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Shanghai Alley

3.3 (198 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

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Seafood fried rice
Hung L.

The only things are good fried rice and boba drinks. The siu mai is the weird dish. I took a bite and had to spit it out. The soup dumplings are not good at all. The skin is so thick. The ones sell at hmart are better than these. The beef noodle is ok. Nothing special about it. We have better beef noodle in other ramen restaurants. While the food is not good the environment is pretty nice. The service is excellent.

Pork with smoked tofu
Justin P.

The competition within the Triangle area as it pertains to Chinese food is pretty stiff, but in all honesty it doesn't take much to please me when it comes to Chinese food. With that being said, Shanghai Alley has been quite disappointing in my visits and I'd rather visit other places that serve better food and have quicker service. Shanghai Alley's unique feature is that they do traditional Chinese dishes and push the dim sum carts throughout the day. It's been a while since I've had the dim sum so I cannot recall that experience. A family member has had it recently and was not blown away by it, so I will go by their testimony! Much of my disappointment came from my last visit here. It was rather busy on a Saturday evening, so I was excited by the prospect of dinner based on popularity. We ordered 5 different dishes. The first problem was how they served everything. When eating family style, it's great to have multiple dishes arrive at the table so you can pass everything around and try different things together. Items here came out more banquet style (this place is not a banquet style restaurant) where things would come one at a time. We would basically finish a dish before another arrived at the table. We spent a lot of time waiting for food. The dishes themselves ranged from pretty good to very disappointing. The best thing we had were the pork with smoked tofu. The flavors were great and the portions were fantastic. The ginger chicken had good flavor and paired great with the rice, but most of it was bone. The walnut shrimp had good flavor, but portions were lacking. I would avoid getting the green beans. Traditionally, the green beans are cooked in really high heat so the outside remains crunchy, but fried just enough that it's crisp. These green beans were none of the above. First off, most of them were missing the bean for some reason. It was just us eating the exterior. The beans were also not cooked on high enough heat or not cooked long enough because it ended up being chewy and oily. I had never had it like that before, it was probably the worst Chinese stir fried green beans I've had. Their veggie lo mein also was a bit weird, mainly due to the choice of vegetables. Maybe I'm just overly critical, but I would have substituted the bell peppers for some cabbage or bean sprouts. I may end up coming back to Shanghai Alley because my grandparents live close and it's an easy drive for them. However, if you have a choice for Chinese, I would certainly recommend you try a different spot!

Cliff H.

Authentic food. Great atmosphere. Great service. Tremendous variety of dim sum complemented by some great Cantonese and Szechuan menu items.

Dining room
Tony S.

The best dim sum I've had outside of San Francisco!! Huge selection of entrees and specialties. Super friendly staff and attentive.

Christine W.

I came here for the first time yesterday and had such a great experience! Their dimsum is fairly authentic. I didn't like my radish cakes as much as some others, but the stuffed eggplant and green pepper were so tasty! My boyfriend's dad ordered sweet and sour ribs. Quite delicious! Our server was very attentive. Food came out fast. The venue is pretty upscale, just worryingly empty when we went.

Ducks getting seasoned up in the kitchen
Reggie S.

Great food - been here several times. It gets crowded. Haven't had a bad thing on the menu yet. The duck definitely a favorite of mine

Beef soup
Smitha M.

We tried dim sums and they were really good . We also had a soup and shrimp mixed vegetables and both were good as well We went for lunch on weekend and hence it was dinner portion. Only issue I thought was that there was a pressure with several dim-sum carts being coming to you for you to purchase them

Look at this bland Shrimp Rice Noddle Roll

The food that I ordered was not good talk about no flavor I spent $40.00 on a bunch of crap.The Shrimp Dumplings are not good the Shrimp Rice Noddle Roll are so extra bland they didn't even put soy sauce on them.The Wonton Soup was another fail what a joke what are these people doing.The House Special Fried Rice was pure Garbage not even edible don't know why they used the word Special there is nothing special about it at all.I took a few spoon fulls of the rice and tossed it in the trash that rice cost $14.95 wasted my money it was awful I moved to North Carolina 2 years ago from Northern California the Chinese Food and especially the Dim Sum in California is absolutely amazing,I miss the food in Californiathey do things right especially DimSum.When I moved here I have had the worst Dim Sum ever the cooks/restaurants in North Carolina are the worst I have ever seen in my life including this restaurant no wonder it was empty when I went

Stir fry beef w special chili sauce- lots of jalapeños
Rebecca P.

Update: March 2024 4pm Asian restaurant Food still yummy. They changed the menu unfortunately from a year ago. So we tried new things. 3.5 stars Food: My stir fry beef with special chili sauce had very good flavor. My hubby's pad tai w shrimp wasn't great but had good amount of shrimp according to his opinion. The veggie spring-roll was yummy and its sauce. 1 star: Timing of food from the kitchen still needs work. My hubby's food came out first. I had to still wait for mine. The spring roll appetizer did not come out first before the main dishes as expected. They really need to work on these kitchen issues. 3.8 star: Service was quick and pleasant. Booth table was clean. I've become more sensitive to how loud a restaurant is, thus this place was quiet- great for conversations. We look forward to going back when in the area.

Salt and peppered tofu
Jennifer A.

I can't believe I've never tried going to this resto before. I love the atmosphere of it. It made me nostalgic. Also, you can order dim sum anytime!!! I miss my weekend dim sums. So, you know what I got when I visited, dim sum!!! We tried almost everyone off the dim sum menu. Everything tasted fresh, the fried pork ribs is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the shrimps in everything wasn't over cooked. The only thing that we didn't like much is the congee. I normally like congee but there's something inside that we didn't enjoy. If you had any questions, the wait staff is very helpful. When we were done, we had to order some plates to try them at home. They were a hit. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Came back here to celebrate my birthday for supper and they didn't disappoint. We ordered a lot off the dim sum and a couple of dishes from their menu, orange chicken, roast pork, and salt and peppered tofu. Food was fresh, fried items were crispy yet not dry. The soup dumplings was good and the bottom didn't stick so all the soup was intact. Don't forget to add the sauce and ginger. The chicken and pork were devoured in a flash. The tofu had heat and not too salty. Everything was so good and I especially enjoyed the Chinese broccoli and shrimp dumplings. The other dishes were equally delicious. I was so happy that we were able to have some leftovers. Loved it! Will definitely come back!

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Shanghai Alley Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Shanghai Alley

Is dim sum served for dinner?

Yes. You can order from the menu and it comes out super fresh!

How are the vegetarian options?

There's a variety of vegetable-based dishes here, and they're also pretty accommodating! It wasn't when they were too busy, but I've had some meat dishes be substituted with extra vegetables.

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Dim Sum House

Dim Sum House

3.0(433 reviews)
6.4 mi
$$

Overall, pleasant experience on a Saturday during lunch time. They pushed dim sum carts and there…read morewere many options both steamed and fried. I liked that they had a menu with pictures if you needed it and that they also came by and named all the items. This is helpful especially for people enjoying dim sum for the first time. This made me believe the waitresses were rather attentive and welcoming to first time guests. When we selected our dim sum they made sure to cut it so that it was easy to share and they also reheated items so they were hotter if they came off the fried cart even without us asking. They also refilled our water several times and checked on us. The restaurant is spacious and has a lot of room outside for parking making it an easier place to bring more people for dim sum compared to other dim sum options in the Triangle area. While I believe the service and the restaurant interior/exterior made the restaurant a great candidate for future visits I do want to note that the dim sum did not seem traditionally Cantonese or up to dim sum standard. There were some dim sum items that I've never seen served in Hong Kong or at traditional dim sum restaurants. Out of the four items I ordered, not all of them were excellent either. Particularly the soup dumplings did not really have soup in them. That being said they still offer the classics like shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and others on the menu but I will have to go back and try them since I ordered other items this visit. The pricing is roughly what you'd expect to see at dim sum restaurants in this area. Overall recommend to visit if you enjoy dim sum experiences.

Food was surprisingly good. I was craving dim sum in a barbecue state. Spare ribs in black bean…read moresauce, stir fried udon noodles, Chinese broccoli, sui mai, eggplant stuffed with shrimp and sesame balls were all delicious! I love chicken feet but these were not good. It had a weird aftertaste and not as tender. The beef stew was okay but I wouldn't get it again. Soup dumplings were dry. Gyozas were not crispy. There's a bit of a language barrier with the servers. I asked for no onions/scallions in the fried rice or stir fry udon. Upon checking my receipt, it was marked "no veg" and when I asked my server she said "it's just easier to say no veg." I told her we would've liked the carrots and bean sprouts, just no onions/scallions. The conversation was a fail so I gave up. The fried rice lacked color but had nice flavor. Ambiance is great. Wonderful decor indoors with ample seating. I would return when in the area again.

Photos
Dim Sum House
Dim Sum House
Dim Sum House - Restaurant pic

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Restaurant pic

Taipei 101 - Spicy Boiled Fish

Taipei 101

4.0(505 reviews)
1.5 mi
$$

Decided to come here for a weekday dinner on a whim & so glad that we did! This was also my first…read moreforay into Downtown Cary, which is super cute. We got the: - Scallion Roasted Beef Pancake Roll: Definitely recommend getting this as an appetizer! The scallion pancake is super crispy with unbelievably tender beef inside & perfect amount of sweetness from the hoisin sauce. - Griddle Chicken with Mixed Vegetables: I've never eaten anything like this before, and absolutely loved it. Loved all the spices- cumin, fennel, doubanjiang- & the mala essence; the crispy, tender chicken; and the variety of vegetables, especially the lotus root. - Shrimp Ho-Fun: The shrimp were tender & the wide rice noodles have such a fun, bouncy texture; a flavorful dish. - Spicy Boiled Fish: The fish was super flaky; Taipei 101's version of this has a bit less mala flavor than I like, but this was still tasty. - Chinese Braised Pork: The pork was tender with a good amount of fat and I appreciated the bok choy, but it was a bit too sweet for me. Ambiance is nice, lots of tables. Service was fast. There are parking spots in front of the restaurant, but a little limited in number. 10/10 would recommend!

This was by far the most disappointing Chinese meal I've had. The scallion pancakes barely had any…read morescallions--maybe one piece in each--and when I mentioned it, the server insisted that's just how they prepare them. The vegetable lo mein was just as underwhelming, with only a small amount of carrots, scallions, and broccoli, lacking real flavor while somehow being overly salty. We also ordered the eggplant with basil, but the sauce was thick, overly sticky, and tasted more like sugar than anything else. I can't understand how this could be considered authentic. We had visited this restaurant about ten years ago, and the quality has clearly declined since then.

Photos
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 - Chicken Mongolian. We didn't order this. It was brought to us by accident, but the few bites we had were very, very good.

Chicken Mongolian. We didn't order this. It was brought to us by accident, but the few bites we had were very, very good.

Taipei 101 - Mapo Tofu

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Mapo Tofu

Brewery Bhavana - Chicken Curry Bao

Brewery Bhavana

4.4(1.6k reviews)
8.3 mi
$$

Our company held a team dinner at Brewery Bhavana, and it was truly an experience. Right in the…read moreheart of downtown Raleigh, this upscale brewery blends historic brick charm with a stunning custom library and unique touches of elegance at every turn. We enjoyed several small plates, and not a single dish disappointed. Every bite was memorable. The atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for date night, a girls' night out, or even a quick lunch while enjoying a good read. A beautiful space, incredible food, and an unforgettable evening.

This is a one stop shop, brewery, flower shop, library/book store and dim sum restaurant!…read more The food. Really really good dim sum. I stopped in just a they were opening on a Friday and thank goodness I showed up when I did, this place gets packed quick and you should book a reservation to be on the safe side. I was most excited about the duck egg rolls but ended up being my least favorite not because they were slightly on the dry side. Flavor was good, and the hoisin honey sauce really helped! The seafood dumplings were second best, stuffed full. The soup based was amazing and it also came with some bread for dipping in the leftover sauce. The pork and chive shumai were my favorite! A little bit bigger than bit sized but worth the mouth full! Absolutely would recommend. I'll 100% be back for more food. The bar side looked to be more casual, the dinning room was full of high tea attire so I did feel a little under dressed, thought it would be slightly more casual. They have the cutest library with free books to read but only while you dine in. The flower and book shop are in the middle of the space. Super cute, limited options but great for a last minute bouquet!

Photos
Brewery Bhavana - Read a book and feast

Read a book and feast

Brewery Bhavana - Pork & Chive Shumai

Pork & Chive Shumai

Brewery Bhavana - Rosette Reserve Beer

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Rosette Reserve Beer

Nan Xiang Express

Nan Xiang Express

4.1(74 reviews)
18.3 mi

I really enjoyed my lunch at Nan Xiang Express! This is a fun, fast casual, yet upscale feeling…read morechain specializing in Shanghai-style Chinese foods like soup dumplings, noodles, and drinks. Heads up, the parking lot is kind of small. However, it's not too far from Duke's campus. You can order by kiosk, and sit wherever you'd like and the food came out quickly. The soup noodles were really good! They were well-sized and very flavorful. I also ordered the noodles, which were a decent portion, but didn't really stand out to me as anything special.I think the best part of Nan Xiang was the drinks. I loved the mango pomelo sago. The sago was perfectly tender and the drink wasn't too sweet. Honestly, there were so many drink options, and it was so hard to pick just one. Overall, I liked Nan Xiang express for a quick and convenient option.

We really enjoyed our first visit to Nan Xiang Express in Durham, North Carolina this week, and it…read moreleft us eager to return. We sampled a nice cross-section of the menu, including Wonton Soup, Hot & Sour Soup, Pork Siu Mai, Wontons in Spicy Peanut Sauce, and of course the Nan Xiang Signature Pork Soup Dumplings (see photos). Every dish was flavorful and well prepared, with the soup dumplings easily stealing the show. We had just returned from New York City, where we enjoyed soup dumplings at one of the most famous spots around, so our expectations were high. Impressively, the dumplings here at Nan Xiang Express -- right in North Carolina -- were every bit as satisfying. Ordering was done at the front kiosks, and from that point on the service was excellent. The staff was friendly and welcoming throughout, with plenty of smiling faces that made the experience even more enjoyable. We're very much looking forward to coming back to explore more of the menu, and we're also excited to try the brand-new location that just opened in Raleigh. Highly recommended.

Photos
Nan Xiang Express - Ordering Area and Kiosks

Ordering Area and Kiosks

Nan Xiang Express - Crispy bottom pork bun

Crispy bottom pork bun

Nan Xiang Express - Blueberry yogurt boba

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Blueberry yogurt boba

Tsaocha - Korean fried chicken wings

Tsaocha

3.8(4 reviews)
18.3 mi

Went here for boba and a quick bite to eat. I thought their teas were pretty good. I got a White…read morePeach Oolong with milk foam, my friend got Thai Bubble tea. We also shared some soup dumplings and a chicken rice bowl. Contrary to other reviews on here, I found the food and service to be quite nice. Pretty tasty food, a step up in quality compared to other Chinese take outs. No hiccups in the self-ordering process, and our food was ready at an appropriate time. The store itself has a nice ambiance, with huge screens on the walls for watching sports as well. The only issue is parking in that lot next door can sometimes get a little cramped.

This is the same business as Nan Xiang soup dumplings. I think both the tsaocha tea and the soup…read moredumplings are separate franchise agreements being operated by the same owners. I found the ordering process somewhat confusing on our first visit. You can order at the table by scanning a QR code, but that defaults to the soup dumplings menu. There's a drop down to change the menu to the tsaocha menu, where the Korean fried chicken is hiding (you can also order at these giant kiosks, but the line for those can move slowly if people are taking a long time customizing their tea options). Their fried chicken wings come out plain, with your choice of sauce on the side. This was not what we had expected, but the chicken was hot, crisp, and super juicy, and I suppose not saucing them helps keep them crisp? At any rate, a tasty, somewhat hidden menu item! And well-priced at $13 for 10.

Shanghai Alley - shanghainese - Updated May 2026

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