TLDR: Classic hole in the wall Vietnamese place…read more Decor is not much to talk about but you get delicious pho. I've always tried to convince myself to order something else but I really never can. Service was fast and courteous. Could easily be a usual spot!

Very good but maybe not great. The pho broth is probably the beefiest I've ever had but it seemed…read moreto be missing some of the warm spices like star anise, cinnamon, and clove. The serving size was ample and there was a decent amount of beef. The summer roll was just okay. Honestly, if I hadn't seen the shrimp I wouldn't have known it was there. The shrimp itself was virtually flavorless. Service was good. My partner was initially brought the wrong dish and it took a few minutes but there was no hesitation in replacing it. My request for no cilantro was met with no difficulties. Ambiance is bare bones simple but this isn't a fine dining establishment. Points for proximity to the Red Line.

This was such a gentle experience. Our waiter was so friendly and polite, the food was fresh and…read moredelicious, the drinks were good, the environment was calming.. overall it was such a nice place to have dinner. We're actually going back tonight !

PHO-LICIOUS! The larger than large bowl of pho is a pleasant surprise of aromatic broth with a…read morevariety of leafy herbs, fresh bean sprouts, jalapeño, scallions and adequate amount of meat, with ample fresh lime to squeeze all over the dish. Most important, the broth was light and refreshing. The pork skewers was a bit grisly for my liking, but the flavor was spot on - definitely dip into the sauce provided. The Thai milk tea was very earthy tasting and a sweet compliment to the savory pho and pork skewer. The decor is nice and the dining area was spacious. They need more parking though. Lastly, the service was attentive and served with a smile.

Made a dinner reservation on New Year's Eve. It was nice that they didn't have a set menu for the…read moreholiday so I could pick whatever I wanted. All the food we ordered was super flavorful. We started with the wagyu appetizer which came with a chili lime salt dipping sauce which paired nicely. The fluke was really flakey and crispy on the outside. It paired well with the nuoc mam sauce. It was pretty pricey tho with the lowest market price being $75. I don't think I'd get it again but a good thing to try once. The bun cha Hanoi was another hit. Delicious pork patties but the spring rolls were especially good. The crab fried rice had good pieces of crab and had a kick. Overall, a very cute spot in Chicago with good food and service.

Beautiful restaurant with a lot of seating options. We were warmly welcomed, service was nice, and…read morethe kitchen timing was good. Crispy chicken wings with caramelized fish sauce sounded adventurous but tasted familiar. These were definitely good but they're not mind blowing so I would probably skip them to try other things if you're on the fence. Oysters were so delicious but I hardly ever think they're not. Wagyu with lemongrass and a chili sea salt was simple but tasty. The grilled eggplant was yummy, paired with pickled shallots, fried garlic, and scallions. Definitely a good one for eggplant lovers like me. The veggie curry was good but probably the least favored of everything we had and couldn't finish it. But we made room for a little dessert! We went with the whipped rice pudding but had it without peanuts because I'm allergic. We didn't really enjoy it much. It was kind of bland and I'm guessing it might be because we omitted the nuts. It was sad to finish on a weak note.

ambiance? 10/10 service? 10/10!!!…read morefood? 10/10!!!!!!!!! this place is SO cute. i love how small and cozy it is, with both table seating and bar seating options. the bartender and servers were so sweet, attentive, and friendly - which, in my opinion, always makes eating anywhere 10x better. i couldn't decide between the pho and the crispy noodles, so i got both... and i'm SO glad i did!!!!! the portions were absolutely huge. the chicken pho was delicious, loved it. couldn't finish it though because the real star of the show for me was the crispy noodles with the beef topping. omg. i died and went to heaven. i was audibly moaning with every bite, yes... out loud!! i will DREAM about these crispy noodles for the rest of eternity. i also got the vietnamese iced coffee, which was DELICIOUS. i spent the whole day walking around lincoln park and thought i'd have to uber home after eating, but after this meal, i felt so rejuvenated i walked 30 minutes home, no problem. so good. so worth it. get in there and tip well. recommending to anyone who loves high-quality food and great vibes.

To the tune of Schoolboy Q's 2014 anthem, shake it for the meal of the year!…read more Coming to see long time friends in Chicago merits some caloric expedition. Seeing as we once lived together on a Clark Street, why not dinner on this N Clark St? Following my clinical parallel park job, we entered this theatre of dreams. I'll recognize upfront my bias for sloped ceilings, but this spot ticks that interior box. Sierra Mist colored lighting to make the drinks hit harder and fake skylights that unironically went crazy. Not to mention, this Croatian meets Vietnamese love story was jamming Americana all night long. Soon enough I was white-knuckling the table to keep my cool as the medley proved to be somewhere between erotic and nostalgic. One could rescue a newborn from a burning building and it would pail in comparison to the respect our waitress lavished onto us. Reason being, this lovely lady spent the entire night responding with "yes chef" to any of our interactions. In all fairness, it's understandable to assume our party of mustached men were chefs. Heck, one of us got a diet cola, isn't that a tell too? I say all this to make known the cult status that woman will have in my heart till I breathe my last breath. As for the menu, what a divine collaboration. Sequestered into some back pages lay a section for Balkan fare that served as a platform for the married-in man to showcase his swagger. Truth be told it's this food selection that brought me in and that red pepper spread that makes me stay. This skilled in-law got even more time to shine on the beer list, with my dark Bosnian beer showing every reason why. Tasty lil thing. All things considered, this is still a Vietnamese restaurant. Pho did its thing and embraced the mega serving size stereotype it so firmly holds, but it cannot sit in the poll position here. Brian, my dear friend, voiced that his girlfriend swears by Sunset's crispy noodle. Well folks, Tessa certainly knows ball! While still respectfully conversing through our meal, Brian joined the clean plate club alarmingly fast. Based on my swapski sampling of his platter I can understand why. Clear betting favorite, certified hustler, it's what to get y'all. As we wrapped our meal my other dear friend at the table, John, accidentally stated something that must serve as the slogan for Sunset Pho Caffe. He said, "It elevates the past." By golly it does and I'll raise my glass to that!

Phodego brings a modern fresh spin on Vietnamese and SE Asian cuisine. It's small but mighty…read morelocation in Division gives a bodega feel with fun signage and Asian snacks available for purchase. Their combination chicken rice is what keeps me coming back. It the fried chicken is packed with flavor (on the saltier side) but pairs perfectly with the rice, three sauces, cilantro, and fresh cucumbers along with a side of soup broth. My partner usually orders their pho. And we're both big fans of their crispy pork skins! Better than their battered fries in my opinion. But both deeply fried and yeet-hai (iykyk!). Ube Horchata comes premade but is a delicious balance of ube and horchata; not too sweet. We've been frequenting Phodega ever since their Ashland location, but glad they didn't move far. We love having Phodego as a nearby lunch/dinner option for dine in or pick up.

I came here during my trip to Chicago and I actually did not have any intentions going here but I…read moream so glad I stumbled upon this spot! My initial plan was to actually go to Kasama for a late lunch. Ordered an Uber and everything. The line was SO long! I wasn't sure how long it would have taken. I was so hungry but wasn't going to wait outside in the cold. So I looked for places nearby and saw Phodega was down the street! They had good reviews and based off pictures, the place looked delicious! I wasn't in the mood for pho (even though the weather was perfect for hot noodle soup) but the Hainanese chicken rice caught my eye. It was a super cute spot, small but luckily we were able to snag a table. There are only a handful of tables and they are pretty close together. It was decorated just as expected, like a Bodega of course! a trendy, hippy little shop. I think the concept is pretty cool. We were greeted by the worker at the counter and explained we can either order at the counter with her or have a seat, scan the QR code on the table and order from there. If you need more napkins, utensils, water, etc. there's a self service station by the door. For two people, we ordered a lot of food! LOL Here's our order: 1. Hainanese chicken rice 2. Salt & Pepper Chicken Skins 3. Phodega Fries 4. The Viet Dip 5. Crack Wings I will say, 5 items at a 2 person table is very crowded lol. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our tummies. Overall, the food was delicious. The gravy for the Phodega Fries was actually pretty good. We helped ourselves to to-go containers at the self service table. 5/5 from me

5 stars based on Bahn mi, cha gio and iced coffee I ordered today…read more I must have been part of an early crowd. When I arrived, there was only one other table dining, which made it GREAT for me. It's a decent size hall with 10+ table arrangements, making it pretty great for a group to enjoy their lunch. It also featured a couple of kiosks for ordering, which I thought was a bit easy to miss, since it was tucked away in the left corner when you walked in. It looked like there was also a cashier available to take orders, if you miss the kiosks. I've seen places where they simply do not have anyone at the register to take orders, but that wasn't the case for Lotus. Before deciding to visit them today, I had an impression that their menu choices were very limited compared to other Vietnamese restaurants I was used to. I'm certainly not complaining, since I'm usually a huge fan of select "specialty" approach in restaurants. That's why I decided to order one of their Bahn mi, where I normally would have chosen pho for my first visit. And it didn't disappoint. First off, the size of the sandwich was good. I've had it where they charged a buck or two less, but they weren't big enough to be a full "lunch" portion. Lotus' size, I thought was decent. I had ordered one of their cha gios just in case the sandwich failed to fill me, but I think I would have been okay without it. Cha gio was super good tho! Oh, and the iced V-coffee was good, too. Typically, they'll bring out the coffee before your meal is ready, probably because they're ready-made in the morning and all you'd need to do is pour them over ice. I of course, have known legitimate mom n' pop places, where they'll actually bring out coffee as it's brewing in Phin (stainless steel coffee filter) and a glass of ice with condensed milk, so you can wait for the coffee to finish brewing and pour yourself one, which is what I *always* prefer. Not here, but no big deal. You can usually tell how good the food is going to be by trying their iced coffee. Even though V-coffee isn't known for using "incredible" beans, the balance of the strength of coffee and condensed milk *does* make a big difference in your experience. I felt this place had it correct! I'll definitely come back myself and even bring coworkers or my family to have their Bahn mi again. What I'm not sure about is whether I want to try their pho or bun. First, they don't offer too many variations, so I'm stuck choosing from just a few. (For example, I usually go for "brisket-only" or a combo of brisket and rare steak, but they didn't seem to have those options. Granted, it's possible they'll make it happen if I asked) Secondly, I think they're a couple bucks more expensive than what I would like to pay for a bowl of pho. We'll see.

Ambiance - neighborhood gem, casual, offers small dine in area…read more Service - order at kiosk upon arrival, self serve, pick up food at counter Food - pho broth was aromatic, sliced beef was slightly different than what I'm used to (it was marinated, not the typical rare un-marinated sliced beef)

lovely staff!! delish food, def recommend. Super cute design - the wood is so beautiful!!read more

We started off with the Saigon sampler, and it was a very tasty start to the meal. It was mainly…read morefried food, so I loved dipping all of them in the fish sauce and sweet and sour! I got the bbq pork banh mi with fries; I loved how juicy the bbq pork was and the crispy fries paired so well with it. The service was perfect since they always came by to refill our waters or if we needed anything. Additionally, he made a few recommendations to us since it was our first time here. The ambiance was very clean and modern for a spot in Argyle. I enjoyed the vibe it gave, and I liked how there was a ton of sauces to use on the table.

Delicious food with great service. The scene can be very…read morefun. I would do family style and try different entrees if you are a few people. Everything is always so divine.

I'd give Le Colonial a solid 4/5 stars. Overall, I had a really great experience and would…read moredefinitely go back. The wine selection was excellent and paired perfectly with the meal. The food itself was delicious. We went with a group and shared a mix of appetizers, entrees, and dessert, which I highly recommend because it lets you try a little bit of everything. Every dish we had was flavorful and well-executed. The only downside was the service. We went on a Saturday night, so it was pretty busy, but things moved slower than expected. We were there for about three hours, and the food took quite a while to come out. That said, the ambiance, drinks, and quality of the food still made it a really enjoyable night. With slightly faster service, this would easily be a 5-star spot for me. It is on the pricier side ($30-40 entrees) so come ready to splurge, this won't be a quick and cheap meal.

I've been here a few times and my conclusion is this is a great neighborhood Vietnamese spot with a…read morelot of options. I've liked what I've tried here including their bun bowls and most recently, I got the rice paper salad. It's not my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the city (but in fairness, there's so much good Vietnamese food) but I'd go back again when I'm in the area and want a meal. The vibes have wedding banquet hall energy and the staff has always been good vibes.

We've had a chance to visit a couple of times now and very happy to come back and try so many…read moredifferent things. Spring rolls and Phở, of course, but also trying some of the other items on the menu. (I'm not Vietnamese, so I won't try to talk about authentic vs inauthentic). The restaurant brags about its phở broth and it's very good, very meaty and balanced. There are also large platter options (lettuce wraps, for example) and hot pot options. I didn't try the hot pot, but the group one table over had it. Speaking of the other group, so many varied entrees came out of the kitchen - it was cool to see more than just phở. The waitstaff is quick... almost to the point of impatient! But never problematic. Be aware that dishes fly out of the kitchen as they are ready. One bowl might come out way before the others. An appetizer might come out last. It just whatever is ready (it appears). Also, their takeout game is strong, judging by the amount of trays ready to go and people coming in to carry-out. It's a little far for me to do takeout, but still nice to see.

As someone who moved to Chicago from the Bay Area CA, this place is by far the BEST I've had in…read moreChicago/Chicagoland yet. We arrived on a Saturday around 7:30 and they started getting packed and had a wait by 8. They are cash only but if you forget they have an atm inside as well! Prices are so shocking! Each bowl was about $14 which is the cheapest I've seen a bowl of pho in a looooong time. Food comes out pretty quickly. We order the appetizer fried shrimp Rangoon, bun Bo hue, pho dac biet, and avocado smoothie w/boba. The base of soup for both dishes was AMAZING! Good depth of flavor and not lacking anything. The bun Bo hue had a ton of meat and they even have the pork blood cubes! Pho dac biet was lacking a quantity of meat but good variety. The only complaint I have is the Avocado smoothie was very bland and didn't have much avocado taste. The boba tasted old because it didn't have its chewy texture anymore. Will DEFINITELY be coming back for the food!!!

I am from California traveling to Chicago…read more I really enjoyed the food at this restaurant. The bun bo hue was flavorful, and the rice with pork chop exceeded my expectations. Best of all, the prices are very affordable compared to other places I've tried. The goi cuon is only $5.50 for two rolls, while other restaurants charge around $7.50. I highly recommend this spot. Just keep in mind that they only accept cash, although there's an ATM inside.