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    Lao Peng You

    4.2 (431 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Lao Peng You Photos

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    LAO PENG YOU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Lao Peng You

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    William P.

    My new favorite restaurant in the city. The food is amazing and so flavor. Ambiance was sophisticated and minimalistic. Service was very kind and gave us lots of recommendations.

    Heena J.

    Stopped by Lao Peng You for lunch while we were in the area after hearing great things from friends who live nearby -- it definitely lived up to the hype. We went on a Sunday afternoon and there was about a 30-minute wait, but that's expected for a spot like this. It's a small, cozy place and they don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. We were especially excited to see so many vegetarian options on the menu. We admittedly over-ordered because everything sounded so good -- and honestly, no regrets. We tried the mushroom salad, cold noodles, Dan Dan noodles, and mushroom dumplings, and every single dish was a 5/5. Everything was flavorful, well-balanced, and clearly made with care. The service was also worth noting -- friendly, patient, and helpful as we decided what to order. Overall, a great experience and a spot we'd absolutely come back to.

    Sliced Beef
    Jessica Z.

    I wanted to try this place for awhile but just haven't been able to get a spot since it's always so busy. But luckily we were able to get in early and tried a few of their dishes. The sliced beef was really flavorful and I really loved the sauce. The beef sauce noodles were chewy and flavorful, no complaints there. For the beef noodle soup, I thought this was just ok. The soup felt like it could have had more seasoning, and the noodles tasted too manufactured and doesn't have that "handmade" profile which I usually look for in a good beef noodle. They weren't bouncy or as flavorful as I hoped.

    Dan Dan Noodles (front) and house soup (back)
    Allegra A.

    Food here was exceptional. So full of flavor and perfect for a cold winter day. We tried the beef and green onion dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, house soup and one of the homemade breads. Cannot go wrong with any of those choices but my personal favorite was the Dan Dan noodles. As a lot of other reviews state, they do not take reservations and their wait times can get long as they have a small dining space. Get there early or be prepared to wait a bit! Or order takeout. The wait is why I docked a star, other than than it was great. Looking forward to trying more in the future!

    Ready for dumpling
    Samuel A.

    The perfect place for a cold day in chicago. Everything we tried was unique and exceptional. Dishes are made to share so it's perfect to order 2-3 things and split (party of 2, we left stuffed). Dumplings are a must order. The beef & green onion were great. Dan Dan noodles had a nice zest and savory flavor to them. The house noodle soup had tons of umami and the broth was so good. Xian Bing was unique and the lamb/cumin filling was a perfect mix of spice and flavor. I'm sure others have noted but they don't take reservations. You have to either order to go or walk in and put your name on the list. It got quite busy as the night went on so I can imagine wait times getting long for a table. The space is pretty small. We will definitely be back to try more off the menu. I'll be dreaming about these dumplings on another cold day.... Thanks Lao Peng You!

    Dou hua
    Ashley H.

    As someone who is always on the lookout for a good bowl of noodles, I'd been eyeing Lao Peng You for a while and was excited to finally visit recently. My friend and I stopped by for lunch on a Sunday and there was a short wait. The interior is pretty small, so I'd recommend keeping your party to 4 people or fewer. We each ordered the beef noodle soup and decided to split the pork and chive dumplings, xi'an bing, and sweet dou hua. I had come with high hopes for the beef noodle soup after hearing rave reviews about the hand pulled noodles, but unfortunately this dish missed the mark for me. The beef was a bit tough and tasted as if it had been reheated. The broth was very undersalted, very light on aromatics, and a bit greasy from the large amount of chili oil. The dumplings had a good flavor and I liked the flavorful sauce. The lamb flatbread was my favorite by far- it was fluffy, perfectly seasoned, and tasted freshly baked. Highly recommend dipping in some of the chili sauce! The warm dou hua wasn't out of the ordinary, but made for a nice sweet treat at the end without being too heavy. Overall, the prices were high but we left full. I would come back for more of the flatbread and to try a different noodle dish.

    Beef & Green Onion
    Wajhi K.

    Yeah I mean, the beef and green onion dumplings in broth was one of the single most satisfying bites of food I have ever had. I was passing by, put an order in and sat outside and ate and chugged the broth until my container was dry. Can't comment on service or a full dining experience but if you live in Chicago this should be a take out staple on a regular basis.

    Cold Noodle
    Cady D.

    The wait was long on a Saturday evening because it's a small restaurant, but we were fine waiting. We went somewhere else until we were 2nd in line and then we waited at the restaurant. We might have ordered too much food because we couldn't decide what to get, but we took any leftovers home and it was just as good the next day! We ordered the pork & chive dumplings, cucumber salad, cold noodle, beef noodle soup, xian bing, and cong you bing. We also ordered two of their iced tea drinks. My favorite was definitely the dumplings--they were so flavorful and the broth they came in was so good with a little spice (they typically put dried shrimp in the broth but we got it without). The cold noodles and cucumber salad were refreshing. I also loved the cong you bing--they're made fresh after you order and you can tell! The bread was so soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. And just a warning to anyone who is like me and doesn't like the taste of cilantro: they put it on almost every dish here and they put a lot of it on too. I guess I should have asked to get it on the side lol.

    Alwin A.

    The food was really good. The dumpling soup was exceptional. I will say it was overhyped because of all the publicity that it gets and how long the wait time is, I would say my expectations were even higher because of how hyped up it was. Service was very friendly and food came out pretty fast.

    Beef Noodle Soup
    Erica B.

    No reservations. And a small seating area. We went around 530 on a Saturday and were told it would be a 1.5 hour wait for 3 people. We ended up lucking out because it was a little bit of a chilly day, but we were willing to eat outside under the heat lamps so we only had to wait ~25 mins! This place is known for their dumplings, which is absolutely accurate, because they are so good. We tried the pork & chive and the beef & green onion and both were excellent. They came in a really yummy broth and both had a lot of flavor. If I had to put one over the other I would probably put the beef over the pork, but I loved them both. The Dan Dan Noodle and Beef Noodle Soup, both had a little bit of that Szechuan spice because of the chili oil, the beef noodle soup more than the dan dan. I have a very low spice tolerance and both were just a little too spicy for me. The dan dan got better the farther in we got though because that's when the peanut flavor came out more and I felt that it got tastier. The beef noodle was just ok, nothing extra special, and the spice was just a little too much for me to handle.

    Brisket
    Kim N.

    This was one of those places where you order first/pay and sit down. We came at around 12 PM and it wasn't that busy. Our food came out pretty quick as well. This definitely had that spicy numbing flavor, so if you don't like that, then beware. I really enjoyed it because I don't mind that. My favorite was the beef noodle soup. It was so comforting and flavorful

    Beef Noodle Soup
    Anna T.

    Very cute spot, small space! We ordered pickup and it was ready in about 45 minutes on a Friday night! We started with the pork and chive dumplings- these are incredible. So flavorful and soft. Huge portion size too! I think it had about 8-10 dumplings! I got the beef noodle soup too. I love spicy food but this was almost too spicy and overpowering. All you can taste is chili oil. Sadly I didn't love this. I think a good idea would be to get with no chili oil and put it on the side. Everything is a bit spicier than I thought!

    Cold Noodle
    Jill G.

    I first tried them at west fest street fest. So amazing. I've been back a quite a few times since. I love the cold noodles. Lots of thin sliced veges & their fabulous house made chili oil. Noodles are perfect too. My guy always gets pork dan dan noodles. This time I tried the cong you bing bread. It's made to order so it takes a bit. The green onions & warm bread were so good. Always great service in this hip, cute little restaurant.

    Dan Dan noodles (vegan version)

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    Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings

    Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings

    4.4(2.1k reviews)
    3.7 miChinatown
    $$

    Located right outside of the Chinatown gates and next to the cta redline, QXY Dumplings is some of…read morethe best I've ever had. They were full immediately after opening at 11:30am on a Sunday so expect a wait if you're not right on time or early. Their skin is thinner than I usually see, so their filling doesn't have to be super packed to even out the dough ratio. The chili oil and soup are 100% on point. Overate and overstuffed myself. Staff is efficient and fast. Would come back

    we came around 8:40p on a Sunday night and the wait was only about 20 min…read more I was very excited to try this spot because I saw all the raving reviews but I would say only about half of the dishes I would order again we ordered: -- lamb skewers: 10/10 so flavorful and tender, I don't usually like lamb because it can taste gamey but this didn't at all -- cucumber salad: would order again - loved the texture -- crab roe steamed: 10/10 would order again, my bf and I both agreed it was the best dumpling flavor -- wagyu and truffle steamed: I honestly found the truffle overpowering in flavor, wouldn't get again -- lamb and dill steamed: the dill flavor was too strong, wouldn't get again we also ordered the osmanthus tea which had a light floral taste but it didn't standout to me also I will note, if I came back, I would come in the morning or afternoon - I think by the time we sat down, the staff was tired because several soup dumplings weren't wrapped tightly so the soup had spilled out before it got to our table I will say I agree with the comments about the prices here being high - it was $160 before tip because the wagyu truffle dumplings and crab roe dumplings were both market rate ($30-$35 each for 12 dumplings) I'm happy I got to try this spot because the crab roe was the best soup dumplings I've ever had but I think I will be more selective with what I order next time

    Photos
    Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings - Dining room

    Dining room

    Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings - Pork & Pickled Cabbage Dumplings, Lamb & Coriander Dumplings

    Pork & Pickled Cabbage Dumplings, Lamb & Coriander Dumplings

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    Soup dumpling

    Dai Yee's Asian Kitchen - Shrimp Broccoli, Beef Tofu (hot), Egg Fried Rice

    Dai Yee's Asian Kitchen

    4.4(223 reviews)
    4.3 miNorth Center

    Dai Yee's Asian Kitchen is the underground emperor of late-night Chinese food in Chicago, the spot…read moreyour Uber driver, your bartender, and every chef in the city whispers about when they're truly hungry. Tucked into a no-frills corner on the South Side, Dai Yee's looks modest from the outside, but step in after 10 p.m. and it's pure magic. The room is packed with everybody--sneakerheads, nurses coming off shift, club kids, cops, and couples on first dates who somehow heard the legend. The vibe is chaotic in the best way: woks roaring, orders flying, and that unmistakable perfume of sizzling garlic, ginger, and chili filling the air. The food is straight-up stupid good. The Hong Kong-style salt & pepper smelts are crackly, spicy, and gone in 30 seconds. The beef chow fun has that elusive wok hei (breath of the wok) that most places only dream of, wide rice noodles slick with smoky char and tender flank steak. The black pepper beef tenderloin is velvet-soft, glossy, and aggressively peppery in a way that makes you order extra rice just to survive the happiness. The Singapore noodles are bright curry perfection, and the Mongolian beef is saucy, crispy-edged, and borderline addictive. Portions are straight out of the 90s--massive trays that could feed a family of four for under $15. Cash-only, BYOB, and everything comes out blazing hot in under ten minutes even when the place is slammed. The ladies running the show are legends: fast, funny, and they'll roast you (lovingly) if you can't handle the spice level you asked for. If you leave Chicago without hitting Dai Yee's at least once (preferably at 1 a.m. with a six-pack), you didn't really experience the city. This is real-deal, no-filter, soul-satisfying Chinese food that reminds you why we fall in love with restaurants in the first place. Dai Yee's isn't just a restaurant; it's a Chicago institution in the making. I'd wait in line in a blizzard for those smelts. See you at midnight.

    11/26/25 - I drove by here w/my wife today to eat lunch based on the reviews only to find that this…read moreis a pop up restaurant where you go & pick up your food & go. Dam I was disappointed we went away empty. Based on the reviews I really wanted to try this place but alas it wasn't meant to be. How do you give a rating to a restaurant you didn't eat at? Sorry I can't give you a 5 star rating but it's hard to judge on not eating your food

    Photos
    Dai Yee's Asian Kitchen - Chicken Lo Mein, Yu Shin Beef (Hot), General Tsos Chicken (Hot)

    Chicken Lo Mein, Yu Shin Beef (Hot), General Tsos Chicken (Hot)

    Dai Yee's Asian Kitchen - Mocha Lava Bao Bun

    Mocha Lava Bao Bun

    Dai Yee's Asian Kitchen - Sesame Chicken and Beef Fried Rice

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    Sesame Chicken and Beef Fried Rice

    Shang Noodle - Chicago - Har Gao

    Shang Noodle - Chicago

    4.3(490 reviews)
    2.9 miNear North Side
    $$

    Such a pleasant, fulfilling surprise. By chance we stopped at Shang Noodle, looked in the window…read moreand was drawn inside. Atmosphere was great; a little noisy, but in a good way. Lots of friend groups and others, enjoying their together time, incredible meals, and just sharing together. Serious stuff: Ambiance was very inviting, letting all clientele the opportunity for unfettered enjoyment. Food was flavorful, sumptuous - just delicious and more than ample. Service; quick, courteous, attentive. Waitstaff proving good information on menu items and pairing suggestions. They checked on us several time, ensuring everything was to our liking. If ever back in Chicago, I will definitely be look for Shang Noodle!

    Went here on a whim last night after reading all the glowing reviews on Yelp. Before that, I…read morechecked out a few eateries on the 4th floor of the Nordstrom building, but nothing really stood out, and honestly, none of them seemed very busy and the one restaurant Lao Sze Chuan was way too expensive, $30+ entrees were average and the place wasn't busy at all. So I decided to try Shang Noodle, which was tucked away on a side street off Grand Ave., just steps from Michigan Ave. It's across from the Nordstrom building, past Labriola's, down some steps and about a block away located on the south side of the street. As soon as I walked in, and I wasn't expecting this but the restaurant was extremely loud and nearly every seat was taken and everybody seemed to be enjoying themself, families, couples and groups. I figured that was a good sign and it signaled to me that the food was probably good! At first, the host wanted me to sit at the bar, which I politely declined because I don't usually sit at bars, also, I was there to eat, not pick up somebody! I noticed a small table open, pointed it out, and he kindly let me take it. No 'tude either! As far as my server goes, she was efficient, friendly, and very helpful with recommendations since it was my first visit and probably because I didn't look like the other customers who were more familiar with the cuisine. She suggested the pot stickers over the hot and sour soup, and the beef Chow Fun instead of chicken Chow Fun. The pot stickers were a little small, but crispy and very tasty. I also asked for some sweet and sour sauce on the side which I'm glad I did because it paired nicely with the pot stickers instead of that plain vinegar sauce they usually serve you. For my main dish, I ordered the char-grilled beef Chow Fun. The portion size was more than generous, and the char-grilled beef had a great umami flavor. A few of the rice noodles were a bit firm, likely undercooked, but overall though it was quite enjoyable. What I appreciated the most about Shang Noodle was the value. $18 for the beef Chow Fun and $9 for the pot stickers felt reasonable to me, considering it was on the dinner menu, the portion sizes were humongous and the restaurant was located on the Near North Side, which is usually quite pricey. I'll definitely be back, though next time I may try lunch instead, or go with friends of mine.

    Photos
    Shang Noodle - Chicago
    Shang Noodle - Chicago - Sizzling Beef

    Sizzling Beef

    Shang Noodle - Chicago - Deep Fried Pork Belly (gf)

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    Deep Fried Pork Belly (gf)

    Lao Sze Chuan

    Lao Sze Chuan

    3.4(1.2k reviews)
    2.8 miNear North Side
    $$

    It has been a few years since I have been here, but I am pleased to see the same great service and…read morefood quality are consistent with my past experiences. We arrived just as doors were opening for lunch, and sat at the bar for apps and drinks. The lycheetini here is my fave, but be aware it is a potent drink. The lychee in the glass is a treat for the finish. Steamed Dim sum and crab rangoon are good and generous portions. You cannot go wrong with anything shrimp. Our bar tender/server (Fiona, I believe?) surprised my daughter with a birthday treat, sesame balls with a candle, which was so sweet! We had early dinner reservations so we did not stay for lunch, but I look forward to returning for a full meal. Great location on MI Ave!

    Came here mainly for the duck and it did NOT disappoint…read more The vibes were better than expected for a Chinese spot. Nice sit-down feel, pretty comfortable. 7.5/10. Service was fine, nothing standout but about what I expected. 6/10. The Peking duck was the highlight. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and tasted super high quality. Only thing is the cucumbers weren't the freshest and I wish there was a bit more seasoning, but still amazing. 9.7/10. Easily up there with some of the best in Chicago. The other dishes didn't hit as much. The cumin lamb had great flavor but was way too fatty and oily. 4/10. The dry chili chicken had a nice crispy texture but also too oily. 6.5/10. Both weren't very spicy either. Overall, come here for the duck and you'll have a great time.

    Photos
    Lao Sze Chuan - View of Food Court inside Building - March 7, 2024

    View of Food Court inside Building - March 7, 2024

    Lao Sze Chuan
    Lao Sze Chuan

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    Lao Peng You - chinese - Updated May 2026

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