Yao Atlanta

Yao is a great spot for a quick, tasty, and affordable lunch. Their lunch specials are an awesome deal, especially with the curry options and your choice of protein—shrimp, chicken, or beef. Everything I’ve tried has been flavorful and satisfying. If you’re looking for a simple, enjoyable meal without paying the usual overpriced Dunwoody rates, I definitely recommend stopping by Yao.

Everything was fantastic! This was our first time here. The drinks were unique and flavorful. Our food was quite savory and everyone was very pleased!

I visited a beautiful restaurant that offers free parking for up to two hours in the garage. We arrived at 5:15 PM, and the atmosphere was quiet and relaxing. We had a nice open view and appreciated the decor. They have a special night-out menu, and it's necessary to make a reservation online. I loved the crab fried rice and salmon curry, and the soup was very good—authentic, full-flavored, and well-portioned. However, I found the Mongolian dish to be slightly sweet for my taste. The service was acceptable. I would come back next time to try their pad Thai and more fried rice.

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ We’ve dined at Yao Atlanta a few times in the past and had positive memories, but unfortunately this visit didn’t live up to our expectations. Right as we walked in, we were hit with a strong kitchen scent—understandable given the open kitchen concept, but it made us feel like the ventilation system could use improvement. The small round table for two also made it tough to comfortably manage all the food and drinks we ordered. We had cocktails, oysters, vegetables, a whole fried fish, and the Crying Tiger steak. The oysters were served on regular ice cubes, which melted quickly and left the oysters soaking in water—not ideal. The dry ice placed for presentation even made contact with one of the oysters, which was off-putting. The vegetables were overcooked and surprisingly sweet. The Crying Tiger steak ($38) had a nice presentation but came out overcooked (well-done instead of medium) with a slightly burnt edge. When we asked for rice, we were told it doesn’t come with any side—which was odd since the fried fish came with jasmine rice (which, by the way, was dry and lacked flavor). The salt & pepper fish, priced at $75 (market price), was decent but again leaned on the sweet side. In general, all dishes skewed too sweet for our taste, and given the price point, the overall experience didn’t match up to the cost. We hate to leave negative reviews, and this would typically be a 2-star experience—but we’re giving 3 stars as a form of constructive feedback in hopes that management takes it to heart and makes adjustments. Sadly, we won’t be returning.

It’s such a cute spot and so perfectly located but the food doesn’t live up to expectations. Well to be fair, the appetizers were good, but the entrees weren’t (at least not the fried rice). We were in a large group so we had one of their private rooms, service was great but I was actually really hungry and was looking for to the food but was largely disappointed and I ordered fried rice. 😕 perhaps not fault of their own and it just didn’t suit my palate but it’s fried rice. The appetizers were good though and others in our party enjoyed their meals so maybe this was just an off day. It’s worth a visit regardless!