Elements

Second visit, this time for lunch .
Delicious tuna tacos with a side salad (simple but tasty and fresh).
It is run by the Owner/​Chef family (servers etc…).
Great Service, great food.
Did not know they had sushi, had the salmon nigiri (great quality fish).
It is classy, trendy and good at the same time.
We need more places like that in Chapel Hill.

So good! Highly recommend the scallops and ravioli. Sat outside and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Amazing blend of flavors. Went here twice in two nights because it is so good: the service; the food; ambience. Wish this place was in Southern California!

What an usually name for marinated filet mignot, bo luc lac. It was tasty! But just not enough beef. The viet rollls were good, but you would do better at Noodles Boulevard, as their Viet rolls are superior in flavor and cheaper than Elements. I do like to sweat while waiting for my meal because the temperature was too hot. Dinner for two with tip was $ 125.

I had a fantastic lunch here today. It’s an impeccably clean, modern, sunny spot and my Asian Niçoise salad was amazing. Tuna seared to perfection on a bed of noodles, seaweed salad, edamame, and sweet potatoes, with a tangy ginger dressing. I felt so energized after this healthy and delicious meal. The iced tea was great too. The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Perfect. I’d love to eat lunch here every day.

Fantastic! If you want a more upscale dining experience in Chapel Hill Elements is your place. With so many «college» type restaurants, Elements differentiates itself by having an amazing menu that is constantly changing.
I’ve been to this location over a dozen times and I will continue to go back.

It is generally good, but service quality and capability can really vary, and they are not always accommodating to customer requests even though the prices are very high for what is offered. Some dishes are really good, but not all justify the prices being charged, and the overall experience can be mixed there…

I want to give five stars for the ambiance and facilities which are very pleasant, relaxing, and clean. I love the outdoor seating.
The owners are very friendly and helpful.
As a fusion restaurant, you’ll find very interesting menu choices. Some may raise your eyebrows. Rest easy, as I’ve not ordered anything that wasn’t completely delicious, hot (if it’s supposed to be), and freshly made.
I recommend the Walnut Prawns and daily Bento Box.
Downside: it’s closed on Sunday.

I rarely take the time to write Unilocal reviews, but I have to in this case. This was one of the best meals I’ve had in months, and presented with both class and warmth. My 25-​year old daughter (coming to grad school at UNC this year or next) and I came here for our last dinner in town and I can only hope that she won’t defer a year. The only small downside was the too-​salty scallops she had, but we’re finding food in the southeast rather salty altogether. We started with near-​perfect Ikura sashimi. I then had the mushroom and arugula salad, which I told Vi, the owner’s daughter, was the best salad I’d ever eaten in my life. I had the Saigon noodles for a main course which I loved. We shared an unusual tiramisu for desert and loved it. Vi was both helpful and charming. A must-​go.

place is really clean! services was superb! Very polite and attentive! the food was also delicious! really like the oysters!

I may move to Chapel Hill for the sole reason of eating here every day for the rest of my life.
Setting: Good for solo diners (like me), also good for groups. Great ambience.
Service: Drea was wonderful with suggestions to enhance my meal. She also made sure my water glass was never empty — which is so important for me!
Food: This was the best meal that I’ve had in a very long time. Now, I’m particular to Asian food so this place was right up my alley. I ordered a couple of glasses of wine, which were excellent (and generous pours). The Vietnamese Seafood Hotpot, though, was my highlight. Rice noodles, pineapple, cilantro, calamari, mussels, shrimp, and some white fish (normally comes with salmon but I’m allergic)… seriously to die for. I’m going to dream about it tonight. Ended my meal with an espresso shot (with a lemon twist which is my favorite thing ever) and the espresso crème brûlée. If I died tonight, I’d die happy.
Five stars. Moving to Chapel Hill. Sorry friends & family in Iowa. This place rocks too much.

Came here for lunch today and this place is truly a treat! The restaurant is quite spacious (it’s a lot bigger than it looks from the outside!). Right when you enter, there’s this lovely wine bar that leads you in to the greater dining area. Ambience is very warm and there’s a lot of natural lighting complemented with really nice pieces of modern, metallic décor.
I had the Big Eye Tuna Sashimi for a starter, the Honey Walnut Prawns as a main, and I spoiled myself a bit with the Apple Crisp for dessert. Sashimi was honestly the best I’ve had in a long time. I love that all the fish is locally sourced and you can taste how fresh it is. Also, the presentation of the dish is stunning. Honey walnut prawns were fantastic. There were four of them served on little beds of this amazing salad. There was also a side salad that was served, which was alright, although they could have used a bit more dressing, I think (note: I’m someone who orders «dressing with a side of salad»). Finally, the dessert, which was this Apple Crisp a la mode, was AMAZING. Probably one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while. The apple crisp part was piping hot, so it made for a wonderful complement to the ice cream. Really fantastic dessert and really cute presentation.
Had a wonderful time here and it wasn’t too busy for lunch. Service was very nice as well. Would love to come here for dinner sometime!

Just had a great lunch at a hidden gem. Everything was excellent from the chicken and shrimp spring rolls to the house salad to my main course of shrimp and walnuts. Portion size was not huge, but it was enough for lunch. Will definitely be back.

Pleasing a party of 13 isn’t easy, but Elements exceeded our expectations! We were served at a beautiful large farm-​style table, in a semi-​private back room, and had excellent service and delicious food.
I was designated driver for the night so I didn’t partake, but our table split several bottles of wine and the group raved about the options. I was also pleased that my Diet Coke was consistently and promptly refilled. (At other establishments I’ve noticed that the non-​drinkers are easily forgotten — not here!)
The highlight of my meal was the arugula salad (with feta, candied walnuts and Champagne vinaigrette). Also delicious was the Saigon noodles and the semifreddo (w/​lemon cake, meringue and caramel). The group really enjoyed the sweet bread served in the bread basket.
The standout of the evening as a whole, however, was our excellent server. The service was attentive and professional. I wish I remembered our server’s name to pass along our group’s praise to the manager; she was super knowledgeable about both the food and wines.
One note — the menu changes often, I’ve been told, but the menu at the time I was there didn’t offer many options outside of seafood. I was able to find something I loved, but a pickier diner might want to check out the menu in advance.

Love Love Love — Did I say I LOVE this place? While on business in the Triangle weekly for a year I discovered some amazing places to eat and this place is on the Top of the list for my Top5 that I travel all the way to the Triangle to take my family to experience.
The summer roll is awesome and the walnut shrimp. However WHOLLY WHOLE FISH, if you are ever told about the specials and it includes a whole fish TAKE IT. I was skeptical when told about the fish because I saw so many things on the menu that I wanted to try however the BEST decision I made was trying the fish and when I say it was the BEST fish I’ve had prepared on that manner I mean it (picture attached).
The service is pretty stellar depending on the server and you know my reviews are overall from the Rutta to the Tudda so I review with overall experience. I had an amazing server when I came with my colleagues however when I came alone my server was distant and not very interested in serving me which is why this place lost a star.
Definitely check this place out its amazing and tucked away.

I tell people I’m easy to please, but hard to impress. Well, Elements knocked my socks off. It’s 10:30 the morning after, and I am already craving their food.
A gal pal and I had pre-​existing reservations on a Monday after work, and as it turned out, we both had stressful days. Time for a drink! Their beer selection was short, but I tried a Sam Adams winter snap white (?), and it paired nicely with the Asian Fusion that was to come. Her eyes never made it past the ginger mojito. Both were served in tall, slender pilsner glasses, which added a little fun chic to our ladies evening out.
I had the walnut prawns (recommended by a group of doctors we work with who were dining at a table nearby), and they were heaven. A wonderful mix of sweet and spicy. I will get the same dish every time I come back, I just know it! The only thing on the item not recommended by the docs who are regulars is the steak, which they had on special. No problem there, as that’s now what I’m looking for when I come to a place like this anyway.

Ambiance. I’m from New York and when I walked in, I thought I was IN New York.
Seating. Far enough apart so I don’t have to listen to the conversation at Table 2.
Service. The staff is attentive, helpful, and knows when to stop at the table. Rachel ****
Food. On a scale of one to ten, its a 9 (no place is a 10). I grew up in the restaurant business so its only fair to give a good, honest nod to those who do their best… and Elements is on top.
Presentation. Just look at the photos. I was given a teapot for my tea (and the Earl Grey gets a nod all to itself).
I’m almost afraid to post this critique. I want to be able to come home and have a seat the next time that I come to town. What the heck…
5 Stars!!!

Wow absolutely amazing. Elements has been on the top of my list for quite some time now. I’m so glad I finally had the opportunity to stop in. I believe this is the original chef from An in Cary and the food is superb.
There were so many amazing dishes on the menu plus they added a sashimi menu. You can order all types of small plates, or entrees. I have never seen such a happy staff in a restaurant, everyone here was so friendly walking around with big smiles on their faces. The restaurant itself seems very family oriented (as far as the staff) and you could tell that their dining patrons consisted of many regulars. I was expecting his extremely fancy atmosphere but what I walked into was a very inviting space with a casual bar, and the most amazing wine room I’ve seen in the Triangle.
I am already planning a girls night out here! The wine room is separate from the restaurant and tucked away in it’s own space. The best part you can purchase a wine card and taste their amazing selection of wines. Now I’ve seen these wine machines before but never with this type of selection at least here in the Triangle area. I love that they offer this in a restaurant, how smart! If the restaurant was on a wait I would be in the wine room all night happy as a clam until I was seated:)
Let’s get to the incredible food. My BF and I started off with the Escolar sashimi and curry clam chowder. All I can say is wow the flavors were so amazing, the soup had a bit of spice to it and was creamy and delicious not to mention full of clams. The sashimi was some of the freshest I’ve ever had and they are super generous with their portions I wanted the whole Escolar, seriously. We decided to share the seafood pad thai as our entrée. To be honest I’m not a huge pad thai fan but this dish I couldn’t resist. A huge plate of pad thai was delivered the perfect noodles topped with egg, shrimp, calamari, and white fish OMG I wish I didn’t eat it all so I had leftovers. I was so stuffed and satisfied after this meal. This was by far one of the best meals I’ve had in 2015. I’m already planning my next trip back here.

Strong Asian restaurant located in the mixed retail-​residential complex of East 54. I’ve been a couple of times and dined at the bar, where both times I’ve had very professional service. They have a great wine list, one of my favorites in the area, with smaller wineries and offerings you won’t find just anywhere. The décor is a clean-​lined and very modern, maybe a touch bland, but they make up for that with the plates. They seem to rotate items fairly often – I went one time and had a great shrimp-​lemongrass roll but it wasn’t on the menu next time I went, which was disappointing. But I did get to try barbecued eel on that second trip, which was my first experience with that particular creature. It came with sesame seeds on top, a nice barbecue sauce, julienned cucumber and pickled ginger. Couple of slices of eel and it was $ 5. Also tried the imperial roll, with crab, shrimp, pork and mushroom. I burned the roof of my mouth on that one, but that was my fault. Once my taste buds started working again, it was delicious. The menu has some sashimi items that are $ 5-​$ 10 per serving, then some smaller plates that go for $ 8-​$ 14 or so, then you jump into the mid-​$ 20s for entrees. So this could get to be a pricey night out if you sampled all the sections. But you could certainly make a meal out of a couple of the small plates, and it’s a nice bonus that they bring steamed edamame out to begin the meal.
There aren’t a huge number of items on the menu and there’s really nothing that’s outside the restaurant’s cuisine genre, so if you or someone in your party don’t find this kind of food your bag, you should probably skip it. But if you do like it or you’re a little more adventurous, definitely check it out.

Stopped by just for wine and dessert. Got the skillet cookie which was smaller than expected but super delicious. Takes 20 minutes to come out so keep that in mind. But when it does finally come out it is ooey gooey and warm in the middle and nice and crispy on the outer edges. Along w the cold vanilla ice cream, each bite hits the spot.
It was a little raw in the middle. Not sure if it was intentional but luckily my friend likes raw cookie dough. (I don’t).
I actually like the outside loungey area better than the inside dining area! Nice and casual versus the inside which is definitely more formal and date atmosphere.
One less star this time just because of the raw cookie dough and the server kept rushing us with ordering and the check. But I still love this place!