This is our go-to place every time we have family and friends in town! Their pickled fish soup is absolutely the best, delicious, wonderful flavors and fresh! Can't get it elsewhere. The BBQ pig feet is also one of our favorites. Veggies are always good, garlic peapot leaves, string bean and the cabbage are our faves. Fatty beef in sour soup is yummy too, the sour soup flavor is slightly different from the pickled fish. Their boiled fish or beef are nice too, although not as delicious as the pickled flavors. For dessert, the brown sugar rice cakes are our faves! The portions are big and family style. The staff is always very friendly, the restaurant is clean and they validate Chinatown parking lot if you drove and parked in the South or the North lot. Highly recommended and we'll keep coming back! read more

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This place is an absolute must if you are in the area! I highly recommend you get the pickled fish soup I come at least once a month or every time my wife or I are starting to feel sick. The soup is amazing it's healing and replenishes your soul every add on that you can pick is a good option I promise their is no bad options or combinations. Add things to the pickle fish soup I promise it's worth it Now don't forget every dish here is a hit from the chili chicken to the veggies to the wood ear mushrooms it's all good and worth trying! The staff is super friendly and excited to take care of you I love these guys. If you eat here it's always clean and beautiful it's a cool vibe only thing is there is always people here because it's so good! read more

Came by to Yao Yao to try their boiled fish. Their specialty is pickled fish, although we opted for the Szechuan spicy boiled fish. The fish serving size is huge, and comes with generous portions of fillet, some with skin on. There weren't as many sides or other items in the broth like this dish in other restaurants (just bean sprouts). Flavor was good and spicy. Other dishes on the menu was excellent. We got the eggplant dish, which had a great firm texture. The cold cucumber dish was refreshing. The restaurant has an open kitchen where you can see them cooking most of the food. Everything came out quickly. Interior is clean and simple, and has more of a fast casual vibe. Service was prompt. There was no wait for dinner on a Saturday night. read more

In the words of Rocky from Project Hail Mary: "Amaze! Amaze!" And in combination with Yoda from Star Wars if he were joining us for dinner, he might say: "Amaze! Amaze! The food is!" Another Michelin Bib Gourmand spot that left us happy and full! One thing to know before ordering: the portions here are generous, especially the bowls. We ordered the two-style combo fatty beef with green peppercorn Szechuan fish, and the dry chili pig feet as an appetizer. The green peppercorn fish delivered that signature numbing Sichuan sensation without overwhelming the other flavors, and Oh. My. God. It was fantastic and definitely yummy in my tummy. The fatty beef was rich and satisfying. The dry chili pig feet had a great balance of texture and spice and were perfect for sharing! The interior also stood out to me. Instead of the traditional red-and-gold decor often found in Chinese restaurants, Yao Yao uses a bright white and turquoise color palette that feels modern, clean, and welcoming. It gives the restaurant its own personality and makes it feel different from many other Chinese restaurants I've visited. Service was friendly and attentive throughout our meal, and our food arrived promptly. Between the flavorful dishes, generous portions, unique decor, and Bib Gourmand-worthy value, I can see why Yao Yao stands out. My only regret is having one tummy that couldn't fit all the food in ! read more

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Excellent meal!! This place does not disappoint, but you HAVE to keep an open mind if you've never had this style of food before. Pickled fish soup was incredible and unique - the menu says the medium size if for two people, but it is better suited for 4+ if you want to try other dishes as well. Bullfrog with pepper was yummy and not spicy, a good complement to all of the spicy dishes. If you don't handle spice well, opt for mild! It will still be hot, but manageable. Service was great and restaurant was clean. read more

Yao Yao - Yao Yao Pickled Fish - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

EGGPLANT IN GARLIC SAUCE - you must try it!!! I wish I had heard about Yao Yao sooner!! The portions for this place are crazy - great for larger parties otherwise you're taking it home. They are known for their pickled fish - so unique and so yummy. We had the tomato fish too which was great but I'd like to try the spicy beef next time. But most of all, the eggplant in garlic sauce IS SO GOOD. I'll add a disclaimer at the top so that it's not missed. The flavor and texture is my favorite and I hope more people discover this excellent Chinese dish. read more

Yao Yao - Eggplant in Garlic Sauce - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We ordered the Half and Half bowl: Tomato fish soup and the pickled fish soup, both were amazing in their own ways. The tomato broth was rich, comforting, and slightly sweet, while the pickle fish soup had that perfect tangy-spicy balance. We go the eggplants as a side and loved that as well :) What I love about this place is how authentic and flavorful everything tastes. The ingredients feel fresh, and the presentation is on point. The portions are VERY GENEROUS, and it's a great spot to come with a small group to share and try different items. we joked about coming back here just to meal prep, the take home portions was enough for me to do a at home hotpot twice! read more

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Had to check this place out since it's on the Michelin list. The food was surprisingly affordable compared to many other Bib Gourmand and it's BYOB. Was pretty empty to walk in around 5PM on a Saturday. We wanted to try the spicy dumplings, but unfortunately they were out so we got the crab Rangoon instead and wow what luck! The crab Rangoon were so good. Probably the best we've had in Chicago. The inside was creamy and there wasn't a lot of extra crispy bits on the outside without filling. They didn't come with a sauce which we thought we were going to be annoyed about, but they really didn't need it! The beef lo mein was also one of the better lo meins we've had in the city. Nothing crazy, just simple and yummy. The spicy chicken was tasty but the Szechuan spice was way too much for my low spice tolerance. My one complaint with Yao Yao was that their menu states that there are three levels of spicy items but nothing is above level one. My opinion is the spicy chicken should've been higher, but we didn't try any of the other spicy items to compare. read more

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One of my favorite places for pickled fish. The server is always so thoughtful and friendly. I loved the color scheme inside and the booths are so comfy. read more

Yao Yao - Yao Yao Pickled Fish & Spicy Boiled Beef - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yao Yao really is all that. The prices nearly knocked me sideways until I saw the size of the dishes. Two of us ordered the pickled fish, wood ear mushrooms, and smashed cucumbers. Fully half of the mushrooms and cucumbers came home with us and we were struggling just a little to not leave over any fish. These are all go-to dishes for me and I've had them in many restaurants in different parts of the country. These renditions were absolutely top tier. Service was attentive and the atmosphere is standard Chinatown. I noticed many plates of interesting looking fried things passing by. On the list for next time. read more

Yao Yao - Yao Yao Pickled Fish - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got the standard Yao Yao pickled fish and the eggplant in garlic sauce and these were incredible paired with rice - I absolutely loved this meal! This is one of the best pickled fish stews I've had. The restaurant decor is very clean and interesting - like a Tiffany and Co colored cafe mixed with a diner vibe. All the staff seem to be able to speak mandarin and service is quick and friendly. I'd come back again for sure! read more

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Came here for a late lunch since it was a Michelin restaurant. Easy to get seating for the 11 of us. Decor was simple and place was clean. Service was good with our waiter. We got their special pickled fish and beef soup, another pickled white fish, the deep fried pork strips, Yao Yao fish, string beans, schezuan chicken, vegetable egg rolls, mixed fried rice, chicken lo mein, crab Rangoon, sweet shrimp, and a few other dishes. The prices were very good for good sized portions. The pickled soups cost $70 but the pics in the menu are very deceiving. They are very large portions so be careful how much other food u order if you get that dish. They're famous for it and it is good but just not my favorite, I spent about $300 for all the food and drinks. read more

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I get why ppl love this! We got the dual bowl of Yao Yao pickled fish and fatty beef in sour soup. While this place is famous for the pickled fish, I thought the beef was better! The sea bass slices were the perfect texture, and they were so generous with the pickled greens. The sliced beef was fatty, and there was a lot of vermicelli at the bottom. Overall, this was pretty perfect!! Not the biggest cup of tea for someone if they don't like pickled or sour stuff, of course. The bowl looks smaller in pics than it does in real life!! You can def split this with 4 people and still be full! The decor is super cute and teal inside! read more

Yao Yao - Yao Yao pickled fish and fatty beef in sour soup - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yao Yao is awesome. I came here with a friend on a Wednesday right when they opened and there was only one other table occupied. The interior looks very modern, and I love the open kitchen. Friendly but distant service - just what I like. We ordered the fermented fish for "2" with enoki mushrooms and bean curd. I put the "2" in quotes because the portion size is HUGE. We had trouble finishing it, and both of us are pretty good eaters. That being said, it was absolutely delicious. The first bites crunching down on peppercorns numbed my mouth, and when my taste came back, the full punch of the soup flavor hit me - it was great. Wonderful depth to the broth. Fish was really delicate, and the toppings had great texture and flavor. I appreciated the two ladles (slotted and not), making it easy to grab more toppings or broth. I also appreciated how easy they made splitting the bill. A lot of places groan and struggle when we ask, but they were able to split it right on the tablet, at the table, really quickly. read more

Yao Yao - Fermented Fish for "2"! - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super solid option in Chicago Chinatown. A glass-enclosed kitchen to the left as you enter the restaurant welcomes you, alongside an odd cartoony merbear-fish creature as their logo/mascot. The walls painted in pastel tones of the light blue/aquamarine kind that feel more like Miami than Chicago. I tried two dishes: - House Special Chicken and Shrimp and Beef Lo Mein ($15.95). - Eggplant in Garlic Sauce ($14.95). I loved both dishes. The noodles were wonderfully chewy, and the eggplant was absolutely delicious. Portions are rather generous; these two dishes are certainly big enough to be shared with another person. Apparently, pickled fish dishes are their signature dishes. The Yao Yao Fish -- "a soulful combination of large-mouth bass fillets and pickled mustard greens bobbing in a spicy chile broth" -- which is served as a centerpiece dish, sounds and looks fantastic. Unfortunately for me these pickled fish dishes are very large and necessitate a few dining companions, and I was a lone diner. Oh well, one more reason to come back. read more

Yao Yao - October 8, 2024; House Special Chicken and Shrimp and Beef Lo Mein ($15.95). - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I live over an hour away from Yao Yao, but I would seriously drive there weekly to have the Sesame Crispy Shrimp. It is so good, I accidentally dropped a piece on shrimp on the floor and without a second thought, I picked it up and popped it in my mouth. 30 second rule, right? It's even better, if that is possible, with some chili oil on it. Everything we have eaten there is great. Service is always spot on and everyone is friendly. The restaurant is adorable. Teal and gray. So clean. read more

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My friend and I ventured to Yao Yao on a cold Sunday evening for something warm and comforting and they certainly delivered. I have been craving Chinese pickled fish for a while since the weather got chilly, so I'm very happy to find Chinatown has a spot dedicated to just that. The restaurant itself is very nice and modern, much cleaner than a lot of other places on the older side of Chinatown. Our party of 2 decided to order a combo dish with the Yao Yao Pickled Fish and the Spicy Boiled Beef. When the food came, I was shocked at how large the portion was. It was advertised as food for 2, but I think it could've fed 4. The pickled fish was by far my favorite, though the boiled beef was good too. The fish was fresh, the spices were just right, and the whole dish was just very warming in the best way possible. There is already pickled veggies in the soup, so no need to add additional veggies if that's what you're looking for. The boiled beef tasted great but some pieces of beef were a bit tough. At first I thought the price was on the pricier side for 2 people, but the portion size really made it a great value. I got at least 3 meals from just my half of the leftovers! Service was average, but honestly who expects outstanding service in Chinatown anyways? I'll definitely be back this winter to try more dishes on their menu. Food: 4.75/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Overall: 4.5/5 read more

Yao Yao - Half boiled beef, half pickled fish - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing amazing food! Orange chicken was something i never experienced in my life ! DOnT remeber what i ordered besides the orange chicken but everything was authentic! Neat decor and service was fast!! read more

Our first time here. We ordered the pickled fish dish for 2 and it was plenty for 3 people. I like that I can tailor the spiciness. Good flavor soup. The spicy chicken was also pretty good and a decent portion for an appetizer. The 2 fish heads are great if you enjoy that sort of thing. My only gripe is the price point for the pickled fish soup. There are no additional ingredients included in the price as I've seen at other places. read more

Yao Yao - Yao Yao Pickled Fish - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I wish I didn't have to write this review because I actually really like their food, but I had such a bad experience today. They close at 9:30 on Sundays, and we arrived right before 9, but they refused to seat us. They didn't even give us the option to eat quickly. I have been here before so I know their food comes out quickly so we could've finished eating around 9:30. Instead, we had to order takeout. When we placed our order, we specifically asked for the spicy chicken. The girl who took our order even confirmed it with us. However, when we got home, we realized we didn't get the spicy chicken. We called the restaurant, and she just said it wasn't in our order, no apology or anything. We ordered the pickled fish, tomato fish, and dry pot cauliflower, which came to $154--definitely on the pricier side. While the food tastes good, the service is terrible. It felt like the girl that took our order was just rushing to get off work. read more

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We came here for a weeknight dinner and there weren't that many customers in the restaurant since we were quite early. Paid street parking was easy to find right outside the restaurant. By the end of our meal, the restaurant was getting close to being fully packed. I love that they have an open kitchen and you can watch the chefs prepare your dishes. Service was fast and the food was unique. For an appetizer we ordered the spicy chicken- so good with the most fragrant chili sauce. It wasn't overwhelmingly spicy to me. We of course had to try their classic fish dish with the pickled vegetables (a tad bit spicy) and also tried the tomato soup based fish. The tomato based one wasn't spicy at all. Both were delicious and generously portioned. Their fish slices do come with the skin on. The meat was super tender and soaked up all the flavor from the broth. You have the option of adding in extra veggies, tofu, mushrooms etc into the broth, which we did and I recommend it. The fish dishes are on the oilier side. We also tried their pea tip dish which you can order stir fried or in broth- we chose the latter and it was a hit. This is definitely more of a dine in place for me- the food is just better fresh out of their kitchen. read more

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Overall Thoughts: There are tons of excellent options in Chinatown for every budget point, but if you're willing to spend a bit more, Yao Yao is the place to go (it's also Chinatown's first Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant). For my group of 9, it ended up being ~$31 per person after tax/tip, which felt fair for the quality ingredients, vibrant Szechuan flavors, efficient service, and fresh ambience. The pickled fish and spicy chicken were my favorite dishes from what I ordered, but everything was tasty and flavorful. Food I tried: - Pickled Fish XL (4.7/5): Pricey but massive, filled with spice and tender fish-- the sour taste was robust and the pickled veggies were delicious. You get 3 free sides with the XL; we got enoki, dry bean curd skin, and qianye tofu. - Spicy Chicken (4.7/5): This was my favorite appetizer; the chicken was incredibly tender and flavorful. - Golden Fried Crispy Pork (4.4/5): True to the name, it was super crispy. - Spiced Beef & Maw Szechuan Style (4.5/5): This classic Szechuan appetizer doesn't disappoint-- packed with spice and flavor. - Eggplant in Garlic Sauce (4.6/5): Biased because this is my favorite Chinese veggie dish, but it was delicious-- the eggplant is soft, creamy, and flavorful. - Spicy Gluttonous Bullfrog (4.3/5): I liked this one less than other dishes, but it was still good. The bullfrog meat was kind of sparse. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.1/5 Food: 4.5/5 Ambience: 4.8/5 Service: 4.8/5 Overall Value: 4.6/5 read more

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A long detour off the beaten path in the Second City found us at Yao Yao, a Michelin Bib Gourmand selection known for pickled fish stew. If you've never had pickled fish, it's an experience. And it's worth a trip if you're an adventurous eater. We started with jasmine tea all around, and then a bunch of appetizers including Dan Dan Noodles (soft, chewy noodles with a slightly spicy sauce ladled on top), Szechuan Green Beans (warm and crisp, with a little bite of spice), crab rangoons (lots of fried breading, not much crab) and a cold seafood salad (fresh scallions mixed with clams). Then the pickled fish came out - a huge bowl of soup filled with big chunks of white, flaky fish, perfectly cooked. The soup was full of ingredients - mushrooms, greens, peppers, spices. Each spoonful was full of flavor - spicy, unctuous, bright, peppery, everything. Amazing. My first time trying pickled fish, it's definitely something every foodie should try. And Yao Yao does it right! read more

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We came here for lunch after their Bib Gourmand announcement. It was a Sunday morning, and I was really surprised that it wasn't busy at all. We were able to get a seat right away and the service was quick and friendly. The wife and I shared a medium Pickled Fish. We weren't exactly sure what to expect out of this, because the pictures looked like regular sized bowls, so we also ordered their Pork Pot Stickers. The Pork Stickers were good but they came after our Pickled Fish. Would have preferred to eat this before our main dish. They were served with a dipping sauce and overall a really tasty appetizer. The Pickled Fish was definitely something new and out of my comfort zone. It's their most popular dish so I just had at least try it once. I do have to say there's no picture that does this thing justice. The medium is huge and definitely more than enough for two people. The fish was perfectly cooked. It was very tender and flavorful and plenty of it as well. They don't skimp here. The soup had good flavor as well. It was sour with a little bit of spiciness too or. Overall a very flavorful dish and I'm glad I tried it out. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be returning, but I can definitely see my self coming back in the near future. read more

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Traditional Chinese cuisine is not my forte and it maybe an acquired taste that I do not possess, however, I left Yao Yao a bit disappointed. I tried the pickled fish soup- it wasn't bad but it was not something I would order again. Some of the fish still had skin / scales on it and the texture was somewhat off putting. The flavors were nice with a lovely balance of garlic and ginger mixing well with the greens. The fried egg role was not cooked well and was partly cold when I bit into it (almost like it had been frozen and not cooked all the way). Most of the entrees seemed like they could have been served at a warmer temperature in my opinion. The service was very friendly, prompt, and welcoming and everyone at the restaurant were wonderful. The restaurant seemed clean, although the bathroom could have used a slight tidying up in my opinion. They have very cute teal service ware which matches the walls. Overall, though not for me, Yao Yao was a clean, friendly, affordable restaurant. The cuisine may be more of an acquired taste and a bit closer focus in the kitchen to assure food was properly heated could have elevated the experience. read more

Excellent pickled fish! It's quite expensive for the amount of food, but I do think it's somewhat worth the price. It's one of my favorite spots for pickled fish in the area. My friend and I ordered the pickled fish for 2 without any add-ons. I'm a big eater, so I wasn't quite full at the end, but my friend was stuffed. If there are a lot of big eaters in your group, you should probably get some appetizers or add more to your pot. I like that there are options to try 2 flavors of pickled fish or just spicy beef for example. It can get pricey, but I would suggest adding others things to your pot to give it more variety and vegetables. The fish was very silky, and there was a nice balance of pickled veggies and spices. The rainbow jelly was a nice way to cool down after some spicy food. I think this is a spot worth bringing out-of-town visitors. read more

Yao Yao - Rainbow oolong ice jelly - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Minus 1/2 star bc I thought the double-flavor hotpot bowl was bit pricey. There were only two of us and had there been four or more it may have felt more affordable, but for the portion you would still need a couple more entrees or side dishes. DESPITE this misgiving the flavors were unique and fantastic. Generous amount of peppercorns in our Green Peppercorn Fatty Beef hotpot made my mouth feel tingly, numb, and slightly metallic. If you don't like that sensation then pick another dish! I would definitely eat here again, or even take out-of-town guests for a visit. I loved the glass-enclosed kitchen in front, but we got placed towards the back - the lean-in to the tiffany-blue colors on the walls at in the serveware appealed to me. I literally wondered who their supplier was, and how hard it would be to get replacement dishes. Maybe over time their serveware will switch to something plainer, but it was nice to see the cohesiveness. There were multiple electric rice cookers visible on the sideboard which I thought made it a bit more mom-and-pop, however from my vantage point, they need to place a better-fitting curtain over the back room / kitchen opening - I could see a sticky insect-trap hanging from the ceiling just past the doorway :p Would absolutely visit again to try other flavors of their hotpot! read more

Yao Yao - Green Pepper Corn Fatty Beef - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We ordered: 1. Yao Yao Pickled Fish and Spicy Boiled Beef. Added QianYe Tofu and Longkou crystal noodle 2. Golden Fried Crispy Pork 3. Cucumber w/ Jellyfish Everything we ordered tasted good and I'd recommend. Some of the pieces of the crispy pork was just fat though. I would prefer the crispy pork pieces to be thicker cuts of pork meat. Fish and beef were perfectly cooked and soups had authentic flavor. Biggest issue was price. The half and half bowl was $65. In contrast, there was a "sour pickled fish fillet" which is almost the same size and tastes the same for $25. Service was excellent. Staff constantly checked on us. Lots of seating for 4+ groups read more

Yao Yao - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is my go-to spot in the country for 酸菜鱼. Fish is thinly sliced and pickled veggies is A+. The broth is strong and each bite is flavorful. There's not even a place in nyc that can make this amazing bowl of pickled fish. Highly recommend to try this place out if you're in Chicago if you love chinese style of cooking fish. read more

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Overall was pretty happy with my visit. Didn't really know what to expect. Their other location in California has less than stellar reviews and I have often found getting a bib gourmand can be very hit or miss for a restaurant. We walked in around 6:30-7 on a Friday evening and it was maybe half full? It's a very clean spot with an interesting Tiffany blue color scheme. The workers definitely run a tight ship and as a side note was very impressed at what seemed to be the manager being able to language switch between english, cantonese, and mandarin pretty damn seamlessly. Anyways, food-wise we ordered a large bowl (serves 3-4) of the pickled fish and spicy boiled beef. Also threw in a couple add-ons like wood-ear and enoki mushrooms. They came out in pretty massive bowls and I think it is definitely more than enough for 4 people especially if you get in plenty of the additional items. I quite liked the flavors of the pickled fish. It was a nice balance of "mala" flavor from the peppercorns and sourness/funk from the pickled veggies and fish. The spicy boiled beef was a bit more familiar on the "hotpot" mala/pure spicy flavor. We ordered it at regular spice and it had a decent kick to it, but nothing too crazy. We also ordered a couple veggies to accompany everything. The eggplant in garlic sauce was pretty standard dish. Eggplant was nice and soft. Peapod leaves are always a hit as long as they're relatively fresh and this was good. I did think the addition of century egg and it being served in chicken broth was a bit unique. I don't know if it really did much, but it was still yummy. Overall it is definitely on the pricier end. The large serving of pickled fish and boiled beef was $88 and the veggies were about $10-$12 a dish. Still, I would definitely come back again if I'm craving more of that pickled fish. That is definitely the star of the show for me. read more

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环境很好，份量很足，服务员态度也都很好。终于有蔬菜炒菜了，实在是受不了了，味道比国内还要好，很清爽。The environment is great, the portions are generous, and the waiters are all very friendly. Finally, there are stir-fried vegetable dishes. I really couldn't stand it anymore. The taste is even better than that in China, very refreshing. read more

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Here is a place you want to stop in before or after a night on the town. There's a couple options that will hit the taste yrs right off the bat. The service is kinda slow depending on how busy they can be but it's very hospitable. The ambiance is great makes you feel like you're right in the midst of authenticity. I tried a little of everything from beef to chicken to spring rolls. Try it you just might like it !!! read more

They have a big variety of food to choose from, Everything we chose was hot, made to order and super delicious. The serving plates comes with a lot of food, two people can definitely eat from them and the service was excellent. read more

Yao Yao - House Special Lo Mein - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food is great and very authentic (not Americanized ) The flavors are just the same as in China! We ordered the largest size of fish for three people, it was actually perfect. The interior is very clean and modern, the kitchen has clear glass so you could see inside. Highly recommended! read more

Yao Yao - Largest Yao Yao Pickled Fish, so good! The pickles are excellent, very authentic! - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The service here was excellent. The staff were attentive and quick. As for the food, I ordered the pickled fish and spicy boiled beef. The pickled fish was fantastic, the soup packs a lot of flavorful and sourness without being overbearing. They were generous with the fish, which was soft and silky. While the beef was tender, the fish was far superior. Next time, I'd skip the beef and try either the tomato fish or fatty beef. read more

Yao Yao - YaoYao Yao Yao Pickled Fish & Spicy Boiled Beef - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Featured in the Chicago magazine February issue, Yao Yao Restaurant is a welcome Chinatown surprise that offers special and authentic Szechuan dishes. We tried their signature Pickled Fish soup which included 2 full big mouth sea bass fish! The fish broth with the pickled greens was amazing. The show white fish was tastefully done, had no bones, generously portioned and melted in your mouth. They used real fresh Szechuan peppercorns that were fragrant, tingly on your tongue and simply delicious! This is an amazing soup that I will always remember! We also tried the appetizer sesame crispy shrimp which is similar to walnut shrimp but they make it 10x better. Shrimps were huge, had a nice sauce and were cooked perfectly. The restaurant is brightly modernly decorated, very clean and tidy. The owner and server were very friendly and checked on us several times to make sure we had everything we needed. We plan on going back and trying other items on the menu. read more

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Ordered the original Yao Yao fish, cucumber salad, and fried chicken wings with twist dough sticks. The Yao Yao fish was delicious with huge portions sizes. We added enoki mushrooms, bean curd, and glass noodles. It can be very salty, so definitely pair it with rice. I was disappointed by the fried chicken wings though. They were very skinny, all bones and no meat. We will not order that again. It can get very busy here, so service could be more attentive. read more

Yao Yao - Yao Yao Fish - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'd previously read the Michelin article however after a Quick Look at the menu I chose not to indulge. A picture of the donut sticks & chicken wings is what drove me to take a chance & I was left disappointed. The chicken wings were ok, rather prosaic in there really wasn't a lot going on. The doubt sticks were the most misleading part about the dish & they more so resembled pretzel sticks versus actual donut sticks. They seriously resemble led something you'd buy at Trader Joe's as in hard texture & virtually flavorless. I'm under the impression I didn't order the correct or recommended menu items but doubt I'd return for said items read more

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I was so surprised this restaurant wasn't super busy on a Friday night. We saw this recently was added to the bib gourmand list in Chicago and was really curious. We didn't have reservations and were able to get seated right away for a group of 3. Service was very quick and friendly. We ordered the pickled sea bass fish for 2, spicy cold chicken and pea pods in broth. Everything was very good, the best dish was most definitely the pickled sea bass. Not typically something you can order at every Chinese restaurant and their fish tasted very fresh and the pickled flavor was tasty. The spicy cold chicken was cooked very well and had the perfect amount of spice. The pea pods in broth had the preserved chicken eggs which made me feel at home. The ambiance of the whole place is giving an elegant yet modern vibe with the Tiffany blue color read more

Yao Yao - Pea pods in broth, cold spicy chicken and pickled sea bass - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's so funny that this place is synonymous with my nickname In Chinese. This is my second time trying it out and it does not disappoint. The service was extremely attentive and it appears that the restaurant used Japanese sea bass which is great because there are not many fish bones for health hazards when eating a piping hot large procelain bowl of spicy fish!!! I highly recommend adding some extra veggies that soak in the scrumptious soup and the leftovers are great for next day too!! I love thé décor of the place which is a hue of tiffany blue. It reminds me of my time in my favorite cafe ( la duree ) in New York city's soho district cross over with authentic homemade Chinese fish! We also got the wife and hubby beef maw which was so fresh and succulent it left our mouth drooling for more read more