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'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

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

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

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 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

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'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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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 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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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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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

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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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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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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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

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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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

We were just as impressed on our second visit as on our first Warm greeting, super-delicious food, whimsical decor, great service, reasonable prices, and they're BYOB! A neighborhood gem! read more

Exotic ambiance. Large portions. Good service. The Jasmine tea was served in a cute little pot with tiny cups to share. Perfect for a ladies birthday lunch. read more

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

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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Such a great dining experience! I went at 5 which was during their 4-6pm happy hour. The prices were great: $3 Thai iced tea, $3 edamame $8 shrimp tempura roll. The service was amazing. The chicken pad Thai was good but not the best I've had in the city. read more

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Good food and service Very original Clean and nice , small plates but good food, good located read more

Not a great order. The soup container was not full. It was mediocre food. Pot stickers and tom kha soup. Not sure of the ingredients in the soup. Everything was cold. Thoroughly disappointed. Not worth it. read more

Love this place! We went for happy hour over Valentine's Day weekend and had to wait a bit to be served after sitting down, but they were super apologetic about the wait. We ordered a few things on their Friday happy hour menu which is awesome! One of the shrimp fried rolls was not my fav but the others were great! read more

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Read the reviews and after moving my daughter into her new apartment wanted to go somewhere close. So very very good. Chicken skins were great crisp and salty. Unagi was well done, eel perfect. Ssoft shell crab was crispy seasoning was great and wife's pork Pad sew was quite flavorful Service was really attentive and fast, must have hired some more help, on a Saturday night really quick. Cute decor and friendly. Not really very spicy but well done read more

Ezankaya - Chicken skins - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a terrific and creative business! The room, food and service are all equally enthusiastic! A great date night place, because I promise you, you've never seen a place like this before! read more

The food was less then average The price was way to high If they need help in the kitchen I can show them how it's done I know that price of food as gone up but if your going to charge 2 people $40 the food needs to be of good quality read more

We ordered takeout from Ezankaya originally, and their pad Thai was delicious, but when we ordered the pad thai again, it was really bad, totally different noodles and flavor entirely. So, we understand the mixed reviews on here. I am not sure how it went from the best pad Thai I've ever had to the worst I've ever had over a few months. We loved the Tom Yum Kung, however, but will it change? We don't know. read more

Very cute Thai and Japanese fusion. I enjoyed everything we have ordered. The authentic taste was definitely there with all the thai dishes we had . Go give it a try!!!! read more

Came in on a Sunday night, place was fairly busy. Not to the point that the waiter would take such a long time to take our order even after putting down our menus. What's even more strange was it took twice as long to get the check, which was disappointing considering we were the only ones who had these issues, even though our table was literally in the middle of the restaurant and quite impossible to ignore. But I'm going to give them another try since the food was actually good. Definitely order the soft shell crab lava omelette with salty egg sauce, chicken skin, and grilled pork salad. Portions are shareable and prices are fair. I am looking forward to trying more items on the menu but I hope I don't experience this kind of service next time, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth... read more

Nice, eclectic, fun space. Non-generic Thai cuisine, well executed with a light touch. Friendly and capable servers.

I'm writing this review because I genuinely see the potential in this place and hope that the owners see this/make some changes! Unfortunately, after my last visit with them this week, there's a few improvements that need to happen before I can rate them higher, particularly with regard to their food. The Good: I've been here once before when it was under a different name. While this appears to be a new restaurant, and the interior has been updated, the staff seems to be the same staff from the last time I went about a year ago. The staff here, as before, was super friendly and attentive. Hands down 10/10 The Bad: I decided to try this place again because I noticed the new name/sign out front. Had that not happened, based on my previous experience, I would not have come back. The reason comes down to the food. At this recent visit, there were a few sparse gems here and there (crispy chicken skins and the pineapple fried rice were great) but the quality of the two main dishes we ordered was terrible. The Thai spicy ribs were room temperature/almost cold in the middle. The river prawns that were part of the pad Thai were mushy, as if they'd sitting been in boiling water for awhile. The mushroom skewers were tough to eat, and had an off putting taste as if they'd were right on the verge of being spoiled. All of this said -- better oversight on the food quality is a must before I can rate this place higher. To the restaurant's credit, they were apologetic about the quality of some of the items so maybe this was a bad night. But I remember the last time we went here before the revamp and also recall the food quality being pretty bad. read more