Stopped by for dinner. Was not disappointed. Good portions for the price. Soup was good. Noodles…read morealso not overcooked. Meat and tendons tender.

One of my favorite meals while visiting Chicago! It wasn't too busy and service checked up on us…read moreoften. We got the cucumber salad, popcorn chicken, and fried sweet potatoes to share for appetizers! I got the pork noodle soup for myself and ended the meal with a shared mango shaved ice dessert. I appreciated how the food was authentic with generous portions and overall, delicious. Everyone also liked their entree! Pork noodle soup was a lot more filling than I thought with flavorful broth.

I came to Hello Jasmine during a conference at McCormick Place because, let's be real, my dudes,…read morefood at the conference center is largely uninspiring and expensive. One of my friends who went to grad school in Chicago (whose food recommendations I trust with my life) told me I had to check out Hello Jasmine, so I hopped on the bus. I'm so glad I did. The cafe itself is ADORABLE. I happened to visit just before Halloween (10/28), and it was decorated in the most charming "spooky cute" way. There were little Halloween touches everywhere, and someone on staff is very clearly a Harry Potter fan. It somehow managed to feel festive, cozy, and cheerful all at once. I ordered the matcha fresh boba milk tea with fresh milk. My default is always 0% sugar because my biggest beverage pet peeve is when drinks are too sweet. (Despite being an ABC, one thing that definitely survived is my instinct to say "not too sweet, please".) The cashier gently talked me into getting 30% sugar because she said the matcha could be a little bitter otherwise. She was absolutely right. 30% percent was perfect. It was balanced, smooth, and so good that I accidentally drank it much faster than I meant to. (Oops.) I also ordered the pig blood rice cakes (made them spicy), and wow. I don't think I've ever seen these anywhere in Boston. They were seared, spicy, savory, just a tiny bit sweet, and 100% delicious. I was so excited to find something that felt a little harder to come by. 11/10, I would absolutely come back. In fact, my only complaint is that it wasn't closer to the convention center. I probably could have expensed lunch there, and honestly, those corporate dollars would have been much better spent here than on conference catering. I wish I lived in Chicago just so I could stop by more often. Hats off to Jasmine and the staff. It feels bright, authentic, and full of joy. I imagine it's exactly the kind of cafe where students go after a long week to recharge over a really good drink and something comforting to eat, and I'm so glad it exists.

Lots and lots of options. Wish the menu was clearer to first-timers because I saw food on other…read moretables that I would have preferred to order, but hadn't noticed them on the digital menu. Perhaps the pictures didn't do them justice. Beef tendon soup had lots of delicious tendon and noodles. Not enough veggies, though the bok choy it did have was nice and fresh. Mushroom-based milk tea was a fascinating concept, but in the end tasted like iced coffee. Pleasant and efficient personnel.

Heart warming, comforting, and very developed flavor profiles in the dishes. Portions are the…read moreperfect size and quality is amazing. The noodles were chewy, soft, and buttery. While the sauce was oil based, it was not oily at all- it hugged the noodles perfectly. The fried chicken had a hint of cinnamon and a perfect crunch. The bowl had plenty of rice and we dumped the entire chili crisp add on which elevated the dish in the most delightful way. Service was quick and friendly. The restaurant itself is well decorated and is a total vibe. Definitely coming back to try more menu items!!

Happy hour or from 5-7 but for some reason is ONLY offered is at the bar…read more Reservations require a monetary hold on your credit card, despite the local wisdom that this place always has a lot of seating available during prime dinner time. In that same vein, when a few friends joined to expand our party size to 7, we were approached by the waitress and pressured to order more drinks, because tables of 7 or more must spend a min of $35/person and were weren't close to that yet. Even more striking was that she said that it was because the kitchen was so small (relevance?) and while we were the only ones taking up space in an empty and expansive back patio (please just appreciate the business). The food was perfectly adequate, the Taiwanese fried chicken is popular there and was good, but I feel it was a bit off. There was a hint of something like cinnamon sugar, I expect my chicken to err on the side of salty. Their offer fruity beers, and from my tasting of the lychee variety, it was lower in abv but sweet and refreshing. The bartender serving is drinks was fun, he brought over shots for us to experiment which elevated our overall experience

Excellent coffee and tea beverage selections. Haven't yet tried the food offerings but they look…read moreand sound delicious.

This is the second location they have in the Lakeview neighborhood which seems to be the express…read moreversion. The menu here is limited to mostly bento boxes of Taiwanese food and street food. We ordered spicy pork chop and basil chicken bento box which came in good portion. The meal was balanced with protein, veggies and rice. The price was reasonable. The only downside is that the restaurant was tiny with only a few tables and seatings were not comfortable. Also, the bathroom and the floors were not very clean. We had to wipe tables ourselves...Parking can be challenging although the Target across the street offers 1-hour complimentary parking.

Beautiful restaurant! I love all the decor details. The ambiance is lovely and the service is…read moreexcellent. Caroline took fantastic care of me. Very attentive and kind. The food is wonderful! I loved my mapo tofu entree. Very flavorful and the perfect amount of spicy. Great location, right on Michigan Avenue near Grant Park. Fun views of Michigan Avenue from the windows. I would gladly come here again!

It was an early day, and I was craving some comfort food. There was no one in the place when I…read morewalked in at 7:30am. The waitress, Caroline, was very polite and she took my order or won ton noodles. The broth was a tad watery and could have used a bit more flavor. The won tons were delicious, and the noodles hit the spot! It was a perfect meal to start the day! Thank you, Caroline!

Got dan dan noodles for takeout and it did not disappoint…read more Feel like with noodle dishes takeout always feels a bit iffy if the quality of the noodles will still hit and if it's as good as having it on the spot. The noodles were still incredible and they did not skimp on the meat or anything. Incredible meal, and the only thing I wish was different was a little more of that peppercorn kick.

Must go for a rainy day staple! Now that fall is around, Lao Peng You has a great menu for all…read morethose who love to feel cozy w some soupy warm good. Their dumplings are great, but the broth they come in is somehow even better. Must go! But make sure you're there at a reasonable time in the week since they do not take reservations and wait could last upto an hour. I think it's worth it.

Part 3 of 5 Memorial Day weekend APIHM series…read more Currently, the Mall comprises a bank, a couple of TCM doctor's offices, and a dental office. There are a variety of dishes to choose from 4 different vendors on the first floor. I enjoy coming here every so often to treat myself and my family to authentic dishes that are hard to find elsewhere, particularly stinky tofu, ba wan (Taiwanese meatball), oyster omelet, and pig blood soup. It is a food court. You are expected to return the tray and empty dishes back to designated areas. Although not required, I've never seen anyone do otherwise. The bathrooms are small and could use additional lighting in my opinion. Parking, you asked? Yes, there is a large parking lot. It is easily accessed from Route 83 (Kingery Hwy) or Ogden Avenue. On this particular visit, 988 Oriental Food House was closed. Reopening date is May 30, 2023.

Rich in history, the International Mall in Westmont was the place to go for authentic Chinese food…read more(prepared and ingredients) in the 1990's: with its very large grocery store and a large food court serving various cuisines from China. It has definitely seen better days: still open but very empty (of customers, of vendors, of products). But when we stopped by on a Wednesday for lunch, we found the food to be quite good and of really good value along with plenty of space to dine comfortably and nonchalantly: a good stop to refuel while on the way to central Illinois.

The flavor was amazing. As was the beer. They only have dumplings - so if you want ramen etc…read morethis is not your spot. Fun, friendly servers and fun atmosphere !

What a great dumpling spot!…read more The atmosphere feels welcoming and simple The food was incredible! From the spice lamb kebabs to the 3 different dumplings we tried! Absolutely delicious! If you are in the area, this is a must try. My family will be back for sure!

We came to Mabu Generation on a Sunday evening when the restaurant was not busy and was actually…read moreunusually quiet. One thing I personally did not like was that they require customers to pay first before the food comes out. For a sit-down restaurant, I prefer to eat first and pay after, especially when service is expected. The service was not very proactive during our visit. The food was okay, but nothing really stood out to me. For the price, I felt it was a little pricey compared to Taipei Cafe, and the overall experience did not feel worth it. Overall, the food was just alright, the service could be improved, and the pay-first system was not something I liked. I don't think I would come back.

Decided to spontaneously eat here on a friday night while walking past and did not regret it…read more The restaurant wasnt overly crowded or loud and, the service was great while the food was even better. The taiwanese style popcorn chicken and pork cutlet were super juicy and tender with nicely crisp breading. The sausage had a pleasant sweetness to it and was served with garlic chips, which added a nice touch. Finally, the broth of the Sichuan noodles was packing with flavor: sweet, tangy, spicy, umami - truly hit all the spots without being too numbing to your mouth, if thats one of your concerns Would definitely return to try the other menu items, especially their hot sizzling plates and their dessert/drink offerings

As soon as you open the door, the smell of delicious food hypnotizes you. It's really hard to…read moredecide what to order because everything looks so good! For starters, we tried the Deep-Fried Pork Belly. It had a crunchy exterior with a dusting of chili powder, while the meat was incredibly tender. It came with a sweet chili dipping sauce that balanced the heat of the chili powder perfectly. I don't have much tolerance for spicy food, but I kept going back for "just one more bite." It was that addictive! For the main course, we tried the Mongolian Beef paired with Egg Fried Rice. The beef was so tender it practically melted in your mouth, and the vegetables had a nice bite to them--the perfect combination. The egg fried rice had just the right amount of garlic and egg, and it paired beautifully with the beef. I can't forget to mention the service. I felt like I was at my auntie's house--warm, welcoming, and genuinely cared for.

Great food but slow service! We got a few items such as the chicken lo mein ($19), red chicken…read morechili :($19), 2 order of steamed soup dumplings ($18), string beans ($14), eggplant ($16) and the quality was great and super authentic. However the 30+ min wait for the veggie orders came after the entire meal when every thing was ordered at the same time, they somewhat rushed us at the end so they can sit their regulars, and the steamy soup dumplings were small and stuck to the paper wrapping and not served w the traditional ginger. The seating and place was clean- I just be prepared to wait and skip on the dumplings since it wasn't the best quality.