Xia’s Asian Tapas & Pho — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

I generally try to be pretty lenient when I review restaurants because it's a hard job, but this place was so overhyped I'm suspecting some of these other reviews. The difference between when they were originally in this space vs. now is really dramatic.

We went during what felt like it should peak hours and were the only ones there. The TV was playing a weird YouTube documentary that cut to a 90 minute skippable political ad which stayed on the rest of our visit- really weird vibe? The specials were sloppily written on a board that was hard to see from the entrance, only saw it when headed to the bathroom. Server didn't even mention them or ask what drinks we wanted. Server was dressed like he should be out at a soccer game.

The food was not only bland but when your operating hours are 5-10 pm maybe some of that time leading up to opening could be used to prep and make food. While we were waiting for our food we heard the microwave just opening, running, closing. I know it's rare to find a place that makes their own dumplings in house but that's just embarrassing! The highlight of the food was surprisingly the tofu strips. Green beans seemed cooked well but were pretty bland and the amount of tofu in them didn't seem worth the upcharge. The banh mi was decent but there were only four very squeaky, microwave tasting shrimp on it, not worth the price either. It was mostly enjoyable for the fresh cilantro.

Overall, for the price this place just isn't worth it. If you want good dumplings go to May Way, for Japanese try Don Express, and we haven't even been to Curry and Noodle yet and I'll still recommend it over this place! It's a real shame because this used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Winston. I was so excited to hear it came back, it was really...

Outstanding Experience – Highly Recommended

If I could rate this establishment higher than five stars, I absolutely would. I first met the owners several years ago when they operated What Da Pho, so my colleague Matt and I were eager to visit their new (to us) restaurant for lunch today.

One of the first things we appreciated was the complimentary parking available in the lot outside the building—very convenient. The restaurant itself has a welcoming atmosphere: quiet, clean, and comfortable, with a positive energy throughout. There’s ample seating both in the main dining area and the bar are on the other side, making it suitable for various group sizes.

The food was exceptional—fresh, served hot, and full of flavor. I ordered the Garlic Noodles with Shrimp, which I highly recommend, though everything on the menu sounded appealing. Matt got the Singapore Noodles with Beef, and said it was great! The owner also mentioned they now serve Pho at this location, which was exciting to hear. Their Pho is authentic and, in my opinion, incredibly delicious. The dumplings are also made fresh in-house.

Pricing is very reasonable, portions are generous, and the quality is consistently high. I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys Vietnamese cuisine to give this place a try. If you're new to this type of food, it's a great introduction. This will definitely be my new go-to spot for lunch or dinner.

The restaurant is well-suited for families, casual outings, or even date nights, with cozy booths and a relaxed setting.

*Side Note: While I personally don’t drink anymore, they do offer a wide selection of beers and wines for those interested.

Also "Vietnamese coffee" from here...

This place was hugely disappointing and quite frankly it was an embarrassing experience. We stopped in for dinner and it was completely empty, no staff or patrons in sight. We were advised to seat ourselves when staff appeared and never asked what drinks we want, what the specials are, or welcomed in any way. The specials were written messily on a white board at the back of the restaurant and we didn't see them until we had already ordered. The only time we saw our server was when he dropped our food off and then grabbed our empty plates.

The food was on the low end of OK. What was wild to me was while they prepared our food, I actually heard a microwave go off in the kitchen followed by the sound of the microwave opening and closing, and shortly after our food came out. There is absolutely no reason for a restaurant with a menu and hours this limited to ever use a microwave to prepare their food. Overall, for what we paid we could have gone to our favorite chinese takeout dive and had a much...