I came here several times and food was better before. But this past visit the food quality is so bad now.

Absolutely worth going for even an order of spring rolls and bubble tea smoothie! Absolutely love this cozy, relaxed style of place. On Mondays head there for their $5 martini happy hour. They typically don't display the drink menu so be sure to ask for it when you sit down. All-in-all amazing Vietnamese place. I was told through a friend a native recommended this place. read more

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great place for a casual meal! i came here on a saturday around 1:30 pm with a group of 5 and we were seated immediately. i'm not a chicago local - i was just there for the long weekend and this was one of my chicago friend's favorite restaurants in the city. i ordered the grilled lemongrass pork vermicelli and the pork was perfectly crispy. read more

Hai Yen - grilled lemongrass pork vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Where do you go for Vietnamese food that's not Pho? Hai Yen! This place is phenomenal, it is a staple when family is in town and continues to serve out some quality Vietnamese food. We come here for the Bo Lo Lat- Hawaiian leaf sausages. Order the 9 piece order and you get rice paper and a slew of veggies to wrap the bo lo lat in. Even kid friendly to eat. We ordered 2 orders, and for $15/order it's a decent deal considering you can just eat these as a meal alone. We also order the lemongrass beef bun noodle bowl and the Bun Rieu- Bouillabaisse. The Bun Rieu- is flavorful and contains seafood, sort of a different kind of broth than your typical pho. This most recent visit they had updated the menus and tables and chairs, no more big round tables in the center of the restaurant, only long tables. If you are looking for somewhere to eat something other than pho, this is the place to go! read more

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My place to go to from their Pho to their Bo La Lot!! You can't go wrong. I tried other places and I always end up coming back to them. Staffs are always nice and the owner is friendly and punctual. Love this place!!! read more

One of the most go to spot in Arygle. I think their food has a lot of flavor and overall good quality. This place is known for their bu la lot ( Hawaiian wrap sausage) but I've had their onchoy and red snapper and the lotus salad and can't wait to try more of their other dishes. read more

Hai Yen - Red snapper - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend and I had been wanting to try Hai Yen for awhile and finally got in there this weekend. Right in the heart of Viet Town, they are known mostly for their meat & rice dishes and I have to say they didn't disappoint. I started with a cold & sweet Viet Iced Coffee which was just what I needed for a little pick me up on a Saturday afternoon. Those chicken wings though! I really loved the light battering on the wings, they were insanely plump and perfectly cooked. It was a good sized portion for $9. For apps, we also had the Bo La Lot which was $5 for 3 pieces. Bo La Lot is beef wrapped up in a Hawaiian leaf and I really enjoyed it. Why isn't all beef wrapped up like this!? My friend had the pho because it was chilly outside & he had a craving. He found it to be just fine but not the best in the area. We also shared the Bo Luc Lac rice dish for $15. Shaken filet mignon beef pieces marinated in red wine, garlic and a generous portion of butter. Served with onions and watercress, we loved this meat dish. Great service and food at Hai Yen, for sure! I'll definitely be back! read more

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This is one of my go-to places for some of my favourite Vietamese-Chinese dishes! If you come here these are the dishes I recommend! And come here to do family-style dining rather than individual dishes per person. Hawaiian Leaf Beef Sausage Rolls, Steam Seabass with ginger-scallion, or the whole Red Snapper with pickled veggies sauce! I also always get the Water Spinach stir fried with garlic...a simple dish, but hard to find a place that does it as flavourful as this place does! Don't get me wrong, they also have on the menu ala carte dishes like Pho noodle soup, rice dishes, and Vermicelli Noodle Bowls. And they are good. But I think these dishes are what makes this place stand out! If you get some of the seafood dishes, like the whole Red snapper fish, be prepared to wait as it will take time to cook. Which is why family style dining works so well! You can enjoy your other dishes amongst your dining companions while the dish is cooking! Ambiance is pleasant. I like that they do have 2 tables for outside dining. And they do have a space heater to help take some of the nip out of the winter air. If you're someone like me, whom isn't ready to start dining indoors, this might be an option for you. Pricing is on par with other Vietnamese restaurants that have this caliber of dishes. If you are looking for affordable and more everyday Vietnamese dishes such as Bahn Mi or Pho, I would recommend checking out other establishes that focus on those style of dishes. Check this place out if you want to change it up from your normal Veitnamese noms! read more

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Love. Who woulda thunk that a bare bones "Little Saigon" in Chicago's Argyle stop on the red line could serve a Bo La Lot so divine i crave it the minute I arrive Naturally, I hadda have it when my taste buds hankered for a first meal in this great city. Instead of mouth anesthetizing betel leaves, Hai Yen uses aromatic ti leaves (from Hawaii). The resulting product is subtle yet flavorful,and earthy at the same time. If you've had anything cooked in banana leaves that's the profile it imparts on your perception and smoky at the same time. Wrap these sausage shaped mini logs In veggies, lettuces, minty and pungent herbs they give you---shiso, cilantro, hung lui, bitter herbs, also marinated carrots, parsnips. Finally, wet a disk of rice paper, wrap the whole thing like a burrito and bathe it in nuoc nam sauce spiked with a dollop of sambal (Chile with vinegar and garlic) and you swear your day is made. May not be yours but my day sure is. I love the subtle sophistication of Viet food, and Hai Yen represents. I get why Anthony Bourdain adores Viet food: it has the clean, fresh, unencumbered flavors of SEAsia and the refinement of French cooking techniques. The bo la lot here is my favorite dish. Many of their Viet dishes are very good. The pho is good, not the best in Chicago but acceptable. Service is always attentive. They close early (8:30 during Co-vid) and have not claimed their Yelp page yet as Yelp and Google advertise that they close at 10 pm. I posted their temp hours. Covid tip: Togo, delivery and 3 outdoor tables for dine in. They're not fully staffed during this time but the wait is not bad. read more

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Small neighborhood spot with delicious food and great service. Menu very extensive but we finally chose the egg rolls, spring rolls, green papaya/mango salad, and the fish filet entree. Everything was very tasty and well prepared. We would definitely return. read more

Bo la Lat- 9/10 Banh Xeo- 9/10 Bbq Banh Mi- 5/10 Combo Pho- 6.5/10 The appetizers were fantastic, but to be honest the Banh Mi was pretty mediocre and the pho broth was good but the meats were not very tender compared to other phos that I've had. Our server was really nice ! read more

On a cold Sunday night we were looking for Pho by Argyle St and Hai Yen was recommended to us by friends. The initial ambience and greeting were initially great. As time passed the service level was so poor it bordered on comical. After moderate appetizers, they first brought out my wife's bowl of pho. They did not bring out any spoon or vegetables. After waiting 5 minutes she finally got a spoon. They next brought out my son's Beef pho and apologize that they actually gave him the deluxe with everything in it. Of course they once again did not bring him a spoon or vegetables and we had to wave down a server 5 minutes later. My Udon came out almost 15 minutes after my wife first got hers. My dish was too oily for my taste. We will not go back. There are much better alternatives on the block. read more

I absolutely love this place! And have taken all my friends here because I love it so much. I don't typically eat salads, but the salads here are amazing. The crepe is also something I could eat everyday. So refreshing and rich in flavors and texture. I also really enjoy making spring rolls myself. read more

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The food here is great. Food is straight forward, clean and consistent with what you are asking for. I ordered the pho with sliced beef and it was great. The lotus root salad is so fresh. Definitely a restaurant that embraces textures in the food. Great alcohol selection, but on this Tuesday I opted for the Thai Iced bubble tea. Great place to go for Vietnamese and get interesting things other than pho! Love Chicago restaurants! Sorry no pictures, was to busy eating! read more

We absolutely love coming to the place! My daughter and I make it a plan that every time we travel to Uptown we must have lunch here. There service is so great! They are so friendly and make sure you are well taken care of. The food is like my mom's home cooking! My daughter and I always share the Make your own spring rolls. My son got the salmon clay pot which he loved. Our friends got the Pho and Ban mi and both loved it and were over filled! We will be back soon! read more

I found that this place was a little hidden behind the unused outdoor seating. The place seemed very popular with the locals as they were in half of the tables and to go orders were always moving. I found the food good but average. The Spring rolls were good but not as generous as at other places but the peanut sauce was in a bigger quantity. The prices were in the same area as around the area. I had the Sesame lemon grass beef. The beef was sliced very thin and plentiful. It was an enjoyable meal but not exceptional. I am sure that it is a place that locals go to get fed and it is a full meal. There were regulars of several races and all seemed happy with the fare. I was not disappointed. read more

Hai Yen - Lemon grass beef with vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was ok but the service is terrible these staff being Asian try to cater to their own. Learn how to run your front house correctly Because you need better management read more

Hai Yen is a nice storefront restauant on Argyle in the new Asia area. We had an excellent meal with pho and spring rolls and Bahn Xeo, etc.; everything was, delicious; the abundant greens were very fresh and crisp and flavorful. The service was attentive and very friendly with lotsof smiling faces. I don't know who owns the restaurant but it felt like a family run restaurant. The prices are so reasonable and they even serve wine, beer and cocktails (also very reasonabley prices), not common in the places along the street. We enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it! read more

I am outraged and saddened by the racist and rude treatment I received at Hai Yen. I have been coming to this restaurant occasionally for several years, since a trip to Vietnam. I usually get takeout but have dined in a couple times and brought several friends. I placed an order online. When I arrived, I said hello to a young man and told him I was there to pick up order and I gave him my name. He asked how the order had been placed and I said via DoorDash. He went into the kitchen to check. When he came back out without any food, I pointed to a bag on a table near the cash register that seemed about the right size for my order. An older man (restaurant employee) was standing in front of the table where the bag was placed. When the young man picked up the bag, I could see it was my order and he started to hand the bag to me. The old man immediately leaped between me and the bag, using his arms to block me--as if he was actually stopping a robbery--and rudely demanded that I prove it was my food. "Show me your phone!" was barked at me. Then a woman came into the fray, saying "show your app we need to see your name!" The younger man who had been ready to give me the bag felt that he had not choice but to chime in with them. People were looking. I took out my phone and pulled up the email confirmation of my order (with my name and the name/address of their restaurant). In their panic to prevent the black woman from stealing food that I had previously identified, they could not seem to read the email I was showing them despite their rudeness. They continued to demand that I "show my name." I had to repeatedly point out that I was showing them. I guess they could not accept that it was actually my food. Even though I gave my name from the start and told them the order method. Even if they felt they needed to check to make sure they were giving the order to the right person, there are many ways to do that without being rude, accusatory or jumping in with a physical block. I was a customer and a human being and entitled to be treated in a respectful manner. I was looking forward to getting home and enjoying my meal. Instead, I lost my appetite. I almost told them they could keep the food, but I had paid already, so that would not have helped me. People do not know how their racist behavior impacts others. I am actually sad that I cannot return to Hai Yen and that I will have to tell friends not to return. read more

This is another one of my favorite restaurants on Argyle street. Not only is it my parent's favorite, they have consistently delicious food. Also, not too many restaurants in Chicago have all the FUN Vietnamese dishes I love eating. Here is a list of my favorite things to order, I'm also including the red meat dishes that I used to love but no longer partake in. Banh Beo- hue steamed rice cake w/ground shrimp Goi Cuon-spring rolls -best on argyle because they use a tapioca mix rice paper) Bo La Lot - grilled beef in Hawaiian Leaf Chao Tom-Grilled Shrimp cake w/sugarcane Banh Bot Loc-clear tapioca dumplings with shrimp and pork Goi Ngo Sen-lotus root salad Goi Bap Chuoi-banana blossom salad Bo nhung Dam-Viet Shabu Shabu with Hot vinegar (wrap at table) Bo nuong vi-grilled beef with shrimp and squid (grill at table + wraps) Ca Tim-grilled eggplant Da Huu Rang Muoi-salt and pepper tofu They sell alcohol here as well. So come here with a few friends or family and try everything! Also, they sometimes have dessert, if so, order the che chuoi! Hot Vietnamese dessert made with banana, coconut and tapioca! Oh yeah, and the fruit smoothies with boba are pretty delish too. read more

This place is pretty good for pho. Portions are decent as are prices. I enjoyed the filet mignon- the pieces were tender and the sauce was delicious. It was cooked with wine, butter, and garlic and it was so flavorful. It came with raw onions and raw watercress which I never had raw before but it was really tasty with the sauce. The pho was also good. The noodles were cooked just right and the beef was also tender and not dry. The broth was also tasteful and not too salty or watery. There are a lot of other pho places in this area so I wouldn't say this is THE best but I'd definitely come back for sure. read more

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Very happy with out first takeout at Hai Yen. They answered quickly and were able to get our order done fast. Large menu with something for everyone. read more

Obviously the pho in argyle is amazing and the rest of Chicago can't compare. The broth of the beef pho I had here was very tasty, and portion sizes are big for the price ~$9 a bowl and $5 for a banh mi sandwich. The broth seemed a bit saltier than I liked so I was downing water in liters for the rest of the night. Very good though, and I would come back. Overall: 4/5 Taste: 4/5 Saltier than I liked Value: 4.5/5 Interior: 4/5. Nice and cozy, quiet enough to talk. read more

Hai Yen - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food here was solid but not outstanding. Had the sea bass, which was good. One should not judge the restaurant based on just a few dishes. But I'll try some other Vietnamese places first before returning. read more

TIP: Link your credit card to Yelp and get 7% cash back if you pay the Hai Yen bill with the linked credit card. GREAT STUFF (so far until I try more): - Ba la lot wrap ($14) - you wet the rice paper wrap, place flat on your plate, add your bo la lot/veggie/herb fillings, roll it up, dip in sauce, and nom nom nom! - Young banana blossom salad with shrimp ($10) - Vietnamese iced coffee This is the type of Vietnamese food that I've been looking for outside the Bay Area! SKIP: - Pho - broth was lacking depth, soup was lukewarm and not hot enough to wilt the veggies. Go to Tank for pho. - Combo stir-fried flat rice noodle with shrimp, fish, chicken and veggies was super over sauced, had really over cooked, tough, dry meat. This was the worst dish I've had in Argyle. Service was cold and non-existent even though the restaurant was not that busy compared to its neighboring restaurants in Argyle. But all of its customers during my visit were Vietnamese so that was a good sign. It took them a long time to take our order, the server forgot one of our dishes even though she repeated it the order back to me, no water refills, and wouldn't respond when I called the server over for a to-go box for leftovers (so I had to go ask another server by the kitchen myself). Despite all the negative things I have said above, I'll be back to try the non-typical Vietnamese dishes and report back to yelp! read more

Hai Yen - Bo la lot wrap appetizer - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Probably wouldn't go again unless it was for bo la lot. The pho was nothing special and pretty bland IMO. The service was slow and confusing. Myself and multiple people at my table never got our drink orders. I'm not sure if there was misunderstanding but my table spoke vietnamese and english... our orders and requests were either brought out wrong or never fulfilled. read more

Do yourself a favor & check out Hai Yen if you're anywhere near Argyle. No frills, nothing fancy, but dang delicious food. Probably one of the best soups I've ever had was here, the tamarind soup with shrimp. Just wow. Sweet but savory, oh so delightful, especially in the cold weather! We get it every time we are there. Amazing fried rice. Delicious pho. & their beef lemongrass vermicelli is also top notch. Very expansive menu with something for everyone. read more

Fresh rolls were decent, everything else was mediocre. Probably won't return based on so many other good options in the area.

I thought the food was just very okay. Maybe I just went at a bad time but I was just not really impressed. I have friends that rave about this place so I'll be back to try this place once more. Maybe I just didn't get the right stuff. The bo la lot seems to be one of the most popular items here so I will definitely give it a try next time. Staff was friendly though so I appreciated that. I grew up eating my grandma's and mom's homemade food and I haven't found anywhere in Chicago that compares. First, we got cha gio (Crispy spring rolls) and when they came out they just didn't look that great, they kind of looked soggy. Taste wise these were okay, I don't think they were that flavorful or crisp to be honest. Then, we ordered a banh mi dac biet (special banh mi) and I did not like this - it was dry and lacking. It did not taste like a traditional banh mi, hardly any mayo or pate. I would not order this again. Banh xeo is my favorite Vietnamese dish ever and I thought this was better than the other items we ordered but still ehh. It was crisp but lacking in shrimp and pork. read more

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Most items here are very good, however the portion could be a bit more? Services are attentive and friendly if you're a regular. Ambiance are pleasant and easy going, cheerful with more lights from windows and brighter lighting inside. read more

Another Mother's Day Success at Hai Yen. All of their menu is outstanding , however we particularly love the Fish Tamarind Soup. At $16 it is a great value . Catfish, okra, tomato, pineapple, celery, bean sprouts and some special Vietnamese veggies . read more

Hai Yen - Fish Tamarind Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Unbelievable cuisine. Nothing you choose will disappoint, but if you're adventurous enough to try something a little bit more involved than phở or the lemongrass beef noodle, then you MUST try the beef vinegar fondue! read more

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The pho here is super good. I need to try more items on the menu but the more I eat there, the more I appreciate it. Definitely worth ordering takeout, I can't wait to go back in and eat in person! read more

I should have read the Yelp reviews before coming here. The Bo Lo Lat pictures look amazing and I'll have to order that next time. I had a spring roll appetizer and pho dac biet (combination pho). The spring roll was probably the best one I've had at a pho restaurant in the Chicago area. The key to a good spring roll? Freshness!! The veggies, noodles, and shrimp were so fresh, and the shrimp inside was large and "juicy." Highly recommend their spring rolls! The bowl of pho was also very satisfying. The broth was piping hot and stayed hot for the entirety of the meal which is such an important and overlooked quality of good pho, as most pho broth usually get warm by the end. The veggie plate as well as the veggies in the bowl were all fresh just like the spring roll. Interestingly, their pho dac biet has red onions in the broth. Don't think I've ever seen that before but I appreciated it as I LOVE red onions. The meat and noodles were delicious, and the the portions were generous and appropriate for the $10.50 you pay. If I were to nitpick, the broth was a little on the salty side - although not enough to distract you from the overall experience. read more

Hai Yen - Spring Roll (comes with two full rolls / four pieces, but our table devoured them before I could take the picture) - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It gave it 5 stars two years ago but I came back several times to eat but it's not good anymore. The service is too slow, just one waitress is working. They need to hire more people. We were waiting for about 20 minutes to get our order. read more

Hai Yen - Avocado smoothie and durian smoothies. - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

MUST TRIES: Go for the bo la lot (Hawaiian leaf wrapped beef) with the mam nem (anchovy sauce)! The sauce takes the dish to another level. Another must try is the spring rolls with nem nuong (grilled pork sausage). The flan is actually pretty good so if you have room, it's a must try. FOOD: Bun bo hue is good but other places in Argyle have better bun bo hue. Same with the pho - good, but other places have better pho. read more

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Online ordering was a breeze until we were informed at the point of order completion that grub hub promised delivery of our meal within the next 90 minutes. i called the the restaurant directly they were able to promise delivery within 45 minutes which they followed through on. Most of the dishes were delightful. We especially enjoyed the salt and pepper tofu (silken tofu lightly fried with mild green chiles), sautéed eggplant (seemed Chinese style with nice sauce and tofu triangles) and the lotus root salad (tasty shrimp with a nice dressing and a very nice crunch from the sliced roots). The veggie spring roles were very good (almost a salad) and the spicy peanut sauce was useful. The water spinach was way to stemy without enough green leafiness. read more

Got a call from my girlfriend who dined here tonight about her experience. She noticed several pieces of plastic in her soup dish and notified the waiter. The waiter allegedly said "again?!?" He apologized and proceeded to send back the dish as is appropriate. What occurred afterwards, however, was absolutely not appropriate. After the dish was sent back, the waiter returned explaining that the chef/kitchen staff thought it was the waiter's fault. Following several back and forth trips, the dish was finally brought back--but with its giant pork bone and meat portion missing, less noodles, and less vegetables and simply a few various meat pieces as substitute. It was such a poor excuse of replacing the original dish, and to top it off, the restaurant charged for the meal. Bringing up complaints to either front or back end staff can be quite uncomfortable. However, when it is truly the fault of the restaurant, there shouldn't be a blame game occurring between kitchen and wait staff. Instead, a simple apology, a full replacement of whatever dish was called back, and when appropriate, a comped dish (when error is egregious as in this case with several pieces of plastic in her soup) goes a long way for customer experience--something that lacked significantly tonight. read more

I came here to check out the Vietnamese food in Chicago. It was pretty good, the area is full of Vietnamese places and I'm glad this was an option. The banh bot loc was average for me. I do like the banh hoi with the grilled meat. I love how they give you wrapping paper to make your own wraps. The rice with beef ribs were pretty good too. Great place for Viet food in the Chicago area! read more

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I'm updating this from over ten years ago. Hai Yen has remained my favorite restaurant in Chicago. It's what I want every birthday and we just picked it up again for NYE. The quality is unwavering, the Pho is healing, the menu has changed a bit over the years, but my favorites remain and I'm so happy in a sea of revolving restaurants it is still here. Coming in the door smells like coming home. Love you, Hai Yen! read more