News & Observer (Enlarge photo)

04/07/2008 16:49. The zesty red snapper is a special at Red Lotus in Chapel Hill. The entree is made up of a lightly battered red snapper served in tomato vinaigrette sauce and topped with pine nuts.
'Try the Dongpo pork. It's banging." This was the young waiter's reply when I asked him for entree suggestions at Red Lotus recently. The enthusiasm of his response -- not to mention his unorthodox wording -- gave me the feeling that we were in for a meal that would be anything but routine. The dining room's minimalist contemporary dcor -- highlighted by large black-and-white photographs of steamed buns, bowls of noodles and other Chinese delicacies -- reinforced that feeling. So did the selection of wines, artisanal sakes and draft beers, which was a decided cut above the Chinese restaurant norm. I should... // News & Observer