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Le Lai

4.0 (111 reviews)
InexpensiveChinese
Open 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Le Lai Photos

Business Info

LE LAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Le Lai

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Reviews With Photos

Kacy M.

Came here for the lunch special and they were packed (even at 1pm on a weekday). It's a good deal with everything under $10. I asked for steamed fish with black bean sauce (18) but pointed at 19 on the menu which was sautéed fish (my fault), so they brought the wrong dish. They apologized and brought me the right one. Fish was soft and the black bean sauce was flavorful and great with the steamed rice. Lots of regulars here - the table next to me had an elderly couple whom the waitress asked about their grandchildren.

Catherine L.

grew up on le lai and some things never change; its been an iconic establishment for decades. it gets PACKED around noon for their lunch specials. you can get delicious comforting canto dishes for less than $9 each!! very tender beef, silky scrambled eggs, and generous portions. the main downside is the wait and service, but makes sense given how busy it gets. truly a (not so) hidden gem in bellaire

Matthew C.

I've been coming here for the past 15+ years with my family, so it's safe to say this place is definitely a Chinatown staple for me. If you're looking for affordable, authentic Chinese food that is not too salty, not too oily, pretty healthy, but also still very flavorful, this is the place to go! They're a small mom and pop shop, and the food tastes like homemade Chinese cooking, which is probably why my family and I like it so much. Some of my favorite dishes are the salted pork chop, mushroom and tofu, and steamed fresh fish!

Andrew C.

5 stars and nothing less for this place. It's a small, unassuming restaurant that has an extensive menu and delicious food. I let our expert cantonese friends order the dishes, but everything was amazing. Specifically would like to call out the crispy golden fried tofu, which is nice and silky inside with a lightly crunchy/saucy outside. Pork rib claypot rice, beef chow fun, pea shoots, beef with veggies, etc. - you really can't go wrong with any of the dishes here. This place can seat larger parties and it's definitely better if you come with a bigger group so you can try more items. Waitstaff is nice and attentive. Would highly recommend this spot for delicious food with a reasonable price!

This is the location
Peggy L.

If I can make negative Star, I definitely will do it. Food: are good and the price are reasonable. Service : the first time I go there buying to go the ladies service are good funny. The second time I go, there dinner with whole family and friend it is good service nice and she make sure we order the dish is correct. She patiently explain everything about the we order ,, because at the manual sometimes didn't spring very clearly how the food cook like (dry or a lot of sauce) and I think she understands Chinese restaurant have the same thing cook out, but the name of the dish are different . That I really appreciate that lady . BUT the third time I go in there, it was totally disappointed . Come out a man take care our table , he is brush you off the order . When we try to say about the dish the way, and he keeps saying that is only one time we had .... So we can't even say more because he is rude brush and loud. Finally came out two wrong dish . one of the ordered is boneless fish but he give us fish with bone (my children visit me for just three days and he really want to eat a salt and pepper fish with the bone ). OK the first one we take it is not easy to eat, but that is right.. The second dish we asked for the tofu with the vegetable and mushroom ... he keeps saying they only have one kind of the tofu dish so right we believe him . But it comes out a deep fried tofu.... Which we can't accept it. So he finally change the correct dish for us. That is right we don't want to make anything big deal . But the teach come out more than 30 minutes. We almost want to give up.. Finally, the dish come and he come out saying we are wrong. He just tried to be nice to change for us, but no more next time. My son was speak out, pointing the way he said is wrong and he just silent, but he still think he's right. And he tried to make the happening. He's really kind man to helping us. I feel sick of his reaction. And my son said that is really rude and not professional services. So I suggestion people just order to go don't set in . Except is the lady, service is good. Ambiance: for Asia Chinese restaurant this place are acceptable. CLEAN .

Steamed Fish Mow

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9 years ago

I ordered two dishes, but they only gave me one chopsticks so sadly we had to eat one by one in a very hungry situation. The food is salty.

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8 years ago

cheap and clean Chinese restaurant. easy to park.

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Hu's Cooking

Hu's Cooking

4.5(1.1k reviews)
8.0 miWest University, Braeswood Place
$$

$20-30 We ordered the 3 shrimp egg rolls, beef and broccoli,…read moreand the walnut shrimp. Everything we had was delicious. We highly recommend giving it a try. Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5 Noise level Quiet, easy to talk Parking space Somewhat difficult to find parking Parking options Free parking lot

I've been a happy patron of Hu's Cooking ever since they opened the year before the pandemic, but…read morebecause of their instant success and local renown from their excellent eats, speedy service, busy-but-not-crowded vibes (see: their 1000+ Yelp reviews) I've never felt the need to drop a review of my own - until just this week. On my most recent visit we ordered mapo tofu with pork intestines off the specials menu - a hybrid of two of my favorite Sichuan-style dishes. The blend of bouncy, savory morsels amidst tender, saucy tofu was at once revolutionary and so obvious; why hadn't I yet seen this at any other restaurant? And sure, innards may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's important for you to know that none of my past orders from the 50+ item menu have ever failed me, whether enjoyed in the restaurant or at home. Maybe you'd prefer the aromatic, classic, perfectly balanced three-cup chicken? Or the sweet-skinned duck, glazed so delicately that specks of sugar crystal threaten to jump off onto the plate as you pick up a juicy slice with your chopsticks? And if you're vegetarian, might you consider the punchy garlic eggplant or the wok-kissed string beans? I could go on. Do yourself a favor and come see for yourself, though I'd recommend parallel parking on the neighborhood streets behind the restaurant rather than the rocky parking lot, to save you some trouble. Bring friends and chow down family style - you'll need help covering as much of the menu as you can, but you'll definitely have to come back to try everything.

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Hu's Cooking - Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

Hu's Cooking - Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

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Bamboo House - Twice Cooked Pork Belly

Bamboo House

4.4(732 reviews)
23.3 mi
$$

I have heard great feedback about Bambok House and and their authentic Chinese Cuisine. The first…read moretime I visited I planned it to the T and when I visited their bar was not operational any longer, and that was apart of my planning. So I left. The second time I visited, I had the Hong Shao Rou with mushrooms (Braised Pork Belly) to-go, not a huge fan of takeout and this didn't disappoint and it was good. The takeout team member was pleasant enough. They feature an open kitchen with two tops closer to the wall/glass and larger tables more toward the middle of the restaurant. From the outside it features the traditional Chinese architecture with western building base. I look forward to yaksying the rest of the menu this year.

I've eaten at Bamboo House enough times to know that the food can be a hit or miss depending on the…read morenight. When it's done right, the flavors are bold and satisfying. But the inconsistency has been an issue for me, and the flavors aren't as good as they once were. Dishes I regularly ordered like Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Japanese Egg Tofu, and Honey Walnut Shrimp haven't stood out as much as of lately. Dishes like Szechuan Spicy Chicken is still one of my favorite, and Garlic Snow Pea Leaves are delicious when in season. Bamboo House still holds its place as great spot for group dining. The portion is generous, prices are fair, and overall a solid restaurant that's still worth recommending.

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Bamboo House - Inside

Inside

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Peking Duck + Pancakes

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Outside

The Rice Box - Sesame Tofu, really good!

The Rice Box

3.8(1k reviews)
11.2 miThe Heights
$$

The Honey Shrimp, amazing!!! Love the decor and ambiance, the place has good energy. 10/10 I would…read morerecommend.

Box of rice Haven't…read morebeen here in almost 8 years. 1st experience was great, second was terrible so I didn't go back. My friend Aurora wanted to meet Donna early dinner and gossip session and she really liked this place. (We tried having a team lunch at the Rice Village location during the cold front last Oct but they had no heat so we opted for a warmer place but she grabbed a to go on the way home) Here we are for a late lunch 3:45 pm on a Friday. Parking was none had to drive around the block and saw some movement and bam, someone was leaving. We ordered at the bar, staff was super nice and opted to sit outside. Did not realize they deliver to the table. Order: Mongolian beef combo with fried rice and egg roll $14.99 The food comes in takeaway style containers. Win. Mongolian beef (2.5/5) - slightly over sauced for me; beef was pretty tender and there were carrots and edamame which is not the standard so maybe that's what makes it fusion? Fried rice (3/5) - standard style fried with small pieces of bean sprouts which I love so that was a nice surprise Egg roll (3/5) - I assume it was chicken because I didn't realize there was a choice) - it was crunchy and soft on the inside which I like, and pairs well with sriracha (did not eat till I got home) They seem to do a whole lot of take away. The staff were nice and hard working. I was excited when they first opened bc they had chow fun on the menu and being HK Cantonese, I love that dish but when I ordered it the 1st and 2nd time eight years ago instead of bean sprouts they had cabbage and that alters rhe flavor tremendously. I see why it's popular among the people but just don't think it is for my taste.

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The Rice Box - The counter/bar area

The counter/bar area

The Rice Box
The Rice Box

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Hi Trendy Dumpling - General Tso's Chicken

Hi Trendy Dumpling

4.4(429 reviews)
10.2 miThe Heights
$$

Wow! I went for the first time tonight and my wife and I had a struggle not ordering everything on…read morethe appetizer menu. Our server was as so kind and had the absolute flow down, checked on us at the most opportune moments (we couldn't help but order more). It was truly hard to close out my tab, which was incredibly affordable. This might seem like a sponsorship but I'm just truly in wow. 10/10 no notes. 7 apps, 2 entrees and 1 drink for $97.53, an absolute steal..

I recently visited this restaurant and unfortunately had a disappointing experience, mainly due to…read morethe service. When our server first came to the table, there was no greeting or welcome. She immediately asked what we wanted in a rude tone, which set an uncomfortable atmosphere from the start. There was a sign on the table advertising a "free appetizer" if you take a photo and tag the restaurant on social media. I followed the instructions exactly as stated, but when I mentioned it, the server initially refused to honor the promotion. After I pointed out the sign, she appeared upset and walked away. I saw she went to speak to another employee and cracked a smiled and looked over. She later returned and offered a small discount instead. The issue wasn't about the money or the discount, it was the principle. The promotion was clearly advertised, and I simply followed the restaurant's own policy. It was disappointing to feel like the restaurant was reluctant to honor something they were actively promoting. I hope management addresses this because customer service and consistency with advertised promotions make a big difference in the overall dining experience.

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Hi Trendy Dumpling - Interior

Interior

Hi Trendy Dumpling - Biang Biang Noodle.  Ig: @absofreakinglutelyyummy

Biang Biang Noodle. Ig: @absofreakinglutelyyummy

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Braised chili oil fish

Le Lai - chinese - Updated May 2026

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