Weia Teia

Love this place! The food is flavorful and beautiful and the service is real out of the water. Great for healthy Asian-​Fusion options and incredibly impressive. Fine Asian dong at its best.

11 of us were celebrating my cousins graduation. We had the sweetest server. She advised if we order in courses we would be fed quickly during this busy weekend. 1 hour and 40 minutes later we received our appetizers. When we asked how long until the few patrons without appetizers would get their food, our sweet server went to check. She said we wouldn’t receive it in the foreseeable future. We paid for what we had and left. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant purely because of the back of the house.

Almost as disgusting as the other Asian themed restaurant in town, wiea tiea wins the award for the most putrid and sickening bathrooms in Lorain County. If you have children, DO NOT bring them here.

Most outrageous experience ever! My daughter and I walked in on a cold day hoping for a warm meal, and instead received a colder reception than the sub-​zero weather had given us. We waited for 10 minutes for someone to come to the front and engage us. There were a few diners inside (it looked like two booths of patrons). When the hostess/​server finally came to the front (after serving some food to one of the tables), she neither smiled, nor welcomed us and said, «We cannot serve you and will not seat you.» Incredulous, I indicated the «open» sign in the window and asked if they were indeed open for business (I then looked at the patrons already eating), and this woman repeated in a «Stepford» monotone, «We cannot serve you and will not seat you,» and she turned around and walked away. That was it! No other explanation, apology, or effort to placate was offered. We were so amazed that it took a moment for us to recover, get our winter gear on again, and leave in shock. (The Black River Café next door was warm, friendly, and inviting.) We’ll never know if the food was good or bad, or what was really going on that day… If my daughter ends up attending college there, I can guarantee we will never attempt a meal there again. No stars!

Weia Teia (in the same restaurant family as Wild Mango in North Olmsted) used to be something pretty special. It was my Mom’s favorite restaurant for years and I had the pleasure of dining here numerous times. The food had a wow factor back in the day.
We met here for dinner recently and it has lost some of its former magic. The menu is far more pedestrian. It used to be asian influenced cuisine with inventive menu items. Their website says «global cuisine» and «multi-​culture influnce» [sic] which is one way to throw a bunch of random stuff on the menu, I guess. The website also shows pictures of sushi and I promise you there was no sushi or sashimi on the menu. I don’t want to see chicken parmesan with spaghetti on the same menu as stir fry. Seeing that kind of thing on a menu makes me nervous.
It was a weird vibe in the restaurant. Not a lot of customers and not a lot of employees on the night we were there. Service was decent.
Despite the semi-​muddled menu or concept, the food was good. Fried lightly breaded and tender calamari was presented beautifully and was excellent. I had seafood bouillabaisse and it was enough to feed 4 people. Excellent broth. I accidentally forgot my leftovers in my boyfriend’s fridge and was bummed about it.

Absolutely The longest wait ever to get our food. It got so bad that after we’ll over an hour AFTER our order was placed, our server brought us a bowl of plain white rice to hold us over! After an hour and a half, still with no food, as calmly as I could I asked to see the manager, and was told there is no manager. The server who told me this said she and another server were there the longest and tried to keep everything going. She apologized for the wait, and admitted that they were understaffed in the kitchen to cook for the number of people who can fit in the restaurant, and that the owner was aware but doesn’t care,
I don’t blame the wait staff. They seemed to be doing the best they could. But they were all young and pretty inexperienced and seemed very overwhelmed. After giving the staff a calm ultimatum of food in 10 minutes, or we are leaving, the first item arrived at our table.
It was the Chinese flat bread, which was kind of like nan, but seemed a bit bland served alone with nothing to eat it with. In all we had about 10 dishes among the three of us… All eatable, but nothing to rave about, especially after such a long wait.
On the plus side, the wine menu is fairly large, and the pricing is very reasonable, averaging between $ 25-​$ 40 a bottle,
By way of background, We found this restaurant by happenstance the evening before Freshman check-​in at Oberlain. We passed by the Chinese restaurant in town because we already ate there on our pre-​selection visit, We almost ate at the Mediterranean place a few doors down. They advertised 40 vegetarian items, which works for us because we keep kosher, and so don’t eat meat when we go out.
We decided to keep exploring and found Weia Teia. We generally like tapas and they were promoting themselves as a tapas and fine wine restaurant, so we decided to check it out. we did not have a reservation but saw that there were some empty tables. We walked in to see if we could look at a menu. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, we said no, but she handed us a menu and said she could seat our party of 3 in 5 minutes.
We looked over the menu and within 5 minutes were seated at a table in the back of the restaurant. The entire restaurant is designed with booths that have extremely high backs. The advantage of this is that in the tight quarters it does give you a fair amount of privacy, the downside is that the waitstaff can’t really see you unless they happen to be literally walking by your table,
Bottom line is if you have an evening to kill, it might be worth trying your luck there. But if you see more than half the tables filled, go somewhere else,

My girlfriend loved this place and we’d had a couple successful lunches there in the past two years. Finally, we figure it’s time to head down to Weia Teia for dinner. This was a mistake.
The things we loved were gone from the menu, replaced with an a la carte concept with small plates listed as alternative toppings for bowls of… stuff. Sadly we had to wait about fifteen minutes for that explanation as punishment for asking for a few moments with the wine list. From that point, we still had hope.
After a long deliberation, knowing that this place errs to the side of minimalism with their portions we asked the waitress about how it was setup, whether or not we were getting carried away if we ordered 3 sides and a bowl; we ordered chicken satay, a currychicken, the szechwan chili shrimp and the szechwan rice noodle bowl. Of course, we had to have the sweet potato fries as an appetizer, which were great; paired with a curious ketchup/​mayonnaise concoction that was strangely well suited.
After a nominal wait, (where my water was refilled after every sip, somehow managing to cross great service into obnoxious) our sweet potato fries arrived. Five minutes later, the chicken satay arrived, followed a few minutes later with the shrimp and the noodle bowl. A few minutes after that, the curry chicken arrived. After several minutes of people wandering by our table with food and water, not one person asked if we were ok, or if we needed anything. Whatever the case, we were very interested in eating our food and we dug in.
It’s at this point that our meal and service became enjoyable, or at least comical. We entertained ourselves laughing at how steep the hill is that weia teia is going down. Ordinarily, we’ll find the positive in as much as we can.
Firstly, my girlfriend took a bite of the shrimp, to find that the whole shell, legs and all was left on them. We’re both fully aware that there are situations with shrimp that the shell is left on, but being cooked in a sweet thick szechwan sauce made for a messy and difficult process for me after she got past the shock of biting into a shrimp shell. Chef too lazy to shell the shrimp before deviening them?
The chicken satay was… curiously pink and slimy, and surprisingly rubbery and devoid of flavor. I had a hard time imagining that the anemic little pieces of chicken and gristle speared by the sticks could possibly be undercooked based on the thickness of the char was on the pieces, but alas… this chicken had been set up at some point in the past, and merely warmed (to ALMOST room temperature) for our enjoyment. As the animalistic boyfriend I am though, I made a big show of eating it for my girlfriend so that she wouldn’t worry about it’s pinkness.
The chicken curry was served in a neat bowl. That is all. More gristly chicken, tasteless room temperature, questionable meat in a tasteless room temperature sauce.
The noodle bowl was great. I really enjoyed how chili oil was added to grocery store stock. Truly. Best part of the meal was the broth. Serious.
Throughout the meal, we’re both chuckling and having a decent time enjoying eachother’s company. Not once after the food was served did someone come to ask about the meal. We had already given up by this point, to be honest, and didn’t really care but the final straw came at the bitter end.
When the waitress came to deliver the bill, she finally asked how everything was. I completely ditched that question because I didn’t really have the time or the impetus to assault her with my opinions. I only stated to her that I would have changed my order completely if I’d known that the complete shell were on the shrimp, and that I would have appreciated a head’s up about that little fact. All she had to offer and the only thing she said about my concern was, «Yeah, I’ve told the chef a lot about the shrimp shells but he just doesn’t listen…» With a shrug, she picked up my debit card and that was the end of the whole conversation.
I won’t be back to Weia Teia ever again. The only thing that saved this meal was that I was with someone able to laugh with me about the tragedy happening around us.

Weia Teia is not really a good place to eat. I wanted to like it, and tried to like it multiple times, but the reality is that there is much better food elsewhere in town (try Black River Café or Agave!). Maybe I have just ordered wrong (many times in a row), but have never walked out at all satisfied with my food. The atmosphere is nice, albeit a little run-​down but they keep the lights down low, so you barely notice.

10÷12÷13. Worst service ever!
Hostess was upset because we didn’t want the table across the aisle from the restroom. Gave us another table… but just threw the silverware and napkins down… along with a filthy bread plate… and left. It took over an hour to get bread. Appetizers were delivered one at a time and my appetizer came out after my guests were finished. We finally received our entrees after 90 minutes. No management ever stopped by our table to apologize. What a amateur showing. Disgraceful!

THE GOOD:
Intimate, romantic venue practically on the Oberlin campus that offers an impressively imaginative spread, evenly balancing European and Asian flavors and styles. Plating for each and every dish is breathtaking and every bit as indulgent and splendid as the flavors. I’ve always valued taste over appearance when it comes to eats, but Weia Teia proves going the extra visual mile really packs a punch.
THE BAD:
Even with the sultry mood lighting, you can tell the interior hardware’s a little run-​down. The result: an odd mixture of fine dining-​chic with a touch of college-​bar-​neglect. And what’s up with the public-​middle-​school-​on-​a-​budget-​bathrooms? Hopefully there’s renovations in the works, because that yellow 70s tile and the industrial-​economy stalls really clashes with the dark velvet booths and ceiling glass flowers. If you know what I mean.
REMEMBER THIS:
Trust your GPS if you’ve never been here. The unobtrusive black lettering on the curtained, storefront window is all the proof you’ll find that this place exists. Also, it’s beer and wine only, so pack a flask as needed.
TRY THIS:
The appetizer platter! Our waiter recommended it since wasn’t on the menu: $ 30 gets you the tuna tartar, goat cheese and garlic chive ravioli, fried baby calamari, and romano cheese battered black tiger shrimp. Notably, the quality of the tuna in the tuna tartar was melt-​in-​your-​mouth fresh. And who knew garlic chives could go so well with goat cheese? Great value and perfect for 2 people with healthy appetites!

Becca and Jackie were awesome servers! Food and service are excellent.

Nestled between the college-​accessible establishments on Oberlin’s main drag is a rather impressive Asian fusion restaurant. First, let me say that this does not represent the kind of Asian fusion that drops hamburger patties in steam buns or drops corned beef in a banh mi sandwich. Weia Teia represents chef-​driven combinations of Asian and Italian, among other things. The food is fresh, flavorful, and creative, delivered with service built to match the impressive menu.
I arrived for dinner without a reservation. The place was a little dead but I didn’t see any employees sitting around. This is a good sign that the restaurant keeps a tidy ship. The hostess/​waitress promptly seated me and took a drink order. I perused the menu and I fell in love with the descriptions of the appetizers. The entrees; however, didn’t really excite me. After having ate the food, I think this is more an error in making the food sound interesting on the menu. I ordered the Hawaiian walu sashimi, tuna tartar, goat cheese and garlic chive ravioli, and lotus root salad.
The bread came out first – a house made brioche with sesame seeds and a slice of scallion bread. The brioche reminded me of a Pilipino version of the bread. It was a good change of pace. I then received the tuna tartar. The presentation was great – the tartar was mixed with sesame seeds and molded in a round shape and topped with a fried quail egg. This was set in an oblong bowl atop a round of spicy mango salsa, more quail yolk, with soy and droplets of mint sauce. The dish was garnished with microgreens. The fish was incredibly fresh and everything tasted great together.
Next up was the Hawaiian walu sashimi. Again, the fish was very fresh and everything smelled amazing. This slices of walu were topped with fresh soy-​pickled jalapeño peppers and microgreens. Everything sat in a thin and light ginger-​soy/​oil sauce. The jalapeño was a great touch, especially given the soy pickling. I thought it might detract from the fish, but the fresh and light flavors of the fish shined through just fine.
I then took a break and ate the lotus root salad. This was a basic baby arugula salad with radish, and cucumber. However, it adds lotus root slices and a sesame ginger vinaigrette. The dressing was quite light and the flavors were all very clean while the texture of the lotus root gave a nice crispness to the meal. There’s nothing standout here unless you like lotus roots (you should, they are great); however, the execution was spot on and I can’t even nitpick the salad.
I finished the meal with the goat cheese and garlic chive raviolis. I never thought Italian and Asian would work well together, but this dish absolutely left me happy. The ravioli’s are made in-​house. The pasta was perfectly al dente with a fresh egg pasta flavor, while the filling was rich with fresh chèvre. The raviolis are assembled to look a bit more like a wonton, which was quite appealing from a presentation standpoint. The sauce was a tomato and shiitake mushroom pesto. While not my grandmother’s ragout, this sauce does not disappoint. It’s rich, full of Italian flavor, but with a hint of something Asian. I’m not really sure what the chef added to the sauce, but there was something different in the mix that I couldn’t quite identify. At any rate, I wish I ordered three or four servings of this stuff.
I thought I was done with the meal until the waitress went over the desert list. A French Neapolitan made in the vein of tiramisu? Sign me up! Their pastry chef must be quite skilled. This thing looked like a perfect work of art. And it was huge! I could only eat half the thing before my body met its chocolate quota for the day. All I can say is that this dessert was rich, filling, and incredibly decadent.
I’m more than pleased with my experience. I spent about $ 50, including a couple glasses of wine, which actually wasn’t bad given that I made a five course meal out of the affair. Prices range upwards of $ 20 to $ 30 per entrée, but I think it would be easy to walk out of there spending $ 20 a person without much issue. If that sounds like too much money, stop in for lunch. I looked at the lunch menu and it’s mostly the same stuff, but much cheaper. At any rate, this place is probably the best food in Oberlin, hands down. If Chez Francois didn’t exist, I would say it’s the best spot between Sandusky and Cleveland.
With all that said, I’ll take a moment to hit the non-​existent Unilocal Reset Button on the Weia Teia page and wipe away all the past bad reviews. The short story is that Weia Teia is on par with some of the better restaurants in the nearby Cleveland food scene. You may safely ignore the past reviewers who complain about the prices or condemn the restaurant in favor of The Feve and pizza. Such reviews merely represent the arrogance and underdeveloped palates. The Feve is good, but it’s nowhere near Weia Teia. Head over if you’re looking for something a step above in the Oberlin area.

I went there for lunch with my coworker. I had the Steak and penne with shitake mushroom pesto and my coworker had the Steak burger with sautéed mushroom and onion, béarnaise sauce and brioche bun, sweet potato fries (substituted for the fried pickles).
Our meals came with complimentary soup and our server, Amy was very nice and pretty hot too! Haha
My penne was delicious! The steak was perfectly cooked and the pesto was very flavorful. I’m salivating now as I type this. They were pretty busy at lunch. I had been to Wild Mango in North Olmsted and the food is right on par with that. I will definitely go back because it’s less than a 10 minute drive from my work.

I honestly do not understand why some people give this place a bad wrap. I grew up near Oberlin and LOVED making the drive just for some quality food at many of the city’s tasty places.
Weia Teia was always a favorite. A bit pricey at times, yes, but a nice outing for a quiet date or treating a friend. For what could be a farm town nowhere, this is definitely a hidden gem.
It can be hard to find because the entrance is small and very understated. Walk slow, and look for the dark décor. Then get ready to enjoy something special.

Took a day trip up to Oberlin today with girlfriends. Cannot go there without visiting Weia Teia. Absolutely worth the 2 hour drive from Columbus.
Lunch there is the best bargain ever! Usually served with a complimentary soup, the entrees range in price from $ 9 — $ 14. Today I had the Ginger Soy glazed Salmon with sweet potato fries and mango salsa. Nancy had Penne pasta with steak and pesto. And Jennie had the steak burger on a brioche bun with fried pickles.
Oh my God! My salmon was wonderfully grilled and had a delicious glaze, and the mango salsa was spectacular. Sweet potato fries were coated in a tempura batter and perfectly cooked. Nancy was generous enough to allow us each a taste of her pasta, and it was delicious! Jennie’s burger was the most beautiful burger I have ever seen! The brioche was deliciously golden brown with sesame seeds sprinkled on top, it made my mouth water just to look at it. The pickles were fried in tempura batter and were just the right balance between batter and pickle.
Desserts are also delicious, but after such a good meal, totally unnecessary. We shared a crème brûlée and it was good, but honestly, this dessert has to be bad not to be good!
Go for lunch, it is like winning the lottery! Great food at low prices.

BEST RESTAURANT IN OBERLIN
We cheerfully came here again for a family lunch of 12 people — 6 adults & 6 kids. They put us in the cellar (for which I can’t blame them) and we quite liked it there.
Among us, we had Thai Salmon, Veggie Penne, Rib Soup, Soy Salmon, BBQ Ribs, Chicken Sandwich with kim chi & sweet potato fries. Everything was absolutely excellent and everyone was delight3ed with their meal.
This place is the best…

I don’t know why people are complaining about the price if the food was fantastic. It’s like walking into Lola and expecting to pay $ 5 for a meal, it’s just not going to happen, especially if they are trying to be an up-​scale restaurant. Sure this is in Oberlin and students expect cheap food but that’s why there are five other places to get cheap food. Now for my review. Great service and I really enjoyed the food. I got the aged new york strip with arugula salad as well as a side of summer rolls. I originally placed an order of calamari but they were out so I got my calamari crave a week later. Place is cramped though so I wouldn’t recommend a large group. Pricing wise, it’s much cheaper than an up-​scale restaurant and plates can range from $ 15-​$ 25 per person which is typical range of even Black River Café which people rave about here at Oberlin. If you want to give this place a try, I would try the much cheaper lunch option to see if you think its worthy to try their dinner menu.

I was a student at Oberlin from 97 – 02 so I experienced the early years of Weia Teia, and became a fan from the start.
Went back this weekend for a visit, and was pleasantly surprised to find it was still there, although the location has changed.
My biggest take-​home message here, and listen up, Unilocalers, is to go at lunch. Why? Let me tell you.
1. Delicious food
2. Shockingly low prices
I had an herb crusted salmon with Thai coconut curry sauce that came placed ever-​so perfectly atop a bed of spinach and rice (with elegant dots of hot sauce around the plate). The salmon was perfectly cooked — moist and tender, the spinach sauteed and fresh tasting, the rice sticky but not gooey, and the sauces so good I almost licked the plate clean. How much did I pay for this wonderous lunch? $ 7. That’s right — $ 7.
My traveling companions had pastas for $ 5 and another salmon entrée for $ 7.
Each meal came with a complimentary chicken corn soup. Nothing really special about the soup — just your standard tasty chicken corn chowder.
I opted to get hot jasmine tea which came in a cute little pot with the world’s tiniest teacup making it seem like I had an endless supply of piping hot tea the entire meal.
From other reviews it seems the dinner menu is pricier, so please take my advice and go at lunch because the food is certainly delicious and the price cannot be beat.

Yum.

I was taken here by some friends when I visited Oberlin a few weeks ago. They warned me that it was Asian fusion that had gone «vertical» — and true to form, every dish was a miniature skyscraper, layers upon sticks, upon layers.
The food was quite good although the portion sizes were small. All in all, I think it’d be a great place to take a date, your parents, or other fancy occasion where you are looking more for atmosphere and amusing entrees than stomach filling mealitude.
They do have a huge sign on the front that advertises their $ 10 lunch specials, which kind of takes away from the décor of the place.