YAO Restaurant & Bar
| Address: | 9755 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042, USA |
| Phone: | +1 832-251-2588 |
| Site: | yaorestaurantbar.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 12–10PM 12–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Nkki Nicole
My boyfriend decided to take me and my son here since we happen to pass by Yao Restaurant quite a few times in the past. Since the restaurant is owned by Yao Ming, I thought it would be great to support a him. Im a native Houstonian and love the rockets. Well, when we arrived, the gentleman that seated us did not smile when he greeted us. I am good at reading people, so I didnt like the feeling I was receiving. The waitstaff started off very well in providing good service. Our beverages were on point. We started off with the cumin duck wings and fried dumplings. Dumplings were good and the duck wings were ok(presentation was nice). We ordered our main course. Again, presentation was nice. The food looked very good, but I have to say this is the first restaurant Ive ever been to where the food tasted "so" bland. There was literally no flavor or seasoning. My sons Chow Mein was "very" disappointing. My Mongolian Lamb was even more sad(it tasted like it came straight off the grill). My boyfriends dish was the only one that had everything my son and I wish we had. It was some kind of pork belly. The wait staff kind of disappeared and we had to ask the bus boy for our check(I noted there was a wedding they had in another room so I was patient). One of the waitstaff asked for the credit card since they saw me holding it. I asked to see the bill first, but she pressed to take the payment and yet I still insisted on seeing the bill. Finally the bill came out after 10 minutes. I really dont like writing bad reviews unless I truly feel like people should be warned. If Yao Restaurant goal was to be certain I never came back, they definitely achieved it.
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Seher Dholakia
I went here for a company dinner not too long ago, and I was thoroughly unimpressed. Because we were such a large party, they made an area for us in the back, which was pretty spacious. We ordered practically everything on the menu, and were served family style, similar to any other Chinese restaurant. As I had a pretty good selection of everything on the menu, saying the food was lackluster would be nice. For the prices of everything we ordered, I expected the best Chinese food of my life, but I was horribly disappointed. The General Tsos Chicken was meh, the Sesame Chicken was average, the Steamed Vegetable Mix were just regular old steamed vegetables (I guess I expected them to be coated in gold for how much we paid for them), and everything just had a very normal, nothing special taste to it. I probably could have gone to Bellaire and found the same thing for one-fourth the price. There were a couple of highlights that I think were pretty good but still overpriced: the Mongolian Beef and the Beef & Asparagus in Oyser Sauce. But thats about it. The service was decent, nothing over the top, but the restaurant is well-decorated and bodes a nice atmosphere. Would I go again? Probably not. Would I recommend it to a friend? Again, no. Would I rather go to some hole-in-the-wall Chinese place and save the money for a new pair of shoes? Definitely.
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Ferri Fanian
Loved this restaurant for years but not anymore. Went to Yaos restaurant with my husband for Mothers day today. Unfortunately, the customer service of the waiters was very poor. I asked our waitress, Lisa, for water and some lemon slices.. She brought us 3 little lemon slices. When I asked for some more, she said I have to charge you extra. I was very surprised. Because a week ago when I went there the other waitress did not tell me that. I asked her if this is a new policy of the restaurant and she said : "no. We had this for a long time but some waiters are not following directions". Then she left us and went to the other waiter, Angel, and tattled on us. She never came back to check on us to see if we are doing ok or if we need something. My husband called the other waiter Angel, to bring us some lemon slices. This waiter was the same guy that the first lady talked to. He said unfortunately, we have to charge you extra. When I told him that this is not right and we might not come back again to the restaurant for a poor customer service. He said: "well, this is not my problem, this is your problem." I got to call the manager, explained everything, and left the restaurant right away. So SAD!! Well Mr. Angel, this is actually your problem. It is your job to take care of a customer not mine.
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Conrad Cougar
Best Chinese food in Houston. It is awesome and cool. My favorites on the menu are the Peking Duck and the General Tsos Chicken. It is certainly one of the few Chinese restaurants in Houston where you actually can get Peking Duck. My other favorite thing about this restaurant is the fine tea selection. You can get a pot of really nice tea to go with your meal. They bring it to your table and it heats over a burning candle and they even provide sugar crystals for you. Cocktails there are pretty good too and they have Tsingtao beer. On the dessert menu, the Fried Mantou (Chinese beignets/doughnuts) are really delicious served with condensed milk and powdered sugar. The service is really friendly and knowledgeable and the decorations of the main dining room give it a real authentic feel. Atmosphere in the bar does a great job paying tribute to Houstons basketball history and to Yao Ming himself. Restrooms are really fancy. I definitely would call this place a Houston gem because it is authentic and fancy and it is made 20% cooler by the fact that it is owned by the Yao Ming.
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A Private User
I, like many others, went to the Yaos because of his fame on the basketball court. Unfortunately, I was very dissappointed with the food there like many who visited there. Saying that Panda Express might have better tasted dishes with 1/2 of the cost may be a little bit exaggerated, but I can honestly say that the food there is way below average. I just hate the idea of having the same thick sauce on every dishes we ordered and the sauce tastes pretty bad regardless. For those who said they have some of the best Chinese foods, you havent had a good Chinese meal yet. I felt sorry for you guys who rated Yaos 5 stars.
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A Private User
It is true the decor is kind of bland, but it it spacious and well lit and the tables are big and spaced far apart. There is a noise factor to contend with... but... This is the best Chinese food Ive had since moving to Houston. We lusted for Peking Duck, expertly and completely carved at the table - I hate places that come with 1/4 of the duck. When we arrived they were not that busy, but they placed us in an area with a busy waiter. Someone caught the mistake, and took over our table - I liked the creativity displayed. I will definitely return - many times! Thanks!!
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A Private User
We went to Yaos for our first time a few nights ago. 2 adults, 2 teenagers. Unbelievable service and the food was amazing. Extremely fresh!! We ordered 2 appetizers and 4 different entrees. The Vietnamese spring rolls were so wonderful! The crab Rangoon were huge and yummy. All of the sauces were definitey homemade and so good, especially the hoisin. The entree dishes were huge and even better than the appetizers! We had plenty of leftovers and shared with others when we got home. Every one agreed, we are going back to Yaos ASAP!!
