My favorite Chinese place in town. Every single time I go back to Champaign, I HAVE to eat here.
I remember the other restaurants that used to be in this location...Fazoli's...Happy Wanderer...that Hawaiian place...but Lai Lai looks like it's here to stay!
The food is superb and it comes out pretty fast. Decently priced too. I love the Gan Chao Niu He (dry-fried beef chow fun) because it's never too oily but it's still super tasty. They also have Oh Ah Jian (though it's not on the English menu) which is the Taiwanese oyster pancake that you can buy on the street in Taiwan.
The owner is pretty good at treating regular customers well (those who aren't students, that is) with appetizers on the house. Chances are also pretty good you'll run into an ECE professor or two during dinnertime at Lai Lai.
In short, Lai Lai is definitely my FAVORITE restaurant near the U of I campus...and maybe in all of the C-U area as well!