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    Arzan Cafe

    4.5 (39 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Lagman, avocado salad, and mango tea
    Claire T.

    If you're like me and have never tried Kyrgyz food, this is a great place to start. Great, traditional, filling plates. I had to have the lagman, which is a typical central Asian plate of noodles and beef. Very tasty. My friend is vegan and they had plenty of vegan options. We also got the mango tea which was absolutely delicious, highly recommend. The staff were all very kind, it was a great experience overall.

    Soroosh P.

    Tried a few dishes on Uber Eats and the central Asian food was subpar. The lagman wasn't very flavorful. I liked the spicy beef and the tomato salad. The naan with the spinach came out a little soggy. Be sure to ask for the ajika. I've had better central Asian food in Chicago and I would categorize at his place as ok.

    Menu
    Joy E.

    We went on a hike at Naperville, and was hungry and decided to check for food "nearby" and Yelp brought us here. Haha, it brought us back to Chicago, we took it. Anyway, this place is a central Asian restaurant that's affordable and cultural. Everything about this place speaks Turks, Uygor, Kazak etc. it's so beautiful like you are walking into those countries. The food tasted natural and NOT made in America. Which is a plus for me. The place is also Halal!

    soooooo good. food was fresh and high quality. i tore up the lamb soup omg
    Eva F.

    Food was good asl!!!!!! Fresh and high quality. I got the lamb soup, beef samsa, and chicken samsa. I wanna try the Achu Et when I come back. Server was so sweet :')

    In the basket is Boorsok ($5),  the plate is Boso Lagman, hand pulled noodles with beef and veggies. Black tea w/ lemon, mint & honey.
    Leah B.

    Can't wait to go back to try the fish, the dumplings and the samsa. This is a very warm, family friendly place where you can experience an amazing range of Central Asian cuisine. In a strip mall on Kimball in Albany Park. I went with a friend on a Monday evening and it was cozy with families and groups of friends enjoying a meal out. We ordered black tea which came with honey, lemon slices and mint leaves, then started with the wee pillows of dough, they come in a basket with a mild cheese sauce to dip them in. They are called Boorsok. My friend got shawarma with beef, lamb and chicken, which was familiar and brand new at the same time. Really tender meat, intense flavors. We could not get enough of that. I would have included a picture, but we dove in too fast for that. The beef with hand pulled noodles had such a surprising, wonderful texture and flavor. It is served with strips of fresh, crisp cucumber, which adds crunch and brightness to the depth and warmth of the noodles, beef and veggies. I recommend coming here with a big group, everyone orders something different. The portions are really generous so that way you can try a bit of everything. Or just come back five times over the next month or two, which is my current plan. No matter what: get a piece of the honey cake. Life changing. I don't say that lightly. No picture of that because again, we couldn't be bothered to wait before we started eating it. Service is friendly and quite fast for the amount of food they bring you and the depth of flavors on each plate. I can't wait to come back here!

    Plov with kazy :the traditional sausage didn't add that much to it...could go with the regular...but we're not big plov fans.
    Elvin C.

    We've had a little experience with Uyghur cuisine closer to home, so we came in knowing a little bit about our favorites and what we hadn't tried yet elsewhere. We went with a plov (a standard that we had previously passed over) and oromo. To round things out we added an avocado salad and tandoor samsa. Pot of green tea is just $2 (stays hot) and is served in wonderful bowls. With their bakery next door, having dessert here is a bonus with a selection in a case that you can peruse up close. We went with a slice of poppyseed milk cake that was great with our tea (still hot) at the end of our meal. Nicer chairs and tables (still in good shape) than expected for strip mall dining and service was great on getting everything we needed at the table without us asking first. Clientele seemed mostly central Asian with families mixed in with others without children.

    Kebab Set 1(Lulya&Lamb)

    This is the worst restaurant to order food from, especially for Kyrgyz cuisine. Not only did they send us an incomplete order--missing fries and with a ridiculously small portion of meat--but the meat itself was just scraps, tiny leftover pieces from the edges of the skewers. There wasn't even a single proper piece of meat that could be considered a normal serving. On top of that, the employee who answered the phone was incredibly rude. When we called to express our dissatisfaction, she hung up on us and then refused to answer our calls. She never apologized even once. When we sent her a photo of our order, she replied, "From the photo, I only see that the fries are missing. Everything else looks fine." No apology, nothing. When we told her that the meat portion was way too small, she insisted it was supposed to be 120-130 grams. We then weighed it and sent her proof that it was only 40 grams. After seeing this, her only response was, "I don't know how that happened." Again, no apology. Then she had the audacity to blame the Dasher, claiming he must have eaten the missing meat on the way. This is complete nonsense and a blatant lie because the DoorDash driver took a photo of the bag when he picked it up at the restaurant, and it arrived in the exact same condition. The knot was still tightly sealed--we couldn't even untie it and had to rip the bag open. I strongly do not recommend this restaurant. They refused to refund our money. At the very end, the employee messaged saying she would "try to process a refund through the app." I said, "Okay, go ahead." But then she just disappeared--no refund, no response. I had to contact DoorDash support myself to get my money back. If I could give this place zero stars, I would. I've ordered from them many times before. There were occasional mistakes, but in the past, the employees were polite, apologetic, and accommodating. They always tried to fix any issues, even offering to include missing items in future orders free of charge. But this time, the rudeness of the employee and the dishonesty of the staff were unacceptable. The restaurant needs better management, and their cooks should be fired immediately.

    Steve B.

    I have never eaten at a halal restaurant. Have to say I highly enjoyed it. The food was hands done one of the best places I have been to. You could Taste how fresh the food was and the flavors in every bite. The server was also the best I have seen at any place. I will suggest the central Asian bread, honey cake, fruit tea, and stir fried vegetables with hand pulled noodles!

    Beef soup with vegetables
    Sandra S.

    Ordered the beef soup with vegetables.Beef was very tender and great service. Will come back again soon !

    a variety of food items on a table
    Valentina J.

    Arzan has became one of my favorites places to eat shawarma. It is very authentic and full of flavor. I prefer the chicken one. Don't hesitate about ordering fries, one of the best I have tried, they are crunchy and soft inside. I highly recommend to try the pancakes. They are very different and unique, better if you order a pot of tea to accompany it. We always have received a really good service. The staff is friendly and helpful. I enjoy to see the paintings of Kyrgyzstan, makes the place look nice and authentic.

    Menu, p.4

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    3 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

    Amazing food and ambiance! Great zabiha halal food selections. Lovely spot for friends and family gatherings. Service is top-notch!

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    1. The staff REALLY needs to learn the menu. 2. My food contained something I had specifically asked not to be included.

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food and excellent service!!! Try their pulled noodles. Can't go wrong with. The place is extra clean and the decor is fantastic.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The food is really delicious - highly recommended. I really like the variety of their cuisine and the service of the staff.

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

    Awesome food! Great service. Loved the Lagman and the chicken shawarma wrap . Will def come back.

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    3 years ago

    Little place with a great service! Food was amazing! My friend had to wait longer for grilled mix

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good food for good price, delicious tandoori samosa. Clean and humble service. Shawarma a bit dry, parking is a problem.

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    Ask the Community - Arzan Cafe

    The Purple Pig

    The Purple Pig

    4.3
    (9k reviews)
    7.0 mi
    $$$

    Awesome food!!! Fancy Environment!!!! And Friendly Staff!!!!…read more Yay! Wonderful experience here, I was just visiting and after I finally found parking, I asked to be seated but did not have a reservation, the hostess said if I could be about an hour she could squeeze us in. So I was thankful for that, we were not looking to stay for a long time just wanted to try the place out. Once seated we were waited on and served fast. The food was mind blowing, we loved everything!!! My favorite was the duck appetizer puffs, wow they were good. Everything though was elevated and delicious. I'd come back in a heartbeat. Thank you for the wonderful experience to add to our trip to Chicago!

    Terrible. I am honestly not sure how people are recommending this place. I was excited to come here…read moreand had very high expectations, but unfortunately the food was extremely disappointing. Let's start from the beginning: the bone marrow. What on earth was going on? Why would you cover bone marrow with fig, bacon, and so much cilantro? Bone marrow is a delicate dish. You are supposed to taste the richness and subtle flavor of the marrow itself. The cilantro completely overpowered it, and the fig and bacon made it even worse. Chef, where did you train? This dish made no sense. Then came the agnolotti. I have no words. Just look at the photo: full of oil. I mean completely swimming in oil. Then the chitarra with seafood. Horrible. Spicy for no reason. Again, why are you trying to cover the ingredients instead of letting them speak for themselves? Also, the fish tasted frozen, not fresh. The pork belly, supposedly the signature dish, was another disappointment. Again, so much sauce that the actual flavor of the pork belly was completely lost. The staff were nice, the ambiance was okay, and the wine selection was good. But please, stop covering the taste of the food you cook. If you need to hide the ingredients under excessive sauce, spice, cilantro, oil, bacon, or sweetness, the only explanation is that the ingredients are not good enough on their own. I will not be coming back. Not even for free. Sorry. PS. Why so much bread on each dish? So much buttery horrible bread that you will trash, because it's impossible to eat all of it.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Chicago style hot dog
    Chicago style hot dog
    Squid Ink Chitarra

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    Squid Ink Chitarra
    Avec - Chicago

    Avec - Chicago

    4.3
    (2.6k reviews)
    6.7 mi
    $$$

    Overall experience was great! Made a reservation online and sat at a shared table. Went for a…read moremid-week lunch date, which was a really nice and easygoing experience. The entry door is a little fun, just push where the pig is. The hummus is an absolute must. We got an extra pita (one per person) and I would recommend getting the extra. For the lunch menu -- the prix-fixe is a really great option. It's only about $26 for the stuffed date, sandwich & chips, and rolled baklava. Service was great, our server was amazing (thank you Marlee)! Waters were consistently refilled, timing was great, atmosphere was enjoyable. Will be going back!

    I went to Avec for my birthday and from food, service, and ambiance the entire experience was a…read moredisappointment. The endive salad was warm and not cohesive at all. Nothing really went together and it was warm, which didn't make sense and made it worse. The steak was cooked how I asked, but the sauce was extremely oily and had this strange burnt flavor which likely was from the onions? The onions were extremely burnt, nothing like a typical caramelized delish onion. The chicken had the same issue, everything had that same burnt tasting oil and the chilies sitting in it just made it more intense. It was honestly just edible and nothing I would come back for or recommend. I love middle eastern food and know that even with a midwestern there are some considerations to take with the flavor profile but the burnt onions, burnt spicy oil in the chicken, and a warm salad are all indications for poor execution. As for the actual ambiance and experience it was my birthday and there was no acknowledgment at all not even someone to check in on whether the food was okay. I did not want to order a dessert after the salad, steak, and shawarma all missing the mark. The seating was very uncomfortable. It is cramped and communal and at this price point I expected a much better experience. Will admit I should have looked into the actual dining set up before booking a late night reservation but even still there are so many better places in Chicago where you can get better food and actually feel comfortable. Overall it just was not worth it. I would not return or recommend this spot.

    Photos
    Restaurant view from bar
    Restaurant view from bar
    Roasted Corn & Freekeh Tabbouleh
    Roasted Corn & Freekeh Tabbouleh
    Whole roasted branzino

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    Whole roasted branzino

    Arzan Cafe - halal - Updated June 2026

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