It is a great local Chinese restaurant. The menu was rather extensive and the price is fair! I got the Pork with Garlic Sauce and Baby Bamboo with Pork (both on lunch menu and under $8!). They're rather authentic, especially the bamboo dish. The Hot and Sour Soup was not the best that I had. The ambiance was very comfortable. I'd come back to try more dishes!!
Mbombo B.
Lai lai wok took a lot of my money while I was in undergrad and will continue to take my money for the next two years as I work towards my masters. Lai lai never disappoints. Their fried rice is very tasty. Beef and broccoli is also very delicious. I am happy they have this restaurant on campus. I highly recommend.
Ed D.
This place is nowhere near fancy. The tables and chairs are super basic, you have to get your own water and tea and you use the same plastic cups for both water and hot tea. The utensils are the cheap thin metal kind that are easily bendable and the napkins are the super thin kind as well. The waiter came by and got our order. We tried a bunch of food. The chicken fried rice was the only dish we didn't totally like since the chicken tasted rubbery. The salt and pepper tofu was really good crispy in the outside and soft on the inside with good flavor. The szechwan chicken was good but there was a lot of breading. The green beans tasted fresh and just the right amount of soy sauce. Our favorite was the cumin chicken which was the tastiest. It was a little spicy but had very good flavor. The place is basic but the food came out fast and tasty so we were happy. The cost was ok and not expensive.
Alex R.
Had to make a new review after coming here again after a change in management. Sesame chicken will never be the same!!!! I miss the crunchiness and high quality food that Lai Lai Wok used to have. Miss the old owners and food! We ordered sesame chicken and some Chinese style dish but neither tasted fresh or tasty.
Marcus M.
This last visit that told me they were too busy for my, to go order, and they couldn't make it unless I did a large. Which I was shocked saying I had visited this business a ton of times in the years, ordering small orders.
Julia N.
Food was just mediocre. We got the shrimp fried rice and the Kung pow chicken, and they tasted like any other Chinese restaurant on campus, nothing special. It took over 45 minutes for them to serve us the food, and also the chicken was excessively nutty, so I wasn't a fan. Very busy location, so not the place to go if under a time crunch.
Barbara D.
Random find near U of I campus. No frills, clean, poke place. The menu on the wall does a good job explaining steps on how to make your bowl. Then you fill out a paper that lists all the ingredients. Easy and convenient. The medium sized bowls were way bigger than I expected and the fish was fresh with large portion sizes. Quality place. Hubby said "That's the freshest fish I had lately, we should bring that guy back with us to Peoria, except then he would start serving the crappy fish they got down there" Yeah...He's a little sushi jaded since our trip to Japan. I guess they serve other things besides poke here but I didn't really see another menu. The ambiance is pretty sterile with water as your only drinking option. However, it's a great place to grab a quick lunch or get take out.
Michael V.
Orders take out and was quoted 25 minutes. Took over ONE HOUR. Couldn't get straight answer as to why except "cooking". Restaurant was pretty full but if they are busy they shouldn't quote a shorter time. Food itself was well below what I expect. Fried rice was dull and tasted funny. Mongolian Beef was very short on beef. Sweat and sour chicken had sauce that seemed like it came from a jar. Would NEVER go back.
Zach S.
This was one of the first restaurants I ever ate at in this town a few years ago when I visited for the first time. I was blown away and very excited to live in a town with such good food. Now that I've been here for almost 3 years and ate at a good amount of restaurants I can say this is still one of my favorites. Huge fan of sliced chicken with garlic sauce, anything hunan and the crispy Kung pao tofu. Prices are dirt cheap, if you're stuck between here or golden harbor come here for better food at half price. Be aware this place is SUPER genuine and homely, clear your own table and get your own drinks.
Patricia O.
Nice place to grab some food around campus, it is cheap, fast and tasty, what more could you ask for? It is not a fancy restaurant, however, it is one of my favorite places for lunch. My favorite is: Eggplant w. Szechuan Garlic Sauce鱼香茄å Follow me on Instagram: @tryatreat
My boyfriend and I decided to eat lunch at Lai Lai Wok and it was the worst experience ever. The server was indifferent and he did not make us feel welcome. We thought the food was going to be the exception, but it was horrible. My meal was bland and plated on broken dishes. The place was dirty and it did not have air conditioning. I never complain about food, but this place deserves a bad review. Overall: tasteless food, bad service, dirty place, and overpriced for the given quality.
Starla C.
Really fresh poke bowls with generous fish or tofu portions and lots of topping choices. Plus they went out of their way to help us avoid ingredients with MSG. I'll be back!
Ryan V.
Great food, friendly service, no wait time. Everything in my bowl was very fresh and had great flavor.
Tavya M.
I went to this restaurant with two Mandarin-speaking friends for lunch today, and the food was outstanding. We ordered a large mung bean noodle salad with pork and various fresh vegetables with two sauces, one a sesame-based sauce and the other a strong mustard. I must say that this was one of the most wonderful dishes I have ever eaten. The other main dish was braised pork knuckle, and the flavor and texture were perfect. The pork was incredibly tender. Both dishes exceeded my expectations. Also, I did not witness any of the bad service described in the reviews, so perhaps I came at the right time of day. There were hardly any other people in the restaurant when my friends and I visited.
Murielle D.
We stumbled this place before heading home and we weren't disappointed. We ordered the bulgogi that came with rice and a large bowl with tuna and corn and edamame. Both came out in good portion size and tasting good. Didn't have a drink menu, but it's a good start to a new business.
It is a great local Chinese restaurant. The menu was rather extensive and the price is fair! I got the Pork with Garlic Sauce and Baby Bamboo with Pork (both on lunch menu and under $8!). They're rather authentic, especially the bamboo dish. The Hot and Sour Soup was not the best that I had. The ambiance was very comfortable. I'd come back to try more dishes!!
Lai lai wok took a lot of my money while I was in undergrad and will continue to take my money for the next two years as I work towards my masters. Lai lai never disappoints. Their fried rice is very tasty. Beef and broccoli is also very delicious. I am happy they have this restaurant on campus. I highly recommend.
This place is nowhere near fancy. The tables and chairs are super basic, you have to get your own water and tea and you use the same plastic cups for both water and hot tea. The utensils are the cheap thin metal kind that are easily bendable and the napkins are the super thin kind as well. The waiter came by and got our order. We tried a bunch of food. The chicken fried rice was the only dish we didn't totally like since the chicken tasted rubbery. The salt and pepper tofu was really good crispy in the outside and soft on the inside with good flavor. The szechwan chicken was good but there was a lot of breading. The green beans tasted fresh and just the right amount of soy sauce. Our favorite was the cumin chicken which was the tastiest. It was a little spicy but had very good flavor. The place is basic but the food came out fast and tasty so we were happy. The cost was ok and not expensive.
Had to make a new review after coming here again after a change in management. Sesame chicken will never be the same!!!! I miss the crunchiness and high quality food that Lai Lai Wok used to have. Miss the old owners and food! We ordered sesame chicken and some Chinese style dish but neither tasted fresh or tasty.
This last visit that told me they were too busy for my, to go order, and they couldn't make it unless I did a large. Which I was shocked saying I had visited this business a ton of times in the years, ordering small orders.
Food was just mediocre. We got the shrimp fried rice and the Kung pow chicken, and they tasted like any other Chinese restaurant on campus, nothing special. It took over 45 minutes for them to serve us the food, and also the chicken was excessively nutty, so I wasn't a fan. Very busy location, so not the place to go if under a time crunch.
Random find near U of I campus. No frills, clean, poke place. The menu on the wall does a good job explaining steps on how to make your bowl. Then you fill out a paper that lists all the ingredients. Easy and convenient. The medium sized bowls were way bigger than I expected and the fish was fresh with large portion sizes. Quality place. Hubby said "That's the freshest fish I had lately, we should bring that guy back with us to Peoria, except then he would start serving the crappy fish they got down there" Yeah...He's a little sushi jaded since our trip to Japan. I guess they serve other things besides poke here but I didn't really see another menu. The ambiance is pretty sterile with water as your only drinking option. However, it's a great place to grab a quick lunch or get take out.
Orders take out and was quoted 25 minutes. Took over ONE HOUR. Couldn't get straight answer as to why except "cooking". Restaurant was pretty full but if they are busy they shouldn't quote a shorter time. Food itself was well below what I expect. Fried rice was dull and tasted funny. Mongolian Beef was very short on beef. Sweat and sour chicken had sauce that seemed like it came from a jar. Would NEVER go back.
This was one of the first restaurants I ever ate at in this town a few years ago when I visited for the first time. I was blown away and very excited to live in a town with such good food. Now that I've been here for almost 3 years and ate at a good amount of restaurants I can say this is still one of my favorites. Huge fan of sliced chicken with garlic sauce, anything hunan and the crispy Kung pao tofu. Prices are dirt cheap, if you're stuck between here or golden harbor come here for better food at half price. Be aware this place is SUPER genuine and homely, clear your own table and get your own drinks.
Nice place to grab some food around campus, it is cheap, fast and tasty, what more could you ask for? It is not a fancy restaurant, however, it is one of my favorite places for lunch. My favorite is: Eggplant w. Szechuan Garlic Sauce鱼香茄å Follow me on Instagram: @tryatreat
Restaurantji Recommends
My boyfriend and I decided to eat lunch at Lai Lai Wok and it was the worst experience ever. The server was indifferent and he did not make us feel welcome. We thought the food was going to be the exception, but it was horrible. My meal was bland and plated on broken dishes. The place was dirty and it did not have air conditioning. I never complain about food, but this place deserves a bad review. Overall: tasteless food, bad service, dirty place, and overpriced for the given quality.
Really fresh poke bowls with generous fish or tofu portions and lots of topping choices. Plus they went out of their way to help us avoid ingredients with MSG. I'll be back!
Great food, friendly service, no wait time. Everything in my bowl was very fresh and had great flavor.
I went to this restaurant with two Mandarin-speaking friends for lunch today, and the food was outstanding. We ordered a large mung bean noodle salad with pork and various fresh vegetables with two sauces, one a sesame-based sauce and the other a strong mustard. I must say that this was one of the most wonderful dishes I have ever eaten. The other main dish was braised pork knuckle, and the flavor and texture were perfect. The pork was incredibly tender. Both dishes exceeded my expectations. Also, I did not witness any of the bad service described in the reviews, so perhaps I came at the right time of day. There were hardly any other people in the restaurant when my friends and I visited.
We stumbled this place before heading home and we weren't disappointed. We ordered the bulgogi that came with rice and a large bowl with tuna and corn and edamame. Both came out in good portion size and tasting good. Didn't have a drink menu, but it's a good start to a new business.