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It's good for both groups as well as for a couple of friends, and fairly priced too.
The food here I have found to be consistently good. It's not overly greasy as most Americanized Chinese food joints are, and I love coming here on a cold day for a big bowl of beef-noodle-stew.
Remember that whole curse about this location? How a restaurant had never been able to last there for more than a year? Well, Lai Lai definitely proved everyone wrong and is still going strong.
They're pretty hands-off here. If you would like more tea or water, get up and get it yourself! If you're in a rush to pay the check, walk it up to the front and get it rung up. Overall, I much prefer not being all fussed over during my meals, so this works for me =)
As everyone else is recommending, their tofu (both mapo and home-style) are very yummy. Actually, everything I've had here is very good.
Going back again soon!
Went here for a dinner with a group of nine people whilst visiting campus for the weekend. We managed to get the extremely large table by the window with a glass lazy susan on it, which helped us share our meals later on. The service wasn't that great -- we sat at the table for fifteen minutes before someone realized we were there and gave us menus and waters. When our food arrived, some of us had to wait twenty more minutes for theirs to arrive, by then, most of us were done with our portions! Our glasses of water were also sitting empty for awhile (water refilling is a vital part of my ratings).
The food was superb, though. We all sampled each other's food and not one dish was to my disliking. YUM! Definitely would come back here on a future visit.
Surprisingly good Chinese food in the middle of Champaign.
Yes, it is mostly Americanized, but it's not too greasy, and not too crazy with the sauces such that it doesn't overwhelm but instead massages the palate with simple flavors and limited numbers of different textures.
The dish I recall the best was the ma pa tofu and hot and sour soups. Simple, convenient, and not too difficult to eat. The noodles were a bit disappointing (lo mein came out a bit.. hm, drier than I thought it would be, almost like the noodles didn't cook properly).
Ate here with my wife and Mom while visiting a few weeks ago.
I live in Chicago and grew up in the suburbs with a Chinese friend, so I know what good Chinese food tastes like.
We ordered: home style tofu, short ribs, and orange chicken.
The home style tofu was perfect and had a very nice consistency while the tofu was not simply deep fried and then stir fried - it was cooked properly (something that many restaurants could learn from - leathery tofu is no fun.)
The short ribs were awesome! Nice sauce, and the meat was falling off the bone. Good stuff!
The orange chicken was crispy and spicy and included the elusive but much wanted "candied orange peel" - caramelized the way I like it :-)
It was nice that we could hop up and get refills on water and hot tea - I've seen few places that will do this. I've been ignored plenty while eating at Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants - I don't think it's rudeness - it's usually that the kitchen is busy and the restaurant is understaffed.
We ate late, and were one of three tables. Our service was prompt and good. I think that sometimes you might have to get someone's attention to place an order - not the end of the world by any means for me based on my experiences eating in many restaurants in Chicago.
We had leftovers for 2 meals to take home. It's nice that the take-out boxes are easy to find and are self-service. I hate waiting for boxes and hate even more when my food is taken back to the kitchen to be boxed (leaving food behind and anyway I like to see my food while it is boxed.)
I'd give it a try if you are a student or are just in town for a few days.
I don't actually attend U of I or live close, but I totally would so that I could eat at this place every day. Best orange chicken I've had in my LIFE. And you know I'm credible because I'm Asian-American, so you can imagine all the shitty ass orange chicken dishes I've had. At other places, there is always a problem with the orange chicken. If it isn't because the sauce is too sweet and syrupy, it's because there's too much breading on the chicken. Sometimes I just feel like I'm chewing on soggy fried breading with no chicken in it.
BUT.. Lai Lai's orange chicken is inarguably the best orange chicken I've ever tried. Everything is perfect about it, and I could probably eat it for years, if not decades.
Everything else I've tried is delicious as well, but their orange chicken is just amazing.
Service was awful. Sat down, was asked to order not even 60 secs later, and then was dutifully ignored the rest of the time. I'm Asian too, but apparently no love there.
I had the three-cup chicken, and on a sudden craving an order of crab ragoon. The chicken came out pretty fast in a one of those sizzling bowls (yum!). I was pretty excited because it was drowned in delicious brown, basil sauce and had large bamboo shoots. I totally would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't obvious that the chicken was the normal breaded chicken breast bits used in every other chicken dish Chinese fast food restaurants have. Three-cup chicken should be made with chicken on the bone, with the meat nearly falling off because it has been simmered lovingly. Apparently, my expectations were too high--my bad.
The crab ragoon came out nearly at the end of the meal, which caused me much confusion because I had forgotten about it. Nearly burnt to a crisp, but still fried wanton skins filled mayo..can't go wrong with it.
I'll come back, and with lowered expectations I am sure I will enjoy myself more.
I give 5 stars in the context of the area, Champaign IL.
There is no comparable food for the price. I would say that Mandarin Wok is right behind in terms of food selection and quality, but their service is severely lacking.
I've known the owner of Lai Lai since I was a wee freshman, and have held many Chinese New Year's dinners at one of the traditional giant round tables for my friends.
The food selection is superb and *mostly* authentic. My favorite dishes here are the "3 Cup Chicken" aka "San Bei Ji", the tofu dishes such as "Ma Po Do Fu", and the snowfish that comes out over a flame.
The owner is always very accommodating, but keep in mind that I place my table reservations at least two weeks ahead of the dinner.
On the days we have the dinner, the owner even let us bring some of our own celebratory big bottles of sake. Although at the expense of her restaurant (no liquor license :X), we really appreciated the gesture of accommodating guests!
Even my super-white Illinois-raised friends and classmates all agree that Lai Lai has the most authentic Chinese/Taiwanese food in the area. Like the restaurant name implies (Lai Lai = Come Come), come for great food!
P.S. I find it funny that lots of the reviewers are from California, yayyy
Best Chinese in CU by far. Was recommended by a Chinese friend as the place to go and I was not disappointed by the food. They recently added waitstaff to their payroll which seemed to detract from the experience as the table service was weak and I waited a very long time for my check.
Everything on Lai Lai's menu tastes amazing. I've tried chicken with mushrooms, beef with mushrooms, orange chicken, sesame chicken, chicken with black bean sauce, and the spicy chicken with black bean sauce. Out of all those, chicken in spicy black bean sauce is definitely the best (and it's not very spicy at all, actually). Prices for the entrees are very reasonable, and the portions are so huge that I usually have enough for lunch the next day.
So so Chinese food. Used to be better.
I'm Taiwanese, so having an authentic Taiwanese restaurant on campus is fantastic. The food is alot more flavorful than your regular chinese cuisine. Try their yen-su ji (salt and pepper chicken), beef noodle soup (though sometimes it's not that good, it varies from day to day), the pai gu fan (pork chop rice) and their mapo tofu. They also have some hard to find Taiwan delicacies/snacks like oh-ah-zen (oyster pancake). This is probably the best chinese/taiwanese restaurant on campus, second best being "Cravings" (everyone else is disgusting). Closed on Mondays, but great lunch specials and open pretty late. Order at the counter and they'll bring the food to you.
Great place for excellent Chinese Food that is thick with cornstarch, saturated in MSG, but so damn delicious all at the same time. Decor is modest and the corner location is a great view. The large windows and elevated height make it a great place to eat Chinese food while watching people cross streets. I had the Mapo Tofu, which was delicious. The flavor of the sauce was authentic, and earthy. If you want a Chinese restaurant that is reliable, than Lai Lai Wok is the place to eat.
Lai Lai Wok has a lot of the standard fare you often encounter in Chinese restaurants, such as sweet and sour chicken. However, it has large enough selection that I prefer it to many other Chinese restaurants in the area (there are lots!). Don't order what you know- branch out here, it's worth it.
I would note their menu has an unspoken distinction between the Westernized and more authentic items, which is easy to find- simply note there are two chicken sections and the Westernized contains the familiar items like Kung Pao and Sesame. Try the other section.
What keeps me coming back is the Taiwanese Salt and Pepper chicken I randomly ordered off the "authentic" section of the menu. It's crispy pieces of peppery chicken fried in ginger. It's wonderful and unlike anything I've ever had.
The atmosphere is nothing special and the tea isn't as good as Mandarin Wok's, but the menu makes it worth it.
First chinese restaurant I went to in Illinois that was not completely Americanized. Heck, even my parents from the west coast approved! It is absolutely awesome! They have a economic specials menu for good eats for under 7 bucks / person... and they give you sooooo much food! Plus, the owner is super nice and cute and quite charismatic! I was impressed by the quality of food for such the small town of Champaign.
Pretty solid Chinese food! This and Mandarin Wok would probably be my favorite Chinese restaurants near campus. This location hasn't had much luck with at least 2 or 3 restaurants that have failed here, but I think Lai Lai Wok will actually survive for quite awhile!
This place is a tad better than Mandarin Wok across the street but they don't take CREDIT CARD. I don't like that. They also charge more than Mandarin Wok which is ridiculous. I would rather go to The Wok in Mahomet.
I do think they take some short cuts in their food.. they don't use authentic veggies all the time.. and the lady is not terribly friendly. They do have a punch card though.. if you can buy 10 dishes in one month. you get one for free I think.
Hands down this is the best Chinese restaurant in Chambana. Lai Lai is relatively new but customers keep coming back for its authentic fares. The menu has two sides. One is in English only while the other is bilingual. The bilingual menu is the authentic one and note that the price is a little higher as well. The dish is huge though, usually enough to feed two or even three if you don't eat a lot. So, it evens out about the same price as other restaurants. Do try the salt and pepper tofu (and squid), it's my favorite. If fear factor is your passion, they serve innards too. Their crispy intestines are wonderful - the perfect dish to end your date (or not). =)
i've only ever ordered the orange chicken, but it was damn good, and they had it ready in less than 10 minutes for carry out. this could be good or bad, i don't know, but it still tasted kick ass.
This place is the best chinese place in Champaign. It is great, and they take credit cards!! It is very standard chinese food, and very clean. They even sweep the sidewalk outside the restaurant on green street- and there is no outside seating! I cannot tell you how many times I have the chicken fried rice a week. They also have free green tea. It's a little sad. :)
Champaign, IL
Category: Chinese
Champaign, IL
Category: Chinese
Urbana, IL
Category: Grocery
Champaign, IL
Category: Thai
Champaign, IL
Category: Chinese
