Great authentic Chinese food! The best near campus.
Nakya Ferrell
I've been searching all over Champaign for really good Chinese food and Lai Lai has satisfied my palate. They have traditional and American-style meals and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very welcoming! The cashier clarified spice levels of some of the meals I was considering and was very helpful. I would go back!
Parking: You can find parking anywhere on Green Street and walk to Lai Lai, but finding parking right by the location will be a bit difficult.
Wheelchair accessibility: This place is not wheelchair accessible, as there are stairs to the entrance.
Melody Craig
This place is disgusting, from top to bottom. I've been in a few no frills type of places though and cleanliness isn't always top priority. Ordered Crispy duck and 2 pork and leek buns.During our meal, a roach came out from under the plate and crawled across the table, then we found another in the napkin holder. At first sight of the bugs we immediately stopped eating and left right away. I just wanted to be gone so we paid regardless, but I've never had such a gross experience.
Hannah Si
Though the service/staffing is modest, this place is great for authentic and affordable Chinese food with a large group. My allergies to eggs, shellfish, and tree nuts are usually a hassle at Chinese restaurants, yet this was one of the easiest places for me to eat. I recommend the three-cup chicken!
Dietary restrictions: Easy to avoid shellfish and eggs
Jason
I just have dinner here. Taste good and the manager very friendly. I highly recommend it here.
Shreyank Sreenivasa
Almost every dish from the traditional Chinese menu is really good.
Spencer Hazen
The sesame flatbread is amazing, but the drink situation is weird (maybe it's temporary, but you have to get water and tea out of a sports cooler), but the tea is very good
Vegetarian options: Menu is mostly organized by meats, so vegetable options are fairly easy to find
Jon Sudlow
Good spot on green. Friendly owner. Food is good and they take their time too craft it. Nice and quiet too.
lisa l
Solid, no frills spot for good Chinese food with decent prices.
Alice Li
The vast array of dishes on the menu is honestly a gem. I highly recommend the fried garlic eggplant, sesame chicken (a classic), and the dumplings! The dumplings are handmade and steamed fresh in house, and the sauce is so good.
I was really hesitant about going to Lai-Lai Wok for the first time. On multiple occasions, I've heard that it is the most authentic or best Chinese food in the area. That's a tough decision to make, but it's definitely a contender for both. I truly enjoyed everything about this place, and the portions are huge! I accidentally ordered a main dish and a soup, which is another main dish, and an appetizer. That was enough for like 3 extra sittings. And the price wasn't bad for all of that either. Overall, really enjoyed the place.
Weifang L.
Update:My second dine-in experience was better. We ordered the beef noodle soup, Chinese pancake (煎饼果子), and eggplants with basil. The noodles were handmade with a lovely chewy texture that I really liked. I wouldn't ask for more given it's price ($10.50) and portion. The pancake was also great and came with a large portion. The wait time was a bit longer though.Original post:Food was not bad. Portion was ok given the price. Service was fast. Not as busy as some of the other Chinese restaurants in town.
WL
Update:My second dine-in experience was better. We ordered the beef noodle soup, Chinese pancake (煎饼果子), and eggplants with basil. The noodles were handmade with a lovely chewy texture that I really liked. I wouldn't ask for more given it's price ($10.50) and portion. The pancake was also great and came with a large portion. The wait time was a bit longer though.Original post:Food was not bad. Portion was ok given the price. Service was fast. Not as busy as some of the other Chinese restaurants in town.
SpiderKing123
You had to order through a very confusing app. Food did not arrive together so some of the members of my group didn't get their food until all of us had already received food, they're is a never ending dinging bell near the dining room that is very annoying. Food was sub par and not worth the wait or price. Overall very poor experience.
Fon D
Holy cow! I don't know the reason for the low rating, but the food is out of this world good. Better than Chicago Chinatown! We came here twice in two days. Definitely get the eggplant with szechuan garlic sauce and spicy crispy chicken. I would come back again in a heartbeat even from Chicago.
Great authentic Chinese food! The best near campus.
I've been searching all over Champaign for really good Chinese food and Lai Lai has satisfied my palate. They have traditional and American-style meals and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very welcoming! The cashier clarified spice levels of some of the meals I was considering and was very helpful. I would go back!
Parking: You can find parking anywhere on Green Street and walk to Lai Lai, but finding parking right by the location will be a bit difficult.
Wheelchair accessibility: This place is not wheelchair accessible, as there are stairs to the entrance.
This place is disgusting, from top to bottom. I've been in a few no frills type of places though and cleanliness isn't always top priority. Ordered Crispy duck and 2 pork and leek buns.During our meal, a roach came out from under the plate and crawled across the table, then we found another in the napkin holder. At first sight of the bugs we immediately stopped eating and left right away. I just wanted to be gone so we paid regardless, but I've never had such a gross experience.
Though the service/staffing is modest, this place is great for authentic and affordable Chinese food with a large group. My allergies to eggs, shellfish, and tree nuts are usually a hassle at Chinese restaurants, yet this was one of the easiest places for me to eat. I recommend the three-cup chicken!
Dietary restrictions: Easy to avoid shellfish and eggs
I just have dinner here. Taste good and the manager very friendly. I highly recommend it here.
Almost every dish from the traditional Chinese menu is really good.
The sesame flatbread is amazing, but the drink situation is weird (maybe it's temporary, but you have to get water and tea out of a sports cooler), but the tea is very good
Vegetarian options: Menu is mostly organized by meats, so vegetable options are fairly easy to find
Good spot on green. Friendly owner. Food is good and they take their time too craft it. Nice and quiet too.
Solid, no frills spot for good Chinese food with decent prices.
The vast array of dishes on the menu is honestly a gem. I highly recommend the fried garlic eggplant, sesame chicken (a classic), and the dumplings! The dumplings are handmade and steamed fresh in house, and the sauce is so good.
Restaurantji Recommends
I was really hesitant about going to Lai-Lai Wok for the first time. On multiple occasions, I've heard that it is the most authentic or best Chinese food in the area. That's a tough decision to make, but it's definitely a contender for both. I truly enjoyed everything about this place, and the portions are huge! I accidentally ordered a main dish and a soup, which is another main dish, and an appetizer. That was enough for like 3 extra sittings. And the price wasn't bad for all of that either. Overall, really enjoyed the place.
Update:My second dine-in experience was better. We ordered the beef noodle soup, Chinese pancake (煎饼果子), and eggplants with basil. The noodles were handmade with a lovely chewy texture that I really liked. I wouldn't ask for more given it's price ($10.50) and portion. The pancake was also great and came with a large portion. The wait time was a bit longer though.Original post:Food was not bad. Portion was ok given the price. Service was fast. Not as busy as some of the other Chinese restaurants in town.
Update:My second dine-in experience was better. We ordered the beef noodle soup, Chinese pancake (煎饼果子), and eggplants with basil. The noodles were handmade with a lovely chewy texture that I really liked. I wouldn't ask for more given it's price ($10.50) and portion. The pancake was also great and came with a large portion. The wait time was a bit longer though.Original post:Food was not bad. Portion was ok given the price. Service was fast. Not as busy as some of the other Chinese restaurants in town.
You had to order through a very confusing app. Food did not arrive together so some of the members of my group didn't get their food until all of us had already received food, they're is a never ending dinging bell near the dining room that is very annoying. Food was sub par and not worth the wait or price. Overall very poor experience.
Holy cow! I don't know the reason for the low rating, but the food is out of this world good. Better than Chicago Chinatown! We came here twice in two days. Definitely get the eggplant with szechuan garlic sauce and spicy crispy chicken. I would come back again in a heartbeat even from Chicago.
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