Lantern

Fusion food with local fresh ingredients. We went there for dinner. Not too many options on menu which is not a bad thing. Ordered chaat and salt-pepper shrimp for appetizers and both were amazing. Crispy cilantro with shrimp reminded us of some authentic Indian food from back home. Chaat was different than typical Indian style chaat. Great combination of ingredients. For mains I ordered vegetable stew. Wife and kid ordered whole NC wild fish. I loved the veggie stew but fish was interesting. It was whole bass with head and bones. It’s took a little bit of work to get the flesh. Taste was decent and our least favorite item for dinner. Dessert was amazing. We had Hot chocolate cake and warm yuzu pudding. Both were delicious. Service was excellent. Took a little while to find parking. There are two paid parking lots next to the restaurant.

We had a great graduation lunch here before the ceremony. The whole fish was excellent and had a great seasoning. Everyone loved their beef course as well. Service was fantastic also. We enjoyed the June bug drink , similar to a Pimm’s Cup.

Actually really love this spot. Upscale Asian fusion food. Unique items on the menu. Steak, dumplings, catfish, salmon bento box & poached pear mousse were my highlights. Candle lit ambient environment. Really nice outdoor seating in the summer. Warning: many things have cilantro. Perfect for a celebratory dinner.

I sat at a bar table with a chair that was on the verge of collapsing. People passing by constantly elbowed me in the back. The menu was basic, and the food was bland. Overall, the experience was okay at best.

Delicious! The BBQ'D COUNTRY PORK RIB was the best pork I’ve had … maybe ever. Such a delicious sauce!!!! Service was EXTREMELY attentive - with multiple people making sure we had placed our orders/our water was full/etc. The Hot Chocolate Cake was divine. As someone who recently moved from ATL - this restaurant exceeded my expectations and made me excited to try more restaurants around Chapel Hill. It certainly wasn’t cheap - perhaps bordering on being over priced but who am I to dictate their menu!! The food doesn’t disappoint.

If you’re looking for fine dining in Chapel Hill the answer is Lantern. We were simply blown away by the quality, presentation, atmosphere, and service. Our server Sophia was very attentive and knowledgeable, and the back patio was the perfect ambience for our dinner date. Stars of the show were the spicy cucumber soup, pork & chive dumplings, and the mint chocolate ice cream 😍😍😍 (best mint chip ice cream I’ve had in my life) HIGHLY recommend!!!

Loved this place. The atmosphere is classy, warm and homey. The ladies who served us were well dressed, especially the one in training. The food was unique. I loved the crispy shrimp , the dumplings, the steak. I would have loved my salmon little bit more cooked but that's my fault. Loved the crispy green spices, never had them fried like that. The bill was hefty but it was so worth it. Loved the drink. The ginger was very present!

Lantern is a delicious Asian fusion food in downtown Chapel Hill. Everything was well-balanced in flavors and exquisitely presented. Two small plates and a large one were adequate for my partner and me, leaving us room for desserts. I would love to visit again!

From the moment you step foot inside, the Lantern staff and ambiance delivered. Great place for date night, my wife and I tried a variety of dishes and we fully enjoyed each bite along with the bottle of Nebbiolo; which ended pairing well with each course. For starters we sampled the Clara' Salad, Pea Shoot & Scallion Dumplings, Lettuce Cups and Korean Style Fried Cauliflower. Followed by The Shaking Beef entree prepared with caramelized red onions and water cress, I requested it medium. We also had the Lemongrass Grilled Country Pork Rib with perfectly cooked jasmine rice a fried egg and a fresh cucumber mint salad that had a slight hint of spice. Each dish was perfectly cooked and really paired well with the Nebbiolo. We topped of the meal with 2 decadent desserts the Hot Chocolate Cake which had delightfully Toasted coconut pieces. And we thought we would explore and try something unusual so the warm Native Persimmon Pudding was our non-conventional choice and we both agreed it did not disappoint. The service was great, the food quality was outstanding and truly delicious. With 3 kids we don't venture out on dates as often as we like. Therefore, we try to make the best possible choice and I am happy to say Lantern was a true pleasure, moreover, not having any digestive tregrets afterwords was a plus. We will definitely return soon and highly recommend the Lantern restaurant.

Returned for the first time in over ten years (had moved overseas for eight of the years) and it has not missed a beat. I would describe the menu as modern Asian but the most important thing is everything is excellent. Started by sharing two dishes with my daughter. We both loved the salad. The lettuce wraps were okay but probably the one thing I would not order again; they just lacked flavor. The true highlight was the shaking beef, cooked perfectly medium rare (without having to ask) with a perfect sauce, it was simply great. Tempted to order dessert but was too full, until next time.

Great food and cocktails... limited menu but what's available is all very tasty! Roasted oyster very yummy! Lettuce cups delicious, steak and fish large dish very good

We made a meal of four "small plates" and split a dessert. All our dishes were very satisfying, the seasoning on everything refined and delicious. My cocktail (a Manhattan) was perfect. The room is elegant and warm, and the service very attentive. Dining out has become a luxury, but entirely worth it in this case. Can't wait to go back.

The Bento box was a fun appetizer and pairing the salt and pepper shrimp was a great move! Good tastes, and fun to eat with my partner! The pork belly was complimented by yummy crisp cabbage and carrots that were full of flavor. The peashoot dumplings didn't live up to the hype, kind of tasteless and a one dimension flavor note....even the pea sauce was salty and missing a lift... maybe a touch of acidity needed! We have been waiting to come here for 6 years and it was a fun menu! Singha beer chased everything down well and the cocktail, the Porchlight, were great complements to the meal. We will come back!

Our server was lovely but the food came out slowly. The drinks were hit or miss, Penicillin was the best of the drinks we tried. 5 day weekend and negroni were simply not so good. The fried cauliflower appetizer was excellent, the pea shoot dumplings were very bland. The Bento box is a "build your own" or "deconstructed" sushi experience which frankly isn't what I like although the food was good. The catfish was okay, it was fried nicely but not a lot of flavor came through, it could have been any fried fish. The curry sauce was decent. I'm not sure why any pork would be "market price" but the pork was pretty good. A little bit overpowered with a vinegar taste but not bad at all. Very tender. Overall it's ok but overpriced and the flavors are not quite there.

Not the same good quality dining experience that it was ten years ago. Now it's fast food served slow at NYC pricing. Get the cocktails. They're worth the money. Skip the food.

Loved our meal here - great vibes, great food, great drinks. We got a variety of things to split. My personal favorites were the corn soup and the pork dumplings, but there wasn't anything that wasn't good. Perfect spot in Chapel Hill, would strongly recommend!

What a quaint local restaurant!! From the moment we entered the restaurant to the time we left, the staff were so attentive and polite. The food came out hot & tasty. Portions were perfectly sized...not too big not too small. Would definitely recommend.

We went here for restaurant week, and left having mixed feelings. We started the night with a cocktail that was incredible and a lot of green tea that was also nice. The appetizers were friend chicken which was perfectly crispy and their signature salt a pepper shrimp (a must try) But that's where the positives end. The entrees were a choice of 2 ramens and a vegetarian hotpot. My partner went with the pork tonkotsu and I went with spicy chicken. Both entrees lacked flavor, and left us wishing we had tried a different place. Especially at the price point ($150 for two), it left a lot to be desired. It gets 3 stars for the appetizers and drinks, but skip Lantern for entrees.

The ambience is pretty cool but the "shell-still-on" fried shrimp was, um, unpleasant (to say the least) and the fish in the bento box wasn't any better, unfortunately. Something else good: my beer was cold and delicious.

So disappointing. I can imagine the restaurant week sucks for the actual restaurant, but I felt like I was at the Olive Garden and not one of the best restaurants in Chapel Hill. They ran out of the best thing on the menu, probably because it was the most expensive and I don't believe that was mistake. There was no replacement so you were either stuck with fish or a vegetarian rice dish. They probably had a certain number of orders to entice people into the restaurant and then just didn't care when they ran out early. We ordered drinks and they arrived 10 minutes after our appetizers. We sat there for 15 minutes without water. *sigh* Lantern used to be the best place in Chapel Hill with exquisite service and excellent food and this will make me think long and hard about ever going there again. For the quality of the experience is just not worth the price.

Yummmm. We were in mood for dumplings and wontons and we were not disappointed. I also ordered the cilantro jalapeño crispy shrimp as well as the pork and beef wontons. ( I was too hungry so forgot to take pictures) they were all absolutely fresh and delicious. Only negative (which was my fault) was not reading that gratuities were already included. I understand why it's there, but I'd like to have been informed since I added another 20%.

The food is a combination of Asian flavors with a modern twist. I had the Japanese style steak which was cooked to perfection and the crispy spinach on top was a nice addition. We also got the duck congee and the peashoot and scallion dumplings as an appetizer and they were good, but I thought the dumplings could have been a little more flavorful. My friend got the roasted Moulard duck and thought it was pretty good. The sweet potatoes it came with were delicious. I also got the Junebug cocktail and thought it was really refreshing! Service was pretty good and the waitstaff were helpful in answering questions about the menu. The ambiance was on the fancier side. I would recommend coming here to celebrate a special occasion as it's got an intimate/cozy vibe. The menu is on the pricier side, but nothing too crazy for the service, ambiance, and food.

Total foodie in town from SF and so happy I followed several recommendations to Lantern. Everything ordered knocked it out of the park for me; flounder sashimi caught local, Seafood Hotpot and french broad hot chocolate cake! Great staff, cool vibe. Yes!

Japanese crab cakes ($16) - 2 stars Way too salty - I couldn't finish it. I liked the yellow mustard seeds a lot but the black mustard seeds were bitter. Tea and spice smoked chicken ($25) - 3 stars Well-seasoned but too salty. Tea and spice flavors came through but chicken was dry. Fried rice had no wok hei. The barbecued pork in the rice had no flavour. Green beans weren't overcooked but didn't have much flavour. Warm native persimmon pudding ($10) - 3 stars Moist, tasted like fruit cake. Too sweet for me even with the whipped cream on top. Ambience - 4 stars Service - 3.5 stars Spotty - the hosts were great but I think the servers forgot about our dessert as the other tables that came after us got theirs first and we had to ask for it. Value - 1 star

This was our 1st time here. In summary the appetizers (the dumplings and crab cakes) were delicious; the entrees, the Japanese Hot Pot and Chicken dish, were amazing, the service was slow however. (We visited pre-COVID but I just now found my review in my drafts. )

We arrived a bit early for our reservation, and they allowed us to sit at the bar before our table was ready. I mentioned that we don't drink alcohol, but the waitress said it was fine and we could order our appetizers first at the bar and then later move to our reserved table to order our entrees. While at the bar, we were confused because of the lack of service, but eventually got our appetizers. Then, we moved to our table with our appetizers and ordered the rest of our meal. The food itself was mediocre, but I was overall very displeased with the service we received. We waited 30 minutes for our entrees...and another 30 mins for dessert, only to have a waitress come to ask us if we ordered dessert (mind you, we had given the male waiter our full order as soon as we relocated). Anyhow, we finally got our dessert and check. Come to find out, they charged us for 2 extra drinks and 2 extra appetizers. I can understand how they may have gotten confused about the appetizers since we had ordered them at the bar and then moved them to our reserved table, but I am still confused about why we were charged for alcoholic drinks when I made it clear that we do not drink. The waiter did not seem to believe me and went on to "confirm" my story. Not sure why a customer would lie about what they ordered, but it definitely left a distasteful aftertaste. Even the ladies next to us got a wrong check. Finally after another 10 mins and a manager confirming our order, we got the correct check. So, it's safe to say that they are not the most organized or service-oriented bunch out there. Food: The appetizers were OK, though I have to admit the Kyoto chicken was over fried and hard to chew. The entrees were probably the most disappointing. Both of the ramens were meh. The chicken yuzu seemed like a great concept, but did not quite deliver. The pork ramen was bland, but the egg was cooked very well. The desserts were good, but not spectacular (not the best I've had for sure). Ambience: They had weird wallpaper on the wall, but they could've been renovating (not sure if it was deliberate or not). Overall vibe wasn't too bad, though I will note that the place did feel a bit cramped. I likely will not return given the mediocre food (especially given the price) and poor service.

Yelp menu doesn't reflect the actual menu. Absolutely nothing for kids. Too political signage. We were a large party that didn't even get to main course because of limited menu. Used to be good, but will not be back.

I'll start with the good. The ambience is truly beautiful with a nice indoor and outdoor portion as well as the wait staff was nice. Sadly, this is one of the poorer food experiences I've had in the triangle. I came here with a gift card was was shocked how expensive everything was compared to the taste. It's interesting because it's a mesh of multiple Asian cultures but nothing stood out. The pea shoot and scallion dumplings were very chewy. They had this "chaat" which I believe was supposed to be Indian style but was not actually. The red curry catfish was bland. The bulgogi was not flavored well. Another positive was the cocktails were pretty good. But I would not recommend coming here for the food, especially how high the prices are. :/

Came in here for the third time, once before covid (seating in the main dining room), the 2nd in the back bar area. I much prefer the back area in terms of ambiance and service from the awesome bartender we had. First visit did have perfect service, but I found the food really overpriced for what it was. My buddy (and his girlfriend) were visiting in town and asked to go here, which I was happy to oblige. Our server was trying his best, but my friend's girlfriend had a couple of specific allergies that she told the server about. The server never confirmed whether she could eat any of the menu items. She finally asked him if he checked with the kitchen, and his response was, "um, yeah you should be fine to order whatever". Not exactly imparting confidence. Our drinks also took a really long time, around 20 min. Overall, I found the food mediocre and would rather enjoy various asian cuisine somewhere else. I would visit the back bar again, though for drinks.

Wonderful spot for dinner and drinks on a nice stretch of Franklin in Chapel Hill. The back room and bar are cozy and hip, and perfect for a small group or solo meal. The menu is stacked with intriguing-sounding dishes: I settled on pea shoot dumplings and a tea-cured salmon bento which was excellent. The outstanding bartender served up a top notch cocktail (the best I found in Chapel Hill) and a good wine rec, then offered good suggestions for other spots in Chapel Hill. Friendly folks at the bar rounded out the experience.

I went to Lantern for dinner celebrating my graduation from the MBA program over at UNC. I had a reservation at around opening time and I when I got there, there didn't seem to be that many people. After a while, lots of folks started trickling in and the restaurant got full. Good thing I made reservations! I read a lot of great reviews about this joint which is why I made a reservation well in advance. Then when I got here, I was a little skeptical and asked myself is this just another overpriced Asian fusion joint where I won't feel full and the chef is trying too hard to make something creative? Alas, I'm happy I was wrong because the food ending up being very tasty, creative, and unique. I don't recall exactly what I got (can see pictures I uploaded) but I do remember that the big fried fish was mighty tasty. Service was decent and the atmosphere was a bit bland (nice big windows to let light in, but nothing real special). At any rate, I can confidently say that Lantern is good spot for a graduation dinner, especially if you're staying at The Franklin Hotel next door!

Two of us shared four small plates and the hot fudge sundae. The food was amazing. The Asian influence was clear with a sesame sauce on asparagus. We also had the scallion dumplings, chaat and salt and pepper shrimp. The mint chip ice cream tasted like freshly picked mint. The cocktails were delicious. When making the reservation, I had asked for a quiet spot. They seated us indoors and no one as seated next to us. Much appreciated. Decor isn't very exciting. Service was prompt. Servers are still masked. There s a pay parking lot very close by. Definitely would return.

Lantern has been on this list for years, finally made it. So long after Beard wondered if we'd missed its prime but simply outstanding, like, remarkable and memorable. Front room is being remodeled. Options currently are central patio (adorable) and back bar (chill, intimate, cute). Early seating at 530, ordered pretty much the menu. Simple, clean cocktails. Tomato salad, thought at first bite, ok a caprese riff. But the mayonnaise. Jesus. Almost ordered a 2nd. The beans. Then all the small plates. The tea spice chicken and noodles. Then figured, ok the desserts. Exceptional. Honestly one of the more interesting dinners I've had in years. Simple food, prep, presentation. But they just slay. Great service too. Bravo man.

In my experience, Lantern is always a cut above. The food is reliably tasty and interesting, the vibe is friendly and informal. I'm in my 70s, am not a drinker, and often eat by myself, certainly not the ideal customer, but I'm always treated with courtesy and warmth. Every Chapel Hill restaurant has the occasional hiccup, but Lantern has been my most consistent favorite. One of its underrated superpowers is the dessert menu, which is small but full of exceptional items.

I've been to over a dozen restaurants in my 55 years on this planet The Lantern is my favorite. Thoughtful food, intelligent bar. Kindness in a fancy package. Met my wife here. Respect!

The biggest "I can't believe I never reviewed"... Must have been here 25 times over the years. In my book one of the top 3 restaurants in North Carolina (along with Curate, Chef and the Farmer). Also the menu rotates by season so not everything is awlays on the menu. * My advice: don't eat in the front, only eat in the back (no reservations) * Mainstay appetizers: chaat, bento box (i've gotten this as a main), pork & chive dumplings * Mainstay entrees: tea smoked chicken with XO sauce * Dessert definitely rotates, they had this peanut brittle ice cream thing that is money Usually tax & tip it's around $150 for two

Meh. We'd gone to Lantern a long time ago, went again on 8/7/21 and was disappointed. The dumplings were overcooked, the bento box was lacking zing (blandest wasabi ever--how long had it been sitting out?), the waiter-recommended pimm's cocktail was boring, and the hot chocolate cake was eerily similar to something I've bought at Aldi. But the word part was the NC fried catfish, which was dry and tasted old. I've had better fish sticks. Other than the catfish, though, nothing was actually bad. And there were high points--the crab and pork spring rolls were excellent, and I enjoyed the mezcal cocktail quite a bit. Service was good, and I am actually a fan of them including a mandatory 18% tip. The outdoor setting was nice too--at least it would be if they routed foot traffic further away from the tables. So why am I being picky? Because at $140 for two people, "good" isn't good enough. The chef/owner(?) came out a number of times to greet diners she new, and they were effusive in their complements back to her. Maybe you have to know her to get good food? But because we don't, we likely won't be back.

We loved the food and service. Try the dumplings and pork shank. We will definitely go back.

I had a work trip on Chapel Hill, so naturally, I did some research as to the top restaurants in the area. Lantern showed up on many sites and had decent reviews on Yelp, so I thought, why not? Once again, since Yelp doesn't allow half stars, I can't give 3.5 stars, where I think the restaurant actually sits. We started off with some sake. We asked the waitress for something not too sweet, light and crisp. She did not disappoint with her recommendation. It was some of the most smooth sake I have ever had. For food, we started with the Tom Kai Gai, pork dumplings, and salt and pepper shrimp. The Tom Kai Gai reminded me of the soup we had in Thailand. I loved the lemongrass mixed with spice. The chicken in the soup really soaked in the flavor. Definitely worth having, especially on a cold day. The dumplings were good too, and also recommendation worthy. I am conflicted, however, is about the shrimp. The guy who delivered the food to the table was at least honest and told us they left the skin of the shrimp on when they coated the shrimp. I don't know that I liked that personally because the texture of the shrimp skin was a bit off-putting. Plus, I don't think I recall seeing any fried jalapenos, and that made me sad. For entrees, we ordered the Japanese Pot on Fire and the green curry. The pot on fire was a bit disappointing as the flavor was very one-note, and that note was salty. Even the oxtail dumplings were a bit flavorless. The green curry was actually quite delicious and I loved the spice. It's just a shame that it only comes with tofu. Overall, it wasn't terrible, but the dishes were definitely hit or miss.

Asian fusion is so hot right now. Lantern is the hottest one in the country according to popular food magazines. They use local, seasonal ingredients that keeps it interesting. I think we've gone to Lantern more than any other upscale restaurant in the triangle. I'm sad we missed restaurant week this year but the last time we participated we were stuffed.

The food was ok. There was a popcorn shrimp dish that was fried but with the shell still on and it made it almost impossible to eat. We heard several other people complain. It just seemed lazy to not shell the shrimp before frying. Everything else was a bit too salty. The ambiance and service were lovely and the drinks were good.

Ambiance: The restaurant was literally under construction/total renovation. All walls were completely covered in paint drop cloths. Whole restaurant smells like it is on fire. 5 person table we were sat at would have comfortably fit 3. Service: Took 1 hour to place food orders. Dinner took 3 hours total. Apps did not come out first. No dairy free dessert option on prix fixe menu and no accommodations or substitutions could be made for dietary restrictions (still had to pay for a dessert we could not eat and were not permitted to box it up or take it to go). Food: Shrimp were fried with shell on (not edible). Dumplings were clearly microwaved from frozen. Vegan dumplings were even worse. All 3 ramens were underwhelming at best. Nothing came with soy sauce, dipping sauce or any spice (you can ask for chili oil but it is also not spiced). Best thing we ate was the candy on top of the dessert (I think it is the peanut brittle from Trader Joe's).

Lantern is a great place for dates. The environment is pretty nice with a wall of plants and good aesthetic. They only have outside open due to covid precautions. The food came out pretty fast. I would recommend the Vietnamese style spring roll. The chicken and pork was alright. If you are looking for authentic Asian food this is not the place to go. The service was pretty good and the waiters were very helpful. The food was not very expensive. They change their menu regularly. I would probably come back again.

Great place if you are around Chapel Hill NC. The menu keeps changing frequently so you wouldn't be sure what you would get next time. The prefix menu was $36 plus tax plus standard 18% gratuity. You need reservations to get in but they also accommodate walk-in at patio and at the bar. The bar tender, Guss, is very friendly and good conversationalist. The food was ok for the price being charged. The price is worth only if you get to seated inside. I would not pay for Patio which is super hot and uncomfortable. I would definitely go back with reservations next time.

First time I went food was amazing. Second time I went they were having a big party and had clearly open the oysters ahead of time maybe hours before and they were inedible . I haven't gone back since they started making you use the QR code To order from which is shocking for a restaurant like this. I could see it at Burger King but not at a place like this where you're paying for service and experience.

Proof of vaccination demanded at the door without any warning and we had to lose our much anticipated reservation! Absolutely absurd that this business supports this - let alone doesn't ensure to make this clear when booking. Will not return.

Lantern is just awesome. We were there for a team lunch. They managed everything so well. We had customized menu, they gave us a separate walled off room and we could chat business. The drinks are awesome. The ginger lyche cocktail was great. The vegetable rice noodles entree was like a great quality pad thai with variety of mushrooms. We stayed nearby at the sienna and hotel provided a shuttle for drop off and pick up at this location. We all really enjoyed our experience at lantern.

Disappointing meal. There were only 3 entrees on the menu. While the beef entree was tasty for the price I would expect more than some greens on the side. We specifically asked the waitress to point out the spicy appetizers. When she didn't mention the salmon tartare as spicy I ordered it. The chips that came with it were very hot and inedible. They were so hot I had a coughing fit. The Diet Coke I ordered was ridiculously small and no refill was offered despite my glass being empty for most of the meal. The decor was just plain ugly-painter's drop cloths hung on the wall with weird lights sticking through the canvas. It looked like the restaurant was in the middle of a renovation. Perhaps this was someone's idea of avant garde but it was a complete disaster. and why is the beverage table in the middle of the room? All in all, a disappointment.

Very disappointing.. visiting chapel hill and I don't know if there are better Asian options but this was disappointing. The best thing was the pork/chive dumpling and it was dried out and the dipping sauce was literally just soy sauce with garlic in it... The worst thing was the noodles.. again so dry it actually was breaking up. So bland.. the BiBimbop was the best thing but that's a stretch. The spicy sauce was bland too. It needs more gochigang.. very disappointing Service was friendly and they automatically add a gratuity FYI. 18% no big deal but food is just so disappointing .

Truly a wonderful restaurant whether we want a sit down dinner or a evening at the bar with friends. Menu has an Asian flair with a seafood, chicken, pork or beef options as well as vegetarian options. I especially love the dumplings Great selection of wines by the glass or their specialty cocktails.

Some of the dishes here are amazing in freshness, creativity, preparation, and presentation, but there are some culinary missed steps - a bit surprising for a restaurant of this reputation, and the ambiance is anything but quiet and relaxing, and the entire dining experience suffers greatly as a result, imho. The tables are small, and packed in close, making the room very noisy, with waaaay too much information coming from the surrounding tables, even the ones on the other side of the room. The good news is that you need not concern yourself with dressing up, or casual even, apparently anything short of outright nudity or dumpster fire chic is perfectly acceptable - just Chapel Hill, I guess. We selected the Salt & Pepper Shrimp (pushed VERY hard by the staff - a great favorite, they said; you'll love it, they said); the Local, Pasture-raised Pork & Chive Dumplings; the Seafood Hotpot (lobster dumplings in broth, wild NC shrimp, littleneck clams, spring rain noodles, fresh lime leaf, tomatoes, pea greens), and the Lantern Bi Bim Bop ( hot iron pot with seared Red Poll beef, chestnut sticky rice, marinated seasonal vegetables, slow-cooked farm egg, homemade hot pepper sauce). The Salt & Pepper Shrimp was, simply put, poorly done, and even more poorly presented and explained. The shrimp are too large I think, there was no salt or pepper taste, and when presented, the servers said to eat them as you would Soft Shelled Crab, shell and all! This was just not possible, the shell was thick, and splintered as you tried to eat it, and your only option was to peel the shrimp, or pass on the dish. That this restaurant would serve this dish, with these instructions, is amazing.The dumplings, on the other hand, were incredible - full of flavor, rich and and moist. And then the main part of the meal went South, very South. The Seafood Hotpot was not good at all - the broth was bland, and the Lobster Dumplings were more like fritters, with a heavy coating that quickly became a soggy mess in the broth. The remainder of the hotpot was just a mish-mash, nothing stood out, and there was no blending together. The Bi Bim Bop was no better, the shaved beef was chewy and lacked flavor. The Chocolate Cake was very nice, but the clear winner for the whole dinner was the Fig Sundae. That was probably the single best dessert I've ever had, and I would come back to this restaurant solely to have it again. It is not a regular item, but it should be, it is that good. The Fig Sundae notwithstanding, this was not an enjoyable dinning experience, and would not have been even had our food choices been better - the lack of privacy smothers all aspects of the experience - for us anyway, others will feel different, and perhaps are better at filtering out the mindless chatter.

I've been to this spot several times, mainly for special occasions as it can be a little bit pricey. I've had some of the best food here and I really enjoy that they have smaller plates as well as larger ones that you can share. I love their contemporary Asian fusion dishes. They're interesting, unique and always keep me guessing. The servers are always so polite and really knowledgeable about the food and ingredients. It shows that they really have a passion for where the food comes from and how it's made. I would highly suggest reservations when you come because it gets very busy very fast and the space is on the smaller side. I also really enjoy the bar area, it's a really cool space with interesting craft cocktails but again, it's on the smaller side so it can be tough to find a place to sit. All in all, every time I come to Lantern it's an enjoyable experience with great food and service.

Usually for my birthday I like to pick a place that I absolutely love or have been craving to try. One place that I often pass by is Lantern so I picked as my 2019 birthday dinner. We opted for pea shoot dumplings which is served with a strongly assertive miso sauce...a little goes a long way. Delicious. Followed by a course of flounder and scallops both equally good. Finally we finished off the dinner with green tea and chamomile lavender tea with a molten chocolate cake and peanut brittle ice cream. Perfection! Would highly recommend and suggest that you make a reservation!

We had been looking forward to dinner here and were definitely disappointed. I am giving it 3 stars because of our group of 4, 2 people thought their dinners were very good and 2 people thought the food was just ok. Also, the service was VERY slow. I know this isn't Applebee's, but I've eaten at many fine dining establishments where they manage to get the food out in a timely fashion. The Good: Salt and Pepper shrimp appetizer was good, though not as good as the hype surrounding it. The BBQ Pork chop with kimchi potatoes was very good. The chop was also huge. The Steamed fish with baby bok choy was also very tasty, but a little too salty. The Meh: Japanese Pot on Fire was just ok and the person who ordered it finished the large BBQ pork chop rather than finish the dish. Chicken was just ordinary chicken, nothing special for the $27.

While the food and menu are fun and have some flair, the price is a bit steep for what you get (especially the cocktails). The space is extremely cramped and the service was incredibly slow. Would be better for them to lose two tables and focus more on the service quality.

I was really hoping to like this place, but unfortunately our experience was incredibly disappointing. My husband and I came here for his birthday dinner. We had a reservation for 8pm, but our table wasn't ready until 15-20 min after, so we had to wait outside in the cold. The interior felt super claustrophobic and overpacked, like seriously you had to keep your arms locked in to avoid knocking over someone's drink. The low ceilings and black walls made it feel even more small than it was. The music was also pretty loud so you could barely hear each other on top of everyone else's conversations. Before we even got our drinks, the waiter came to grab our order and told us we should order everything now bc there was another party here so if we waited it could be a long wait. Although I appreciated the warning and understand they are busy, it made us feel super rushed, and it really ruined the mood as we felt like we had to hurry to get our orders in so we could eat and leave. That forced us to make quick decisions on the spot before we got a chance to really decide what we wanted. At least they have a small menu. We got the NC flounder sashimi, seafood hotpot and pork shank. The food at least came at a reasonable time, but it was just OK. Nothing great especially given the price. The pork was meh, the papaya side salad did not have much of a taste, and it came with a tiny portion of rice (definitely not an Asian thing). The noodle soup was same, just okay, and way overpriced for what it was. During our entire time, not once did anyone stop by to check in to ask if everything was okay until the very end to get our check. No one tried to clear our plates when our check came, which usually doesn't bother me, but when the space is this small (barely room to sign the check on our table), and you are spending all this money at a restaurant, I would have appreciated our dirty plates getting cleared and someone checking in just once during our entire time there. Maybe we came at an unlucky time, but if the owner knew there was another large party here, maybe plan for less reservations or a less packed dining area for other guests, so that service doesn't get sacrificed? I would like to give it another chance, but likely won't be coming back given all the issues we encountered above.

Lantern was good... but not that good. I felt like something was missing from nearly every dish. Perhaps salt...? I'm honestly not sure. The service was fast and polite across the board - props to the hostess and waiters! We ordered cocktails, beer, and a bottle of wine. All good, and the server had nice recommendations. I liked that mezcal was used in a cocktail and the selection was great. Like I said with the food, it all seemed to miss something. The pork chop and pork belly were excellent. However the spring rolls and pot on fire were either bland or just had the wrong flavors. The dumplings were decent but didn't blow my mind. I still think this was a great dining experience overall, I think it just needed a little more "umph" to get it they extra something.