addressed. That was a bummer. However, I will tell you that Eddie turned it around. He was incredible. Sure, normally wait staff will tell you "oh yes great choice" so I asked if he would actually tell us if things were bad. Now, he didnt say anything was bad, but he did say he felt this other dish was better than what a person ordered because it had more flavor and yada yada. A honest man. Love to see that. Japanese Curry = Little spicy, but great flavor. Yum. Wagyu and bacon bao = amazing. Get it. Pork belly boa = a little dry, bummer. Fried shrimp boa = good. Fries = 100/10. Perfectly crispy. Amazing. Also a little thing, but the light on table had three different settings and I just really appreciated that. Treat yourself to this small restaurant tucked away in Clayton and go visit by boy Eddie.

Nudo House in Creve Coeur absolutely lives up to the hype, especially if you are hunting for a…read morestellar vegetarian bowl. I dropped in on a Saturday evening and ordered the **Shroomed Up** ramen, and it was a ramen masterclass in a bowl. The broth managed to be incredibly rich and deeply savory-sweet all at once, without ever feeling heavy. It was loaded with thick, substantial slabs of mushrooms, tender-cooked bok choy, and the noodles were the star of the show--thick and perfectly cooked to that ideal sweet spot where they aren't too chewy but have zero mushiness. Even with a line stretching out the door when we arrived, the wait wasn't tedious, and we reached the counter reasonably fast. The ordering process is standard counter service, but the staff member who took our order was incredibly nice, polite, and helpful, practically predicting my questions as I was looking over the menu. The same employee even brought our bowls out to us. The space was definitely crowded for a weekend night, but the seat-yourself setup worked out perfectly for the two of us; we still had three tables to choose from. The interior has a great energy with fun, East-Asian and Japanese-themed decor lining the walls. The Breakdown Food Quality: 5+/5 + Service: 4/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Vibe: 4/5 Quality/Value: 4/5 **Pro Tip:** Don't let a Saturday evening line out the door scare you off! The counter service team moves people through the queue efficiently, and if you are dining in a small group of two, the table turnover is quick enough that you'll still easily find a spot to sit down.

I have been craving 3-1-Pho Chicken with Shredded Chicken Breast for a while…read more If you do not like spicy, TELL them and they'll take the kick out. The service was clean, fast and efficient. I received my order quickly. The ambiance at lunch was calm and welcoming. 100/100 no notes. So crazy good. Now I'll be craving this forever.

Tucked away on a side street off Delmar, we decided to try Fork and Stix before catching a show at…read moreThe Pageant. Unlike the atmosphere in the Thai restaurants in West County, the place is almost austere. That is not a bad thing, because it has outdoor seating available with shade from old neighborhood trees. The service was attentive and friendly. I needed a phone charge at the staff was kind enough to plug my phone at the counter and keep an eye on it. The food was a different twist on what we expected. We sampled their Thai Stix, which relate to a crab Rangoon, but the nicely melted cream cheese is flavored with kankimama and scallions. They are a bit messy, but worth it. Their Hoy Jaw are deep fried dumplings of shrimp, crab and mixed pork, deep fried with a crunchy texture. Both of these small plates come with a bright sweet chili sauce. The chicken satay were tender, moist and came with a peanut sauce that was the perfect blend between almost peanut butter and being too runny. For me, the best part of the meal was the Hung Lay Curry. The dish combines pork belly and pork shoulder, perfect cooked and tender in a curry that includes palm sugar, turmeric, peanuts, and fresh ginger. The curry is not dominated by curry powder, and has a rich, satisfying flavor that can be compared to a rich ramen broth. Spoon the sauce over the rice to let the flavors soak in. For those who think curry is spicy, this dish is not. Instead, it has the comfort food vibe that is a unique for me in eating Thai food. A nice place with delicious food and friendly, attentive staff. Great to go to before a show at the Pageant.

I want to start by giving a heads up that they add an automatic 20% gratuity to your bill without…read morenotice or warning. I don't have any qualms with tipping, but I don't think it's fair to have it automatic, especially since the food is already on the pricey side. The interior is very calm and moody. The candles on the table are a nice touch. The service was okay, but for the size of the restaurant it felt a little weird. I usually try to get something that can easily be compared to other restaurants and determined if I will come back. I opted for the pad Thai. While not the worst pad Thai I've had, it was one of the more expensive. My noodles were dry and clumpy. It was hard to eat and required water. There was an unremarkable amount of chicken for the price. The flavor was also quite underwhelming. The quantity was also questionable. Overall, I probably wouldn't come back here. It was convenient because we were going to the Pageant, but other than that it was subpar.

Where has this place been all our lives? We've completely been sleeping on Mai Lee and now it's…read morebecome one of our favorite restaurants. The food is absolutely phenomenal. The bún bò Huế is hands-down one of the best we've ever had. The broth is rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced, and we keep telling ourselves we're going to order something different... but we can't stop coming back to the bún bò Huế! The shaking beef is incredibly tender and full of flavor, and the beef curry is another standout that's absolutely worth ordering. Everything tastes fresh, especially the generous plates of herbs and garnishes. The cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, and limes are always fresh, crisp, and plentiful, which really elevates every dish. The service has been outstanding every time we've visited. Everyone is friendly, attentive, and welcoming, and the restaurant is always clean and inviting. The menu has such a huge variety that we've officially decided to make it a date-night challenge to work our way through the entire menu. At this rate, that may take a while because we keep ordering the bún bò Huế over and over! This place is an absolute gem. If you enjoy authentic Vietnamese food, do yourself a favor and give Mai Lee a try. 10/10, highly recommend.

Mai Lee has been a staple in the St. Louis area for years, and I've been coming here for a long…read moretime, including for date nights. As a family-owned restaurant, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere and an extensive menu with plenty of Vietnamese dishes to choose from. The food is generally good, although it can be a bit hit-or-miss depending on what you order. Most of the time, I leave satisfied, and there are several dishes that keep me coming back. The service can also vary depending on who you get, but one consistent highlight is the female owner. If you're lucky enough to sit at the bar when she's there, she'll make sure you're taken care of and goes out of her way to make guests feel welcome. What keeps me returning is the combination of the large menu selection, and the comfortable atmosphere. While not every visit is perfect, Mai Lee remains a local favorite that's worth trying, especially if you're looking for authentic Vietnamese cuisine and a place with a long-standing reputation in the community. One of my longtime favorites was the chicken bánh mì, although I haven't had it in a while. My absolute favorite item on the menu is the shrimp spring rolls. They're always fresh, flavorful, and paired with a delicious dipping sauce that keeps me ordering them every visit. While not every experience is perfect, Mai Lee has earned its place as a local favorite with its family-owned charm, extensive menu, and dishes that keep customers coming back year after year. The shrimp spring rolls alone are worth the trip!