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Authentic tasting Filipino food with a homecooked feel is what I got when I visited Namit today with family. We ordered a variety of dishes, easily shareable, family style. The Pancit and chicken adobo stood out to me particularly because of how the dishes were made with authentic flavor and care, taking me back to my childhood. The interior is spacious as well and service outstanding.
Just had a fantastic experience at Namit Cafe in Lincoln Square. Always on the hunt to find new Filipino restaurants, and although Chicago lacks a large Filipino restaurant presence (although growing every year... there's now a Jollibee on Michigan Ave in downtown! Lol), it's always nice to try a new place. From the moment my friend and I walked in, we received a very warm and welcoming experience from the family who owns this place. Not all restaurants (even family-owned) that you go to provide friendly service sometimes, but this one did a great job of making us feel valued and they talked to us as if we were family! We opted for the kwek-kwek (friend quail eggs) that came with vinegar as well as sweet & sour chili sauce! So good, and only $5. We also decided to split two different meals: one being the Nilaga soup which consisted of vegetables, broth, beef, corn, and rice on the side. Make sure to ask for the patis sauce (fish sauce) which they forgot to give us (or maybe they don't normally give it out), but it really complements the beef and rice really well. Secondly, we got the Bacolod chicken Inasal which was my favorite. It comes a orange kind of rice, atsara, and more vinegar. The chicken was delicious. Every bite I ate just melted in my mouth and I wanted more at the end. Lastly, they even gave us an Ube cupcake on the house which was so kind of them! Seriously, just a great family- owned genuine restaurant! Also, I forgot to mention, but the music they were playing here slaps! Throwback R&B & 90s pop... which really made me feel like I was in the Philippines. I'll be back for sure when it's warmer so I can sit out in their patio! They opened in November 2021, so they haven't had a chance to utilize the patio space for customers due to the cold. Can't wait to come back!
Just FYI: NAMIT in Ilonggo means delicious in English. And all the food was just that. After getting duped for the second time to go to a Filipino restaurant in lakeview, I'm looking at you Kubo...update your time on holiday FFS, we landed at this serene and clean place. We got so very lucky. I had 3 hungry adults and a hangry toddler that walked the city with me for 8 whole hour. I quickly called Namit and was greeted on the phone by the pleasant owner who stated she would wait for us (it was near closing time). And seeing that it was closing time, I was expecting the food to be meh, but I was wrong. Everything was made to order, but didn't take long. Fresh, delicious, CLEAN, and easy on the wallet too! This combo is really hard to find in traditional Filipino places. And combined with a kind and attentive staff, this local spot should not be overlooked and shines much brighter than Kubo in my book. Wish I had more pictures of food, but honestly I was so hungry and it was all so very good, I only had pix of the longsilog. LOL! I'll take more pix next time. My daughter was also a fan so we will be back for the food, but also the kind service.
Wonderful family run spot with a focused quality menu and with desserts baked in house. Quiet eastern part of Lincoln Square keeps the crowds away and parking available in the neighborhood or meters up front. Low prices and reasonable-to-large portion sizes are matched with great flavors combined with the care of a home cooked meal. We got the shanghai lumpia and kwek-kwek to start. Try dipping the lumpia in the kwek-kwek sauce and I found the combo works. Kwek-kwek is a great treat we haven't seen nearby. Otherwise had the arroz caldo and the pancit. The arroz caldo had a rich broth base with tofu and chicken nugget add-ins along with the egg. Additional tofu was an option for $2 and I'd consider it next time. Great fresh vegetables in the pancit, good broth flavor in the noodles which were loose (not clumpy) and yet not dry. The portion of the pancit was large enough that we wound up taking some home. Both cases, the chicken in the dishes were cooked tenderly. Being full, we got an ube cupcake and a napoleon so that we could enjoy both later in the evening at home.
Nice family run place, meaning a nice family runs it. I was with old friends I hadn't seen in a while and we stayed well past closing. They were so polite we didn't realize the place was closed. Please don't do that to them, I blame my friends who live nearby and knew when it closed. My friends are also the types to call female Filipinos, "Filipina," as if they are LatinX so I refer to them as "Anglas," but they never get it. Anyway, the food is good, maybe they are Muslim because they don't have my favorite pork dishes, but they do have good pancit and great lumpia. Only get "Mark's fried chicken," not the other fried chicken. I like the Kwek Kwek too, though maybe it's just that I like saying, Kwek Kwek. The desserts are divine. Prices are good, this is the brightest and cleanest Filipino place I've been to.
I'd eaten at Namit a few times and really enjoyed it (chicken rice soup anyone?!) so I decided to have my birthday party there last week. Mark and Nathalie, the owners, could not have been nicer and easier to work with. I just chose the menu items, including homemade chocolate and ube cakes, and told them how many people were coming. That was it, and everything turned out perfectly. The price was reasonable for the abundance of goodies, and there were even leftovers, which is not often the case with my friend group. Their food is excellent (chicken adobo is top notch) and Nathalie was a great karaoke host, which got most people up and singing. This was a weeknight party (6-10) but it felt like a weekend night, and all the guests and hosts had a terrific time. Highly recommended for a dinner or party of any size!
Experience: I was in a mood for Filipino food and came across this restaurant. With a party of two on a random Monday during dinner time, we were able to be seated and serve fairly quickly. Parking: Free parking on Hamilton. Just be aware of permit restrictions. Worth: 100% worth the visit and on top of that, just keep visiting! This place is honestly a real hidden gem. I cannot tell you how happy I was that I found a place where they serve Filipino breakfast ALL DAY. I repeat, ALL DAY. Food is amazing. Staff are evening better! Like you honestly cannot go wrong eating here. Check out the pictures for further reference.
This filipino cafe is definitely worth going to! We found free parking right around the corner which was great. Right when we walked in, the staff was super friendly and welcoming. They have good music playing throughout. And cute decorations! I got lucky and snagged the last ube cupcake which was delicious. Egg rolls came out quick and were good. The tapsilog was delicious as well!! Prices are very affordable and appropriate for what you get. Breakfast is all day too which is a major plus. I'm definitely coming back again!
As much as I love posting pictures along with my reviews, for this one I decided to waste no time diving in. It was a packed day and I was ready to eat! Interestingly enough, we were in the area earlier in the afternoon looking up cafes on Yelp for a little afternoon pick-me-up and stumbled upon this suggestion. It's no secret that we love Filipino food (check out my other reviews) so we had to give this place a try. We went here for dinner and little did we know there was also an event going on! We're glad we were there at that time to see the beautiful kamayan spread others already shared in their reviews. It was a sight to behold and I'm strongly considering this place for our 5th wedding anniversary. Ambiance - this place is humble and simplistic, and that's not a bad thing at all. A few pieces of faux greenery and other decor pieces line the neutral colored walls, and everything looked neat and in its place. One thing that might make this space pop a bit more would be some life plants, but overall it was down-to-earth, cozy, and welcoming. I felt like I was visiting my tita's house. Food - 10/10! We ordered the lumpiang shanghai and Mark's chicken nuggets for our appetizers. Don't let the nuggets in the name fool you -- these aren't your fast food or frozen nuggets. These are hand battered, seasoned chicken tender bites that packed slot of flavor and paired well with the sauces provided (I personally liked their suka (spiced vinegar) with it most). The lumpia was great as well and a generous portion for the price. For our mains, we hand the chicken inasal (leg and thigh) and the longsilog plate. I loved that this place offered all day breakfast! The chicken inasal both looked and tasted amazing -- moist, cooked through chicken with that savory sweet blend of spices that make it so uniquely chicken inasal. This dish isn't my immediate go-to usually, but we had to get it based on the pictures we saw. Clearly, we're glad we did. The longsilog was cooked perfectly - over medium eggs seem to be a rarity these days/most places I've been to don't get it right. Namit did it perfectly. The chicken longanisa was packed with that sweet and savory flavor too. Even if you don't have room for it, take a dessert to go! Nathalie's cupcakes (we had the ube cupcake and yema cupcake) were literal perfection and i can't wait to order a custom cake from her. We look forward to trying more of the menu and visiting again soon! The adobo and pancit bihon are next on our list to try, and of course, the halo halo. Highly recommend this place especially for those who are new to Filipino food, or just those of us who love (and/or grew up with) Filipino food and just want a great, no frills, reasonably priced place to enjoy it.
This restaurant is a must visit! The owners are all very kind and really make you feel like a family (the owner even called us by our first name the entire time hahah). They realized we were there for a birthday and took out the karaoke for us to sing, which was amazing and added in so many extra laughs. Every single thing we ordered was delicious! If you only had to pick a few things, I would definitely suggest the Shanghai Eggrolls as well as the Arrozo Caldo! Our table ate the food so quickly that it was hard to get photos of it all! There are also ube cupcakes they sell that are AMAZING. I can't rave enough about how great of a visit this was. I'm already planning my next :)
4 months ago
1 year ago
Namit has great food and feels very homey. The decor is very thoughtful and celebrates Filipino culture. The service is attentive and friendly - I felt at home! The space is really great for events as well. We were there while a birthday party was going on and it was very jovial. The cake looked really yummy, too! I look forward to trying more of their offerings! I'm happy to have another authentic and delicious Filipino restaurant nearby. read more
I was surprised to find out they relocated from Ravenswood to North Park! We tried the Tapsilog, Bangsilog, Kwek Kwek, Arroz Caldo, Lumpia Shanghai, Calamansi-Butterfly Tea, and Buko Pandan Samalamig. I highly recommend the drinks -- they're beautiful and taste just as good as they look. The breakfast plates were solid, and the Arroz Caldo toppings were spot on, especially the chicken! Also, make sure to check out the gorgeous mixed media piece at the entrance -- it was created by one of the owners. This spot is family-owned, and the staff is super friendly. It's located right next to Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club. Note: This restaurant doesn't serve pork. read more
1 year ago
Authentic tasting Filipino food with a homecooked feel is what I got when I visited Namit today with family. We ordered a variety of dishes, easily shareable, family style. The Pancit and chicken adobo stood out to me particularly because of how the dishes were made with authentic flavor and care, taking me back to my childhood. The interior is spacious as well and service outstanding. read more
1 year ago
6 months ago
11 months ago
7 months ago
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8 months ago
1 year ago
Just had a fantastic experience at Namit Cafe in Lincoln Square. Always on the hunt to find new Filipino restaurants, and although Chicago lacks a large Filipino restaurant presence (although growing every year... there's now a Jollibee on Michigan Ave in downtown! Lol), it's always nice to try a new place. From the moment my friend and I walked in, we received a very warm and welcoming experience from the family who owns this place. Not all restaurants (even family-owned) that you go to provide friendly service sometimes, but this one did a great job of making us feel valued and they talked to us as if we were family! We opted for the kwek-kwek (friend quail eggs) that came with vinegar as well as sweet & sour chili sauce! So good, and only $5. We also decided to split two different meals: one being the Nilaga soup which consisted of vegetables, broth, beef, corn, and rice on the side. Make sure to ask for the patis sauce (fish sauce) which they forgot to give us (or maybe they don't normally give it out), but it really complements the beef and rice really well. Secondly, we got the Bacolod chicken Inasal which was my favorite. It comes a orange kind of rice, atsara, and more vinegar. The chicken was delicious. Every bite I ate just melted in my mouth and I wanted more at the end. Lastly, they even gave us an Ube cupcake on the house which was so kind of them! Seriously, just a great family- owned genuine restaurant! Also, I forgot to mention, but the music they were playing here slaps! Throwback R&B & 90s pop... which really made me feel like I was in the Philippines. I'll be back for sure when it's warmer so I can sit out in their patio! They opened in November 2021, so they haven't had a chance to utilize the patio space for customers due to the cold. Can't wait to come back! read more
3 years ago
Just FYI: NAMIT in Ilonggo means delicious in English. And all the food was just that. After getting duped for the second time to go to a Filipino restaurant in lakeview, I'm looking at you Kubo...update your time on holiday FFS, we landed at this serene and clean place. We got so very lucky. I had 3 hungry adults and a hangry toddler that walked the city with me for 8 whole hour. I quickly called Namit and was greeted on the phone by the pleasant owner who stated she would wait for us (it was near closing time). And seeing that it was closing time, I was expecting the food to be meh, but I was wrong. Everything was made to order, but didn't take long. Fresh, delicious, CLEAN, and easy on the wallet too! This combo is really hard to find in traditional Filipino places. And combined with a kind and attentive staff, this local spot should not be overlooked and shines much brighter than Kubo in my book. Wish I had more pictures of food, but honestly I was so hungry and it was all so very good, I only had pix of the longsilog. LOL! I'll take more pix next time. My daughter was also a fan so we will be back for the food, but also the kind service. read more
Wonderful family run spot with a focused quality menu and with desserts baked in house. Quiet eastern part of Lincoln Square keeps the crowds away and parking available in the neighborhood or meters up front. Low prices and reasonable-to-large portion sizes are matched with great flavors combined with the care of a home cooked meal. We got the shanghai lumpia and kwek-kwek to start. Try dipping the lumpia in the kwek-kwek sauce and I found the combo works. Kwek-kwek is a great treat we haven't seen nearby. Otherwise had the arroz caldo and the pancit. The arroz caldo had a rich broth base with tofu and chicken nugget add-ins along with the egg. Additional tofu was an option for $2 and I'd consider it next time. Great fresh vegetables in the pancit, good broth flavor in the noodles which were loose (not clumpy) and yet not dry. The portion of the pancit was large enough that we wound up taking some home. Both cases, the chicken in the dishes were cooked tenderly. Being full, we got an ube cupcake and a napoleon so that we could enjoy both later in the evening at home. read more
Nice family run place, meaning a nice family runs it. I was with old friends I hadn't seen in a while and we stayed well past closing. They were so polite we didn't realize the place was closed. Please don't do that to them, I blame my friends who live nearby and knew when it closed. My friends are also the types to call female Filipinos, "Filipina," as if they are LatinX so I refer to them as "Anglas," but they never get it. Anyway, the food is good, maybe they are Muslim because they don't have my favorite pork dishes, but they do have good pancit and great lumpia. Only get "Mark's fried chicken," not the other fried chicken. I like the Kwek Kwek too, though maybe it's just that I like saying, Kwek Kwek. The desserts are divine. Prices are good, this is the brightest and cleanest Filipino place I've been to. read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
I'd eaten at Namit a few times and really enjoyed it (chicken rice soup anyone?!) so I decided to have my birthday party there last week. Mark and Nathalie, the owners, could not have been nicer and easier to work with. I just chose the menu items, including homemade chocolate and ube cakes, and told them how many people were coming. That was it, and everything turned out perfectly. The price was reasonable for the abundance of goodies, and there were even leftovers, which is not often the case with my friend group. Their food is excellent (chicken adobo is top notch) and Nathalie was a great karaoke host, which got most people up and singing. This was a weeknight party (6-10) but it felt like a weekend night, and all the guests and hosts had a terrific time. Highly recommended for a dinner or party of any size! read more
Experience: I was in a mood for Filipino food and came across this restaurant. With a party of two on a random Monday during dinner time, we were able to be seated and serve fairly quickly. Parking: Free parking on Hamilton. Just be aware of permit restrictions. Worth: 100% worth the visit and on top of that, just keep visiting! This place is honestly a real hidden gem. I cannot tell you how happy I was that I found a place where they serve Filipino breakfast ALL DAY. I repeat, ALL DAY. Food is amazing. Staff are evening better! Like you honestly cannot go wrong eating here. Check out the pictures for further reference. read more
5 years ago
This filipino cafe is definitely worth going to! We found free parking right around the corner which was great. Right when we walked in, the staff was super friendly and welcoming. They have good music playing throughout. And cute decorations! I got lucky and snagged the last ube cupcake which was delicious. Egg rolls came out quick and were good. The tapsilog was delicious as well!! Prices are very affordable and appropriate for what you get. Breakfast is all day too which is a major plus. I'm definitely coming back again! read more
3 years ago
As much as I love posting pictures along with my reviews, for this one I decided to waste no time diving in. It was a packed day and I was ready to eat! Interestingly enough, we were in the area earlier in the afternoon looking up cafes on Yelp for a little afternoon pick-me-up and stumbled upon this suggestion. It's no secret that we love Filipino food (check out my other reviews) so we had to give this place a try. We went here for dinner and little did we know there was also an event going on! We're glad we were there at that time to see the beautiful kamayan spread others already shared in their reviews. It was a sight to behold and I'm strongly considering this place for our 5th wedding anniversary. Ambiance - this place is humble and simplistic, and that's not a bad thing at all. A few pieces of faux greenery and other decor pieces line the neutral colored walls, and everything looked neat and in its place. One thing that might make this space pop a bit more would be some life plants, but overall it was down-to-earth, cozy, and welcoming. I felt like I was visiting my tita's house. Food - 10/10! We ordered the lumpiang shanghai and Mark's chicken nuggets for our appetizers. Don't let the nuggets in the name fool you -- these aren't your fast food or frozen nuggets. These are hand battered, seasoned chicken tender bites that packed slot of flavor and paired well with the sauces provided (I personally liked their suka (spiced vinegar) with it most). The lumpia was great as well and a generous portion for the price. For our mains, we hand the chicken inasal (leg and thigh) and the longsilog plate. I loved that this place offered all day breakfast! The chicken inasal both looked and tasted amazing -- moist, cooked through chicken with that savory sweet blend of spices that make it so uniquely chicken inasal. This dish isn't my immediate go-to usually, but we had to get it based on the pictures we saw. Clearly, we're glad we did. The longsilog was cooked perfectly - over medium eggs seem to be a rarity these days/most places I've been to don't get it right. Namit did it perfectly. The chicken longanisa was packed with that sweet and savory flavor too. Even if you don't have room for it, take a dessert to go! Nathalie's cupcakes (we had the ube cupcake and yema cupcake) were literal perfection and i can't wait to order a custom cake from her. We look forward to trying more of the menu and visiting again soon! The adobo and pancit bihon are next on our list to try, and of course, the halo halo. Highly recommend this place especially for those who are new to Filipino food, or just those of us who love (and/or grew up with) Filipino food and just want a great, no frills, reasonably priced place to enjoy it. read more
5 years ago
This restaurant is a must visit! The owners are all very kind and really make you feel like a family (the owner even called us by our first name the entire time hahah). They realized we were there for a birthday and took out the karaoke for us to sing, which was amazing and added in so many extra laughs. Every single thing we ordered was delicious! If you only had to pick a few things, I would definitely suggest the Shanghai Eggrolls as well as the Arrozo Caldo! Our table ate the food so quickly that it was hard to get photos of it all! There are also ube cupcakes they sell that are AMAZING. I can't rave enough about how great of a visit this was. I'm already planning my next :) read more
5 years ago
Wow! Delicious, authentic Filipino food and not to mention great service. I highly recommend the lumpia and chicken inasal- full of flavor and great portions. Namit is such a wonderful addition to the Lincoln Square food scene and I look forward to enjoying more meals here read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Ordered the Molo for lunch today. The perfect dumpling soup for an overcast and dreary day. read more
5 years ago
Woohoooo! A new Filipino restaurant in the neighborhood! I was craving Filipino food one day and decided to come check this place out (& I'm so happy I did). First off, the owners Mark and Nathalie are super sweet and personable! We started off with appetizers, Lumpia Shanghai (egg rolls) and Kwek Kwek (quail eggs). I was already loving the appetizers and was definitely excited for the main entrees. The entrees we ordered were Arroz Caldo, Molo soup, and Chicken Inaasal. I couldn't tell which was my favorite dish because all of it was delicious! The Arroz Caldo might've been the #1 because of the chicken nuggets that were in it. It had the perfect crunch and it went really well in the soup! The Molo soup's dumplings in it were very tasty too, so if you're craving dumplings go for the Molo soup. The Chicken Inaasal, was probably the best I've had in the city too. It was very flavorful and the atchara (pickled papaya) with the chicken was a perfect combo. To top off all the food ordered, we got Ube cupcakes and of course, it was 10/10. The ube bread itself was moist and the icing was perfectly sweetened. Come out and check this new Filipino place out because it's definitely worth a try. Can't wait to come back and try out the rest of their menu and sweets!! P.S. The owner Nathalie also makes these beautiful cakes/cupcakes and she takes in orders for any occasion! read more
5 years ago
Visited Namit a week ago and had a wondrous meal. It is now my favorite Filipino place in Chicago. Why? It's not your typical "carinderia" nor your fancy frou frou fusion type. When you speak of Filipino food and talk of being homemade, it usually means overcooked, greasy and excessively seasoned dishes. Here at Namit, you will find none of those. For instance, the Kwek-kwek, a street food made of boiled quail eggs, is gently coated with annatto batter. It is delicate and delicious to the bite. Have you ever tasted the subtle flavor of rice vermicelli? If not, you must try their Pancit Bihon. See the strands glisten and taste the flavor of the broth which the noodle has been cooked with. Their molo dumpling is made fresh, there is crunch as you munch the filling. All the vegetable ingredients are crisp and tender, as the way it should be. The Arroz Caldo had plenty of toppings. In addition to the typical hard boiled egg, there's crispy chicken nuggets and tokwa (tofu sticks), a flair unseen at other places. If you're new to one-pot dishes, you should try the Beef Nilaga, beef stew with clear broth and a colorful medley of carrot, cabbage, green beans, potato and corn to boot. My friends had tapsilog and chicken inasal. Overall I love the dishes, it just feels very clean, the flavors are nuanced. The food doesn't feel weathered down for me, compared to other pinoy places I've been, with, broadly-speaking, unhealthy dishes. The proprietors were wise to stay away from processed ingredients. And did you know they don't serve pork? No offense to porkies :) And no religious leanings in particular either. Just a mere preference. Chef Mark, with xx+ years of culinary experience on his belt, says (paraphrased) 'If I can capture the distinctive taste of the dish with either chicken or beef, why not?' I quite agree. We didn't leave the place without sampling baker Nathalie's goodies. The chocolate and ube cupcakes are flavor-packed! With buttercream no less. I look forward to many more meals from Namit. read more
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Nothing beats lumpia! Great prices & succulent chicken meat! A welcome addition to the Ravenswood neighborhood read more
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Ask the Community - Namit Cafe
Hi. Are you still open for business? I tried calling today 9/10 and your phone gets disconnected.
We’re closed to relocate we’ll update info on our new location
Do you serve food other than what's listed for home delivery?
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4 years ago
