How, despite living in the general area, has it taken me two years to stop in? Ordinarily, this would be a rhetorical question, except in this case, I have an answer. I am telling on myself not for clout, but as a cautionary tale that you do not repeat my mistakes. You see, I lumped in Ezankaya with Ye Olde Stereotypical Thai place. You know the one, with the same copy-paste Pad Thai and Pad See Ew. I am very pleased to report that Ezankaya is not that. I had the pleasure of trying: Crab Rangoons, Hamachi Crudo, Khoa Soi with Beef, and a Citrus Magic Blue (non-alcoholic) beverage. The Crab Rangoons were hot, fresh, and flavorful, and without the taste of old oil. The wonton was thin and crisp without greasiness. The filling, albeit a little on the sweet side, as is typical of Thai interpretations, hit the right spot in this rangoon-lover's heart. The Hamachi Crudo, while not my favorite dish as a matter of personal taste and preference alone, was well executed. The slices of fish were generously thick and allowed to shine. The ponzu dressing bestowed a light acidic brightness to the hamachi and the greens below. Now, while I appreciate the thought and sentiment behind the jalapeño and tobiko, I didn't feel this was enough to elevate this appetizer beyond a citrusy fish. Then we arrive at the Khoa Soi. A dish with warming spices (though not spicy), and fantastic turmeric curry flavor. There was a balanced amount of meat, and while not shy about the noodles, this appears to be by design. In the scope of the dish, everything just worked. I also loved that chili oil and some veggies are offered on the side, that they may be added to taste, and maintain their freshness and bite. The Citrus Magic Blue was a unique and delectable beverage. There were light coconut notes, a hint of acid, and that indescribable flavor which comes from butterfly pea flowers. If you're okay with a little sweetness, this is worth getting. The service here was fantastic! The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. Bonus points for calling out that the Khoa Soi with chicken is bone-in and would need some work. The food came out fast, also, despite the restaurant being busy. The vibe, for lack of a better term, is maximalist. There is a ton of color and Asian/Thai/Japanese-inspired decor. In the face of an increasing number of establishments going for the same, neutral, boring feel, I love that Ezankaya is not shy about using color, fun, and perhaps even whimsy. Finally, there is the matter of price. When the bill came, I was already mentally prepared for a gut punch. However, despite two appetizers, a main, and a non-alcoholic beverage, the prices came below expectations. Sure, it's not cheap per se, but when a McDonald's QPC and small fry costs $9, cheap as we knew it isn't on the menu anywhere. Final verdict: Ezankaya excels in all the ways that count. They have unique, interesting, well-executed, and delicious food. The only items I didn't love were a matter of personal taste, and not a failure on the kitchen's part. The experience is rounded off with excellent service, a fun vibe, and reasonable prices. Would recommend?: Hands down, yes. The menu is approachable and contains both Thai and Japanese items. Bring some friends, try some more food, and enjoy! Would return?: Absolutely, and I look forward to exploring more of their Thai and Japanese menus. read more

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Stopped by Ezankaya on our last night in Chicago and really enjoyed the delicious food and fun ambiance. Service was a bit touch and go but we didn't mind. The food was flavorful and authentic. Our favorites included the tom ka "lava" egg omelette, the papaya salad, tom ka soup, pad thai, and mango sticky rice. The tom ka omelette was by far the star of the show. It was so flavorful with a fluffy consistency, well seasoned shrimp, and a bed of white rice. I would definitely recommend this spot! The menu is huge so come ready to eat and try new things read more

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I was not expecting the inside to be as beautiful as it is. Me, hubby and daughter were all pleasantly surprised but the decor We all shared the rice omelet, drunken noodles, fried papaya salad and Thai fried rice Everything was so good. So many flavors. The Thai rice was phenomenal Service was great too. For a Sunday at 2 is wasn't overly busy read more

Ezankaya - Mocktails and drunken noodles - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent food and great ambience. The decor so nice. All the food is delicious. Everything tastes so good: crab Rangoon, the vegetable egg rolls, and excellent sushi. We also got the Thai drunken noodles, the soups and the Thai cashew entrée. Had excellent service. The food came out quickly. read more

Ezankaya - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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loved the decor! the service was decent and everything we tried was so good besides the tom kha - that one was just okay. definitely want to come back again to try other items read more

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2.5 Food was average but the scenery was very pretty. Ordered crying tiger but it was very tough and not good compared to others I have had. Service was fine. read more

Ezankaya - Crying Tiger - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went here with a large group and they were able to easily accommodate us! Everyone got something a bit different but liked everything we got, especially the crab Rangoon! It is BYOB just FYI. There were also a lot of people coming in to pickup takeout, so that was a good sign! read more

Ezankaya - Fried chicken - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the best Thai food on the north side! The ingredients are fresh, the food is hot, and very fulfilling

Came here while in the area and was immediately intrigued that the restaurant offered Thai AND Japanese cuisine! SOLD!! Upon walking in, I noticed the cute, comfy ambience of the restaurant. We were greeted right away and given menus. Everything on the menu looked delicious. There was a point where I felt bad for the waiter because every time he dropped off a dish to our table, we ordered more food each time. The food didn't disappoint! We ordered the crispy chicken wontons, shrimp tempura roll, and Thai bbq beef skewers as just a "few small appetizers ". For our entree we ordered pad Thai with chicken and Thai pepper steak. Oh- and wonton soup. Everything on the menu looked great and I wanted one of everything. All the dishes we had were delicious. I can't wait to go back so I can get through the rest of the menu. read more

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The decor and lighting was super cute! Service is chill. BYOB confirmed. My favorite item of the night is the spicy fruit salad made with typical Thai salad peanut sauce. I wished it was spicier. The raw eggplant was an interesting choice of ingredient as I didn't know you can eat that raw. Next tasty bite was the fried chicken skin. Rice was nicely prepared and fragrant and had a nice bite. Everything else flavor and texture wise fell flat for me. The sauces were overly sweet for my preference. The crab lacked spice and salt. The ribs and wings had too much sugary sauce on it. Gizzards were super overcooked to the point it was hard to bite. Thankfully they understood and removed it from our bill. So perhaps I didn't order the right things as some items were hit or miss. But I'd give it another shot. read more

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I typically steer clear from restaurants that offer a fusion of both Thai and Japanese, however this place did a great job in terms of the Thai food we ordered (we did not order anything Japanese). There were actually people from Thailand who were dining in here which made us feel like we had picked a good spot. They are currently BYOB as I write this review (8/2025) and they have a happy hour for food options between 4-6pm during the week (not sure about Friday). We ordered the Crying Tiger & and edamame to start (both on their happy hour)... and then eventually ordered Pad See Ew with Tofu and the Khao Moo Dang Moo Grob (bbq pork and crispy pork on rice) which came with a small soup. Service was great and food was amazing. Definitely need to come back and try their speciality plates. Also, the inside is super cute and inviting! A great spot to take a date or friends! read more

Ezankaya - Crying Tiger - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've had the pad see ewe and panang curry for delivery. The pad see ewe was perfect. I wish the panang curry had more vegetables in there, but had the perfect consistency. For dine-in I've had the khao soi, mom's curry puffs, and papaya salad. All of these things were amazing and I want to definitely come back and try some other things. This place is perfect for a long relaxing lunch. I must come back for the lunch specials and the happy hour specials. read more

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We decided to try this place because it was near my friend's house. My initial thought was it was going to just be another thai/sushi place, but I was pleasantly surprised. We arrived during Friday happy hour. There are a couple of deals and I quickly realized there is no alcohol on any of the menu. Not sure if you can BYOB but I focused on food instead. They do have mocktails and you get table water to self serve refills. We got the edamame, spring roll, and crab ragoon apps. All tasted very good. Fried perfectly. I got two entrees like a fatty. Chicken pad Thai and seafood green curry. Both at medium spice which is pretty hot. Totally edible but would caution those who do not have good tolerance. I dumped my rice into my curry which significantly calmed the spice and I ate the whole thing. All the menu prices are relatively low because they charge by protein selection which is often the case for asian restaurants these days. The seafood as a protein included squid, mussel meat, octopus, shrimp. It was good to try. Would get again even though pricy. I basically had to take the whole pad thai to go but it was also good. Did not taste as spicy as the curry. I had a few bites before I boxed it up. I ate it the next night and would say overall, it was a typical pad thai. There was an after taste that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Chicken was not all that. If I had to choose again, I would try their giant prawn version or just do no protein. Service was fine. It looked like there was only one person covering all the tables and takeout. She still checked on us multiple times. I would come back given the opportunity to try their sushi. It is a very cutely decorated space with a Japanese theme. There is paid street parking out front if you are lucky. read more

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I ordered crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli. Crispy pork belly was old got freezer burn. Hainen Chicken was old chicken super dry and no tastes. I couldn't believe that they could serve meats with old freezer burn to customers You need to look at the picture that is not over cooked. It was a freezer burn. I will never recommend your restaurant to anyone. I saw on the facebook and tried your foods but no THANKS. I am born in Thailand and knew the ingredients are fresh or not read more

Ezankaya - Hainan Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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i went with a group of friends to celebrate one of their birthdays. we got there nearly an hour before closing, even with reservations, and they immediately took us in. the decorations were amazing. it blends pop culture with gorgeous laterns and a cozy atmosphere. we ordered about 10 minutes into sitting there. the food came out not even 20 minutes later, and it was amazing. i ordered the pad see eiw with tofu and shared takoyaki. the noodles were perfectly bouncy and the tofu melted in my mouth. it was a first time with takoyaki, but the dough was perfectly fluffy and sweet which worked perfectly with the chewy octopus. we will be making this the birthday spot from now on. read more

Came here for a late dinner with the girls and it was such a great ambiance. My friend was Thai so recommended this place and it was so good. We had crab Rangoon, pad Thai, hot pot and cry tiger. This fed 5 people and the service was amazing. The waiter took our order and our drinks came out pretty quick. The Thai tea was really good was a nice color and flavor. The people here were so kind, even after closing time we were sitting around to talk and they didn't rush us out. Recommend coming here for a night dinner or even lunch. They have some great happy hour deals as well. read more

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I ate at Ezankaya during Chicago's Thai Festival! I loved the sausages (heart emoticon) The noodles were good too but forgive me for my memory is foggy since the festival happened a while back I think. The chicken wings I do not know where they are from but they were good too. Honestly I am just guessing everything at this point but it's thai food so it must've been good right? read more

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I tried this Thai restaurant for the first time today, and I'm honestly impressed. The sushi roll Godzilla was my favorite, miso soup so yummy so fresh, flavorful, and delicious -- such a wonderful surprise! The service was amazing, the atmosphere was welcoming, and they even have happy hour specials. I love finding places like this close to home. Definitely coming back! read more

Ezankaya - Place - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I saw a random influencer video advertisement for this restaurant and was immediately intrigued- I'm always on the hunt for amazing pad Thai. I ordered thru door dash for a Friday evening treat; pad Thai chicken, crab Rangoon, and dragon roll (I love that they have sushi here). I love the crab Rangoon, it's on the sweeter side, but creamy and delicious. Pad Thai was so flavorful. They put foil in the bottom of the takeout box, which I thought was a really smart way to maintain the sauce and help it to easily slide out. The dragon roll was excellent too. I would order all of this again! Can't wait to try it in person as well. read more

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The food here is very delicious with great service and a pleasant vibe. I ordered the green curry fried rice, khao-soi curry, and papaya salad. The khao-soi here was the best I've ever had. It was so flavorful and strong that I would come back here again just for that. The green curry fried rice in my opinion was slightly bland, so I would recommend ordering a high spice level for that dish. The papaya salad was a little too slimy for me but if you really enjoy the dish it might not bother you much. The service was quick and helpful. They were happy to answer our questions and brought our food out quickly. The ambiance was really the cherry on top, the decorations are so beautiful which really makes the meal feel more authentic and tasty. Overall, I would come here again but order more curries which I would say is their speciality. read more

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Our meals were very good. It is a nice place to go for a change of pace and something off the "beaten" culinary path.

This place has the best food EVER!! The decor is so beautiful, and the food is just the star. I cannot describe how good the Thai food is here. You just have to try it. If you like Thai food, come here because it will actually blow your mind. I would say this is my favorite Thai spot in Chicago at this point and I don't think I need to keep trying new places anymore because I will keep returning. Absolutely delicious and big portions! So worth it! read more

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A: Dearest yelpies, this was probably the most average Thai food I have ever had. It's good, but not great. I won't lie, as it does pain me to say this, it kinda smelled a bit bad in there (toilet might be the scent but I'm not positive). The atmosphere, however, was beautiful and I might even go back ONLY just because of that. Pad see ewe was fine but the crying tiger was pretty disappointing. Meat was extremely tough and burnt. I give this place a 2.9. E: I ordered the pad see ewe and the Thai tea. In my opinion, there are other restaurants in the area that you should visit instead. The noodles of the pad see ewe had a good texture, but lacked in flavor. The main selling point would be the ambiance and lighting of the restaurant. However, I wouldn't visit again. I rate this place a 2.2. D: i ordered crying tiger. it was fine. like i wouldn't complain about it but i probably wouldn't get it again. pad see ew was pretty mid too. wish they cared about the food as much as the vibe. 2.5 Overall: 2.5 read more

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Again Yelpers saved the day! I was on a quest to find good fried chicken as it was a good friends birthday. We decided to go to Ezankaya through the many good reviews. They delivered. As we entered the restaurant, our eyes were amazed by the decorations. We dined in and just kept gazing at the wonderful Asian accents and art that are on the walls, ceiling and all around. The service was good and friendly though I think would benefit by having another server to help. We started with the crab rangoon which was made out of crispy wontons and we had to fight for the last piece. Nuf' said. Followed by the Wing Zapp! Ok hear me out, there are 4 pieces, but it's the whole wing which includes the tiny drumstick attached. Meaning if you go to a Western restaurant it's like 8 pieces. I mean I like to enjoy a whole bucket of these and sit on the couch with my favorite beverage, and not care for the day. It was very good as it's crispy and tasty! We finally ordered the entrees. The Hainan Fried Chicken Rice was good. The fried chicken is delicious as well, with some tasty ginger seasoned chicken rice and a sweet chili glaze. It's close to the Malaysian style but not exactly the same. The pork rib and the omelette with chicken were good and the guys in our party just inhaled it. The squid with duck salted egg was interesting. While the squid was fresh and tender, the sauce was one would expect as you mix duck egg and oyster sauce in a stir fry. We will return very soon to try other dishes as I heard their curry noodles are good and they have a lot more on their menu to try. Great for parties and groups, even date nights and friends get together! Note while it does say Thai and Japanese fusion, there also separate Thai and Japanese type dishes. It's worth a visit! So fun. read more

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I've lived in chicago for six years and haven't found quality Thai food since I've been here, until this place. It hits the spot. I got the Panang curry with tofu + pineapple, the pad see ew, edamame, and veggie egg rolls. The spice in the curry was amazing- all of the flavors in all of the dishes were delectable. My wife's dish had enough sauce and the noodles and veggies were delicious. The egg rolls were super crunchy- it can be hard to find veggie egg rolls that are true egg roll and not spring rolls. I am so happy I found such a great spot local to me! We ordered takeout, but the vibes in there were nice and we'd definitely eat inside next time. read more

The food that we had in our carryout order was decent. We set the pick up order for 11 AM and we had to wait until 11:40 AM in the restaurant for the order to be finished. The order was not correct, as the curry was missing its protein, and one of the entrées was the incorrect item, but we ate it anyway. I would not have tipped in advance if I knew this was going to be the experience. read more

Three of us came in for dinner after seeing the Yelp page. Their web page food pictures sold me. We ordered the chicken skins right away. The service is a bit slow because there's only one guy waiting on tables, answering the phone, dealing with order pickups as well as trying to serve 6+ tables of 2-4 diners. It appears that this also reflects the number of staff in the kitchen because the food comes out slow. I guess the cook is balancing take out orders and eat-in guests. The guy is friendly but has way too much on his plate. Back to the food. We had to call the guy over to order we ordered drinks, chicken wings, cucumber salad, and the soft shell crab noodles. We got the drink order in a reasonable time but waited to get the food. including the chicken skins we had ordered as we sat down. The chicken skins are a killer appetizer. Nice portion of super crispy and well seasoned skins. Almost paper thin. Comes with the standard thai sweet chili sauce for dipping. about 20 minutes later the cucumber salad and the chicken wings arrive. The wings are huge. and comes with the same dipping sauce. The cucumber salad is fresh and we wolf it down and order another one. The crab noodles arrive later. It's in a coconut curry sauce which I normally like, but this is a bit too sweet for me. the crab is fresh and crispy and a treat to eat. We'll return for sure to try the other items. read more

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Came here on a Monday evening with a party of four around 6:45. We were seated promptly and the very kind staff took our food and drink orders shortly thereafter. The interior has a very fun vibe to it. The food was quite flavorful! The basil fried chicken (basically a pad krapao) was great and the side order of sticky rice was awesome. The crab rangoon had the great familiar taste you'd expect. The mom's curry puffs had a great sweet potato and curry taste! The taro puff dessert was similar, but with a sweet custard interior that I definitely enjoyed. Definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

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I really wanted to like this place as the atmosphere is very warm and the greeter was accommodating. Unfortunately, it took them a long time to bring our food out. Then when I finally asked about it, it came out only seconds later and it was lukewarm. This makes me think it was just sitting around somewhere. The food tasted fine but I was a little sick later on from it. The service was slow. No one came to our table to check on us, but I saw that the staff didn't really do that for anyone else either. Popular place, no doubt but I wonder how many were 1 and dones. I know it was only one experience but I hope they take this as a constructive critique. read more

The food was disappointing. Out of the 6 dishes we ordered, 3 were inedible. I called and they were apologetic over the phone and told me they would refund my card. The total refund should have been $38.85, but when I checked my charges, they only took off $21.37 I appreciate the effort, but, would rather have my full amount back. This saddens me, as I love supporting local businesses. read more

We stumbled upon this hidden gem Thai restaurant by accident! We were visiting Chicago for vacation, and I was craving Thai food...so we searched for a nearby spot, and this one happened to be the closest to our hotel. We decided to walk over and give it a try, never expecting a Thai fusion restaurant to taste this authentic... but wow, it turned out so good!! The place is beautifully decorated with Japanese sakura flowers blended with Thai Esan vibes~ so fitting for the name Ezankaya. It's honestly so cute! The food? Absolutely amazing...so flavorful, authentic, and just insanely tasty. 10 out of 10! My friend's favorite was the Hat Yai Fried Chicken...we devoured everything like we were back home in Thailand! Our server was also incredibly sweet and polite. We'd definitely come back to this restaurant if we visit Chicago again! read more

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Ambiance - super cool interior, lanterns on the walls and in the ceiling Service - only 1 server on a Friday night but he was definitely attentive as much as he can Food - crying tiger was my favorite (super flavorful, cooked medium), pad khee mao was my least favorite (felt like something was missing, not tossed in enough sauce, also had mushroom which I'm not used to) read more

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I tried to give this place multiple chances but they failed. Chicken Fried Rice should not take over an hour to make. Ended up falling asleep before my food got delivered an hour and 45 minutes after I ordered it. Happened both times. It's shame because I really liked the food but it's not worth the hassle. read more

Authentic food in a festive atmosphere. Excellent and accommodating service, even with large groups.

Everything about this place reinforces my impression of the food. I suppose it is Thai but the place is trying to evoke a Japanese street food vibe without any attention to detail. Fake cherry blossum trees look very fake, the wall of lanterns lean against the wall sadly, the plaid fabrics glued to the corrugated wall look foolish. There a million details and most of them lack attention. There is a slap-dash execution of the decor and I think this is similar to the food. It is excessively sweet but if that is what you like, you will get it. Other notes do creep into the food but fight a wall of sugar flavor that left my mouth embattled. I tried 5 dishes and though they were all edible I can not say they were enjoyable. The Khao Soi and Beef Nam Tok were pretty in the bowl and had variety of texture but again were ... too sweet. I think this place is made for people with a heightened affection for confection and might be perfect for the crowd that frequents this place. The service was friendly overall and the prices were fair. It seems very popular but I don't think I will be back, not because it was bad, it just wasn't my cup of tea. That said, if you like nice bathrooms, this place has it, only one though, it is big and dark and a place one could lock the door and take a nap. read more

Ezankaya - The cozy bathroom - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is always sooo good! I always get the Pad see ew with shrimp, chicken, add basil and mild. The service is good and fast. And the restaurant is really cute! read more

Ezankaya - Pad See Eiw - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service is top tier, the environment is cozy and colorful, and the Panang curry has my heart! I could eat it everyday without getting tired of it!! read more

Been here a couple of times for their lunch deal and it's unbeatable. A good amount of food for $18. All tasted great! Instagrammable interior with decorations and flowers. And it's byob! Highly recommend! read more

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Came here at open 11:30-ish for some lunch. Had Pad Thai. I asked for spicy with chicken. The meal was delicious. It wasn't very spicy but that's ok because the flavor was outstanding. Everything seemed fresh and perfectly made. The atmosphere is a bit of a laid back and chill with friends vibe. There is a very "20 something bar" like feel if you catch my drift. I could see hanging here and throwing back some cold ones for a few hours. Music was absolutely perfect (soft dance if that's even a genre) and a pleasant volume. You can hear it clear but still hold a conversation at a normal speaking level. Highly recommended. I'll be back. read more

Ezankaya - Table decor - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

really good! had the pad Thai and Thai tea delivered. Everything tasted great, came on time, fresh.