Wow! What a find. I definitely didn't expect to find this gem in the basement of a shopping mall. The jian (Chinese crepe) was flavorful and packed with crawfish and fresh ingredients. I definitely recommend eating it on the spot since it's best eaten fresh. The exterior of the crepe was perfectly crisp. I would highly recommend trying this place out! read more

Jian - Crawfish Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I read they are temporarily closed due to renovations from a fire. :( Hope they open soon! A literal hidden gem in the loop. Located in the pedway near Block 37. It's crunchy, but soft from the egg. I got the fried chicken one and enjoyed it. It wasn't greasy and was well seasoned. It can be hard to find non-chain restaurants in the loop on the weekends. If you enjoy jianbing or boba, check it out. read more

Jian - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've always walked by here intrigued to try this spot as you don't see a lot jianbing restaurants in Chicago. I finally decided to come here with my coworker and try it. We got one spam meat ($9.95) and one smoked bacon ($11.95). I preferred the spam over the bacon as I felt like the avocado didn't really go with the jianbing. I would say it's a good lunch spot as you can grab a large sandwich and boba if you wanted. They are pretty quick since there's not a lot of seats, so you're basically taking your food to go. read more

Jian - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was in Chicago for work and stopped by this vendor. I ordered a spam jian bing and a tea. They were closing soon, and obviously busy, but the two staff were working as quickly as they could. I did wait longer than I thought I would, but I really didn't mind, and the cashier was apologetic and kind. The jian was still crispy and hot by the time I got back to my hotel. The flavor was perfect, and the shredded lettuce inside was the perfect balance to the crunchy, hot bing. I've only ever had homemade jian bing from my mom, but this one more than satisfied my craving! Lots of options, easy ordering, and delicious food and tea. read more

Came by this shop after exiting the Washington CTA stop. They sell jianbing, which they say is a popular street food in China. We tried the bacon and avocado (#6) and the pulled pork (#7) as well as the mango dirty boba tea. The jianbing is a crepe filled with a crispy layer and then the toppings selected. It is very flavorful (a bit salty) and each order is pretty big. Great place to grab something on your way to/from the station. read more

Jian - J4. Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Was surprised to see jianbing in Chicago. There are so many different flavors of jianbing here -- they really got creative with the theme. I got the pulled pork Jianbing, which had all the typical elements of Jianbing: crepe, egg, crispy dough layer, the sauce, green onion. It came out pretty quickly, but I think my order was also first in a series of orders. It's located inside the mall, so there's very limited seating, but it's also right next to / same store front as a bubble tea place (so you have a drink option if you would like to pair with the Jianbing). read more

Jian - J4. Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such great experience being able to cure homesick with jianbingguozi here. A hot cup of jasmine tea is the highlight.

There was a few seatings and a great location (we were transferring from blue to red line). We ordered on the kiosk and were thanked for ordering. The service was speedy and consistent. We ordered a mild coconut shrimp and chicken cutlet jian bing. They noticed us sitting at one of their tables, so they brought the drinks and food to us (I thought they would just call my order number and I pick it up). The workers were very nice, would come back again :-)) read more

They're located inside a shopping mall and on the bottom floor. In same vendor stall as Tea Monster. Service is nice and pretty fast. It can be bustling depending time of day, and seating is limited. The jian bing is pretty big and delicious. It's an egg crepe with cabbage, some other veggies, and protein (mine was pulled pork). Sesame seed sprinkled on top. I could only eat half and had family finish the rest. This is a good place to get something filling to go. read more

Jian - J4. Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yum! I love jianbing and had not had this in so long! We ordered the dried pork with seaweed, and it was an explosion of flavors. We loved the umami with the spicy. It was so good! And the wontons add a little crunch! This booth is located in the train station's French market. There are so many options there for good food. There is a little seating area with string lights. Very cute for being adjacent to a train terminal. read more

Jian - Jian with dried pork and seaweed - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Jian is SO DELICIOUS!! Seriously, epic flavors! WOW, I've never tried anything like a jianbing before, it's like a crepe outer layer but with egg, green onions and back sesame. Then inside you pick your flavors, we got the bacon, cheese and avocado as well as the crawfish. The bacon, cheese and avocado was mindblowingly tasty, the bacon was perfectly cooked to be flavorful with a crisp, the avocado was ripe and buttery, the cheese fit beautifully with the egg crepe, and it had a yummy sauce plus some crispy wonton-esque strips. The crawfish had a decent serving of crawfish (not fried), with lettuce strips, yummy sauce and crispy wonton strips. We loved both, they were BOMB. The owner was very friendly and our food was ready in about 5 minutes. You've got to try Jian, this is super popular food from Northern China (I learned after researching in Wikipedia lol) and I feel lucky to have experienced it! Yummmm. read more

The best jianping in US. I found it in downtown Chicago. It is better than anything in Flushing, NY. read more

Jian - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my first time trying jianbing! I ordered the tofu bing. There was no line, so it only took about 5 minutes for them to prepare my crepe, but everything is cooked to order. If you stand in the right spot you can watch them cook. The jianbing had a very unique texture! The egg-based crepe was almost like an omelette (but strong enough that you can pick it up and it holds together) and the crunch comes from the fried dough crisps inside. They didn't skimp on the tofu. I ordered mine with the spicy bean paste - it wasn't the same kind of heat as hot sauce or hot peppers, but a deep aromatic spice. Unless you have a serious aversion to anything at all spicy, I don't think their "spicy" will give you issues. You order at a kiosk and give it your phone number so that you get a text when your order is ready. The staff was also nice enough to call out to me when they had mine, and the text arrived at basically the same time that they called. Even though my interaction with them was brief, they seemed polite. This vendor is located in the French Market, which has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a nice atmosphere. I heard it could be busy at lunch, but I was there around 1-1:30 and it was pretty calm by my standards. read more

Jian - Tofu Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Like other restaurants in this area of the city, it's a bit pricey compared to similar shops outside of the loop but Jian provides large portions of delicious JianBing at reasonable prices (this easily feeds 2) within the French Market. You need to make sure you eat it fresh here, to maintain the good crispiness inside the JianBing while also getting that addictive freshly seared egg flavor. I've only tried the non-spicy options here but it's plenty flavorful with the normal fillings. Service is nice and quick, though I've only been here during less busy weekend morning times and the stand looks clean and eye-catching. read more

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I've been walking past this Korean Jianbing sandwich shop easily for over a year and finally decided to try a combination of ingredients I know. So, I chose the smoked bacon avocado cheddar egg crepe sandwich mildly spicy for $13 and change. Not knowing what to expect, except what the restaurant pics depicted, I was a lil excited because the pics look really enticing. OMG! What took me so long?! It was a truly flavorful large sandwich cut in half. Due to the quality of the ingredients and size of the sandwich (I only ate 1/2 and the other 1/2 was as good cold the next day...amazing!) I was good with the price paid. The service was super friendly with a smile no less and I really appreciated my order taker/cook stating "I hope you like your sandwich", when he presented me with a nice container labeled with a fancy business card detailing my specific sandwich and inside chopsticks! I honestly can't wait to return, try a different sandwich, kick up the spice level and pair it with a brown sugar dirty tea...also something I've never tried read more

So I was about to give up on finding the BEST Jianbing in Chicago and gave this last spot a try, I was MINDBLOWN. FYI I have never tried crawfish in my LIFE because of all the WORK it takes to de-shell and you end up with a tiny lil thing. Crawfish Jianbing - INCREDIBLE, I love the fushion to the traditional version, juicy, crunchy, sweet and savory. Anyways, I defintely recommend y'all stop by and grab yourself a snack while you're in the area! read more

I like the Chinese crepe here. It has a chewy thin crepe, paired with crunchy bits. You can select what protein to add, and I mush recommend the pull pork. One thing to be aware that when it gets busy, it could take longer time. Each crepe is prepared carefully with the different layers. I'd suggest to order ahead. read more

This was my first time here and I was so excited to find Joan Bing in Chicago! It's a stall inside the Metra Market. They have screens to order from and offer different flavors of protein to add to the Jian bing. We came an hour or so before close and there was only one person making them which led to a longer wait. The portion size was nice, but I was a bit disappointed by the shrimp one. Not only was the shrimp overcooked and hard, there were only 3 pieces the size of a half dollar. Also I had asked for the spice level to be medium and it didn't seem to have ANY spice at all. The pulled pork one had a nice flavor, but that too didn't seem to have any spice and medium was also requested. Two jian bings came out to around $35 with tip which in my opinion rather steep. I would come here again to try another flavor but hopefully it will have some spice and substance to it. read more

Jian - Joan - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Jian is such a hidden gem tucked away within the Chicago French Market. This little restaurant specializes in JianBing, a streetfood in China that is similar to a savory crepe, filled with all kinds of deliciousness. My personal favorite is the crawfish filled one. It has cabbage, egg, crawfish, and a spicy sauce that packs just enough of a punch. The staff is always super friendly, and they make each jianbing to order. It's memorizing to watch them make it as it's so artfully and skillfully done. They vary in price depending on what your fillings are, but they hover around the $12-15 mark. It's a decent portion with a huge bite of flavor. I highly recommend it if you're looking for lunch and want something different. read more

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I really like my jianbing. They put a crispy piece of something in every one and it is so tasty. It can be a little bit of a long wait but if you've ever seen one being made, you'd understand why. The owner is really nice and we just wandered around the stall until we found seating. read more

Jian - J4. Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love this place! I first visited their French Market stall before covid and have been a fan ever since. I order the spicy tofu Bing - it is delicious, full of wonderful flavors and really fills me up. read more

Love that there's finally a jianbing option in the loop. It's probably more like 4.5 stars because it needed a little extra hoisin or sriracha or something to further elevate the flavors in the jianbing. It wasn't overly greasy which is a common jianbing problem. It was a good portion and everything was well cooked and well put together which made it easy to eat. Lot of sweeter flavors than spicy flavors. Will definitely get again and would try a couple of the different proteins read more

JIAN is described as the "First JianBing House in Chicago" - how about that? JianBing is a popular street food in China, and somehow despite my Chinese-American roots my curious palate has not knowingly come across a JianBing - until a few days ago. I was at the French Market and decided to check out JIAN. I ordered the "original" JianBing and still was not quite sure what I was ordering. This item is meatless, but you can opt to add other ingredients for a price. Anyway, the JianBing is freshly and promptly made in mere minutes. I pulled up a seat in the nearby dining area and was amazed at the fine textures of this food. A very thin crepe wrapped around what I can best describe as two fried wontons, which offer a delightfully flaky crunch with every bite. I chose to have it "regular" rather than spicy, and I was very satisfied with every savory mouthful. I kept thinking to myself that this was like an exotic variant of the Taco Bell Crunchwrap, but hey the JIAN JianBing is way better. Please check out JIAN for a unique taste treat at the French Market. read more

I never had a Jiangbing before, so I can't compare this to anything. With that being said, it was super delicious. I got the spicy pork Bing and it was full of different flavors that ranged from spicy to sweet. My son ordered the smoked bacon and we both liked it the most. Not only did the bacon one have a variety of flavors like the pork, but it also had a variety of textures to include the soft egg, crispy fried breading, creamy avocado, and crispy smoked bacon. The ingredients were fresh, the food was hot, and the serving was more than enough for a single meal. The service was swift and straight forward. The ambience was a little lacking considering that it was in the French market which is usually packed. I was pleasantly surprised with a small seating area across from the food stand. Overall this was a unique meal that I am happy to have explored. I recommend you check out JIAN on your visit to the French market. read more

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Tried on a whim - and this is awesome. So fresh and flavorful. What a fabulous and unique find.

They make awesome jianbings exactly like in China!! I loved their Crawfish, 5 Hours Pulled Pork, and Smoked Bacon jianbings. For spicy food lovers, you can elect for three levels of spicy - mild, medium or hot. You can select non-spicy as well. I recommend paying extra to add egg for additional flavor. It is fun watching your jianbing being cooked to order. read more

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JIAN makes a unique crawfish jianbing with plenty of crawfish tails, crispy wonton strips, and a lacy, barely-there egg layer. It's essentially impossible to pick up with either your hands or with chopsticks, so expect to get messy. Could they have used less mayo? Absolutely, in my book, but admittedly my book doesn't ever have that much mayo in it. I should have probably ordered it spicy and maybe also added pickles. I would have an aneurysm if I saw any kind of bing on sale for $13.50 in China, but for the West Loop, it's reasonable, especially given how huge it is and how much crawfish they put in there. It's definitely a full meal. Note that you order from a tablet, so don't do what I did and stand there awkwardly clearing my throat while the lady behind the frying pan texts on her phone. read more

I can't believe this authentic breakfast item can be found here in Chicago. Jian Bing is a super common street food item across China, kind of like a hot dog cart. Its savory, crispy, soft, just a bit sweet, and spicy. Its actually a perfect breakfast meal. I recommend just getting the OG, but asking for no seaweed if its ur first time. You won't regret it! read more

Jian - Pork sung jian bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Quick and easy spot for lunch in the Chicago French Market. Every Jian Bing is made fresh to order. The Crawfish Bing was very novel to me. Love the chewy and crispy contrast of the crepe and fried dough. The spices also added a nice flavor to the whole thing. read more

Jian - Crawfish Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best childhood memory is having a freshly sautéed Jian bing in the morning *fresh* from the street vendors . The Whiff of fresh egg ,spring onions , cilantro and all kinds of oily rich goodness in the air is a natural wake up call . I remember taking large bites of it while walking to school. In China they are ubiquitous and extremely cheap( usually 2.5-3rmb) 20 or so years later I find them once again only inside my favorite indoor market in Chicago~~~the French market! The taste reminds me of childhood and special memories . The price is a bit steeper than in china but the ingredients make up for it . Happy to have an authentic Jian bing place In Chicago! read more

Overall 4.5 Okay so would give it a 4.5 if I could. It's not a 4 but not a 5 either. Good size portions, good value and prompt service Value 5 It was around $13 with tax and I felt full. Usually for lunch in the city it is small portions for the same price and still feel hungry afterward. But this seems to be good portions Service 4.5 Fairly prompt service. The upside is they everything is made fresh. The downside is that if there is a line you will have to wait since they make everything fresh. Super friendly and working hard Quality 4..25 It tastes really good but needed some sauce or something. Kind of dry. I got the 6 hour pork one. Might be too authentic and needs to be slightly Americanized. Made it fresh so it tasted really good and would recommend for authentic experience. But felt like I need a dipping sauce. Definitely give it a try. Won't regret it. read more

Jian - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I liked the food. It's very good food. Loved it! Definitely want to come again. People should give it a try.

Great Jianbing! It's in a French market, where there're also many hidden gems to go for a try. read more

Jian - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We stopped by here on a Monday around 11:45AM in an attempt to beat the lunch rush crowds. There was maybe one person in front of us - definitely a good time to go! I feel like Jian is not that well known yet, which is good for us but bad for the business so help spread the word! I asked the guy working what he recommended and he suggested I order the Crawfish Bing. Guys - you literally get to watch them make this in front of you. First they make the egg crepe. They sprinkle sesame seeds and scallion on the outside, flip it over, and then lay down some lettuce and two crispy chips. Finally they add your filling/meat of choice, wrap it up, and cut it in half and deliver it to you. It's like a little present in a box! This comes out PIPING hot and fresh - I can't ask for much more than this. I always get mine spicy, which isn't that spicy. Bing hits all of the cravings - flavorful, crispy, a little kick to it, etc. Think of an Asian crunch wrap vibe. This is true comfort food and when I get a craving for it nothing else scratches the itch. The crawfish bing will run you $13.99 so not the cheapest thing on the menu. My coworker loves and recommends the Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing, although I haven't eaten that one yet. I'll have to give it a try the next time I'm there :). Thank you Jian for being my introduction into the world of jianbing! read more

I had really high expectations for Jian, but honestly I didn't really like it...I found it to be way overpriced for the quality of food and ingredients, and the taste/flavor just wasn't that great. The original bing that I ordered was just a small bit of egg, with some pieces of lettuce and dough - not that impressive, especially when it costs $8. The only reason why this review isn't one star is because I liked the drink I ordered - the mango milk - which actually was pretty decent. read more

Jian - the inside of a fast food restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been looking to dive into the Jian Bing experience and had the opportunity to do so. Our order took a bit since it was around 10:30am and it looked like the staff was prepping for the lunch rush when we arrived. Pleasantly surprised by the flavor that it packed (a subtle mixture of sweet/savory) and how the wonton crisp held its texture and crunch. The brown sugar Dalgona coffee was ice heavy and being whipped was gone in a heartbeat - probably a skip next time. Interest peaked and will probably give it another go. read more

Jian - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place never disappoints me. Fresh and authentic jianbing (Chinese style savory crepes with a crunchy interior). We like the original and five hour pork best. Bonus; you can order online from the French market site for fast pick up. read more

Very nice to find a jianbing place in Chicago! It had a lot of flavor and the contrast between the crunchy wonton and crepe wrapping was excellent! I wish it did come with more veggies included instead of as add-ons. read more

Jian - Dried pork bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

ORDER: My husband and I split the Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing and the Smoked Bacon, Avocado, & Cheese Bing. Both spicy. Total was around $23. FLAVOR: I've never had Jian Bing before, but being Southeast Asian I'm generally a big fan of Asian flavors. I had also seen a bunch of TikTok videos of it being made in China and was excited to try it. The Bing were light, crispy, and flavorful. The sauce inside is a brown sauce not dissimilar to Hoisin, though I know they make their sauce in house. We asked for spicy but it wasn't very noticeable. I like the spicy option more for that slight kick of flavor so it didn't bother me too much. We both agreed that we liked the Smoked Bacon Bing more, as the Pork seemed slightly dry. This was our first meal of the day and with the egg it felt right, but I would eat it at any time of the day. It was delicious and great to fill a smaller appetite/snack window. LOCATION: The store is a stall in the French Market. It's more of a grab and go situation. There are general seating areas that we ate at but not very many. TIME OF DAY: we went at around 1PM on a Saturday. There was only 1 other person in front of us. You can see them making the Bing in front of you so that helps with the wait. Generally it was quick. read more

Jian - J4. Five Hours Pulled Pork Bing and J3. Smoked Bacon Bing - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I swear to god this place will transport you to the streets of Shanghai if you love jian bing. I couldn't believe I found this hidden treasure in the French Market. All the bing is made right in front of you, so you get to see the cool process. I've enjoyed everything I've had here so far, but here are my opinions: - Pulled pork bing: (4.5/5) was recommended this the first time! It was mouth-wateringly good and flavors were all executed well. Generous with the pork serving and pretty filling. - Original spicy bing: (4/5) spicyness level is more like mild, without meat you get more taste of the actual bing flavor - Brown sugar Dalgona coffee: (2.5/5) consistency was not the best, because usually Dalgona is richer. I mostly got this for the brown sugar. - Mango latte: (4/5) would get again, it's very milk based, but I honestly didn't mind. It's not too sweet, which I like. read more

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