still one of my favorite places when i am craving korean style chinese food. -my all time favorite: half and half with sweet an sour beef (tangsooyuk) is a must every time! in that combo! the sweet and sour is so perfectly crispy other favorites: -fish filet over rice -seafood noodle stir fry (la jo myun) everything is so good. highly recommended read more

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Came here for a weekend lunch and the place was not too busy, easily accommodated our larger group. We ordered a couple of noodle dishes from this stall. The #9 seafood noodle platter ($12.99), but not spicy and #1 the peking noodle ($10.99). Both were good and the portion size was decent for the price. Chewy flavorful noodles with good add ins. The one drawback about these stalls in grocery store setting they always seem to be stingy about extra utensils, bowls or even napkins. They barely give you any napkins and they are usually extra thin too. I have to remember to bring my own napkins when dining at these locations. read more

Lai Lai - A restaurant interior showing menu boards with various Asian dishes, a counter with supplies, and a sign about takeout containers costing $1. - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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Back to the jajang I've been eating for the past 10 years whenever I visit Chicago. I haven't had it in maybe 3 to 4 years? It's just so shocking to me. How low the reviews are but how this is my favorite jajang place ever. After resetting my tastebuds, I want to downgrade Paiks down to four star. However, we don't have anything like this so if I could give it six stars, I would. It's a food court, it's not that expensive, but it's so delicious. I wish I could show you pictures, but we ate it too quickly. read more

The food here was delicious. We ate the orange chicken and shrimp fried rice. The prices were quite reasonable and the food was prepared quickly. There were plenty of leftovers and we were able to make a couple of meals out of it. Would definitely recommend. read more

Best jajamyeon combo ever! You can either pair it with Tangsuyuk or the seafood noodle soup. I love how crispy their tangsuyuk is so I usually order this combo. I also really like their fish fillet dish! So far everything I've tried here has been amazing and portion sizes are huge! read more

As I lived in China for a bit, I was used to recalculating prices in my head, based on the RMB or HK $. So I automatically did that by looking at the prices posted here. Of course, I was wrong. The food was tasty, freshly prepared, but very expensive for what it was. It may be that since several of the food outlets here have gone out of business, the remaining ones are charging by the "flinch method," or what they think they can get away with. The tables were full. I was the only non-Asian customer, so apparently, my offense at the prices was unique. I like going to this pan-Asian-themed grocery store, it's unique and also has some of the freshest and widest variety of seafood and fish I've seen in the region. But I won't eat at the hawker stalls again. read more

We had lunch here today... it was okay. They have the Chachangmyun and Chambong in one split bowl which was my attraction. The Chachangmyun was okay but the Chambong could've used more spice. Upon taking my order the sweet lady did ask my spice level. I responded with a little spicy. She wrote down MILD. I corrected her and asked for medium. She assured me that there would be enough spice. She was wrong. I can imagine the dish tasting better with a bit more. My son got the #10. Some kind of seafood dish. It was... underwhelming. My husband got the sweet and sour pork - Korean style. That was the best part of our meal. The service was sweet. But would I eat here again? Sorry but no. read more

Lai Lai - Chachangmyun and Chambong - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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#4 seafood with vegetables and white rice was very smooth, fresh, and not overly filling #6 shrimp fried rice was good but a little pricey. Egg rolls are amazing. No sauce needed. A little greasy but greta flavor 2 for $4 read more

Lai Lai - #6 Seafood, vegetables, & white rice - A foam takeout container holds white rice and a vegetable and seafood stir-fry with shrimp, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms in sauce. - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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I've come here several times and I overhear her explaining to customers a few things so here's a PSA: Location - it's in the assi food court mall Food - it's Korean Chinese food so it's basically Korean food not Chinese food. Please don't order orange chicken or ask for lo mein. Jajangmyeon (sweet savory black bean noodles), jjampong (spicy seafood noodle soup), tang su yuk (Korean sweet and sour pork), gang poongi (spicy red pepper soy sauce Korean fried chicken) are very good. read more

Food was horrible, 2-orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken and egg roll!$60 outrageous! Will never go back

I always order shrimp fried rice and tangsuyuk. Never fails. My kids loves it and finishes right away!

I'm going to have to return to this restaurant because I did not care for the tangsuyuk (sweet and sour beef) combo. It was just too sweet for me and I found the beef to be pretty dry. I only had a few bites of it to be honest because the sauce was such a turn off. I've been trying to figure out if it's just the dish that I don't like or if it's their interpretation. Regardless, I think I would just stick to their noodles and stews next time as the noodles were pretty tasty. Not really as chewy as I would have liked but decent. I also didn't like the radish it came with. I've never not liked a pickled radish before but theirs had a funny taste to me. It tasted like the sour and salted plum "candies" that my mom use to eat. read more

Lai Lai - #15- noodles are good but didn't care for the tough beef and the super sweet sauce - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

Takeaway: Solid Korean Chinese food that is good, but not particularly exciting. Would be a 3.5 stars if that was an option. Context: Dined in here after grocery shopping at Assi. I've had Korean Chinese food a handful of times Peking Noodle / Jjajangmyeon (7/10) In general, this dish isn't really my favorite, but they definitely do it competently here. The black bean sauce comes through without being too bitter, which can happen at a few places. The texture of the noodles is bouncy and has a satisfying bite to it. Personally, I would have preferred a lot more cucumbers on my dish (or on the side) to help cut the thickness of the sauce and add a bit of freshness. There were a few slices, but so few that it was hardly noticeable. The onions and pickles they gave you on the side were great for me here in keeping the flavor profile more interesting as the meal went on. Seafood Noodle / Jjamppong (7/10) As with the jjajangmyeon, I typically don't go for jjanmppong. The noodles seem quite similar to the jjajangmyeon and so texturally it works quite well with a healthy serving of different vegetables and seafood. My main problem here is that the broth, and thus the rest of the dish, is a little bit bland. It really feels like it needs to either be spicier or more savory. Maybe I should have added some salt myself, but it wasn't provided with the meal so I didn't really think about it too much. I think with a few adjustments I could really like this dish - would definitely get this again but ask for extra spicy. Sweet & Sour Beef / Tangsuyuk (7.5/10) Highlight of the meal for me, although for context I am definitely a bit biased towards these flavor profile. They serve the dish with the sauce already on the beef, which can be controversial, but I thought they did a decent job here - perhaps a little too much sauce, but not a distracting amount. It did get a little soggy near the end of the meal, but that's to be expected. The textures worked really well here - the breading had a bite to it that made a lot of sense with the meat itself, which was chewy in a pleasant way. I'm not sure if there was supposed to be a crisp to the dish, but I think I personally would've enjoyed that a bit more. Flavor-wise it was a great complement to the noodle dishes I had , particularly the jjamppong, but a little more "crunch" to it would have been nice for something more texturally distinct from the noodles. The sauce gives an impression of the cloying sweetness from a sweet & sour sauce without actually being too sweet - which is a very nice touch. I feel this way about sweet & sour sauce a lot, but even though this tangsuyuk was above-average, it still feels a bit artificial and subdued to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the sauce still just lacks an oomph for me that works. I can't really imagine myself having a good time eating this dish with just plain rice. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot less without the noodles - it doesn't hold up by itself. Bonus: The service wasn't anything special obviously - but it was perfectly fine for a food court. The lady at the counter was very normal and courteous. Perhaps I just got lucky, but I don't relate at all to the other reviews on here complaining about the mean lady at the counter. read more

The texture for their noodle dishes, such as Jjampong, jjajjangmyun, beats a lot of the new places in my opinion! It's awesome how they have jjam/jjang, for people who want best of both worlds, heheheh!! The flavors they provide are stellar! Flavorful, never too over powering, filling, as well as comfortable. Don't judge till you give this place a try, as you'll miss out on some truly spot on Korean Chinese cuisine that this place has to offer. Have you ever heard of Lee's Mandarin? It used to be located off Dempster/Elmhurst Road in1990s', 2000s. The best part is... the food still remains legendary, now at Lai Lai. read more

Lai Lai - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

Very good food. Large portions. It's always busy so you know it's good. Customer service is fantastic. Will definitely be back.

I've been going to this place for years. An older lady, who appears to be the owner has been nice and greets to customers. A woman with glasses on, was rude and had zero interest on customers. When I was there today (8/17/2021 during lunch time), I was not greeted and felt as I just had to pay and get out of their way. More importantly, food was not as good as other times. I'm not trying to hurt their business negatively by leaving such review but I hope that this feedback tells them what needs to be improved. read more

They have Greasy and overpriced food with unfriendly customer service. Not recommended!!!

You have to try their Delicious seafood noodle soup. It is #2 on the menu. If there is a magic way to shrink all the distance between my house to Lai Lai, I would have my lunch there every single day. I stopped here after a trip to Evaston. I needed some Asian groceries and read the wonderful reviews about this place. Lai Lai is nested in a small food court within Assi Market. I ordered the Jjajang myun (#1 on the menu) and Jampong (Chinese-Style Seafood Noodle Soup) to go. A cute young man took care of the order and kindly took the package out of counter and put it in my shopping cart. when he saw me come back with my kid. Nice. He packed the noodles separately so noodles were not mushy when I mixed the sauce with noodles 45 minutes later at my home. Kids liked Jjajang myun a lot as the black bean sauce was all over their faces in the end. I do loved the taste of noodles but didn't care the onions in that. I absolutely loved Jampong which has a perfect spicy kick with good amount seafood. The noodles were chewy and flavorful. The broth was in a light orange color and tasted so right with noodles. The portion was huge for $15 for both dishes . I fed my family with these two dishes adding a few sliced cucumbers. Cannot really beat that. read more

Omg their tangsuyuk (sweet and sour beef) was the best one I've ever had. SO GOOD. Korean-Chinese restaurants typically make the meat really tough to chew, but Lai Lai's version was much softer and tender. The beef tasted fresh. It even had a good crisp on the outside. The sauce had a perfect amount of sweetness. I hate it when the sauce is way too sweet. Jjajangmyun (black bean noodles) didn't have a lot of meat. I didn't mind, but most people like a lot of meat in their jjajangmyun. The sauce was also a bit watery because they didn't drain the noodles well, but it was still pretty good. A bowl of jjajangmyun with a plate of tangsuyuk are enough for two people to share. I'm definitely coming back for another tangsuyuk! [Located inside Assi Plaza's food court] read more

Lai Lai - Jjajangmyun - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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The first time I ate at the Assi Plaza / Market food court, I ate at Lai Lai to try out their famous half & half Jjahm Jja Myun (1/2 Jjahm Bbong & 1/2 Jja jahng myun). Ever since I tried the half & half + Tahng soo yook, I have been hooked. I went back yesterday for jja jahng myun & Lai Lai did not disappoint. The lady who helped me this time was even more friendly than the first lady who helped me the first time I was there. Even though it's a bit of a drive, I plan on returning to this spot again often. read more

Lai Lai - Yummy Jja jahng myun - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

Its very expensive like restaurant food Food court food should be cheaper than restaurant, very disappointed read more

This restaurant in Assi Plaza food court is my go to place for jjajangmyung and jjambong. I love the fact that they have a dish that's half jjanmyung and half jjambong. You don't have to debate on which one you want, you get the best of both worlds without breaking your wallet! I don't know what they do differently with their food but it's soooooo scrumptious compared to other korean/chinese restaurants. My husband tried their Mongolian Beef not to long ago and we both loved it, WE because I stole some from him. XP There's a certain taste that we look for when ordering Mongolian Beef and this delivers! YUUUUMMY! Ahhh, just thinking about the food here is making me drool!! read more

Lai Lai - Half jjajangmyun and half jjambong! Sooooo good!! - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

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Food is made to order. Authentic flavors. I ordered the combo noodle dish, the Peking noodles with the seafood noodles. It is my favorite combo of two of my favorite noodle dishes. The meal was nice. The flavors were rich and delicious. I don't know if they got a new lady at the counter. Interacting with her absolutely soured my lunch. What did I expect from a food court that is sadly dying out. read more

I don't normally review for poor service but I walked in on a friday night and it was 6:55 pm and the person just gave me a hand signal they were closed. The advertised hours are 7:30 pm, this is a takeout place and they had no other customers waiting for food...I will hand my hard earned money to a business that likes money. Don't give money to people who don't want or need the money. I can deal with below average customer service but please don't support businesses that do not value customers at all. read more

Love their food. Always fresh and reasonable pricing. Owners are friendly and nice. if your looking for good chinese food i recommend giving them a try. read more

Whenever you crave for Jjajangmyun () or Jjambbong (), this is the place to go! You don't need to worry about deciding what to eat because they serve half-half menu which is awesome for someone like me who just can't decide what to eat. Although the place is part of food court, the taste of their food is better than a lot of sit-in Korean chinese restaurants. Another good thing about the place is that you can save tip money and have a cup of coffee with it later :P People are very kind, and they bring the food to where you are sitting once it is ready. You won't regret spending your money on this place for sure! read more

Lai Lai - (Jjam-Jja Myun, or Peking noodle and Spicy Noodle Soup. Half and Half bowl.) - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

This Chinese restaurant is located inside of Assi Plaza in the corner of the food court. Although seemingly small and insignificant, their food says the contrary. They have a variety of Chinese food and various combinations. I always get the black bean noodle and sweet and sour chicken combination. It never fails. Their chicken wings are amazing too! The quality of their food is consistent every single time! read more

I love this place; I thought it was a panda express but it was only a large child at the front counter that resembles a panda. J/k But seriously this place really satisfies the cravings of jajang and jambong. Both at the same time with half and half! The price will not hurt your wallet and the family there is very friendly. I love their lajamein, though not as good as Yu's but still very good. I also like getting the orange chicken but putting on gangpoongi sauce on it. That is money! Seriously best korean chinese food in the area. Hands down better than H-Marts. Try it, you won't regret. read more

My family gets the ja jang (noodles in black bean sauce, pork, and veggies) and jamb pong (spicy noodle soup with seafood and veggies) sometimes after we shop at Assi Plaza. Not bad. I like the ja jang better. Friendly staff. It took less than expected for a food court. Ordered at Bob Sang Korean Kitchen before here, but our Lai Lai food managed to come out before the Bob Sang Korean Kitchen food. Since it is a food court, it is relatively accessible. You might need to move some tables and chairs. The grocery store restroom is close to the food court and has a spacious accessible stall. read more

Since my favorite Chinese restaurant underwent new management, the food there hasn't tasted the same. Thank goodness, though, my mom found out that the previous owners hadn't left the restaurant business at all, but instead moved over to a food court stall inside Assi Plaza! I was thrilled to find out I could still get my delicious jja jang myun (black bean noodles), I only needed to drive out a little farther. Assi Plaza's food court has a lot of other stands, but I have yet to venture from Lai Lai. Everything is delicious! You can order pretty much everything for take-out except for the jja jang myum/champong (seafood noodle) combo dish (I think it's #3). Also, the fried rice is wonderful. Reasonably priced, it's a lot of food for not too much cost! The portions are generous so you really get your money's worth. Hmmm maybe I'll make my way there for lunch today... read more

"Peking noodle"/ja ja myung is what I come here for. Fresh tasting noodles, topped with Black bean sauce & julienne style cool cucumber... it's delicious! I crave this dish, happy to get my fix closer to home. The Seafood Noodle dish is tasty. large plump shrimp, tender squid, and spicy sauce. (same noodles) Located in Korean Asian supermarket, Assi. Casual atmosphere, Order at the counter, cafeteria style seating. Comes with side dishes, small pieces of raw white onion and black seaweed paste that you dip together and eat. Not sure why it taste so good. Haha. Good deal! Big portion, cheap price. My kind of meal. Get your grocery shopping or asian snacks while your at it.:) read more

My mom loves the lightly-fried white fish with brown sauce.. She has re-learned eating dishes with ginger because of that dish.. So whenever we go to Assi, she will order the same dish over and over again while the rest of the family explores the other eateries... read more

I've been a customer of Lai Lai ever since it opened so I'm long overdue for this review. I just LOVE the Chinese food here. My family and I agree that this place has the best Chinese food we've ever eaten. I will continue coming here for decades to come. Really really love this place. The food is plenty for sharing (feeds my family of 4). Our go-to order is: spicy orange chicken, Mongolian beef, and spicy Szechuan chicken. read more

Lai Lai - Orange chicken, Szechuan chicken, and Mongolian beef - Chinese Near Me - Niles, Illinois

Excellent! Fresh, flavorful, good portions. Orange chicken and Mongolian beef both best ever tasted. Only request would b for spicier chili's. Go here & b happy :) read more

This used to be my favoriate place for Korean-Chinese fix until 3 years ago, but recently the quality and taste have been getting worse. I still go there from time to time because of the price, but I know I am getting what I pay for. read more

If you have jja jang myun or jjam bbong craving in Chicago this place - while not mind blowing - should do the trick. Solid food court option. read more

This is the go to Chinese in my area. I like everything they have here! The owners are super friendly and the price is reasonable with great service!!! read more

Pretty decent for quick food court food. We have only tried the Jjajangmyun n jjamppong. You can get half and half if you have the taste for both! Can't wait to go back n try more off their menu. read more

Wow~! This place is amazing!! that ggangpoong chicken is straight up blazin~!! Jjajang myun is too legit, like MC hammer just one taste u won't want to quit. i cannot lie everyone needs to give this joint a try. 5 STARS!! read more

i think they changed owners. the guy who owned it before was awesome!!! but my recent experience with the new owners was horrible. i found hair in two of my entrees. hair...that is unsanitary and disgusting. i wont be going back, and i used to go here all the time. read more