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    Joy Yee - Evanston

    3.6 (985 reviews)
    ModerateNoodles, Pan Asian
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

    Order Joy Yee - Evanston Takeout or Delivery

    Joy Yee - Evanston Photos

    JOY YEE - EVANSTON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Joy Yee - Evanston

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    short ribs on garlic noodles
    Nazia C.

    I've been coming here for years. Recently I did a delivery order and the whole family was happy. My go to order is the garlic noodles woth short ribs. I don't bother ordering anything else for myself because it's so perfect! My husband had the garlic fried rice with pork chops. The rice was just the right amount of garlic flavor. He says the pork chops were delicious. My daughters had the sesame chicken and potstickers.

    Malaysian Seafood over Fried Rice / 馬來西亞海鮮炒飯
    Susan L.

    My fav is the Malaysian Seafood over Fried rice. I introduced to friends in past and they love it too. Service was fast and open. Nice open space. They fruit smoothies with tapioca (boba) are great and especially when they have options for the level of sugar they combine.

    Chicken fried rice
    Ed D.

    We came here on a Sunday night and around 5 PM and we are able to get seating for 13 of us pretty easily. We ordered a bunch of Boba teas and a bunch of dishes, basically a lot of food that amounted to about $400 worth. It was all pretty good. We ordered salt and pepper tofu, Mongolian beef, lemon grass, beef, shrimp, chow fun, Chinese broccoli, beef soup, shrimp, fried rice, and about three more other dishes. Everything came out pretty fast. The only thing that I wasn't too keen on was that the waiter kept trying to sell us more food, even though we ordered a lot already. But he was nice just too aggressive on trying to upsell.

    Pad Thai
    T O.

    This joy yee location has lost its quality. A few months ago I ordered from here and the chicken Pad Thai was full of flavor. Which is why I didn't mind that it was on the sweeter side. However, I just ordered from here and when I tell you, there was no flavor there was no flavor; besides a sliver of juice at the utter bottom of the container. It honestly just felt thrown together and last minute. The vegetables in a Pad Thai tend to be quite consistent. However, I had mushrooms, baby corn, broccoli, green peppers, orange peppers, carrot slices, onions, bean sprouts, green beans and broccoli, which in my experience is not common. Unfortunately, I will not be ordering from here again, but rather going to other locations.

    Aleena V.

    Overall the food, service, and ambiance were good. We got the chicken fried rice, kung pao beef, sesame chicken, and dragonfruit mango and a strawberry pineapple with tapioca! We preferred the chicken over the beef but both were good! Portions were also good! As far as the drinks my sister mentioned she couldn't taste any dragon fruit drink but we loved the pineapple strawberry one!

    Mango pineapple fruit smoothie
    Lisa M.

    Who is giving this less than 4 stars??? Joy Yees remains king. Of all the bubble tea places that continue to open, this is still the only one that does fresh fruit bubble tea, and it reigns supreme! You'll be hard pressed to find a Cantonese/HK style place like this nowadays. Most Chinese restaurants are either mainland, sze chuan, or Taiwanese. The service is fast. The restaurant is big--lots of space for groups--and kid/friendly. They let us park our double stroller in the waiting area. They gave our kids water in plastic to-go cups with lids. They have high chairs where the buckles are on and actually work. We were all very pleased. And portion size! Y'all the portions are so generous. Easily leftovers for a second meal, or even a third if you have excellent self control. What we got: Garlic Noodles and Lemongrass Chicken - Looks boring. Tastes amazing. The flavors are simple but so, so, so good. Our kids love this. Beef Cubes - This is classic. Juicy, tender beef on a bed of tomato rice! Eons ago they used to serve it with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, which made the presentation prettier and also made you feel a little better like you were eating a rounded meal, but no more. Womp womp. But this is seriously just the best comfort food. So tasty. So rich. So satisfying. We can't not get this when we come here. Also very kid-friendly. Smelt - Seasoned with salt and pepper, lightly battered and fried. With just a hint of jalapeño to give it flavor without making it spicy--this is so perfect. It's crispy without feeling heavy or greasy. Smelt is a tiny fish, but it's not really fishy. Try this--our kids loooove it. They cannot get enough of the crispy texture. Chinese broccoli (gai lon) - A staple veggie, sautéed in a garlicky sauce. This just rounds out the meal. I love that they cut it smaller so it's easier to eat since gai lon is kind of a crunchier, heartier veggie. Mango pineapple smoothie - FRESH. FRUIT. Not canned. Not powder. This is the thing. Any and all combinations are recommended but our favorites are mango + pineapple or mango + lychee.

    Pad sew ew with beef
    Kristen L.

    We were seated fairly quickly for it being late in the evening. There were lots of people inside. It was a little hard to hear with so much noise of other people's conversations happening. The menu was very large with lots of items and similar items listed. The options and variety was good. I had the mango freeze. When the drink arrived, it wasn't very cold. After it sat for a while, it got a little cooler. The boba had the right texture and flavor. They were springy and chewy. They were neither hard or mushy. The mango tasted like a blended mango and not like a powder or perfume. Next time I would be interested to try the three berry freeze or the milk tea or the Thai tea. I might choose the lemongrass pork chop over rice too. The basil beef pad sew ew had the right texture as well and normal flavor. The beef was good and not chewy. The tom yum fried rice had a good flavor of tom yum without being too salty. The chicken was pretty salty and but tasted good with the rice. It had a bit of a pan seared sweet glaze to it. Our water was refilled once when it was low. It did taste like unfiltered water. They were very on top of getting orders in and customers served.

    Beef Chow Funn (Wide Rice Noodle)
    Ruby P.

    Came here with my boyfriend because he had great food here last time. And here he is again! The menu was many many pages long so we had a huge variety of foods and drinks to select from. Loved it. Many items looked so good. I ended up getting Beef Chow Funn (Wide Rice Noodle) and my boyfriend got noodle soup (if I remember correctly, it's one of the seafood noodle soups). We both got bobas (mine was durian milk tea freeze). It's rare that an unusual flavor like durian is available! Everything was well made and tasted amazing! I especially loved my Beef Chow Funn. Usually the wide noodles taste plain because they weren't cooked/marinated in the sauce long enough, but this place is different. Their noodles have soaked up enough sauce so it's very flavorful! 100%. It's the best wide noodles that I've had in a while. I definitely want to return to this place! Very recommended.

    Lesley Anne Y.

    Haven't been in awhile and I realized how much I missed this place! Their food is always so good and always satisfying with huge servings! Service is great and the place is a typical casual dine in place. Nothing fancy. I ordered the Short Ribs with Kimchi Fried Rice and I was eating it until the day after lol. Kimchi fried rice was good. Itsy bitsy teeny tiny bit of a kick but you wouldnt even really call it a kick. So no i dont think its spicy at all! Short ribs was marinated perfectly. Beef cube in tomato sauce is always a favorite of ours too! If you havent tried it its a must! And of course whats Joy Yee without a drink. So i had my usual Honeydew and Watermelon with Crystal Boba. I missed it so much i had 2! Too bad they didnt have cantaloupe coz i always mix that in there. But theres always next time. Happy eating!!!

    Green milk tea with tapioca
    Emmelynn G.

    Love Joy Yee. Granted, I haven't tried a lot from their menu but, what I usually get, I love! The beef cube tomato rice is so delicious. Idk how they do it. This is the only food I order every time I come. I also get the green milk tea with less sugar. Pretty solid! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for some good Asian food :)

    So many beans
    Lauren Z.

    JY's honestly has the best boba in the city in my honest opinion. Not only do they use fresh fruit, but their tapioca balls are on 10. They also offer a HUGE variety of boba options along with unique options that most establishments don't tend to offer. Their smoothie size is quite generous as well! Very very good option in you're in the mood for a fruit/fresh smoothie. Their taro flavor is also very good. Never had a bad experience when it comes to their boba

    Green tea boba
    Jennifer G.

    I came here for one reason - boba tea. Specifically green tea blended boba tea. The food is great, but Joy Yee introduced me to boba tea, and it still stands as one of the best ones I've had. They have an extensive menu, so get the flavor, style and additions that you want. For me, I'll be back for another green tea boba the next time I'm in Evanston.

    Kung Pao Chicken (left) Chicken and shrimp Lo Mein (Soft Noodle)(right)

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    4 months ago

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    25 days ago

    I order quite a lot of delivery from here. Rice is always plentiful. The food arrives hot and fresh

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    9 months ago

    Tons of choices served up fast for your noodle fix. Hit Joy Yee twice while we were in Evanston recently

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    10 months ago

    Food was scrumdiddlyumpous. I would recommend joy yee to literally everyone on the planet the boba is so good like period

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    Joy Yee - Evanston Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Joy Yee - Evanston

    Appears that this business has closed?

    I don't think so. I was there Aug 8th.

    I haven't had bubble tea in a while, so I'm a little out of the loop, but why do they have regular plastic tops now and not the flat plastic covering where you punch your straw in?

    If you're talking about the flat plastic seran wrap, when you poke the straw in, it usually oozes out. The regular plastic tops avoid any extra leakage.

    Is there gluten free menu and if there is how big is the menu for gluten free?

    They don't necessarily have a Gluten free menu but most of their dishes are gluten free (rice, tapioca, vegetables) the tough part would be to check the ingredients used for the sauces- but most Asian dishes are gluten free

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    Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge

    Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge

    3.6
    (843 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We went to Koi for the first time last night and I was pleasantly surprised by their food…read more The restaurant was pretty busy for a Wednesday night but there wasn't a wait for a table. The service was a bit slow but it seemed they were short staffed. We got: Shaomai: 4.5/5 it's good but a bit pricy compared to other spots Dandan noodles: 3.8/5 it's good but wasn't peanuty like others Walnut shrimp: 4/5 good but I think it could've been crispier Popcorn chicken: 5/5 loved the price and crisp! The restaurant is cute and has a nice cozy vibe about it with some Asia decor.

    I have been to Koi before. We were meeting a group here for dinner. I think if I came back, I would…read moretry to take advantage of some of the happy hour deals. Our group had six people in it and for it's size, overall I felt the table service was minimal and very hands off. In fact, several times, a member of our party had to get up for a few things. An empty bottle of sake slipped off the table onto the floor, thankfully did not break, and no one even came to see what the noise was about. Having said that, the interactions with staff that I did have were friendly and helpful. When the check came, it of course had an automatic twenty percent tip included, so I guess the staff figures they are covered either way. The food overall is good, it's more the cost of everything is just so high these days it is a turn off. I am not sure you really feel the value return for the money you spend these days in a restaurant. I feel you get more bang for your buck cooking at home these days. So as I said previously, I would try to take advantage of some of the happy hour deals.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge
    Great cocktails and starters at Koi, Wings and Vegi dumplings are a must!

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    Great cocktails and starters at Koi, Wings and Vegi dumplings are a must!
    NaKorn

    NaKorn

    4.5
    (488 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    This is a fantastic place for a meal. The menu is small, but the dishes are perfectly done and…read morepresented. Service is immaculate. Great place.

    This place is incredibly cute if you're looking for a nice ambiance. It was my first time trying it…read moreout and I loved the small attention to details. There was a live saxophone player and I loved the live flowers they had. Our waiter was extremely nice and took the time to explain the menu as well as their customer favorites. I order a Thai iced tea which wasn't bad but I prefer mine a little thicker and sweeter. It came in a thin tall glass which in theory was not a lot of drink. To start we order the chicken appetizer and fried beef on rice to share and unfortunately I did not snap a pic but these were listed under apps or shareables but the portions were extremely small. As our mains came I noticed that they were also small and each were around $20-$30 per plate. Not a bad thing if you don't eat much but I'm a big bang for buck type of gal. My family came to share and this place is a more fine dining thai restaurant which could explain the smaller portions. We ordered the pad Thai which was alright in my opinion I expected a little more flavor, the aubergine which was tossed vegetables as recommended by our waiter which was also ok not much flavor but beautiful plating though, and the coconut curry which was by far my favorite. If I were to come back here I would order that again, it was a nice light yet complex flavor profile which made me savor every bite. Overall good place for an upbeat fancier meal and I highly recommend the coconut curry braised chicken if you visit. Little pricey but that's just my opinion let me know what you guys think if you visit! Oh and they also give your receipt in a boat which they spin and leave a thank you card once you paid which was really cute.

    Photos
    Lovely interior
    Lovely interior
    Pink Paloma special appetizer with shrimp
    Pink Paloma special appetizer with shrimp
    Sichuan Peppercorn Gin

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    Sichuan Peppercorn Gin
    Cozy Noodles & Rice

    Cozy Noodles & Rice

    3.1
    (544 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $

    Fun, pleasant spot for a nice dinner. I really like the thousands of lunchbox and Pez dispenser…read morechotchkes, along with the life-size Elvis Presley that they carried over from the previous location on Davis Street. My Thai basil chicken with rice was tasty, and they serve Singha beer, among other beer, wine, or cocktail options.

    I truly wanted to love this adorable Thai restaurant especially because of how conveniently close…read moreit is to where I currently work however the bad vibes from the owner is a turn off. The first time I visited I didn't realize they close at 8:30 pm so I arrived at 8ish and the server/owner snapped at me that they will be closing their doors by 8:30 pm so I hurriedly ordered a delicious chicken satay appetizer with peanut sauce presented beautifully in a tiny goblet and a crispy curry puff which was extremely good too. I loved the thai iced tea even though it was served in a small glass with lots of ice. The reason I am leaving a two is because the owner made me feel like I was not welcomed and an inconvenience because I arrived half an hour before closing. It was hard for me to savor the food based on the fact that the owner who is also a server to cut costs made it clear she needed me to leave when they start the closing process so I rushed through my first ever dining experience there. Today was my second and admittedly will be my last. The owner gave me the same icy indifferent attitude as if I wasn't genuinely welcomed. The first time I dined there I had a feeling she was the owner so I didn't tip and this time the owner lied to me when I mentioned I knew she was the owner when she practically DEMANDED a tip after my disappointing dining experience. She said she works there as s server and doesn't have a clue who the owner was completely lying to me so I would be quilted into leaving her a tip. First of all I arrived here at 1:30 and she coldly stated they close at 2pm no exception. There was no separate lunch menu and she let me decide what I wanted and didn't even take my order till 1:40pm I chose the crazy noodles with beef and you either get a tiny portion of cucumber salad or an egg roll appetizer. When my food arrived there were no chopsticks just forks and the plate was very decorative but the portions were extremely small. The egg rolls were good but each eaggroll was the size of your pinky finger and you get 3 tiny pieces. I ate quickly and when I got up to pay she asked me how id like to tip. I knew she was the owner so I felt it was HIGHLY inappropriate to hustle a guest for tips especially if you own your own restaurant and you're serving to cut costs by not hiring a server to work for you. Again I thought it was a tacky move on her part to insist on a tip and then lie to me and say she doesn't know who the owner is in real life. I don't like the owner's lack of business ethics so I will not be returning here especially because the lunch deal is extremely overpriced and doesn't include a side of salad or rice or beverage. She never once smiled at me nor made me feel like a welcomed guest so I don't feel like returning to support a business that treats their customers with such disdain and genuine unkindness. Also let me Reiterate even if the food is good my meal was soured by the negativity from the owner who works here as a server too to cut costs. My meal was $18 ish dollars not much of a deal when you realize the plate portions are small and the appetizer is miniscule too. What spoiled it for me was her lack of kindness and no chopsticks. Just not the vibes I'm seeking. I don't like the fact that the owner lied to me about not being the owner so very sketchy!

    Photos
    Some of the mini toys!
    Some of the mini toys!
    Cozy Noodles & Rice
    Cozy Noodles & Rice

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    Kuni's Japanese Restaurant

    Kuni's Japanese Restaurant

    4.0
    (338 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Getting close to living in the area for 30 years and had not been back to Kuni's until recently…read more Just had forgotten (unless things really changed) how cozy having a place this close to home is. Good wide menu with items that you don't find at your mainstream japanese restaurant. More like old school Chicago Japanese. (Thinking a blend here of old Ginza and maybe some parts Sunshine.) Maybe only with the departure of those favorites we appreciate more what has stayed on. Appetizer selection is long enough to just get small plates to share. Notables: - ebi snijo (homemade shrimp ball) - hamachi jaw (if you haven't had it) - hirame no cha soba age (fried green tea noodles and whitefish rolled with seaweed) - evokes the old Ginza restaurant for me - octopus sunomono Even after three recent visits without repeat apps, there are still more we haven't had elsewhere to try. Part of the reason for that is - we get entrees too. We've been happy with: - chirashi (curious how the sashimi D differs) - Salmon Bento (D) - so many different things fun to share! - Kuni's Special - gomaee and mixed seafood sunomono, then our choice of sashimi followed by saba - nabe yaki udon is reasonable here at $13 with two tempura shrimp Know there's lots of reviews here, but as long as there is room on weekends for us we're happy to share!

    08/04/25 - Kuni's Japanese Restaurant since 1986 located @ 511 Main Street in Evanston, IL. What a…read morebeautiful little traditional Japanese restaurant in Evanston. I love this place it has such a cool vibe w/authentic japanese decor. I ordered the bento box that came w/miso soup, salad, broiled chicken teriyaki, tempura w/2 pieces of shrimp, sweet potato, pepper, 1/2 California roll, 1 piece on Inari sushi, a couple of pieces of gyoza, 1 piece of kamaboko, tofu & spinach. This was a very enjoyable bento w/a nice variety of Japanese cuisine. The ambiance is very nice the food is good & it won't kill the bank

    Photos
    Cool dining area
    Cool dining area
    Tempura Soba Soup (cold $12)
    Tempura Soba Soup (cold $12)
    Beautiful decor

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    Beautiful decor

    Joy Yee - Evanston - noodles - Updated June 2026

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