Kimono Japanese Restaurant

We have eaten here several times recently and everything has been very good. Service has also been great, both for dining in and takeout. Pros: Great food, nice decor, friendly people more

I'm a vegetarian and sometimes have trouble finding good veg options at local restaurants, but Pao Lim has great tofu and veggie options. (They have similar meat versions for you non-vegs!) The owners are always there and are very welcoming. They recommend new dishes and every one I've tried has been fabulous. I highly recommend the Indian Lentil Soup - to die for - and the Chili chicken or tofu. The chili dish is spicy, but you can ask for it less spiced. Either way, it is amazing. This place is definitely worth checking out, but be warned - you'll likely become a regular if you try it once! more

One of the best Asian restaurants in the area. Offers great, fresh food at a very reasonable price. Some favorite dishes include the General Tso's Chicken and Mongolian Beef. They have a wonderful variety of dishes and are unique in their offering of several different Asian dishes. I haven't tried the cheesecake rolls but the tempura banana was a wonderful way to end a great meal. The owners are lovely people and I am so excited that they are now on Durhamtakeout! One of Durham's hidden treasures! more

I also was a long time regular of Pao Lim and have recently discovered that their old menu, including my favorite dishes were back! However, on my most recent visit I tried a new dish, Singapore Noodles. The fine rice noodles were like a delightful explosion of flavors- an aromatic curry combo, balancing each other perfectly (and I'm not usually a curry fan). Also I tried their hibachi shrimp and filet migon meal. Great value for everything you receive. The onion soup was wonderful and their ginger sauce I could have drank with a straw! (If I am ever sick, I'm going to get a large take out container of that soup!) Whatever name they call it, I'll be back and glad to support this locally-owned business! Pros: Distinct menu selection, fresh and excellent prices more

This restaurant is one of my family's favorites. We are big fans of the Hibachi Chicken- a large serving of chicken, vegetables and rice all for about $7. The Mongolian Beef and General Tso's Chicken are great - as is the Salt and Pepper Shrimp. We love to support this family-owned business where the owners go to great lengths to be sure that every meal is a wonderful experience. NOW THEY HAVE DELIVERY THROUGH DURHAM TAKE-OUT! Pros: Extensive menu, fresh ingredients more

I used to love Pao Lim. It was a wonderful, locally owned restaurant with an eclectic menu and fresh, delicious food. Then they changed with the economy to become a japanese steakhouse and sushi bar - bad idea. Who needs another one of those? Well, I am happy to report that they're back. Although the sign out front still says Kimono, the food that brought me in the first time is back on the menu. The baby shrimp roll appetizers are crispy and perfectly accompanied with a spicy dipping sauce. My favorite entrees are the honey walnut shrimp, the crispy tofu and the crispy scallops. The people are so friendly and willing to adjust the dishes to make it perfect for you. I will be returning with friends. Pros: Fresh and delicious. more

I went to this place all the time for awhile, but have stopped only because there is better food elsewhere. A lot of dishes are too slimy and saucy, and though are delicious at first bite are hard to eat a lot of. I do like the Gobi Manchurian as a nice vegetarian version of Manchurian chicken using cauliflower. Otherwise I haven't been a fan of anything else, and I've tried. The Beef Bulgogi was especially bad and nothing like at a Korean restaurant. The lunch special is a good value, but some dishes like Orange chicken are just sauce with little bits of chicken at lunch, and not the same as the dinner dish. My co-diners at lunch only liked the Pad Thai, and everyone else was disappointed. I love the staff there and the atmosphere, however, so I never mind going when invited. Pros: service, decor Cons: dishes inconsistent more

Let me first tell ""you"" about myself. I am a regular customer of Pao Lim! And every visit I made was a GREAT and a POSITIVE experience for me! The food is really really good and so is the service! Additionally, when there was a problem the waiter or the manager were gladly to ""fix"" it so that the problem was solved. Pros: Parking, Service, Food, Sitting more

Pao Lim Asian Bistro& Bar is my favorite place in Durham!!! It has a variety of food. I almost tried all of it! And they are all EXCELLENT! I really recommend the Sample Platter or the Chicken Lettuce Wrap as Appetizers!! As Entrees, I highly recommend the Mongolian Beef, Chili Chicken, Crispy Salmon a la Hawaii etc. And the Cheesecake Roll is the Best Desert I ever have in my life!!!!! Not only is the food good but the Service is MARVELOUS!! The staffs are friendly and helpful if we need something!! The atmosphere is great too. If I eat there I really like to seat at the booth side!! Pros: Variety of Food, Great Food, Awesome Service, Good Atmosphere more

We used to like this place when we moved to the triangle area back in 2005. We dined here regularly....We loved the mongolian beef, chilli chicken, scallion chicken, chicken manchrian etc. We also liked their lunch specials. We were disappointed to find out today that their portion sizes are reduced by half---they now use smaller round plates instead of their signature square ones! They think their customers are stupid to not notice the portion size difference!!! Pros: ambience, parking Cons: unfriendly owner , reduced portion sizes, scrimping on quality more

I went there few weeks ago with my family and friends for dinner. Pros: Reasonable price Cons: staff aren't friendly more

This is another one of those Pan Asian restaurants. Nothing special about the place. The service is so-so but not rude. Probably won't go back. Cons: Food is in room temp more

Pao Lim has the worst, inconsiderate, and thougthless management ever! My wife and I had ordered two glasses of wine and two entrees from the menu which had the prices listed. When we got the bill, the prices that Pao Lim managment had charged us was different from the menu prices. We demanded to speak to the management, but the management refused to speak to us. We kept insisting to the wait staff that no matter what, the management has to come and explained the discrepency to us. Of course, the management once again refused to speak to us and told the wait staff to tell us that they were extremely busy. Let me tell you all, the resturant wasn't that busy at all. There were probably only three tables that had two people to a table. I'm the customer and it is the MANAGEMENT JOB to make my dinning experience at their exstablishment an enjoyable, stress-free, and pain-free. THE MANAGEMENT AT PAO LIM FAILED MISERABLY!!!! The current management needs to be fired and have someone who is capable in all aspect of running a resturant to manage it! We ended up paying, but we will NEVER come back again. I would not recommend any of my friends or collegues to eat at Pao Lim until the management has change!!!!!!!! Before you eat at Pao Lim, ask to see if they have a new management. If not, go to another resturant with better management. McDonald has better management staff then the ones at Pao Lim!!!! Pros: parking, service Cons: management, management, and management. more

BAD MANAGEMENT !!! I had made a reservation a week before Valetine's Day, and when I got there with my date the"" manager "" asked us to wait 30 minutes. So what was the point to make reservations ??? We had to wait at the bar for a while, and I had a hard time to have someone to fix us the drinks, and then I realized that Pao Lim Asian Bistro & !BAR! did not have a bartender. I saw wait staff mixing drinks, and I saw other customers complaining about their drinks while we were waiting. Me and my date had to celebrate Valentine's Day in different restaurant. Cons: Management more

Room setting is nice and service was fine. Though the food was terrible. The chicken meat in the Chicken Tum Yum soup and PadTai was not fresh and seemed not cleaned well. PaiTai is too sweet and not spicy at all. Mongolian beef is tender but again, too sweet. I won't recommend it to anyone who wants some decent Asian food. Pros: Parking, ambience and service Cons: Food quality and taste have a lot of room to improve more

This is my, and my entire family's, favorite Indo-Chinese (and Thai, Vietnames) restaraunt. And not just in the triangle area, but the best Chinese I've ever had. We liked several dishes so much that my husband and I had our rehearsal dinner there. Top picks are: Mongolian Beef, Orange Peel Chicken, Seafood in Black Bean Sauce, Pad Thai and Papaya Salad. This is definitely for people who would like a Chinese food experience outside of PF Chang's or strip mall joints. Pros: Food, food, food more

I went there on sunday night and the food was average chinnese food and kinda pricey for chinnese restaurant. My worst experienced there was the service, the waitress talk with very thick accent, honestly I don't understand the what the h@ell$$ she said, and the previous reviewer is right (You better bring your own water when you go there). Cons: pricey & worst service. more

This place is definately a hidden treasure in Durham. This is by far the BEST Asian food I have ever had, and I have been to many... The Indian, Chinese, Thai dishes are to die for! Desserts are delicous with a great presentation. Prices are reasonable, especially for what you get. The best Hot And Sour soup I have ever had. I got the sampler which gives you a great sample of appetizers. They were incredible! I would also recommend the Mongolian Beef and House Rice...Delicious! Pros: Fantastic Food, Reasonable Prices, Good Parking more

This is one of the best places in the Triangle! The food is tasty and superbly prepared. In the 4 years we've been dining at Pao Lim, only once did we receive less than excellent service. I crave their Chili Chicken on a regular basis. Pros: excellent food, good service, good parking more

I have eaten here many times, and have never been disappointed. I am celiac, and the chef will prepare any dish containing soy sauce with wheat-free tamari , if asked -- I haven't found that anywhere else. Rice sticks and spring rolls are also gluten-free. The coconut ice cream is delightful (and served in a polished coconut shell), and the Mongolian Beef is spicy and delicious. A real treat for lunch or dinner! more