This place is takeout only. I place an order online and picked it up at this tiniest location spot. It was a little hard to find at first, but atleast the food was ready when I arrived. The packaging is fun for sure, but the food was definitely a little different. I ordered their Beef Noodle Spicy Broth, Chengdu Bon Bon Chicken, Zhong Dumplings and their Wonton in Volcano broth. All their dishes had their decent amount of spice in them. Their Bon Bon chicken was served cold and didn't taste all that great. It was spicy, but just not used to eating cold chicken. I threw it in the microwave and put it on top of my rice. It was really the only way I could enjoy it. The beef noodle and Zhong dumpling were really tasty. I'm glad I got to try this place out but would probably skip it next time time. read more

See all

My partner and I ordered from the Da Mao Jia food booth at the Chinatown Summer Fair last weekend and we were very happy and impressed with our food. We both got two very different items (pictured in this review) and both were delicious! The staff was very friendly and we were even able to roll a dice to play this game after making a purchase which was fun. They also had a big panda taking photos and dancing nearby with fair go-ers. Will definitely need to check out their brick & mortar location soon! read more

Da Mao Jia - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First of all, they have one of the cutest food packaging and the funniest name on the ordering app! The food is actually amazingly good! My friends and I ordered a bunch of different dishes to try, our favorites are the individual hot pot with mixed vegetables and fatty beef and the spicy chicken! The spicy level is just perfect to my liking and I love the numbing tingling sensation from the peppercorn. I'd love to visit them in person next time to try their other options. read more

Da Mao Jia - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall the food was tasty and had good spice, lots of garlic and black vinegar. I wish they would spend less on fancy packaging and bags so I can spend less on the meal. Some of the custom containers were designed to hold very small portions. FYI the spareribs are cold. They should make that note online when ordering. read more

See all

Food here is great! I liked the spicy pork ribs and the pig brains a lot! Quality- it's definitely good quality food. I was impressed by the cohesiveness of the hot pot dish and how much variety was in it. The rare beef slices, tripe, and vegetables go well together and the only critique is that it is a bit too salty. More rice would have been nice since they only have 1 bowl. I could have had 3-4 bowls easily with it. The pork ribs are delicious and cooked well. Great mix of spicyness and seasoning. Quantity- they give a generous amount of food but not enough rice. I would have liked to have more rice for the hot pot dish. Atmosphere- no dining in. I had to drive to pick up. Service- takes about 30 mins for food to come out read more

See all

Finally got to try this restaurant through Chowbus. When I saw brain, intestines and pork ear on the menu, I knew I wanted to try this place. To start, the takeout packaging is adorable!!! The bag is heavy duty and reusable. The food is in paper packaging, so unfortunately not microwaveable but less plastic! Their food fits their packaging perfectly. I appreciate the thought put into this aspect. For the food, flavor is dialed to maximum! The vermicelli and pork intestines was packaged with noodles and soup separately. Great way to keep the noodles from become soggy. However, I did put this in the fridge before trying to reheat and the noodles did end up clumping, but the noodles were still soft, just had to boil and breakup the noodles! The soup was spicy and sour. I added extra vegetables like lotus root and thick kelp. The brains were so tender! Amazing flavor with a melt in your mouth texture. I think it had some cumin too. The pork ears are roasted and then extra dry seasoning added. The slices were thicker than I expected, but because the ears are cooked to a super tender consistency, you get a great jelly + crunch (cartilage) texture that feels hearty. The mixed veggies and proteins in hot pot was great too. Great variety of toppings - intestines, beef stomach, imitation crab, spam, thin slices of fatty beef. Veggies included kelp knots, bean sprouts, woodear fungus. There was also a green thick flat noodle that absorbed flavors really well. This had everything I like in hotpot. The broth is minimal so it's not coated in oil. Pairs really well with rice and the container was stuffed! Last but not least dessert - 3 cannons aka sticky rice balls rolled in a roasted bean powder with a brown sugar syrup. The syrup was in a separate sauce container keeping the roasted powder on the ball dry. Syrup was not that sweet. The sticky rice ball was super soft. Even after I put them in the fridge, they firmed a bit up but still had a good chewy texture. Recommend eating this fresh. Highly recommend this place! If takeout is this great, I really want to try in person and I want to eat the whole menu!! read more

Da Mao Jia - ChengDu Spicy Pork Ear, Chengdu Vermicelli and Pork Intestine Noodle, ChengDu Mixed Veggies and Proteins in Hot Pot - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

If you are looking for something a little different than you typical Chinese restaurant you will love this place. Be ready, the food has a kick. An amazing kick, but a wow it is spicy. There are some basic noodles that were very good and had no heat to them at all. But leave it to me and my hubby to toss it in the rest of the amazing sauce left over from our other dishes because we apparently need our lips to burn even more. Seriously couldn't not stop eating. So.goooood! We tried 3 of the dishes. The Chengdu Hot & Chengdu Hot and Sour Fern Root Noodles is a cold dish. Excellent. ChengDu Handmade Zhong Dumplings. This one is hot and yes.. spicy! And the water noodles which are very basic, but yummy! At this location there is no seating. There is a very tiny area you walk in to order on a nice sized ordering screen or you can place your order on line and pick up. We ordered and then took home our goodies. My gosh the take out containers are the next level. The bag our food came in was insulated and everything was well packaged. This is a great place! Give it a try! read more

See all

Review for takeout. I have never actually eaten in but have been a pretty regular takeout customer at Da Mao Jia. For people in the north side they also have Royal Princess Zhu which looks like it has the same menu. I'm a huge fan of DaMao Jia and their numbing / spicy Chengdu flavors. I love that they have focused completely on traditional dishes and flavors. My favorite are the hot pots here which come with a generous serving of proteins and veggies in a spicy broth. All of their options are very tasty. Other favorites include the volcano wontons and their many creative desserts. All of the takeout comes immaculately packaged with very instagrammable contains and cute utensils packs. My only gripe is the containers are NOT microwave safe and will smoke / melt if you try. Really excited to try more of the menu here! read more

See all

Exciting selection of food - I came here to try their spicy tofu soup. It was a bit overpriced for the amount they give. The taste was alright - I've have better Chinese tofu soup. The packing is so fancy I feel like 50% of the charge probably went to the packaging fee. (Kidding) The shop is small. It has no indoor seating. It's no contact order. There is a self-ordering machine in the front. The restaurant is conveniently located in a plaza with dedicated parking spaces. This is a less hectic choice if you can't find parking near China town. read more

Da Mao Jia - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very good noodles. Spicy but so flavorful. Dumplings were underwhelming. Service was fast. Ambiance was nice. read more

Da Mao Jia - Vegetable Symphony Hot Pot (ChengDu) () - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Chinese doesn't get any more authentic. Da Mao Jia is a place that is what you think of when you go to a restaurant in Chinatown. It's actually in Bridgeport, but that's just about close enough for those around it. How about some of the craziest things you have ever eaten, as in brains and gizzards. There's luckily also things for vegetarians. A lot of Chinese restaurants have Americanized menus so it's less daunting. It's not like this here. They have a ton of authentic stuff. Forget about dumplings. It has way beyond that. Holy cow, literally, as you can eat cow brain. Of course I haven't, so when we went here I got something from the slim but good vegetarian friendly options. It's not cheap. This place is costly but it's so good though. Both of us got the Cheng Du Veggies In Hot Pot. It's $18, so it's pricy. This has glass noodles, mushrooms, seaweed knots, and tofu skin. It actually was a lot of food. The broth was thick, and it was more like a stew. Go for some authentic Chinese. It's the place to go for Chengdu dishes. The food is on the expensive side but this is one of the rare times it's worth all that. read more

Da Mao Jia - Cheng Du Veggies In Hot Pot - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

​If you're in Bridgeport and craving some legit Chengdu street food, Da Mao Jia is a must-try. I ordered the Handmade Sweet Water Noodles--thick, chewy, and drenched in a sweet-spicy chili oil that had my taste buds dancing. The Artisanal Tofu Bean Curd was silky smooth, topped with crunchy roasted soybeans and a punchy garlic-chili oil combo. Also grabbed the Fiery Spicy Fries Delights, which were crispy, wavy, and packed with flavor. Total came out to around $25, and the portions were generous. The vibe is casual and unpretentious, perfect for a laid-back meal. Only reason it's not a full 5 stars is that some dishes leaned a bit too oily for my taste, but overall, it's a solid spot for authentic Sichuan eats. read more

This is a take out review. First of all, let me just say, their take out containers are sooooo cute! Most of them are paper containers and can be rinsed and recycled. Soupy dishes will have a plastic lid. Food is ammmazing, even for take out. I really enjoyed the Chengdu Beef and Veggie Mix Hot Pot, it is good portion, and fresh ingredients and very yummy. It is very spicy and oily so beware. I'm willing to eat it because it is so good. The pork ear is great too. Large portion and tastes good! This combination is rare for restaurants these days. The tofu bean curd is a little disappointing. Seasoning is good, but the tofu bean curd itself could be better. Overall a great restaurant. I will definitely go visit in person and order delivery again! read more

See all

I hate to start the review with the flex, but my wife is from Chongqing and I'm 1/4 from Chengdu. Haha. We came by this place with super high expectations, especially in light of the menu that had a bunch of more exotic items that many Americans would shy away from. We found the food to be OK. The flavors were pretty good, and the ingredients were fresh. It was very thoughtful that they included a face mask with our order. I think it speaks highly of the staff and the management that in such a weird time, they were so thoughtful about packaging food in a way that would be great for takeout. We got the spicy wontons and the spicy dumplings, and felt that the ratio of rapper/skin to meat was way too high. There was just very, very little meat in our dumplings. The sauce was delicious though, and I almost drank it. I'm glad I didn't (it's straight oil LOL) We also got the beef noodle and spicy broth, and the and the Chengdu mixed veggies in hot pot. Both were on the oily side, which is what one would come to expect in this sort of cuisine, but the oil was not quite as flavorful and fragrant as we expected. It's not exactly fair, because Chicago is a pretty crowded market for good Szechuan food. I think we will give this place another try next month. They have a bunch of snacks, and we can try other entrées as well. Very much excited, and looking forward to writing another review! read more

Da Mao Jia - Dumplings, wontons, noodle soup, veggies, and face mask! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A fabulous and little-known Chinese spot for small plates and tapas-type dishes. You'll find some extremely authentic offerings here (chicken gizzard anyone?) in addition to some really unique fusion/experimental stuff. Food: My favorite dish was the Sichuan crinkle fries--I mean, what a cool and inventive dish. The mouth-numbing, slightly lemony spice of the Sichuan peppercorn, married with the mildly sweet flavor of fried potato. It's a match made in heaven. I also had the peanut noodles: these were thick, chewy ribbons of wheat noodle with a velvety peanut sauce. So good! Ambience: It has a small chic cafe feel. Casual dining experience. Service: Food came quickly, and everything went off without a hitch. Parking: The strip mall has a free parking lot. God forbid it's full, you can also find spots around the park across the street. read more

Since our original dinner plans fell short, my coworker and I found this place through Yelp and decided to brace the -12 degree weather and walk there since it was only .3 miles away. Honestly, those 0.3 miles felt like a 1 mile in the cold Chicago weather so it was a good thing we were going to restaurant that specializes in all spicy food. All that spice helped us warm our bellies after all that walking in the cold. Here is what we ordered to share between two people.. Don't judge us, we were extra hungry and figure everything was tapas style. - House special spare ribs: NOT tapas size. The meat was tough, chewy and too spicy. 1/5 stars - Handmade sweet and spicy noodles: THICK noods and the only none spicy dish we ordered. It was good but super fulfilling. 3/5 stars - Spicy soft bean curd: LOVED this dish. I only had soft tofu in sweet form so this savory version was a pleasant surprise. 4/5 stars - Potato strips: Tasty but also spicy. I loved how the potatoes were not crispy and so it tasted great with rice. 5/5 stars - Wontons in hot soup: Spicy! The skin of the wontons were soft but the meat fillings were bland. 3/5 stars - Dumplings in spicy sauce: Also vey spicy but the dumpling wraps were so silky smooth. This was really tasty! 5/5 - Ice water combo: The perfect dessert to cool down the palate after eating all that spicy food. I liked the brown sugar one better than the fermented rice one since it had more flavor. 3/5 Overall, this place is pretty legit with its spiciness. So if you like spicy Chinese food, definitely check out this place. Also, it was a pretty cheap meal, our total was less than $60 for all the food we ordered! read more

See all

A TASTE OF AUTHENTIC The food here is simply amazing and very authentic. If you think Panda Express is authentic then don't come here. We recently carried out during the pandemic and ordered two of our favorite dishes. The Spicy tofu pudding which is a Tofu bean curd with soy bean, pickle, green onion and mouth numbing spices. We also got the hand folded wonton in a volcano broth with pork wontons, bone broth & Szechuan peppercorn. If you can't handle the heat then don't even go here. These two items aren't on the menu, as of last week. We actually had to call Chef out of the kitchen because the order taker told us they didn't exist. Chef came out and punched them into the computer. It was so cool like we knew the secret menu. We love being in the culinary know. Please get out there and support our local Mom & Pop gems. This is a review I started prior to the pandemic and I need to share the amazing experience we had here. Are you ready to take a culinary adventure to Chengdu, China? If you said yes, then look no further then here! Chef Damao has created a brilliant 10 course tasting menu that is simply amazing! We enjoyed the Volcano soup and yes it's spicy. This fantastic broth will not only warm your body but it warms your soul. The dish has hand folded pork wontons in volcano bone with Szechuan peppercorns. Someone call 911 because I want another bowl. This dish is going to be our family's cure to get through the cold Chicago winter. Chef Damao is a talent delivering home made authentic food from her city. If you truly want an authentic taste of Chengdu, then this place is for you. The tasting menu has 10 incredible courses. (Hopefully it returns after Pandemic) I have to be honest and say that it's a deal because I walked out feeling very satisfied. Chef will also share stories about each dish which makes the dinning experience even more enjoyable. Here's a peak of what we ate! Spicy braised dishes like pork ear, duck tongue & chicken gizzards. This is so unique and authentic. You only love once so dive in and try these. Spicy tofu pudding. I highly recommend this authentic street food. It will make you actually love tofu. This is our family go to dish. Wolf tooth potato - Fried potato strips, pickle, spices & green onion. It's like very good and unique fries. Golden fried pork -Deep fried battered pork, side dry seasoning. This is magical and some of the best pork you'll ever have. House Szechuan sausage - Cured pork shoulder. This is different and hard to describe but I couldn't stop eating it. Bell dumplings - Pork dumplings, double-brewed soy sauce, chili oil, fresh garlic. I love dumplings and the house made dumplings here are fantastic. Hand folded wonton in volcano broth Pork wontons, bone broth & Szechuan peppercorn. Another family favorite. It's a perfect broth. I believe it cures all. Roasted pork trotters - Braised pork feet, peanuts, cilantro, sesame & green onion. Yeah I ate pig foot. I couldn't let chef down. It was good and mouth numbing. Beef and tomato soupy rice - Beef and tomato broth, braised beef shank & jasmine rice. This is Chef's lunch and I encouraged here to add it to the menu. I was excited to see it on the menu when I ordered last week. Ice jelly dessert - Ice jelly, molasses & raisins. I must say that Chinese deserts are interesting. I'm not a huge fan but I'm willing to try. The food here is hot and I love it. I believe it's called Malo. Hot is not the right word. It is more mouth numbing spices, where the numbing taste comes from Szechuan peppercorns. These are just magical. We literally have a 5 lb bag in our pantry that we use for our Sichuan cooking at home. This place will not disappoint. Please get out there and support our Chicago restaurants. read more

Da Mao Jia - Fantastic spicy braised dish with pork ear, duck tongue, chicken gizzards. This dish is on the amazing tasting menu. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I used to really like this place. Pre-pandemic this place was one of my favorite places to eat - generous portion sizes, great flavors, fresh ingredients. Throughout the pandemic, when they became take-out only - I supported them because I liked their food, but saw a rapid deterioration in portion sizes/ingredients quality. For example, the beef doesn't taste as fresh and they didn't include lotus root (probably not in season but then don't put it on the menu). After a few bad experiences, we don't really eat there anymore. However, the one dish that has been always solid is their pig feet. If I weren't as lazy, I'd order just their pig feet and stop somewhere else for the rest of my dinner. read more

Saw the pig feet on instagram/facebook so immediately had to check it out. So obviously we got that as well as the sweet and spicy noodle. Once you walk in, it has a nice homey feel, like your going into your aunties house for dinner, very cozy. Personally, I loved the noodles, im all about firm, thicc noods. Flavor was also well balanced with it being sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy. There were sesame notes that I enjoyed quite well. I highly recommend this dish, but know that the noodles are thiccccc. The pork feet is what drew us in and it did not disappoint. Flavor was immaculate with it bursting with mala umami goodness. I was really glad the out side was crispy as well. A very nice touch. It was just well cooked in general, there is a certain way you cook it so it has a specific bouncy texture that you look for in good pork feet and this dish had just that. Big fan of this place, and I can't wait to try the pig ears and duck wings next! read more

It's nice to see restaurants of unique dishes! I enjoy spicy and just about any Asian cuisine, so I was excited to try this place. The wontons in volcano broth was my favorite- tasty broth, not too spicy. The fries tasted good, but I wish they were a little bit crispy. The fried pork strips was good, but I wish there was more seasoning. Lastly, the hot pot was good, but a little greasy/oily. The wide glass noodles were the best part, so I would've wanted more. The other ingredients were just okay, a little overcooked and salty. Maybe that just wasn't for me, but I'd be willing to try other dishes instead! read more

Da Mao Jia - ChengDu Wonton in Volcano Broth, ChengDu Beef & Veggie Mix Hot Pot, Golden Fried Pork Strips, Spicy Chengdu Fries - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Highly recommend! I placed a delivery order for the ChengDu mixed veggies and proteins in hot pot and it is so delicious! Just the right amount of spice and generous portions for the price. I appreciate that they included a packaged mask as well with my order. I will definitely order more in the future, so happy to have found another Chinese restaurant to support!! read more

Da Mao Jia - Face Mask - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

It's really exciting to have authentic Chengdu food in my neighborhood, as a wonderful addition to Bridgeport's excellent yet affordable culinary offerings. It's part of why I moved here. A place by Damao is quality food at prices that make sense. We got the mapo tofu, tomato and egg noodles, bell dumplings, and the handmade sweet and spicy noodles. Everything was good, and all of what we got was vegetarian-friendly except for the dumplings, which was convenient for my friend. She loved the mapo tofu, handmade sweet and spicy noodles, and tomato and egg noodles in that order, but thought it was all good. I loved the tomato and egg noodles, bell dumplings, handmade sweet and spicy noodles, and mapo tofu in that order. Tomato and egg noodles felt like it could be an easy go-to comfort food, and tasted like home. The other 3 were incredibly spicy, and I will be the first to admit that I have a low spice tolerance. I definitely want to come back here and try the other things on their menu, besides the Chengdu small plates. read more

Da Mao Jia - Handmase sweet and spicy noodles in the top left, mapo tofu on the top right, tomato and egg noodles on bottom right, and bell dumplings - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

very authentic Chengdu food. Chicago is the best place to eat Szechuan food and this is one of few gems to eat chengdu street food. I loved it. read more

There has been a lot of hype about this place lately... and so I came! The place itself had a very interesting idea of mainly dedicating on the street food. And this concept truly make the place stand out form the others. It was my first time having the roasted pork brain. And shall I say, it was absolutely amazing and literally MIND-BLOWING lol. The whole thing was just juicy and melt-in-your-mouth soft. The spices and seasonings on the top added another layer to the flavor profile. It was so complex, and simply delicious at the same time. As for the roasted pork feet... I honestly couldn't stop saying good words about it. When the already perfectly cooked and seasoned pork feet got well roasted, the skin had a little bit burnt end, bringing the pleasant smokey flavor to the dish, contrasting wonderfully with the fatty and tender meat inside. Not to mention the crushed peanuts on the top. It was such a harmony in my mouth! I have always loved those places with very limited menu items -- it showed the level of dedication and commitment. I can see the great potential in DAMAO. Way to go! read more

See all

I ordered delivery from here and was pretty satisfied with my meal overall. I got the spicy beef noodle soup and the spicy pork ear. By the time it got to me, the soup was already room temp so I had to reheat it. Once it was hot and I put the noodles in, I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful everything was. The spicy level is definitely up there so if you love the kind of spicy food that clears your sinuses up, these noods are for you. The spicy pork ear was alright, definitely had more fat than I expected but it still kept the satisfying crunch from the cartilage. This is not something I would get often. I'd rather try other things on the menu. read more

A different style of Chinese food than I was used to. I heard it was referred to as Chinese street vendor style food, but don't quote me on that. I got the dumplings which were good, the chicken leg, didn't expect to see that on the menu, but still good, not like fried chicken you'd get at KFC/Popeyes, and the duck tongue, which fair warning, while good, are very small and don't have much meat, I thought they'd be bigger, but I guess that explains why it's so cheap. Check in on yelp and you get some free juice/drinks. Not much of a dine in area, I just got it to go, it was pretty dead when I went, so I got my food pretty fast. It's located in the same strip as Tai Pei Cafe, free parking in the lot, assuming there's spots, it's a small lot read more

See all

Cow brain anyone? Yup, Sichuan regional cuisine has finally made its way to Chicago. The menu isn't extensive but it featured signature Chengdu dishes commonly found on the streets of Chengdu. Among the dishes I ordered, i really liked the duck tongue and roasted pork feet. Both are well-seasoned in traditional Chinese spices and tongue-numbing Sichuan peppercorn oil. My favorite part about the entire eating experience is the unique texture of both dishes, but could be an acquired taste for non-Chinese. The food is a bit on the salty side, but this is typically expected of this type of food. The only misses for me were the noodle dishes: Sichuan handmade wonton soup and the tomato noodle with fried egg. Neither tasted like restaurant-quality, but were there simply as add-ons. Overall, I enjoyed their signature dishes and the hard-to-come-by dishes make this place a must visit for fans of Sichuan food. Just be aware that the dining is very casual and the service could be lacking compared with a full-fledged restaurant. read more

See all

Delicious!!! And nice people. Our favorite is the spicy beef noodle soup and the crispy pork appetizer. Restaurant looks clean as well :) read more

Da Mao Jia - Spicy Beef Noodle - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is authentic, unadulterated Sichuan-- which means it's spicy, oily and fragrant in the best way. This really is the same kind of food and same preparations that you'll get if you visit Chengdu. There are items on the menu i haven't seen anywhere in the US, like the "Chengdu Tofu Bean Curd" (often known as "douhua", I think) -- a warm light tofu pudding with spicy topings. It seems like everything is good, but I can highly recommend the various hot pot options and Zhong dumplings. We ordered takeout and it was ready on time. read more

The tea is labeled Hi Tea but I ordered from a restaurant named Da Mao Jia. Delicious tea experience and I'll be trying the food soon! read more

Da Mao Jia - Peach Oolong Tea was very good. Bubble tea is probably my new favorite and the orange jasmine green tea was so delicious. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall, I enjoyed the food here. Pork feet takes a bit more time to cook, but came out hot and the feet were nice and chewy. The handmade sweet and spicy noodles were great - chewy noodle texture and if you like peanut butter sauce, than this is for you. Also got the spicy soft bean curd which was standard. Yelping check-in when we went gave us 2 free beverages which was a nice touch! read more

See all

I picked up a small order of duck neck and chicken feet from their meat bar. I was a little disappoint that at noon they were already out of their chicken gizzard, but I guess early birds get the worms and I missed out. Still though... it was only just noon. The space - small, clean, simple furnishing. They had about 8-10 two seater tables that can combine to fit more. My food - spicy but so good that you don't want to put it down to get a sip of water. It's got that addicting mala spice from Szechuan peppercorn. Being that I ordered only chicken feet and duck neck to nibble on, I'm not getting the whole picture of what the restaurant is about. But you bet I will be back, I want more of their food! Also, I thought it was a bit pricy, $7 for the small size, but it's so yummy I can get past it. read more

See all

Came here specifically to try the Sweetwater Noodles. My friend and I have been watching a bunch of Chinese mukbang eaters eat it on Instagram and have been looking for a place that sells it. Really enjoyed the noodles! The sauce is a sesame (? or maybe peanut, although I think it's sesame) mix with peanuts and it's slightly spicy. Love the noodles they're thick and everything we thought they would be. Would love it if the noodles were even thicker tbh. They lived up to our hype so it was great. We also had the pig intestine vermicelli which was really pretty spicy and sour too. Had too much bean sprouts in it though. I hate bean sprouts. Also when I ordered it for some odd reason I thought it would be like the Taiwanese street food, which it wasn't but it was still good. Good intestine, hit my craving. The beef tomato noodle was also really good. They use beef shank which is plus points and the broth was very tomato-y which I loved. Lastly we had the brown sugar clear jelly dessert. It has golden raisins and hawflakes in it. Was pretty good, I've never seen it elsewhere, but it was good. Not a huge fan of the raisins but we didn't finish them all. read more

got pig feet, pig ears, and dessert rice balls, and they were all super delicious! the pig ears were particularly good because they were nice and thick! note: their website lists duck tongue but they don't carry it anymore. when i placed an order for duck tongue, they called me within minutes to let me know. although they weren't able to refund me, they substituted it for another gizzards and a dessert which i was more than happy with. great service and would recommend ! read more

Da Mao Jia - pig ChengDu Spicy Pork Ear - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I almost docked a star for how the food felt, um, the other way the next morning, but it was worth it so I'm keeping the rating. Braised meats are room temperature, which is a bit weird, but they're really delicious. Even though the duck neck was a bit hard to eat (there's a lot of bones in those things) the balance of the flavor with the spicy exterior was wonderful. Spiciness was balanced against the sweet hand-cut noodles, which were remarkably different than any noodles I'd had before. Hot pot, despite being what they're known for, was less exceptional (seemed standard and comparable to any other hot pot), but the other dishes are enough to make it 5*. read more

Not bad but be prepared to wait. The kitchen is small it appears and instead of preparing multiple dishes at once, it appears that Damao prepares everyone's order of the same dish. So you'll see five beef noodle soups come out at once. And nothing else. Bearable if you're doing family style. Cringeworthy if you're not. Spicy dishes are quite spicy but enjoyable. Check in for a free drink! read more

See all

The Bridgeport strip mall location and the menu are both a little intimidating to the uninitiated, but they serve some really top notch things here. I went with a trusted friend who had been here before, and had us get several bowls of the handmade bell dumplings, dressed in Sichuan chili oil, and some thick spicy peanut noodles. Both were incredibly -- supple, slippery, spicy, and satisfying, and I am not sure how to put them out of my mind. I just have to hope that if I go back without him I will be able to find them again by pointing to the right part of the menu. Addictive. read more

I went here for a tasting with a few friends, hosted by Damao. She was a fantastic host. She provided our group with an educational insight to Chinese dishes and culture. I tried many new things ie: duck tounge, pigs feet and even chicken gizzards. Step outside your comfort zone and try some of the great dishes Damao has to offer. Especially if you love spicy food! read more

Phenomenal spicy food! Ordered many different dishes and all were delicious. This place is a great find l! read more

Da Mao Jia - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Since my family is originally from Chengdu, I was excited to try this place. It's pretty hard to find decent Sichuanese restaurant - most places I have been to overdo on the salt, oil, and miss the mala (spice and numb) factor. So most authentic Chengdu restaurant would have signature bites like 夫妻肺片 and 红油抄手. Those are the dishes I'd expect to find in any restaurant from Chengdu as apps - it's like going to a taco place and expecting guac - but alas I didn't see them on the menu. maybe the restaurant is so new they are tweaking the menu. Fine, we order a bunch of dishes from the menu - the taste for most of them were good. The rabbit in particular exceeded my expectations and came in much bigger portion than I expected. Other than that, the dishes all had very similar flavor, it's as if the restaurant decided that the best way to please customers is to just dump massive amount of oil and spice to the dish. The only variation? Add lots of sugar to the dumpling or the noodles and it's a disservice to what I'd call 成都小吃 (chengdu streetfood). I will give the credit that the place does have fresh Sichuan peppercorn - it's hard to find restaurant that have the good numbing and spicy taste balanced. But the lack of taste, the sugary taste that in more dish than should be (and most Chengdu food aside from desserts are not sweet), and the overall saltiness (I drank 3 bottles of water after I got home) leave this place much to be desired. read more