I give 5 stars in the context of the area, Champaign IL.
There is no comparable food for the price. I would say that Mandarin Wok is right behind in terms of food selection and quality, but their service is severely lacking.
I've known the owner of Lai Lai since I was a wee freshman, and have held many Chinese New Year's dinners at one of the traditional giant round tables for my friends.
The food selection is superb and *mostly* authentic. My favorite dishes here are the "3 Cup Chicken" aka "San Bei Ji", the tofu dishes such as "Ma Po Do Fu", and the snowfish that comes out over a flame.
The owner is always very accommodating, but keep in mind that I place my table reservations at least two weeks ahead of the dinner.
On the days we have the dinner, the owner even let us bring some of our own celebratory big bottles of sake. Although at the expense of her restaurant (no liquor license :X), we really appreciated the gesture of accommodating guests!
Even my super-white Illinois-raised friends and classmates all agree that Lai Lai has the most authentic Chinese/Taiwanese food in the area. Like the restaurant name implies (Lai Lai = Come Come), come for great food!
P.S. I find it funny that lots of the reviewers are from California, yayyy