Taipei 101

I don’t think I will go to this restaurant again. Have tried dozens of Chinese restaurants in different states. This one is lower than average level.
Pork tastes like had been in the refrigerator for 1 month, shrimp is too salty, mini steam buns are very dry, the soup is … just OK, it is just a soup, very clear.
And they would not give you receipt unless you ask for it.
In triangle area, I can tell several Chinese restaurants better than this one!

This has been my favorite place for inexpensive Chinese food in Cary.
Highly recommended: shredded pork with garlic sauce and Three cups chicken.

When they say spicy, they ain’t kidding. Ordered the Chicken with 3 peppers, it was delicious but about 1 pepper too much for me. Lol. Seriously, very well prepared and delicious. Had the Dim Sum as well and it too was excellent. We did takeout and walked across the street to enjoy it with a cold beer at Pharmacy B&B. Great Combo in.

This restaurant got better food a year ago or so. Unfortunately on our last visit was so different. Taiwanese Sausage fried rice was okay (with the help of msg?) but very greasy. Beef pancake roll was so blend and all we could taste was the hoisin sauce. Soup dumpling is the worse — dried out dumpling, 5 out of 6 got no soup left inside and the skin is very thick. I usually don’t expect good service in chinese restaurants but this time was a bit too much. We ordered fried rice and only got a large flat plate and chop sticks, no fork or spoon to eat them with and xlb soup dumpling without julianne ginger and black vinegar. These are just basic knowledge.

Being Taiwanese, I had to come try this place finally. I came here for lunch with friends of the family and my mom on a weekday. We ordered 4 dishes to share. The Pickled Vegetable Fish was similar to C&T’s water cooked fish and just as addicting and tasty. Who knew pickled veg (aka Suan Tsai) and fish would make a great pairing? The Eggplant w/​Garlic Sauce, though a bit greasy was a better take on the dish. The version I’m used to is all dark colored but this version displayed the beautiful purple color of Chinese eggplant and the bell pepper and carrots added nice colors and flavor to the dish. Their version of Braised Pork w/​Preserved Vegetable aka Mei Gan Kou Rou was ok but nothing compared to what I make or get in Taiwan. I like that the dried vegetable was chopped up as it provided a different texture but the flavors were underwhelming. The pork belly needed to be cut into thicker pieces to get the right bite and needed to simmer longer for the ultimate tastiness. The 3 Cups Chicken was pretty good but again nothing like mine or what you get in the motherland. The garlic, hot pepper, and basil flavors just did not come through as strongly and the sauce was too thick meaning they put starch instead of letting the sauce reduce. I found out the chef/​owner is actually mainland Chinese which was a surprise but based on what I ate, he’s doing a pretty good job!

One of my family’s favorite restaurants for authentic chinese food. We visit at least twice every month. Some of the dishes we like are the Chong Qing Spicy Chicken, Szechuan Style Fish Fillets, Deep Fried Garlic Pork Ribs and Spiced Duck. The food is excellent and the portions are generous.

One of the better Chinese restaurants I’ve found since 35 closed. Salt and pepper fish, dry sautéed green beans and salt and pepper ribs were delicious. Not super good, but better than most. Didn’t care for the stinky tofu though. I’d definitely go back for the food. Service was good too.

Decided to go here for my first time and did not regret at all. Came here on a Friday night so it was packed. The girl at the counter wrote a number on a piece of paper and handled it to me. I think there were 4 groups in front of me so I decided to step out for a bit. When I came back with my friends, luckily, they didn’t skip us. I guess we made it just in time.
There were 3 of us total so we decided to order 4 dishes to share. I ordered for my friends since I was the only one who could actually read some Chinese. I ordered the Ma Po Tofu, Eggplant Potato and Green Pepper, Chicken W Three Peppers, and Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce.
Everything was delicious! Everyone loved the Eggplant, Potato and Green Pepper (Dee San Xian). I thought the eggplant was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The Chicken W Three Peppers (San Jiao Ji Ding) were probably the spiciest thing that we ordered. I didn’t think the Ma Po Tofu was spicy enough. And by spicy, I mean the spicy that numbs your tongue. Which is what Ma Po Tofu is supposed to do. The Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce is a dish that I have to order at every place has offers it and it didn’t disappoint.
Next time my parents visit NC I’ll definitely bring them here and get their take on it!

We have been here several times getting take out as well as dining in. The service here has always been great and the food has always been fantastic as well. Be patient trying to get a parking spot in downtown Cary as your options are limited and this place really draws them in. I would suggest going early or late and during the week as there always seems to be a wait getting a table during prime hours. Of course, you could get take out If you call in they always have it ready when they promise. You can’t go wrong with this place in my opinion.

The food quality is not bad – not too greasy, pretty authentic for NC. But their accounting needs some improvement; they severely undercharged us and then gave us another bill for the difference upon our pointing out their mistake. It was just kind of a hassle to deal with. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with this place!

Love love their food! Especially beef pancake and spicy sichuan fish. But the wait is always long. So definitely get a reservation during the weekend!

Not sure when I will get used to really good restaurants being in strip malls. Taipei 101 is nothing special from the outside, the interior was clean and well decorated. The food was simply amazing, I decided that it was a Dim Sum kind of night and ordered from that menu. Steamed dumpling were serviceable, the waitress suggested Chinese Crispy Dough, think churro with salt and soy dipping sauce, that was piping hot and surprisingly delicious. Pot stickers were good enough that a second round was ordered. The highlight was the scallion beef pancakes. I have not had this dish before and the reviews here raved about it, For once the food lived up to the hype, the pancakes were simply great,

I go to this restaurant almost every week. Best Authentic Chinese food I ever had. The staff is very friendly and you can always ask them for there favorites. The traditional Chinese food doesn’t taste like American Chinese food.
Chongqing spicy chicken, kettle cooked chicken, and griddle rabbit are some dishes that you should definitely try (or my favorites).

We saw this place on Unilocal and decided to give it a try. The food was okay (3 star), however service was HORRIBLE (0 star)! We asked for forks and were given plastic forks. The girls were not friendly at all. So if you’re all about service then I would suggest go somewhere else.

Yummers! After reading the great reviews on Unilocal,I decided to take my friend Lihua out to supper. She had just returned from a visit to her hometown (in China) and was missing Chinese food already. I told her about the authentic dishes people said were here so we met tonight and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is tucked in a tiny parking lot with other tiny stores on Academy street. I took the LAST parking space at 6:30PM. Not much to look at on the outside but the inside was cozy and decorated sparsely but neatly. Many Asian families were eating at the big round tables «family style» and I so wished I could sit with them. That’s my favorite way to eat. Mounds of food in bowls and plates to share. Alas, tonight it was just the two of us so we tried the beef scallion pancakes to start. It’s not much to look at but it’s quite tasty. A much better selection than egg rolls. The meat was not greasy, there was only a touch of hoisin type sauce, the «pancake» was crisp and not oily and the scallions were a nice touch. Mmm. She and I also shared the spicy boiled fish. The name makes you not think it’s going to be all that great, right? It was delicious. I asked Lihua to choose since I’m not well versed in ordering authentic Chinese food. All the real Chinese food I’ve ever had was in Korea so I know not what I am doing. =) The broth was spicy but very smooth. The fish was plentiful and the veggies were crunchy — I love that they are not overcooked. There was also seaweed in there which was a nice touch. The fish was not exciting. We were both disappointed that it was tilapia. It saddens me so many restaurants now use that cheap, tasteless fish in everything. BUT the sauce/​soup was so flavorful it even made the tilapia enjoyable this time. It was served with a mound of rice. It was more than enough for two and we left satisfied. Lihua gave the restaurant her stamp of approval so I think it will become a place we will frequent often. Want to be adventurous? Do you love authentic Chinese and need to find a place that does it right? Taipei 101 fits the bill. The service was also quick and pleasant. I had a glass of the house Reisling. Meh. Oh, and the only family of non Asians in the place really seem to dig the American Chinese fare — shrimp lomein, egg rolls, etc. So there is something for almost everyone here.

Looking for REAL Chinese food? Then this is your place!
As soon as I walked in, I knew I was in for an authentic meal.
Their menu is written in both chinese and English. Bonus, they have entrees on the menu you wouldn’t typically find at an Americanized chinese restaurant.
I ordered the hot chili chicken and my friend got the shredded pork with garlic sauce.
The menu has the level of spicyness shown next to each dish which I found to be very accurate!
My dish was super flavorful and the spice was perfect! I just wish I knew it was going to be like little mini pieces of chicken– the menu doesn’t have any descriptions.
The shredded pork with garlic sauce was sooo tasty! I think I ate more of my friend’s dish than my own… Haha oops.
Portions are very generous! Prices are reasonable too!
The restaurant is a lot more spacious inside than it looks! Definitely good for groups and perfect for family-​styled meals.
Service is speedy and you’ll have more than one server so you will be well-​taken care of!

No stars are not allowed so I am forced to give it one. Disgusting dirty and bad food. To make it worse, a fly landed on my dim sum, which wasn’t so good to begin with, and my server witnessed it. Please don’t waste your money. Taipei Café in Cary is really authentic. They have two menus. One is your regular Chinese food and the other offers homestyle Chinese food. The beef hot pot is my favorite, but EVERY THING is good there.

You can’t get more authentic than this spot, smack in the middle of old downtown Cary. At dinner with my wife and a friend, we were told 15 minutes to wait at 8pm on a Saturday night, but they had a table in 10. We ordered steamed dumplings to start, and Hunan chicken, shrimp with salty pepper sauce, and a special; the pork shoulder with bok choy.
The dumplings were excellent and disappeared rapidly; they tasted exactly like ones in China. The Hunan chicken was spicy and delicious; we wanted more. The pork shoulder was HUGE and juicy, fatty, falling-​off-​the-​bone delicious. Shrimp… Not so much. Skip those; they came head and shell on, and the fried flavor was only so-​so.
The service that some people have found lacking? No complaints here. Attentive and fast. Speaking Mandarin might help (I don’t), but no issues.
Check it out for your real Chinese fix.

As an American of Asian descent who spent most of his adult life in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, I expected to see other Asians only in certain environments. For example, field trips to Chinatown in Chicago = other Asian folks. Farmer markets in Milwaukee = other Asian folks (namely, the vendors and farmers who have beautiful produce, meats, and flowers).
Otherwise, as a somewhat cautious person when it comes to people who look similar to me (long story, but anyone who was compared to all the other Asian kids on the block and in the town/​village/​city who had unrealistic and overlofty expectations thrust upon them, and who had to play two instruments can relate), I tend to hang out, live, and eat at restaurants where the clientele is more representative of the general Midwestern landscape.
Moving to the RTP area, and especially CARY was somewhat of a cultural shock. While my Caucasian wife was just yesterday trying to get me to look at all of the hot pot meats at the Today Asia grocery store with more than feigned interest, I myself have this constant fear of being struck by an Asian driver while I’m on my motorcycle, and I time my commute so that I leave early enough each way as to not be run down by my own mother as she haphazardly meanders on Davis Dr.
But…when in Rome:
Location: 3.5 out of 5
In officially the «downtown» area of Cary, across the street from Johnson’s Jeweler. There’s free parking in the lot and on the street, though the lot can get crowded during peak hours.
Customer Service: 4 out of 5
This is a trait that’s shared by almost all Asian waitstaff no matter what city you happen to be in, and the folks here are nice enough. Not too nice, not too apathetic. They come around asking what you need every once in awhile and smile to you on your way out, but they lack the southern charm and charisma that I’ve come to expect. Extra stars for their reaction when my wife speaks her limited mandarin to them, and for being able to mask their inner humor when they clearly realize that while I can speak, I’m completely illiterate, and therefore sometimes I try to order stuff that’s actually not on the menu while pointing to something in English on the menu that kind of/​sorta resembles what I want.
Ambiance/​Décor: 3 out of 5
Looks like any other functional Asian restaurant out there. Lacquered chairs, tablecloths with paper on them, etc. Completely forgettable and familiar setting, even replete with the waving cat.
Quality of food: 3 out of 5
As others have noted, this place is hit or miss sometimes. Soup dumplings = consistently good. Stinky tofu = consistently good and not overbearing. The braised spicy beef dish was really good one time, and over-​starched the next. I’m not really an expert on the matter, but I believe there’s something a little «off» about how they’re making their Dan Dan noodles, but this could just be a regional variation based on where the cooks are from. Sometimes the pea pod leaves are a bit large and therefore, not as tender (think of what happens when you eat a smaller floret of broccoli vs a large one). The duck variations are generally pretty good, and they do make sure to heat the buns up before bringing them to your table.
Queuing Theory: 3 out of 5
Always a gripe when I eat at traditional Asian places because food comes out when it’s ready, and not necessarily in a flow that makes sense. For example, things that are traditionally «appetizers» like the soup dumplings usually come out last due to the cooking process and cooking times.
Value: 4 out of 5
Always a decent value to eat here, as leftovers are almost guaranteed. You can always ask for extra rice to take home with you, or just have some of those quick and ready packs available for the next day. Vegetable dishes tend to be the most expensive, probably because they cook down so much. Beer is reasonably priced as well, at around 3 $ a bottle.
Overall: 3 out of 5
Strong 3 star experience. Hits the spot when we’re (more of my wife) is in the mood for Chinese food. Decently priced, friendly enough service, and after a few more visits we’ll know for sure which dishes we should come back for, and which ones to skip.

Excellent little authentic Chinese restaurant in down town Cary. They serve beer and wine. We had the duck and calamari. It was huge portions and very good. The duck was nice and crispy. They have a great selection and two different menus. One is more Americanized chinese then the other is traditional chinese. They can make spicy if thats the way you like it. The staff is very nice, large seating area. Take out as well.