The porcini Gruyère soup dumplings were honestly life changing. Delicious. The indoor/outdoor…read moreseating was super refreshing and service was fast. Would def come back!

Bigsuda has really delicious Korean food with a somewhat upscale vibe inside. They're known for the…read morepan seared mandoo (pot stickers) with the crackly crust. You can't go wrong with any of them. The cabbage tofu pocket is one of our go-to items here. It's a stuffed inari and when you bite into it you get a mouthful of salad in a pleasant way. The blueberry gives it a nice sweetness. The crunch crunch shrimp was good too. It's deep fried shrimp wontons, and the inside was actually really juicy from the shrimp. I do want to make special note of their water, it tastes really refreshing and comes in a nice steel bottle. Service is good they brought the plates out in a way that doesn't overload the small table and they are quick about taking empty bowls away. One thing that could be improved was the lighting and fan situation. At the specific two-seater table we originally say there's a ceiling fan that is right below a ceiling light. This caused a quick flickering that was really distracting. We told a server and were able to be moved to a different table slightly further away where it was less noticeable. It's definitely not a good lighting experience and highly suggest the owners address this. Most tables aren't affected by this though.

Food was amazing! We ordered delivery and the foot arrived, quickly, hot, and fresh. The chicken…read moresatay was fantastic. The meat was juicy and had a nice char. The peanut sauce was delicious and definitely stood out among more basic varieties. Will absolutely be back!

I've been going to Serai for years, which makes this review especially disappointing to write. I'm…read morenot sure if there has been a change in management or the kitchen, but this was by far the worst experience I've ever had here. The food was completely underwhelming, and when we shared our concerns with the staff, nothing was done to address them. The service was equally disappointing. Our server spent much of the time sitting on her phone while we waited for basic service like water refills, being asked about drinks, and receiving the drinks we ordered. We repeatedly had to get up and find someone just to receive attention. As for the food, the gyoza was bland and tasted like unseasoned pork. The lemongrass beef stew curry, which was highly recommended, arrived cold, had an odd texture, and lacked any real flavor. Most shocking of all were the drunken noodles. I've ordered them countless times over the years and always considered them among the best in Chicago. This time, I couldn't get past a single bite. Every dish was left unfinished. We didn't finish a single plate and didn't take any leftovers home--something that never happens for us. Between the poor service and incredibly disappointing food, this was an awful dining experience from start to finish. Unfortunately, after being a longtime customer, I won't be returning.

Sunda New Asian has a modern, upper class atmosphere. Clean, good vibes…read more We got the brussel sprouts and the Kamayan Feast, which were pretty decent. The brussel sprouts were great, tangy, and I really liked the shallot crisps. I expected a little more from the Kamayan Feast, which though the adobo pork belly and the lumpia provided a solid flavor profile, I feel like the Kamayan Feast provided more in terms of quantity than quality. Overall I would maybe go again once I'm back in Chicago.

I went for happy hour for a fun spontaneous stop and the bar was full but the rest of the…read morerestaurant was empty... this should have been my telling sign because the food was not good. Service was good, the host and waiter were nice. I ordered nori fries, spicy tuna hand roll, and lumpia. The fries were old fries because when you bite into it the inside was dried out similar to when you have leftover fries and reheat it. The tuna hand roll was interesting, it was canned tuna with some actual raw tuna. That was not what I was expecting in a hand roll... This restaurant use to be good and the place to be but it definitely needs a work up because I loved coming here!

Duck fried rice, every time…read more How have I not raved about Chef's Asian masterpiece? First off this place is super cool. The decor is interesting and brightly colored and each room has a bit of a different vibe. There's also a neat bar in the middle. For food we love the aforementioned fried rice with the runny duck egg, moo shu, bbq pork baos, chongqing chicken, Dan Dan slap noodles (natch) and those delicious green beans! We usually end up ordering a bunch since we've lived in the neighborhood for decades. Easy West Loop walk home leftovers for the win. Yes chef!

Though this has been on my list for some time, today my sister and I passed by and decided to try…read morethis place out and sooooo glad that I did. We had no reservations, but they were able to seat us immediately. Very warm and friendly welcome and then they described their menu. It is family-style, and I could see why because their portions are nice sized. The food is so yummy and delicious; I love homemade food. I love the bao as well as the Ramen! To be honest all the dishes we tried were good as well as the drinks. I will be back for dinner and lunch lol. I would say get a little bit of everything.

We got delivery and oh my gosh it was amazing!!! So many gluten free/gluten friendly options to…read morechoose from. The noodles, the chicken, the dessert options! So flavorful and I wish I had time to eat here twice during the vacation. Half charcoal chicken- unreal loved it with the rice Chili peanut noodles- the texture of the noodles was amazing and paired well with the chicken Dessert we had their banana bread item and carrot cake which all were gluten free and amazing

Food was really yummy. We had the Char Siu Bun, Elote Bun, Lo Mein and Chicken…read more Service was prompt. The chicken did take a while to come out but that was ok. Kinda casual but date night heavy.

My group and I were walking randomly and saw a bouncer outside in the alley…read more He let us in. Greeted by the catacombs of those who got raptured for not paying. Immediately sat. I got the Mai Thai because my entire group all got the same thing like NPCs.

Great vibes with dim lighting! We sat in the booths, which felt pretty intimate 8/10. There were…read morequite a few flashes from people taking photos and videos, so keep that in mind if you're looking for a more low-key atmosphere. The Sippopotamus was sweet, easy to drink, and had a nice pineapple flavor. The presentation was pretty too 9/10. Such a great spot to hang out with a group. Service was great, and our server checked in on us frequently. I'd definitely come back to try more drinks and food!

The burger is worth the hype! We came here looking to try the burger specifically. One thing of…read morenote, they only serve the burger at the bar after 7PM (I believe you can have it in the regular dining area before that time, but after 7PM, you can only order it at the bar!). The burger has a really rich and decadent miso butter that makes this burger so unique. If you want to double down on the miso butter, then order the oyster mushrooms (so delicious!). For another great side, the crispy chili cauliflower is very filling and tastes great! The ambiance of the restaurant is elevated yet casual and great for any event whether that be a date night spot, a get together with friends, or to celebrate a special occasion! The service is wonderful, our bartender was able to provide really great recommendations based on our preferences and what we were leaning towards so that we could share the perfect amount of food! Definitely will be coming back soon to try more of their menu!

My first time at Mott St, and it lived up to the hype! I'd seen so many recommendations on social…read moremedia, but what really drew me in was all the Michelin recognition. We tried plenty of dishes, and the standouts were the Stuffed Cabbage and the Oyster Mushrooms. The mushrooms were so delicious we ended up ordering a second round! The stuffed cabbage had crispy rice on the bottom, char siu pork, and soft cabbage. It was the perfect mix of textures and flavors. We also ordered the steak, which took quite a while to come out, but they did warn us about the wait ahead of time. One tip if you're coming for dinner and want their famous burger: they don't serve it for dine-in after 7pm! You can still order it to go, so we grabbed one after our meal. Overall, the food was amazing, and the ambiance, vibes, and lighting were just as good. I'd definitely recommend it and can't wait to come back!

We go out of our way to eat here when we're in the area. Great friendly service, huge portions for…read moregood prices and most importantly AMAZING food that tastes just like the islands. Lives up to all the hype. It's casual inside and you'll often see active duty military eating here - consider buying them lunch to thank them. We will be back over and over again!

I had really high hopes for Da Local Boy. I've been excited to try this place for a long time given…read moreall the high reviews but unfortunately, it was pretty disappointing. We ordered the Aloha Plate and chicken lumpia. The lumpia was soggy, super tiny and just wasn't good. The Aloha Plate was also much too sweet for my taste, and the meat felt pretty standard--similar to what I'd expect from a typical Korean BBQ meal. I usually love mac salad, so i was especially looking forward to that, but unfortunately, it was pretty underwhelming as well. The most disappointing was the service. Service was incredibly slow and not attentive at all.

MCCB was on my list of places to try while visiting Chicago's Chinatown, and it did not disappoint!…read moreI arrived right when they opened and was seated pretty quickly, but there was already a line forming outside. I tried the spicy chicken, noodles, and dumplings. The portions are generous and everything is definitely shareable, so I'd recommend ordering a few dishes to try. The food had great flavor, and the spicy chicken definitely brings the heat! Overall, a great experience! I'd recommend getting there early and coming hungry because this place gets busy. And don't forget to leave your name and a little message on their wall before you leave!

Modern Chinese Cook Book…read more.. Just in case you're wondering what it stands for and no I had no idea but did notice a cookbook in the restaurant but still didn't put two and two together. This Chinese restaurant is located on the ground floor in Chinatown and from the outside you have no idea what they have to offer even as you enter this cozy spot dishes out some serious bites. Menu takes a moment to figure out as they have dishes but are able to serve it with various sauces/or protein and does have indications of the spiciness level which surely helps in the decision making and be mindful as it all are served family style. My very first meal in Chicago I was ready for anything and the first impression was impressive for me personally as everything came out fast and hot and done right along with lovely presentation a quick pic was all it took as we were hungry. - Sour Pickle and Fish Fillet Soup It had the numbing sauce which I didn't understand and was afraid until I tried it and actually loved it the sour picked paired perfectly and that numbing soup was just that lol but wasn't spicy just left literally an impression on my palate - Chicken Egg Roll was just that very crispy and delicious though the presentation was unique as it came with a bowl of sauce packets - Cheng Du Spicy Wonton was probably one of my favorite simple but full of flavor drenched with sauce as it had a kick but not too spicy - American Broccoli with Flank Steak the classic that was good veggies done just right and tender meat - Eggplant Spicy Garlic Sauce was another favorite though I love eggplant it was tender and saucy that was a tad salty but gave it a good kick - Cold Noodle with Sesame Sauce was the last that we ordered so I was already getting filled up but it was nice and light that did accent and balance out the rest of the meal. Service is very nice and friendly especially with all of our questions since it was our first time and didn't disappoint and can see why there's always a wait and yes it's worth it if you're ever in Chinatown. Thank you!

now *this* is great okonomiyaki…read more coming from seattle and very recently having a disastrous experience at the only okonomiyaki spot in our area (you can read my past reviews for that), my two friends, my partner, and i were looking forward to having great okonomiyaki. thankfully, gaijin delivered! we came by on a friday night, and it was fairly busy. we wouldn't have been surprised if we were turned away since we didn't have a reservation. they ended up making space for us thankfully and we didn't even have to wait long at all. the inside of the place isn't that big, but it's not so tiny that it's cramped. when you sit down, if you are in a large enough party, you sit down in front of a flat stovetop to keep your okonomiyaki warm when the waiter brings it out to you. we started with some drinks. they were all very good - next time i'm trying that espresso goma-tini! i did get a lychee martini though, and it was a little strong of a pour but i still really enjoyed it. onto the okonomiyaki. we all ordered different ones so we could try them. every single one of them were delicious. i got the tofu osaka-style, my partner got the beef osaka-style, one of my friends got the fried shrimp osaka-style, and my other friend got the traditional hiroshima-style. each okonomiyaki is prepared perfectly, not too thick and not overly saucy (so it doesn't get soggy). the flavours are quite rich but also really nicely umami. sometimes, too rich of a sauce kind of overwhelms me, but the ratios are well-balanced. overall, truly recommend this place. probably some of the best okonomiyaki i've had. next time i'm in chicago, i'd love to go again. there's so many options to choose from and i want to try them all!

I've been wanting to try Okonomiyaki for a long time, so when I saw that they had it I had to stop…read moreby! It's really cool in here because you can watch them make the Okonomiyaki in front of you! They had like a set meal going on which included soup and okonomiyaki and dessert, which was mochi donuts. The soup was pretty good, standard. The Okonomiyaki was such a big portion. I loved the little tempura bits on top and they were generous with the amount of shrimp. It's like a yummy savory pancake. I will say I didn't really enjoy the mochi donuts but I was so full I couldn't eat them until later so it may have been because they weren't as fresh and got hard. If you've been wanting to try Okonomiyaki you should check this place out!