Lili's Restaurant

We hesitated to walk into this little restaurant but we walked with no other thought than we made a good choice. The food is good and they have specials that used in season, fresh ingredients. This means that the owners care about their offerings and brings the best to customers. We had the garlic bolt pork stir-fry, Biang Biang noodles, and sour soup dumpling, all are delicious.

Highly recommend the Biang Bang Noodles, or another dish with the handmade noodles. The noodles are made to order, and there is a good amount of meat on them. I had the Hot & Sour Vermicelli Soup, but it had minimal meat, was not sour and was not spicy (don't recommend). Small resturant with 8~ tables inside, but quick service and accepting of Allergies. All handmade noodles are NOT glutenfree, Vermicelli were made from potatoes.

I had the #2 Biang Biang Noodles with stewed pork. It was really good and the portion was great too. I love how the noodles were chewy and wide. The #7 Sao Zi Noodle Soup had a nice sour broth that I enjoyed too. Went here again and I got the #1 pulled pork hamburger. OMG it was so good!! The buns was made fresh, it was crispy on the outside. The pulled porked was basically pork belly chopped up with cilantro over it. It came out so fresh!

Lili's is a smaller Chinese restaurant located in the heart of Amherst Center, serving a variety of Chinese dishes in store or as take out. The staff are very friendly, able to make the dishes quickly, and help cater to any needs or changes required. We tried the Biang Biang Noodles with pork, and it was a big portion for the price, and was very tasty. The spice wasn't too overwhelming, and the noodles were a good thickness that weren't too hard. The stewed pork went really well with it. Overall, a solid food choice while in the area.

Lili's is a unique Chinese restaurant experience with the famous hand pulled noodles. I enjoyed dumplings and scallion pancakes as well as several other dishes overall, not as spicy as I expected. The service was very friendly, the seating is very Spartan and extremely limited for dine in. For the past 4 years this has been my daughter's most favorite restaurant in Amherst.

This is authentic Chinese food. On par with a Chinatown experience. The menu isn't huge and you're not going to find sweet sour anything here. Just authentic, real noodles and delicious ingredients. It's extremely small so plan to wait (it's worth it) do takeout or whatever suits you. You won't regret it.

My daughter and niece highly recommend this place. Unfortunately, Monday was their resting day. We finally get to get this place on Tuesday. It’s definitely worth the wait. The restaurant is very small with just a few tables for dine-ins. The entire menu is a giant poster on the wall with a picture for each menu item. This makes ordering a breeze. The setup of this restaurant is very simple and it’s right behind the counter for customers to see. A small counter for making the noodle, two large pots to cook the noodles and cooking the dishes. A showcase to store all the garnishment and a small space to prep dishes before serving. After receiving a beef noodle soup order. Someone brings out a few prepared doughs, roll it a few times to flatten it to the proper thickness, cuts it, handle pull it and then puts it in a pot of boiling water to cook. Simultaneously, another person brings out a container of beef noodle soup stock to heat up. The noodle and the beef soup gets mixed in the bowl with garnishment and it’s ready to be served. The man in charge at the counter is the owner. An immigrant from ShannXi (陕西) long time ago. Friendly fella.

This tiny place is cranking out some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. It's not traditional Chinese-American food either, you will taste flavors that seldom make an appearance in the greasy spots we all know and love, flavors that never had the simplicity and sodium content to hit the big time here. You will find some comforting anchors such as made-to-order scallion pancakes (flaky, divine), pork dumplings (steamed or fried), fried rice, but the magic lies in the hand pulled noodles. Get a soup, get the Biang Biang, just get some noodles, you will love it. The owner is always there cooking and serving, and she's always happy to answer your questions.

Very small place featuring very delicious authentic Chinese dishes, all made with love. Get the Biang Biang noodles and savor the soft texture and layers of flavor, which get even BETTER as leftovers, eaten cold. Food for your soul...

The owner and staff are friendly and accommodating. It is small and simple but pleasant & clean. The food and noodles specifically were good but not quite to my preference. For years I had pulled noodles in Flushing, NY, at a tiny basement stall where I was usually the only Caucasian. It was a Bourdain favorite, and I think that was what I expected. The noodles in the Biang Biang were thicker, quite beautiful actually, but a chewier texture and to me appeared cut rather than pulled, not really sure and will research. They market as homemade and think that very accurate. The seasoning reminded me of cold noodles, which I look forward to trying. But it was 10 degrees out and I was up for a hot dish. We also had peashoots & tofu at a reasonable price but very light on the peashoots. This too is more me as I usually order them as a dish with no other key ingredients other than seasoning g (garlic) and oil. I will return at some point and try the soups. This was my experience and It may not be yours. As I said I plan to return. FYI ...while not a vegan they have about 5 dishes that really are. I was with someone from the area and evidently that can be a problem in the area.

When I learned the #4 ranked Chinese restaurant in the USA was only 30 minutes from my business meeting, I made the decision this was a must stop! The best Chinese food I have ever eaten. And coincidentally, I just spent a week in China 3 months ago. Even better than anything I had there. I arrived around 1:30 on a Thursday for lunch. Just me. There is street parking out front but no spaces available. Luckily, I noticed there is a small lot (maybe 8-10 spaces) behind the building. Went in and there were just a couple of parties seated given the hour. There are maybe 10 tables (?) with seating for 20. The staff was very friendly and made ordering a breeze. I got the Biang Biang Noodles with Pork and Dumplings. They are absolutely the best dumplings I have ever had. You could tell they were house made. The noodles were amazing. Like life changing amazing. Highly recommend!

I'd give it 6 stars if I could. A humble little noodle shop. But so authentic, so handmade, and full of flavor. There may only be a dozen or so items on the menu, but each is like a home cooked meal, made by mom/grandma. We usually come in the off hours, as its little dining room is packed for prime lunch and dinner times. It is usually filled with Chinese students. No doubt they miss their food, and this place absolutely satisfies their wanting for a taste of the mother land.

Almost don't want to add a review because this is a tiny place and I fear it will get too popular. Super friendly owners. Delicious and authentic hand-made noodles. No General Tso chicken or "crab" Rangoon here. Definitely meat-oriented.

This sleepy college town housed a surprisingly numerous Chinese restaurant scene, among other Asian cuisines. This appeared to be the pick of the lot, offering authentic Northern-style items including noodles. The option to order a tofu stir-fry seemed appealing, and indeed several options were clearly marked as vegetarian and vegan. However, the signature dish is a fresh sort of noodle distinctive to the region, and I was seduced by the distinctively springy texture and fresh flavor. It took around fifteen minutes to make those noodles, and while I was on a schedule, it was worth waiting for fresh food.

One of the best restaurants in all of MA. The food is stellar, the service has never been anything but fast and kind, and the ambiance is perfect for a great college town. I couldn't recommend this place more highly and come here every time I'm in town. It puts the best Boston Xi'an places to shame and is only rivaled by NY joints. Whoever runs this place is a perfect person.

buss can someone plz leak the recipe for their vinegar sauce it was so truly so delicious

My favorite local Chinese restaurant. Authentic Chinese dishes. The twice cooked pork is amazing.

Really amazing & fresh hand pulled noodles. Really authentic, flavorful, filling, large portions. The service is efficient with no frills. This is a casual takeout spot.

My son ate here last week and loved it. We just stopped for lunch- hand pulled, homemade noodles- really good food at a Mom& Pop small restaurant where it's clear they care and the food was delicious. Hubbie gotta noodles w/pork. Pork very tender. I got porkw/homemade noodles soup- I like spicy so got side of chili oil. Great dish. Sid of pork& leek homemade dumplings were more than we needed- but certainly very good. Will eat here every time I make in the area! PS Owners super nice as well

This is my 4th time here. The last time was 1 year ago. Very busy and only a few tables. Fortunately- the tables open up quickly. The fried rice is very good. The dumplings are ok and the spicy chicken with rice lacks flavor. We also had the dumpling hot sour soup which was average. I've also had their noodles dishes in the past which are better..

Excellent find. Started with friendly welcoming service at the counter to order by the owner herself. Not your typical Chinese menu.. only a dozen or so items .i ordered the bang band wide noodles , a little spicy with some vegetable topping. Those noodles are home made and delicious . Scrumptious . And very reasonably priced . Followed by a smiling friendly clean up service by the owners husband . A smile to greet , a smile to checkout and an unusually great meal . The soups looked great too. If you are in Amherst or nearby , go to Lili's ..

This place is a gem. Really authentic Xi'an food. If you like central Chinese cuisine and are in the area you must stop by. I got the sour soup dumplings (酸汤饺子）and my husband got the pork noodle soup 卤肉汤面 and both were great. They also have yang rou pao mo which is very hard to find in the States. Service was great and the owner was very friendly!

Amazing service and food was phenomenal. Best Asian cuisine in the area for sure. Definitely take the time to dine in and enjoy.

I absolutely LOVE this place. I go whenever I miss my family's food a little extra. The service is fast and the restaurant itself is a little small but very cozy. I have made it a personal mission to try every dish in this restaurant before graduation! FRIED RICE (9.5/10): Delicious and full of veggies and meat. Only downside is that it is very oily and makes me feel very heavy after eating. But the taste is good enough that I keep coming back to get it. DUMPLINGS (11/10): These dumplings are the main reason that I keep going back again and again. With every trip, an order of dumplings is a must buy. They're flavorful, satisfying, and never fail to make me crave more right after. BIANG BIANG NOODLES (6/10): I know the noodles are a popular item but they aren't to my taste and fall short of the other potential menu items. While still yummy, they lacked the flavor that is usually present in the other dishes and I felt like I was consuming a plate of just bland flavors with different textures when compared to the rice and dumplings.

When you're starving and it's raining and it's just a few minutes shy of closing, and they still feed you is such a blessing. So I came in grateful, but listen, I left feeling LOVED. We went for the staple dish of BB noodles, Slow roast pork soup with cilantro and scallion, and the seasonal special of fiddlehead pork dumplings. - The dumplings were steamed, but not flimsy, the shape stayed strong and the filling was dense and savory. The light sweetness of the dumpling sauce elevated the tasty bites. -Bb noodles were good, but I'd probably try them with vegetables Instead of pork for some textural variety. The noodles were reeeeeeallly long, and the red sauce was delicious. -the soup was hands down some of the best broth in town. I'd kiss that woman if I could. Definitely add the scallion and cilantro and spice. It's a fantastic combo.

We went to Lili's for second dinner after eating in IYA. The #4 ru lou fan did not have the rich fattiness I like, but the egg was egg-cellent. The #14 beef noodle soup, again, missing the depth in the broth but flavor was pretty good. I love and appreciate the hand-pulled hand-cut noodles. Very thick and very chewy. Really wanted the broth to hot the spot, niu rou mien should be rich and flavorful. Even though those two things were not my favorite, I'd still like to go back and try the pork bun and scallion pancakes. Street coin meter parking

This place is CRAZY GOOD. Owners are super friendly and it's a convenient location but above all, the food is SO GOOD. Easily the best food in Amherst and I don't have enough good things to say about their place. Hand pulled pork noodles and beef noodle soup are so top tier.

Food is top notch hand pulled Asian noodles ! Enjoy the rustic environment and the rich aroma! Get take out in the warm months and enjoy the cozy table seats for cooler times. Anywhere you eat LiLi'a you will enjoy!!

Amazing real Chinese food She even makes the real pasta right there. Want real Chinese food come here

Excellent food - we had two types of the hand-pulled noodles, the dumplings, and the scallion pancakes - and quick, warm service. The restaurant is small but we were able to sit down right away at 12:30 and comfortably finished our food to make room for another family. Highly recommend if you're in Amherst!

i've eaten there several times since they opened every time was very good well prepared and package thirdly, to take home. The noodles and the dumplings are excellent!

We loved this place, very small, definitely worth it if you have to wait .. we had the pork dumplings, bang bang noodles, chicken fried rice ... all were exceptional and portions were enuf for us to take some home ... service and friendliness was exceptional, as well. Highly recommend !

Lili's has the best noodles in town, hands down. It's a local treasure. The first time I had their tomato egg noodle soup, I wept tears of joy. My partner said it tasted comforting and nostalgic (even though they have never had a similar dish before in their life). Biang biang noodles, twice cooked pork, and hot & sour dumpling soup are also favorites in our house. But truthfully, we've never tried anything at Lili's that wasn't absolutely delicious and obviously lovingly made from scratch. Portions are fair and it's a great value. Staff is friendly, warm, and welcoming (even when it's busy and "down to business.") I don't have enough nice things to say about this place. Lili's rocks. Dining area is tiny and cozy (read: cramped) with just a few tables. It can get loud during busy meal services and you may have trouble navigating the dining area if tight, narrow walking paths pose a challenge for you. Take-out is often easier than dining in.

LiLi's is hands down my favorite Asian restaurant in this area. The food is authentic (my Chinese mom gives it her seal of approval) and it's really dang good. Sometimes I come here when I feel homesick and it always makes me feel better. Their noodles cure my depression. It's a little small inside, but the staff are really nice. Personally I really like the biang biang noodles and the liangpi (pictured below) but everything is good. I have never tasted a bad dish here. Every time I come here, I have to spend minutes deciding what I want to get, because the food is just that baller.

Wow! So good. We were in town and saw a 5 star restaurant so we had to try it. All the tables were full when we arrived but the owner had a table ready in a few minutes. For our table, we ordered the scallion pancake, the pork burger, biang biang noodles, pork dumplings, twice cooked pork and stewed beef noodle soup. Everything was great. The biang biang noodles, twice cooked pork and pork burger definitely the stars. Owner was very nice and attentive to customers. Lots of people coming in and out.

Ordered food @ 6:00pm for pickup after reading all the great reviews. Food was on the table w/I 20 minutes. Vegetables were soggy, pork was either dry or fatty and the dish was 60% rice. The pork sandwich was dry and their signature noodles tasted bland and had a mushy. While I didn't care for the particular spices used, (my fav style is Cantonese) the quality was so poor, the dinner was a total disaster. I surmised that it was left over from lunch.

Small family run business with only 4 tables. Nothing fancy. Good food. No forks, only chopsticks. Soda, no liquor. Pork dumplings, Bieng bieng housemade flat noodles and chicken fried rice were delicious.

We ordered 5 or 6 different dishes and one was better than the other! Everything was hot, stream was pouring off the vegetables and we were all enjoying the food that was made especially for us. We had scallion pancakes, fried rice with chicken, pork with noodles, a pork sandwich and 2 number 4's. So good! Thank you for your absolutely delicious meal!

Oh my god. I was driven here by the enthusiastic reviews, and they do not lie. These were far and away the best biang biang noodles I've ever had, and top quality dumplings. The restaurant itself is small, and not heavily decorated--you're coming here for food, not ambience. But the food is so worth it--it's one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to.

Love this place. Consistently delicious food, clearly popular amongst Chinese college students and the general public as well. Probably my favorite restaurant in the area, other local Chinese restaurants have nothing on LiLi's!

Very tasty! I hope I get to go back some day. We had the Beef Noodle Soup (get the cilantro and scallions!) and the Biang Biang noodles and the Pork and Leek dumplings. All tasted amazing!

Hi hopes when I walked in because it looked like an unpretentious "hole in the wall". This is usually an indicator that the focus is on the food. I ordered pork dumplings and scallion pancakes. Both were unsatisfactory. I ended up throwing them away at home. Maybe I ordered the wrong things?

First time visiting LiLi's today and it was incredible! The owners are so warm and friendly - we felt as if we were in their home and the food is cooked with love. Hand pulled noodles and dumplings were absolutely delicious. 10/10 we'll be back when we pass through town again!

The place is cozy and the owners are very friendly. The food is delicious and good portions. My wife and i order: Scallion Pancake 10/10 Pork Dumplings 10/10 Fried Rice 8/10 Stewed Pork Noodle 10/10 If you ever around that area you might want to give it a try, we will go back again. We spend around $60 including 2 cokes.

Quick service, great authentic tasting food. Utilitarian decor only, but people are there to eat, not hang out.

Small shop in Amherst serving authentic, delicious dishes. The seating is a bit limited and tight, so most people do takeout. The homemade noodles were the perfect texture and packed with flavor. The non-noodle dishes were also fantastic (rice, dumpling soup, etc.). Portion sizes were huge and the staff were super friendly. Would highly recommend!

Outstanding food and service. The flavors were unbelievable highly recommend. Small location but worth the wait.

I'm still thinking about the next time I can return. Delicious, flavorful establishment a foody would love! We had the house Biang Biang noodles and the sweet and sour dumpling soup....

Very small place and quite loud, so we took our food back to our hotel. Excellent food. Only complaint was the green onion pancakes were soggy by the time we were able to sit down and eat. The noodles and dumplings were so good!

This is, hands down, the best food in Amherst. After hearing lots of rave review from locals, students, and university staff/faculty I finally gave this place a shot. Amherst food scene has struggled in recent years with restaurants over investing in decor and vibes while offering nothing remarkable on crowded mediocre menus. Lili's successfully stands apart from the mediocrity. With a concise and affordable menu, the only thing challenging about ordering was deciding between the clear list of delicious looking dishes. Spice level and vegetarian options were clearly labeled and realistic but enticing photos accompanied every dish. Most of the 15 menu items are soup, rice, or noodle entrees. Scallion pancakes and a smaller handheld item were the only smaller items. We ordered and shared the cold noodles and the very popular biang biang pork noodles. The biang biang pork noodles were filling and savory, with a slight kick but not too spicy, and a very comforting filling dish. The noodles were SO delicious and very filling with a nice chew. The cold noodles, a vegetarian dish, were incredibly refreshing and but still very satisfying and flavorful I'm not normally a fan of seitan or wheat gluten but the preparation on this was a really enjoyable texture similar to fried and airy tofu. We went in hungry and still left with a pint of leftovers from each dish. The total for two drinks and two entrees was $32 (plus tip). Incredibly affordable and will absolutely become a regular spot for us. With only 4 tables, this place isn't somewhere you sit around and linger at. Take out would probably be best but regardless, the staff provided wonderful customer service. Will absolutely be going back until we try the whole menu. The BEST food in Amherst.

A great spot to not spend too much but still have a full stomach! My friend and I have been here numerous times and we have tried everything on their menu haha. Our favorites are their Braised Pork Noodle Soup, Roujiamo, and Biang Biang Noodles. Their noodles taste amazing as they are chewy and feel like thick dumpling skin, which I LOVE! They are a small place that is clean and very friendly.

Simple, authentic, family-run deliciousness! Lili's doesn't need another 5 star review but here I am anyway. We stopped here on a whim while traveling through Amherst and were glad we did! We spoke to Lili herself while she prepared our food and she was so friendly and authentic! She emphasized how they have a small menu and everything is cooked to order to ensure peak freshness. We tried: - biang biang noodles with stewed pork - scallion pancakes - pork and scallion dumplings - beef noodle soup - stewed pork noodle soup Everything was delicious, but I especially recommend the scallion pancakes. $6 each but they are hand made to order and are the perfect mix of crispy, chewy, salty and fatty!

The male owner who takes orders at the counter, threatened to call the police on me, because I unconsciously took in total, around 5 napkins to blow my nose and cough in, and then was going to take the 5 napkins that I had already wiped my nose and coughed in, out of the restaurant with me. I have chronic rhinitis/sinusitis with days when it gets worse than usual, all of which he knows about. When I was in the process of heading out after I had finished my dinner, he repeatedly snapped at me to put the small stack of napkins that I had already coughed in and used to wipe my nose, back into the restaurant's clean napkin pile, and threatened to call the police on me if I didn't. Under his terrorism, I put around 3 of the napkins that didn't fully touch my face, back on top of their napkin pile. He still screamed at me to put the 2 napkins that I had in my hand back on the clean napkin pile so I put more back and only kept the one napkin that I had coughed and blew my nose directly in. I believe it's unsanitary to put napkins that were already taken and touched on your personal table, back into the clean napkin stack for other customers to use, so I always take the napkins that I already coughed in and touched, that I haven't completely finished using yet, with me, after I'm done with a meal. They told me that I have taken napkins that I didn't finish using, out of the restaurant with me the last previous times that I was there too, so I explained my intentions(what I am wrote in this review) to them and the man still threatened to call the police on me. He repeatedly yelled at me, a frequent loyal customer ever since they opened, to not come here again, because I took a couple of napkins with me, out of the restaurant a few times. The man who owns this place also repeatedly attacked and insulted my character and repeatedly screamed at me:"Do you know what you're doing?!" "You don't understand anything!" "You don't understand what everybody else means!" "You don't understand anything about what other people say!" The full exchange was done in Chinese and the owners were beyond aggressive, overreactive, and petty. If they had a problem with my behavior, they could've brought it to my attention by communicating kindly and respectfully to me instead of snapping and yelling at me with their malicious assumptions that I was stealing napkins. Out of the hundreds of meals I've had there, I've only used an average of 1-3 napkins per meal. The man who owns this place treats Chinese customers terribly but drowns non-Asian customers in flattery and smiles. I have been a frequent customer since they first opened and have probably given this place, thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars of business.

This place is by far my favorite restaurant in the area!! As a vegetarian, they have so many veggie and vegan options. If you go, you need to get the biang biang noodles, scallion pancakes, and the veggie soup. The portion sizes are so perfect and the staff are the most wonderful people you will meet.

Fantastic meal!! The best Chinese food we have had in a long time! Better than many places we have eaten in NYC. Highly recommend the dumplings. Looking forward to being back in the area and going again.

Wonderful home made noodles and very nice people. The owner once told me that he's not a chef; It is just simple home cooking. But it is really really good home cooking! RBeef Noodle Soup Braised Pork Noodle Soup Hand Pulled Noodles

This place rocks! The term "hidden gem" never applied more than here. Their noodles are absolutely as good as it gets - so fresh it's ridiculous. Every single item I've had on the menu has been top notch. And the owners are super nice and appreciative. Could not recommend high enough.