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.

I got the combo braised pork rice bento. The braised pork was a bit greasy and too rich for me this…read moretime. My fruit tea that I got with my combo bento was also too sweet for me; though I got half sugar, it tasted like more than half. Really generous portions for one though. From my experience, they seem to give more volume if you dine in vs take out. The wifi/password also did not seem to be working when I was there. This spot is away from the main Chinatown plazas, so it doesn't feel super crowded or overwhelming.

Went for the end of happy hour/dinner and had a great time sitting at the bar. I started with an…read moreOolong Island Iced Tea cocktail, which was so smooth but probably as potent as its namesake. They have non-alcoholic options available as well. The sweet potato fries had a great texture from their light batter and delicious flavor. My friend and I both got the red braise noodles. I definitely recommend getting the combo beef and tendon. The tendon added a great texture unlike anything else. The flavor starts out almost like pot roast, but it gets richer and spicier as you eat. Makes for great leftovers! We shared the fried chicken, which was another great bite. I loved the seasoning, I think it was sour plum. I got the pineapple tart for dessert and my friend got the cheesecake. Both were really solid. The pineapple tart was super unique, definitely recommend. This was kind of a last minute thing for us, so I'd love to try table service instead of bar seating next time. Really nice looking restaurant.

Our first time diving into this kind of cuisine and we WILL be back! We really want to try the…read moretasting menu next time too. This time the sour plumb sauce on fried chicken was wild. Servers were great at explaining to use newbies all our silly lil questions and got everything out so fast. 5/5 will be back

At the Taiwanese, I was very excited to try this restaurant since there aren't many Taiwanese…read moreplaces in Chicago. Taipei Cafe is a small restaurant in Lakeview. There aren't many seats available so it feels like a semi boba shop as well. To sum it up, I would say it is ~70 to 80% authentic, which is not bad in my opinion. Braised Pork Over Rice 招牌滷肉飯: The presentation was beautiful and the flavor was actually pretty good. In Taiwan, this dish is usually more on the sweeter side, due to the sugar and shallots added. Here, it is more peppery and savory, and the flavor was actually really good. The beans and the mustard greens were very delicious as well. Even though the flavor profile is slightly different, this was well made and something I would come back for. Noodles with black pepper sauce 胡椒鐵板麵: traditionally this dish is called蘑菇鐵板麵, which uses mushrooms, black pepper and other sauces as a base. The flavor was good, but I wish that there were more mushroom and sauce to balance the black pepper. In my opinion, this dish tasted very different from what I used to eat, but it is not bad on its own. 2/4 Fried pork chops: the meat was fried very well, and it was pretty peppery and crispy. However, I think there are different spices and flavor missing, including white pepper, msg, garlic, Thai basil, cayenne pepper, and more. I wished that the savoriness and spiciness popped up more, and I thought the spice blend and the marinade could definitely use some improvement. 3/4 Beef noodle soup 牛肉麵: I thought the bone broth was pretty good, but I believe the flavor profile should be wider, like tomatoes, five spice, 豆瓣醬, soy sauce, and more. It was a stripped down version, and I wished that is reflected in the name of the item (renaming it "clear soup" etc). Also, the amount of meat they gave us was a little bit pitiful (there were like four pieces), and there were two pieces of bok choy. When Taiwanese people eat beef noodle soup, we definitely expect more. 2/4 Additionally, I wish the drinks were made with some fresh ingredients (not just syrup or creamer), as standard/good quality boba shops from Taiwan try to make drinks as fresh as possible. That is high ask, but I just wanted to note that as a suggestion for improvement. Overall, I thought the food was pretty decent. Would I say it is the most representative Taiwanese restaurant in Chicago? No. The staff was actually Chinese loll. But I do think it reminds me of some flavors and food I grew up eating in Taiwan. If you like popcorn chicken and pork, it is likely a good place for you.

Solid, tasty taiwanese food!…read more We enjoyed a mix of dishes (chicken bento box for me, beef noodle soup for my boyfriend, as well as fries with Thai seasoning and a boba tea for me). The green beans came as a side with my bento box and were amazing. The ordering system is a little clunky and annoying but we got through it. Vibes in the space are fine, it's an efficient little cafe The biggest thing is that there's really an opportunity for more sauces! For the fries, for the popcorn chicken, for example, a sauce would make a big difference to dip it in. I like this place and expect to be back

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!

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!

Worth every ounce of the hype…read more The staff is incredible, the food is even better some how, and the ambiance is intimate, small, and laid back. This is a spot I love to take myself on a solo date to. There will almost always be an hour long wait, so prepare for that, or opt for takeout which is also amazing and holds well on the way home. This is one I wish I had more regularly in my rotation and when I move back to the West Town area you will probably find me tucked away here quite often.

Pure comfort food. We went on a Sunday around 4pm and were quoted a 45-minute wait, but ended up…read moregetting seated in about 15 minutes. Worth the hype! The vibes were chill with pop music playing in the background. Service was solid. Our server was knowledgeable, explained the menu well, and answered questions without rushing us. The Pork & Chive Dumplings tasted like something my mom would make at home. The broth they sit in adds a lot of flavor and makes the dish even better. My only nitpick is that I personally prefer a thicker, chewier dumpling wrapper. The Dan Dan Noodles were the standout. Creamy, nutty, crunchy from the peanuts, packed with flavor, and not overly spicy. It was my first time trying dan dan noodles and now I totally understand the hype. 8/10. The Xian Bing took about 25 minutes to come out, which makes sense since they're made fresh. The lamb filling was flavorful and the outside was super crispy, almost like a scallion pancake. The bread itself was softer and thicker than I expected and could've used a little more flavor. Overall, this felt like authentic, comforting food that leaves you completely satisfied when you walk out. Next time I'd absolutely order the Dan Dan Noodles again and try the beef noodles, scallion pancakes, and beef dumplings.

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.

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.

Took an hour to get a table bit so worth it! Once sat we received fast service! And the food was…read moreabsolutely amazing!!!!

As a frequent flyer here, a hard core regular that loves the place, for the first time they missed…read morethe mark. I hope it's a fluke but please bring back deeper plates for the cucumber salad. It tastes like they had just chopped it and served it. It no longer had that sweet taste from the pickles juice they make it in 4/10. The kebabs were a little chewy but great flavor 7/10. The main course. The dumplings, phew. Delicious as always 9.5/10

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