08/04/09

Very Disappointed!!!!!!!

by Seane

Went to eat on lunch break with friends. I ordered sweet and sour chicken, chicken was overcooked. Didn't complain and ate what I could because didn't have time to return and wait for more to be cooked. Explained chicken was overcooked to the server and cashier when I went to check out and I still ended up paying for the total price. I was only able to eat half of it due to the hardness of the chicken. I would have been willing to pay for half, my drink and egg roll. I will never go eat here again.

• Cons: Chicken overcooked

04/28/07

Excellent example of both authentic & American Chinese. My favorite Asian in the Triangle.

by richardberg

They have a large menu with all of your Americanized favorites. Most of them are prepared on par with the area's good mainstream Chinese restaurants (eg Neo-China, PF Chang's) if not better. They also have a lunch menu with a few of these basic dishes that's an amazing deal: entree, choice of rice, soup, AND eggroll for $4.35-$5.50.

But all the real winners are on the first two pages: namely, the chef's specialty entrees and the hand-cut noodles. When I go, I'm usually the only white guy there (high praise indeed!), and needless to say the Asian folks around me aren't ordering Lemon Chicken. Noodle dishes, giant seafood soups, and tofu are ubiquitous. I'm a cautious eater by nature but coming to Eastern Lights often has encouraged me to branch out. I've never been disappointed; in many cases I acquired new favorites. Nowadays, the adventurous/authentic dishes are the reason I keep coming back.

The hot p0t* & barbeque deserves its own mention. You have to order in advance, but it's totally worth it as a special occasion for 3-8 people. For $16/person you get a Korean barbeque (bul go gi steak, marinated ribs, etc), then about a dozen Chinese pickled veggies, then a giant Chinese hot p0t / soup. I don't know of anyplace in the Triange that offers something similar.

The service is unbelievably good. I measure restaurants on how many times my water glass is filled per half hour. Eastern Lights is the only one to score a 5 or better, and they do it every time. Being a regular who tips well helps, I suppose, but I wouldn't be a regular if they hadn't done this from the start.

*idiot software says "p0t" is a naughty word

• Pros: food, service, price, variety
• Cons: ambience is merely so-so, if you care

06/14/06

Best Northern Chinese food in RTP

by pickytaster

Their hot sour soup is the best in triangle. Everyone on the Chef's specialty menu is good. Their Chowma mien (hot red seafood soup noodle) is also the best in this area. We go there almost every weekend. Their duck and vegitable dishes are good too. excellent price.

• Pros: Relaxed. Most people are not aware of them.