Good food, fast service, kid friendly Had a good experience and enjoyed our lunch. They do tend to go a bit salty so beware. One disappointment was they serve you regular earl hrs tea and not green tea. What I really enjoyed was the wonton soup. The dumplings are stuffed with shrimp pork and fish mixture. Really good as oppose to your typical pork stuffing. read more

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I went to Chicago for school, and would frequent this restaurant because of the quick service, amazing prices, and of course, consistently incredible plethora of dish offerings! From their amazing breakfast menu to late-night cravings options to everything in between, this is my go-to place whenever I want to eat in Chinatown. Although the entire menu is solid, my favorites are the honey garlic chicken wings (you get 12 wings or so for $6!), the egg noodle soup dishes (I love the shrimp wontons and the beef brisket personally!), and the Japanese tofu with king mushroom (the tofu is SO creamy and delicious, and pairs so well with the vegetables). Their descriptions and pictures of their menu items are consistent with the actual delivered item. Other foods I enjoy are their rice cakes, beef chow fun, congees, and sizzling platters. The only one I would not recommend is the egg drop soup - it was very starchy and the peas seemed uncooked! I think their breakfast menu is underrated - if you come in before 11 AM, you can choose from a variety of breakfast items (noodle soups, congee, etc.) and they come with a free drink (hot tea, Ovaltine, milk tea, or coffee). The price is slightly cheaper than if you were to order off the menu later on in the day, but they don't change their portion! Overall, a beautiful gem in Chicago Chinatown of reliably great-valued food to satisfy yearnings for your mother's home-style Chinese comfort food cooking! read more

Restaurant is in shiny condition and staff was pretty good. I didn't really get to flex the skills of the kitchen because of my dining companion's preferences, but I cannot discern that this place is much more than a nicer Chinese-American place in the year 2017. Everything we got could have used some more wok hei/spirit and while mixed vegetables is not really a Chinese dish, they phoned it in. Probably would go back and give the salt-and-pepper offerings a chance, but am puzzled by the buzz around this place. Chicago's Chinese game really needs to level-up. read more

Chi Cafe - Sizzling chicken more like middling chicken - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I wanted to take my friend here after seeing pictures on yelp it reminds me of cafes in Chinatown back home in New York and the flavors did not disappoint. I loved everything I had and the service was quick and attentive. I can't wait to move here in a few weeks and become a regular. read more

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Well they keep rehabbing the place and it all goes back to one word...dirty. The food saves this place. Poor service at best, dirty, unfiled condiments, VERY dusty lamps and dirty bathrooms. You know what they say about dirty bathrooms. My husband loves the place for the food. Rolled noodle dished are very good, authentic Chinese items, phenomenal pea tips...the only reason I go back. read more

I came to Chi Cafe everytime I have a chance to visit Chinatown. It hasn't disappointed me! The place is cute and very efficient. The servers can seem quite reserved and not as approachable as normal American restaurants, but I like that I get more time to talk to my friends and not interrupted by the waiter every 5 minutes (this is an exaggeration). The food is very decent for their price. I really like their satay sauce especially. I came here for the first time last year and I could not find the place. I think the most important thing they need is a big sign because I almost missed it every time. But, they always have customers and good service even during the winter months. Keep up the good work! And I highly recommend this place for a casual place and a good price! read more

I've been coming here for years! After a long night at the bars, you can always turn to Chi Cafe. They are super busy late at night, but the workers are very friendly, quick, and efficient. They take your orders promptly and the wait isn't that long! They have an extensive menu, so you will definitely find something you like! My go-to meal is crab rangoon for an appetizer and I LOVE their rice noodle with chinese broccoli and beef! The sauce is perfect and the noodles are cooked just right. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a late night meal! read more

Delicious traditional chinese food in affordable price. I'd definitely recommend this place for lunch or late night dinner with friends. The biggest plus here is you can crash in here late at night! I'v been here twice and both the I have been overwhlemed with an amazing foodgasm.We ordered the smoked duck, oxtail stew, some fish (ops, forgot the name), beef tripe, lamb with special sauce and mango smoothie. My recommendation:- 1. Take a chinese foodie friend with you and ask her/him to order. 2. Ask your server for suggestions. Works out most of the time for me. 3. Select some utems from traditional chinese menu. Can be risky but worth it! read more

For some reasons I was really craving some crab rangoon. I know there's no real crab in there but it's just so delicious that I have these cravings for them. I went on yelp on the search for some crab rangoon and Chi Cafe was pretty high on the list. The place seemed great because it's open super late and I usually land in Chicago crazy late. Chinatown is a little out of the way but Chi Cafe is pretty close to the red line. The place seems pretty modern. They get kind of busy and there's not a lot of people working there so the service I experienced was a little slow. Nevertheless, I ordered my crab rangoon, with a baked seafood over rice. My boyfriend ordered a flat noodle dish. I had my crab rangoon fix but wasn't that excited about my seafood over rice. There's his Chinese cafe that I love in New York chinatown that I thought this place would compare to but it didn't. My boyfriend enjoyed his flat noodles though. I ordered a milk tea with my meal and it was overly sweet. Next time i'll ask them to put less. I probably wouldn't come back here but it seems like a great place to go to if you're drinking in the area and need some food to soak up the alcohol. read more

Ordered their shrimp wonton noodle soup, pork rib sweet and sour, and stir fry rice noodle. The wonton dish is okay could be better. Pork rib and stir fry rice noodle were really good. Fresh food that's fast and cheap. Best part it opens til 4am. Service was good but not great. read more

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This is a nice cozy restaurant located in Chinatown. I had a problem finding it as my GPS said I was at the address but it was not visible. I then walked all around trying to locate the restaurant and finally found it after asking two people. It is located on the backside of the main street, FYI. I went in on a very cold day. I was greeted, seated, and immediately given a cup of tea while I warmed up. The tea is complimentary and such a change for the good, as I'm not a coffee drinker. The service was good and the food was amazing! I ordered the sizzling eggplant, an order or crab Rangoon, and an avocado smoothie. It was very flavorful. Honestly, the only reason I visited this place was because of the email from Yelp and the picture of the sizzling eggplant. Glad I went. My only negative is they took more money than I wrote for the tip!! I left a $3.36 tip which was exactly 20% of my bill. When it posted to my credit card I noticed they took $3.40! I know its only four cents but that is not what I signed on my receipt! Imagine if they do this to everyone, then they are making more money than they should be, so beware if leaving a tip on your credit/debit cards! read more

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Good behavior Always the same good taste Delicious Good for kids Sometime they are so full of people Some time the food take long time to prepare They can improve WC. read more

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I love the food from this tiny restaurant out of the plethora of restaurants in Chinatown. The shrimp fried rice actually have LARGE SHRIMP on it...the also include fried egg. The only reason I didn't give 5 star is because I always ask for more egg and it doesn't seem like they listen. Smoothies are great. Would highly recommend...especially over a higher priced, fancier place. read more

Very affordable and taste suitable for typical Chinese daily breakfast routine! Opens at 8am and already crowded with people. They have tons of breakfast mix and match option, one order is usually under $10 but you get fresh made, delicious canton style breakfast. The rest of the day food already affordable yet delicious. Great place to stop by for a quick bite! read more

Really small, but nice. Service is fast. We were seated immediately. Ordered beef noodles, tripe and calamari. All were delicious. read more

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Really liked this place, which I guess I should have expected since I love Minghin next door and they are some how connected. They have an extensive menu of traditional dishes and dim sum. The space is very casual and skews younger as far as the crowd especially because of their late hours (open until 5 am). My man loves the congee and I like the noodle options. Go and have fun! read more

Chi cafe used to be my fave chinese spot in the entire city. Consistently delicious, fresh, & super fast delivery. As a busy condo building doorman..i have also often recommended & steered residents/other people to Chi Cafe. The past 2 orders have made certain i will NEVER be ordering from them again, & will advise people to stay farrrrr far away. Sadly, theyve gone waaaaay downhill. Last 2 orders: Stir fried chow mein noodle w/ beef- beef was discolored-&tasted horrible. something was DEFINITELY off. noodles were over fried and "hard". dish was pretty much inedible. Thankfully what i DID eat didnt make me sick. i chalked it up to a bad night maybe. Couple nights ago...tried again, & i order General Tsao chicken/crab rangoon. Rangoon were fine (its fried-hard to mess up). The chicken tho- Clearly sitting awhile before it even left restaurant. Dish was lukewarm at best- nasty, mushy breading, hardly any sauce, and the chicken itself- was dried up and CERTAINLY not fresh. Frankly was disgusting!! Also waited for over an hour & 15mins for delivery of this garbage. Generally they arrive within 30 mins EVERY time. for years. When i called to ask where my food was- In same call- guy tells me driver called me (he didnt), told me driver was there (he wasnt n arrived 10 mins later)..then he would be there "in just a minute". Sorry Chi cafe- u used to be amazing. Who knows what happened- but you are no longer getting my hard earned money, or business. read more

Ordered carry out and food was excellent! I had brocoli beef (beef tender, not fatty, not soaked with sauce) and brocoli cooked perfect. BF got Mongolian beef which he loved. Hot and sour soup we were not fans of - flavor was awkward and unlike any we have had. Crab rangoons were okay. Shared an order of Singapore noodles -absolutely delicious! Best noodle dish I've ever had! read more

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Delicious selection of dishes prepared for you in a short time after you order while you can have some amazing hot tea; honey tea; or bubble tea; This restaurant is famous for its high level of hospitality and high quality comfort food available for dine in, pick up, or delivery. read more

It's a great place but if you want to get something and you're black the main guy gives a huge attitude and they won't seat you even if there's spots available on the floor but will take your order at the front....also with an attitude. Like seriously the man is pissed every single time. read more

So delicious. If you can go with someone else who knows how and what to order like I did so you can try a ton of things.

I've been hitting up Chicago's Chinatown for years and somehow, I've totally slept on this place. A few weeks ago, I decided to try out Chi Cafe (thanks Yelp!) and every time I'm in the area, I find myself going back here. Why? Well one: my experience with the service here is, I find, better than other restaurants in Chinatown. The staff here works so fast and diligently -- constantly seating people, waiting tables, filling water, cleaning up, etc. I am sensitive to some ingredients and the waiters are very attentive in noting those modifications I put in my order. I've even been here so often that one of the waiters know my exact order at this point! Two: the food is well-priced (some dishes as cheap as $5 to $6 dollars for a whole meal) and not heavily drowned in oil/sauce. They are just simple Chinese dishes, nothing fancy or extraordinary in taste, IMO. A critique -- last time, my friend ordered the salt and pepper shrimp and found it was almost too salty to eat. Just keep that in mind for those specific dishes. I've never tried their drinks, but I see lots of people ordering the smoothies! Three: Great hours. As with many joints in Chinatown, I appreciate how long they stay open, even in the way late hours of the night. A good late (or very late) night dinner or post-bar/event food. Check out Chi Cafe if you're in the area! Wish I had done so sooner. read more

it was okay. i got the crab rangoons which were actually really good but the chow mein with beef was not. the noodles were super chewy like they were undercooked or just not fresh and didn't have much flavor. i was a bit disappointed because i've heard good things about this restaurant read more

First stop when getting into Chicago because of read reviews and loved it! Reminded me of cafés I saw in TVB dramas. Loved breakfast menu and the prices! I came here a total of four times when in Chicago and every time I got the XO round rice noodle. I absolutely loved this dish as well as their iced lemon tea! With the morning specials, basic drinks were added for 0.75 if cold! What a deal! My boyfriend had the beef brisket with rice and thought it was a decent dish for the price of $5.50! The staff didn't stand out much to us but they were proficient and when it came to ordering one of the morning specials - congee + create your own noodle - the staff helped me understand that the XO round rice noodle was actually something I could use with this offer instead of me ordering it as an additional dish on top of the morning special! I definitely recommend this place for all times of the day. They even have an afternoon happy hour menu that runs from mid afternoon 'til 6pm - they do the drink specials like morning as well. Their menu has many varieties! Best part - they accept all major credit cards! read more

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This is our go-to for late night Chinese because they're open almost all night and the menu is extensive. Will anything you order be the best of that thing Chinatown has to offer? No. Will everything you order make you happy? Yes. Will the bill make you happy? Yes. We have had so much here and I hate to admit it but their Americanized favorites are really tasty like sweet and sour chicken, General Tso's chicken, orange chicken, chow mein and broccoli beef. We have also come here and had just dim sum which has never disappointed. The soups are great as well and feed a crowd. Service is quick and friendly enough for Chinatown. The iPads are helpful but look goofy. Decor is bleh but I'm there for late night food not to move in. read more

In my quest to expand my Chinese delivery options, I decided to try this place on the recommendation of a few of my neighbors. All in all, not bad...I've had better, I've had worse. I tried the general tso chicken, egg rolls and shrimp fried rice. All of which were decent -- the rice was my favorite. It came with little slices of jalapeño and decent sized shrimp. The best part is that this place is at a more reasonable price point than other Chinatown restaurants. The worst part was the delivery guy who made me come all the way downstairs and OUTSIDE to get my order. That's just plain rude. read more

I don't know how this place has 4 stars. So many better places in Chinatown. The only thing that saved this place from getting one star is their pork friend rice and a solid egg roll. - General Tso Chicken. Had a thick rubbery texture. And Sauce was very bland. Not bite to it. - Wonton soup had a horrible taste and smell. Hope you have a better food experience than I did. read more

PROS: Food, Price, Hours. CONS: takeout wait time, a bit hard to find parking. We visited on Friday night around 11pm. Overall the service was good and the food was great. My girlfriend and I decided to do Chinese takeout on Friday night. Our plan was to do Chinese, a movie and drinks at home. It was late so we began our search for a Chinese restaurant that was opened. I was surprised by the amount of people eating at the restaurant at 11pm on Friday. Not packed but quite a bit of people. We walked up to the empty cashier. Everyone seemed so busy, and someone ran up to help us. We asked for a menu and while I was looking at the menu, cashier started taking orders on the phone. When we were ready we told him what we wanted, he asked if it was takeout and charged me. The wait time was about 40 min for fried rice and Kung pao chicken. Like I said, they seemed busy. Perhaps next time I do takeout, I will call in. I ordered a combination fried rice which wasn't on the menu. Possibly the best Chinese fried rice I've had in a while. The rice had to big chunks of beef, chicken, and big shrimps. The shrimp really did it for me most Chinese restaurants do the tiny little shrimps. My girlfriend had Kung Pao Chicken, she liked it but didn't think it was the greatest like myself but she eats a lot of Chinese food. read more

Ordered the salted chicken congee, pork intestines, and house special half chicken! Food was super fresh and generously portioned. Congee was particularly delicious and reminds me of what I used to eat as a child. read more

Crab Rangoons = best in the world, unless you like crab, then you may be wondering if there is crab inside?? BESIDES THE POINT... BEST IN THE WORLD. Little pillows of deliciousness. Lots of options and you'll definitely leave happy (as long as you order crab rangoons). My only problem I have here is 84% of the time when I'm walking to the bathroom I slide on some oil in the back. There is a high probability that this is user error though and you might be more balanced than I am. But be forewarned! Their sizzling beef in sweet saki sauce will make you never want to eat anything else (besides crab rangoons) ever again. I gotta say I haven't ventured too far away from this because it is so outstanding I can never bring myself to be more adventurous!! If you're reading this, chances are Chi Cafe IS open and you should trust me enough to go RIGHT THIS MOMENT because it will be worth it!!!! read more

Very impressive! Keep in mind I'm not a huge fan of Asian cuisine, but this place made me a fan. Our group ordered a large amount of food, assuming the portions would be small, but boy were they not! Everything came with a nice helping of rice as well. We'll have left overs for DAYS! I ordered the Salt and Pepper Japanese Tofu, veggie chow mein, and garlic spinach. The tofu was good, a bit too greasy to eat much of, but good! The noodles were nothing special, but for someone who dislikes Chinese that's probably a good compliment, right? One order could fill me up and more. The spinach I didn't care for too much, but everyone else really enjoyed what they got! P.S. the servers are VERY nice and patient! read more

I've been going here ever since my freshman year of college back in 2009 and it's definitely my go to place to eat after a night out of clubbing or drinking at the bar. It's open til 4am on weekends and the food is cheap and filling. I do have to say that over the years that I've eaten here, I did have food poisoning once and it was from a chicken dish. The dish was cold and I don't know why I ate it knowing it was cold but I ate it anyway which was a dumb decision. I learned from my mistake and never ordered that chicken dish again! Anyway, my go to dishes are the Sizzling Beef in Sake Sauce, Salt and Pepper Squid, and the Thousand Island Shrimp. I also like getting the crab Rangoon if I don't feel like eating a lot. I like the salt and pepper squid but lately, I feel like they've been lazy and just dipping the whole squid in salt because it's been way too salty to eat... the thousand island shrimp is good too but it sometimes tastes like it's drenched in thousand island dressing which ruins the shrimp for me. They need to be more consistent because my favorite dishes are hits or misses lately. Come here if you're hungry after a night out! It's better than going to McDonald's or Denny's after drinking! read more

It's always great to come to Chi Cafe..... my favorite is the morning breakfast special.... there is always a great combo I can pick from... from different kinds of congee, to fried noodles or soup noodles, to the simple American breakfast..... plus the milk tea in the morning with the sweet condensed milk.... read more

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Being from Hong Kong the name (in Chinese) really catches my eyes, I used to frequent MongKok (google or Wki it!) quite often. But I must say, I think they're the same management from Ken Kee. So sometimes you get the somewhat authentic Cantonese taste. If they are part of the other restaurant, the cook must have been playing hide-and-seek with me. I only get the 'homey' taste once in a while. I like how it's nicely decorated, since it match with 'Chi Cafe' but 'Mong Kok' to me should still be Ken Kee style. But the staffs are nice and friendly, very welcoming. read more

Chi Cafe - beef brisket with noodle thing... - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Repeat customer Service: average, nothing too special. Not bad either. Food: average. I've tried other food there in the past but nothing has really wowed me. I usually just get shrimp fried rice with an egg on top. Can't really go wrong there. The nice thing about this place is that it's open late. read more

Chi Cafe - Shrimp fried rice with an egg on top and a coke - Hong Kong Style Cafe Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to the Bears game tonight and was looking for something different to eat other than the $6 hotdogs at the game ... Found this place and ordered for delivery @ 12:25 am ... It was here in less than 20 minutes ... FOOD WAS EXCELLENT ... Would definitely recommend them and will be ordering from them next time I'm touring through .... read more

I was introduced to this place during late dinner hours and despite it being a weekday, it seemed quite packed. I was accompanying a group of 7 and I think we got seated fairly quickly, so no complaints there. Comes with standard china-town ambiance and salivation worthy aroma. Ordered family style.. so I got to try plenty from the menu. Food- My friend could not shut up raving about- 'Sizzling Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Saki Sauce'..Neither had I tried a beef dish in a Chinese restaurant before, nor had I ever tasted Saki. So, I had zero expectations out of it....Uhmmm OK!! let me tell you, It was F...bomb.. Extremely juicy beef and the sauce was heavenly. Also tried the Hot & Sour soup- honestly, a single serving is a enough to give you Hypertension, it was that salty; Fried rice was great; Shrimp stir fry was good too; Broccoli stir fry/dish was just hanging out by the corner like forever alone. Anyway, the star of the show was the beef stir fry in saki.. I've recommended that dish to my other friends since and I can see myself returning here plenty, just for that! read more

yummy asian late night eats! delicious salt & pepper squid : my fav. tonight i added shrimp fried rice and was not disappointed. also treated to a mango smoothie speedy delivery! read more

Good authentic Chinese food from Chinatown at a reasonable price. The food is 4+ stars---but I gave 5 since the delivery was on time, the food hot, portions good and excellent value. read more

My favorite dish here is pretty simple BBQ Pork fried rice and spicy beef soup but I can't go anywhere else. Been coming here since I was in high school and still my favorite items read more