I recently went back to Joy Yee Noodles in Chinatown after previously only trying their smoothies/boba drinks. This time, I sat down for a full meal, and overall I enjoyed the experience and would definitely return. This place gets packed, especially for the smoothies. The restaurant itself is a decent size, but the tables are very close together, so seating can feel a little tight. The ambiance is pretty simple and nothing overly memorable. They have a faux greenery wall with the restaurant's name on it and the smoothie counter area when you first walk through the doors. One thing I will say is the menu is HUGE. They have an overwhelming amount of options, which can honestly make it hard to choose, but at the same time I do appreciate that there's something for everybody, especially for picky eaters or people craving different kinds of dishes. I ordered the Thai curry shrimp, and it was honestly delicious. The shrimp were large, flavorful, and they gave a good amount. I didn't expect the green beans in the curry, but it actually worked well with the dish. My only complaint was that they should give more white rice with it because I ran out of rice quickly and still had a lot of curry left over. My boyfriend ordered the orange chicken. I personally thought it tasted really good, but he felt it was just okay..nothing to rave about. His brother got a Pad Thai dish and cleaned the entire bowl, so I'm assuming he really enjoyed it. After dinner, we ordered smoothies, and they were pretty good as well. One thing I found interesting was the service style. You order directly with your server, and there are staff members standing around if you need anything..you can literally raise your hand and someone comes over quickly, which I appreciated. However, the food delivery itself was a little impersonal. Workers push carts around with multiple tables dishes on them and stop from table to table dropping food off. I'm assuming this is common in Chinatown restaurants because I've seen it before, and while it's efficient, I'm not sure how I feel about it service wise. It felt less personal, and I did notice food sitting open on the cart while stopping at different tables before finally arriving at ours. Overall though, the food was good, the portions were solid, and I'd definitely come back again. read more

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We went to sit inside. We got seated immediately we went during lunchtime it wasn't that crowded. We ordered the beef short rib soup and kimchi fried rice. As you can see in my picture there's no sign of a soup it's just noodles but in their menu it's called a soup. The noodles were garlic soy sauce noodle noodles. It was good! I had no complaints. The kimchi fried rice was very good as well too. The beef short rib is sweet and slightly lemongrass flavored. This whole meal is for the sweet and slightly savory palette. The garlic noodles honestly had way too much garlic on them. But once I ate it later in the day it was good. When you sit inside the price that you see on the menu will not be what you're charge you will be charged $23 instead of $16. Definitely clarify if that is the sizing price, we assumed we got dinner portions. You do get more than enough to take home. I will say about this place is if you do try something new you will have an interesting experience! read more

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I brought a group of eight girls and two moms to have boba and food for my daughter's 11th birthday party. The food and service were outstanding! We got seated almost right away, and no, the place does not take reservations, which could be a turn off for some, but it helped us out. The girls were all elated by their boba and had a variety of dishes from tofu medallions to sesame chicken. Both were excellent, and the portion sizes were large. Overall, we had a wonderful experience. I highly recommend the place for large gatherings! read more

fast service, good food, and large portions. For the amount of food that we got and the price point it was perfect for two people with option for to go. We also got the bubble tea drink, which were extremely large and yummy. There was plenty of seating with no wait. The chicken was fragrant, and the curb ran guns were delicious perfectly fried. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Joy Yee has tons of seating and is a huge place in Chinatown! Their dishes are pretty good but I love getting their milk teas as a little sweet treat while walking around Chinatown. Service is quick if you just order a drink and the lychee rose milk tea is delicious. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

(Kari's Rating 8.5/10) Came here in lunar new year and wanted a quick bubble tea. They had three traditional lion dance heads in the counter to admire too! I traditionally get the avocado freeze and it's my absolute favorite thing on the menu. I didn't get food this time so I cannot comment on that. But the avocado bubble tea with Boba is one of the best things they have on the menu. It's light, it's fresh, it's creamy and absolutely perfect for a warm day. The Boba here is my absolute favorite, it is chewy, it is not fall apart, it has the softest texture and the perfect amount of sweetness. They do have automatically asks now where you placed your order, but they also have a window where you can talk to someone. I've have eaten here before and I remember the food being relatively good, but I am here to only review the bubble tea! read more

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We were seated upstairs, upstairs offers overflow seating and is very spacious. The ambiance was nice and lively downstairs, upstairs it was more chill and not as decorative. The food was on point. I went with the spicy tom yum chicken fried rice and it was delicious. We tried a a few various fruit teas and everyone seemed satisfied with what they ordered. I'd come back if and when in the area. Their menus is massive and has a lot to offer. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is our favorite spot to come when we visit Chinatown. Love the variety of the menu and how it includes both picture and description. It's a big menu too so super helpful. Everything we tried was great, super tasty and the wait staff was so great! We didn't care for the mushroom dish because the sauce was not what we expected, we were told we were probably looking for an oyster sauce base. They were so nice tho and took it off at discount to us. Love the clean and modern feel of this place and the big windows for people watching!! read more

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Joy Yee has been one of our family favorites for a while now. Their delicious Boba Teas; Taro is delicious. We love their Shrimp Pineapple rice they serve in a half cut pineapple. Their peppered beef cubes are also delicious. So are their short ribs. So many wonderful selections. Here. Very busy place. Get in before 9pm, as they close up early . Across from US Bank in the Center. When you get to the center of after going through the West Gate, Located across from Walgreens and in front of Lao Szechuan's. Amazing places. Many shops open until 9-10pm. Busy busy area for Souvenirs, Boba Teas, and more read more

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So much nostalgic Asian American noms all seasoned perfectly! Some of my highlights were the: 1. beef cube - comes with yellow rice, delicious but wish there was more meat 2. chicken and veggie cheung fun - chewy rice noodles and the flavor will surprise you! 3. pho - savory broth with good noodles Definitely recommend coming with a group to do family style meal to get a little bit of everything. Also look at that extensive drink menu with photos! We got the mango smoothie and it was nice thick and creamy smoothie and tasted like there were actual real mangoes used! 100% would come back, large restaurant with a lot of seating but can get filled up fast. Staff was fast and provided extra bowls and utensils for family style meals! We had a party of 6 so there was a 18% service charge already included read more

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My 5 Takeaways (in under 60 seconds) Location: Conveniently located and easy to spot in the newer part of Chinatown. A short distance from nearby street parking and parking lots. Vibe: Upbeat and modern, with plenty of seating and nice décor. Service: Attentive, fast, and pleasant. Our waiter did an excellent job and made our visit enjoyable. Food: HUGE menu with an abundance of food, drinks, and options. I'd be surprised if anyone couldn't find something they want. Our meals were delicious - big portions, well prepared, nicely presented, and everything tasted great. Quick Tip: The spring rolls are made with fresh ingredients and packed with flavor. Also, they serve soda in cans (with a glass of ice on the side) instead of from a fountain. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Spring Rolls & Edamame - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Kiwi & lychee this time around The kiwi wasn't what I expected tbh but the drink was still refreshing That's what I get for switching up my norm haha read more

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Joy Yee comes highly recommended as a restaurant to try while in Chinatown. When we first arrived to the area we started with the strawberry iced matcha. There were a lot of people ahead of us but the orders came out rather quickly. It was so refreshing, sweet and filling. A nice treat to enjoy while we walked around. At 50% sweetness they were perfect, I couldn't imagine 100%! We then headed back 30 mins later to get a table for food. There was about a 20 min wait to get seated for a table of 2 but we were prepared to wait because the food looked really yummy. Once sat our apps came out in about 20 mins and the entrees took another food 25 mins after that. They were super busy but they run a tight ship and the staff works in sync to clear and clean tables, bring water, plates and take orders. You pretty much are serviced by multiple people rather than one waiter. We started with the crab rangoon and fried dumplings to start. Both a tad bit too crispy for my liking but they got the job done. For entrees, I got the salt and pepper tofu which was crispy on the outside and super silky on the inside. The way tofu should be! My bf got the bbq short rib with garlic noodles and ooo baby, it was super decadent and flavorful. Everything was really good & the portions were good enough to share between 2 people with more than enough leftovers to go. read more

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LOVEDDDDD this place. Prices are great, service is so fast, and the food is delicious. Tons of options as well. Wanna go back asap! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A friend recommended I try the beef cubes with tomato sauce rice at Joy Yee Noodle in Chicago, and wow--I'm so glad I listened. Even though I ordered it to-go, the food came out incredibly fast and piping hot, which was impressive. The beef was perfectly tender and flavorful, and the tomato sauce was rich, savory, and comforting without being too heavy. Everything came together in a way that felt both nostalgic and totally satisfying. It's honestly one of the best meals I've had in Chicago--simple, delicious, and memorable. Can't wait to come back and try more of their menu! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Beef cubes with tomato sauce rice - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had to stop at this place in china town! Glad we did! Lots of seating, but it does get very packed We came in a party of 5 people and were sat down fairly quickly. The servers were attentive and kind I will say the japche noodles were missing a little bit more flavor We were not a big fan of the fried shrimp & crab, however, overall the other dishes we tried were still delicious Overall I would recommend this place if you're visiting china town for a quick stop & explore all their variety of different dishes! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Japche - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Noodle place with pho and hot meal plates - they also have a "Plus" section with bubble tea that can be ordered. Great service and cool decorations on the walls like an anime mural. Recommended! read more

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Just a heads-up -- parking here is a pain, so plan accordingly. If you can get past that, I highly suggest showing up before the dinner rush. We walked in early and were seated almost right away, which was nice. I really liked the vibe of the place. The decor was something many can related to, with anime characters covering the walls kind of goes well with the name. We started with spring rolls, but they were a disappointment. They came out hard, like they'd been sitting out too long before being served. That was a bad deal right off the bat. For drinks, my wife and niece went with boba while I ordered a strawberry kiwi smoothie -- but asked for no pearls because I'm not a fan of the texture. As far as food, I kept it simple since it was my first time. I ordered the jumbo shrimp fried rice and asked to add chicken. Apparently, that was too much to ask -- because the chicken never showed up. When I asked about it, the server told me they don't allow both. That threw me off because my wife and I go to a lot of Asian restaurants, and we've never been told we couldn't mix proteins before. That kind of set the tone for the rest of the meal. The food was just okay. My wife had the shrimp udon noodles and said it was good, but nothing special. Overall, I liked the atmosphere, but I don't know if we'll be back to Joy Yee any time soon. read more

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When we go to Chinatown, we usually enjoy dim sum for lunch. However, since my husband and I had an afternoon appointment downtown, we were looking for a simpler meal that would allow us to better manage our time. We decided to try Joy Yee. It was our first time there. On this cold day, the usual long line of customers waiting for boba drinks was noticeably absent. We were greeted and seated promptly toward the back of the restaurant, which offered a welcome sense of calm with the wall behind us. However, the tables were packed quite closely together. At one point, a drink was accidentally knocked over at the table next to us, it was a bit alarming due to how close it was to our own table. Joy Yee offers an extensive menu, but we kept it simple and ordered one of our go-to comfort dishes. Both my husband and I chose the Wonton and Beef Brisket Noodle Soup ($17.95 each). Our server, who might have been the owner, kindly let us know that they used Vietnamese pho for that dish and asked if we'd prefer egg noodles instead. I appreciated the suggestion, as egg noodles were more in line with what we were expecting. I also ordered a Taro Milk Tea with Tapioca ($7.00). The server reminded me that it's a cold drink.  I appreciated the advice since it was a chilly day.  I didn't mind and went ahead to order it anyway.  It was enjoyable, though a little watered down for my taste. My husband, who always likes hot tea, ordered a hot milk tea. To our surprise, the woman explained that they couldn't make hot drinks because they didn't have any cups suitable for hot liquids, they only had plastic cups meant for cold beverages! She offered to make the drink room temperature instead (milk tea, no ice, $6.25). That was definitely a first for us--an established eatery with such a large menu but no proper cups for hot drinks. As for the food, it was just okay, not bad, but nothing particularly memorable either. The total for our lunch came to $64.74 for two people, which felt pricey for a modest, casual meal. The prices seemed more fitting for a tourist-oriented spot than a neighborhood café. Based on this visit, I'd give Joy Yee three stars. read more

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Was taken here by a local and it did not disappoint for a huge drink menu. I got so excited that I didn't even take a picture of my drink but it was flavorful and not too sweet! Would recommend for a group or alone because there are lots of choices! Service was prompt and helpful with questions!! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Huge drink menu - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came to this place in Chinatown to give my out-of-town guests a lot of choices. The Japanese tofu I ordered was underwhelming and they were nice enough to give us a discount on it even though we only took a couple bites as a policy is to remake or order something else but we were ready to go read more

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This place seems to be my go to boba tea spot every time I am in Chicago. There are so many flavors. I went on a Monday evening so there was no line. The drink came out pretty fast. They also have food options. I liked their noodles. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

loved everything we had here! The service was quick and the portions were quite large! We ordered the Joy Yee appetizer plate, Over Rice plate (chicken/pork), and 3 drinks. I didn't think I was going to finish based on the size but the taste was so good! I will say the tables are a bit tightly packed in there so I can imagine if there's a lot of people, it can feel pretty crowded, but I do think they get people in and out fairly quickly. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Drinks - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Joy Yee has consistently provided me with good bubble tea for over a decade. A reliable spot that I know I can go to for drinks or food and not be disappointed. It's carried me from my college days to full blown adulthood. Service is quick and easy to order on a kiosk. There is ample seating too. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Bubble tea - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really a nice refreshing drink this was. I had the Strwberry Watermelon Fresh squeeze Slushie. With fresh fruit and cold ice this made for a great cool done under that Chicago sun. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Strawberry Watermelon Fresh Fruit Slushy - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow where do I start? I ordered food at the kiosk being my first time there did not know that there was two separate areas. You can't just seem like a place where you would order from the kiosk and then go sit down yourself. I walked over to the tables and the host, dude in glasses, he goes. "Oh no, you can't sit down even though you ordered food, you can't eat it here". And I'm really confused. I ask him why. He said because it'd be unfair to the people that are waiting to sit down. Makes sense right? NO, THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANT. and they had about like another 2025 seats and maybe like 10 tables maybe more I was just mind blown. Then with the cherry on top, they got my order wrong. Gave some super mid tier chicken pho, or something like it. Hot and sour soup was ok. Not sour enough. read more

We heard great things about Joyyee and had to give it a try since we were in Chinatown. We got the lychee watermelon with boba and the lychee honeydew with boba. I was very impressed with the portions of this. The boba was a good texture, and both drinks were flavorful and refreshing. I don't think they had places to sit inside. The line moved pretty fast even though there were lots of people waiting. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Lychee watermelon and lychee honeydew - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fast, great choices, a thousand food items and in the heart of new Chinatown. Parking is $3 if you dine in and you get validation. If you only order outside for takeout you have to spend $35 or more for parking validation that still costs $3 at the big lot. read more

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This is my absolute favorite boba and food spot, and they never miss. Every visit is consistently amazing--from the drinks to the food, it's always very good, no matter what I order. The boba is perfectly chewy, the drinks are balanced (not too sweet, not watered down), and everything tastes fresh every single time. You can tell they really care about quality and consistency, which is honestly rare these days. The food is just as good as the drinks flavorful, filling, and always hits the spot. The staff is friendly, service is quick, and the place has a great vibe that makes you want to come back again and again. If you're looking for a reliable go-to boba spot that's always on point, this is it. Highly recommend read more

Really decent spot if you are looking for Boba, smoothies, and fruit juices. We have tried some of the dishes here and we're not very impressed with the food however, the fresh smoothies and Boba always tasty with a variety of flavors. It can get pretty busy, but the staff always has it under control. Definitely a recommendation for good Boba. read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband loves getting his drinks from here. We have not tried the food but we will next time. They have so many drinks to choose from and you can customize them as all ! Staff is super friendly and they work fast. Definitely recommend this place ! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Seriously the best food. Went twice w a mix of us vegetarians and meat eaters. Everyone loved everything. I thought hella years ago, they had a diff look, like maybe they renovated recently? I liked the vibe before, I'm not much of a fan of the newer layout, but I'd honestly eat in any dining area for that tasty food lol. The prices are reasonable and potion sizes are good. Restrooms are fine, always had soap and clean. The service is super efficient and very professional and friendly. They validate for the Chinatown $3 public parking. We find parking in the free lot out front on slow times/days. They do add gratuity on parties of FOUR or more, which is becoming more common. It was only 18%, so we added the additional 7% to tip our usual 25% (when service is good like it is here). Side note, I ordered chow fun w mushrooms both nights and each time, ppl at my table who don't ever care for chow fun, ate the crap out of my dish lol. Chow fun is deep fried and exceptional. Egg plain fried rice isn't on the menu, nor is vegetarian Hong Kong style noodles, but they did special requests for us each night w no issues. I wish I was in Chicago more often, just to come here more lol. read more

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First of all, customer service was in need of improvement here. Also, the only menu on the boba side of the restaurant is outside on the window, and it's huge. We ordered our drinks and had to wait in the waiting area. You were not allowed inside the actual restaurant if you were not dining in. We got our drinks and had to find where the straws were located because once the drinks were done, they just yelled our names and dropped them on the table, and they were done. Overall, the drinks were okay but definitely not worth coming back for. There are other boba shops that will treat you better and at a better cost too. read more

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When we arrived at Joy Yee Noodle in Chicago's Chinatown, I was a little sceptical. First of all, it was filled with probably 95% non-East Asians (we were the only Asians when we were there) or tourists, so I wondered how authentic the food could possibly be. Plus, the review rating was below 4 stars. However, the menu looked really enticing, and they had a TON of drink options. My friend even ordered a durian smoothie. I'm glad I didn't let my initial impression turn me off. The fact is, a lot of my favourite Asian/Chinese restaurants have around a 3.5-star rating on Yelp, so it's sometimes a good sign that they serve good food. We shared five dishes between the five of us, and the portion sizes were massive, with leftovers to spare. It's meant to be family style. Some of my other friends decided to order a bowl of 'special' pho individually (which is bigger than what my shareable group ordered), but they absolutely couldn't finish their gigantic bowls. Everything we ordered was done well. We got the crab rangoon, pineapple chicken fried rice, pho, eel japchae, and Chinese broccoli (because we needed some fibre on our trip). Service was also quick and friendly. Apparently they serve massive bowls of pho and they even brought a bigger bowl to show that it could even bigger than what my friends got. Since we were a larger party, tip was already billed onto the final price. BIll came out to $107USD~ $146CAD which I feel is a bit more expensive compared to similar eats in Toronto where I'm from. read more

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Amazing service! Food is amazing ! And the vibes are just a great atmosphere! Just since it is busy there might be a long wait time. But totally worth it . Well in my case my taste buds were happy ! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Watermelon with yellow boba - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Joy Yee is an iconic staple in my trips to Chicago... every time I am here, I have to have it! The staff are super nice, everything is super efficient, but it does tend to get crowded! There's bubble tea options but also great food options. I've had the pineapple fried rice here and loved it! There's a kiosk to order bubble tea but a larger area to sit down and enjoy a meal too, but wait times can be a little long depending on what day/ time you go. Definitely stop by to try at least their teas, they're fantastic! read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance - super casual pan-asian, bright, and hear the smoothie machines blending in the background Service - made our food super fast!!! I think I got it within 15-20 min of ordering Food - the lemongrass chicken wing doesn't taste like how I last remembered :/, noodle soup was amazing (sizzling hot & flavorful) read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Lemongrass Chicken Wings - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here for the drinks! Did not get the noodles. But the food looks good. The place is big and clean. Nice drink and food place in Chinatown. Service looks great. Will definitely come back for more! read more

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Food was tasty but unhealthy and service was fast. Excellent location. We had grilled chicken kimchi rice read more

Joy Yee Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Utterly delicious. Everything we ordered here (food and drink) was a party in my mouth. Great menu with pictures for each dish. Huge portions, great prices, quick service. If I lived nearby I would be here every week, working my way down every single menu item! read more