Everyone needs a clutch restaurant. The place that always comes through. It's convenient, consistent, and, most of all, incredibly good. I've had many clutch spots over the years as I moved around, but it took me a minute to find my North Shore go-to. But here I am, a local for half a year now, and my go-to is Ni's, 100%. Lisa, the owner extraordinaire, is friendly, engaging, and an absolute customer service star. Not to mention a formidable chef. She has an obvious passion for food and its cultural history, and I love talking with her about it. The whole crew at Ni's is awesome and always happy to chat or handle any dish alterations. They clearly care about their clientele, and it's one of the things that keeps me coming back. My "must have" is the veggie summer rolls. I get them every time. Really, really good. And after living in the Vietnamese neighborhood of San Francisco for a few years, eating out almost daily, I've had my fair share of summer rolls. The produce at Ni's is always fresh, and I love how they cleverly use jicama for crunch. The rolls come with peanut sauce, but Ni's makes a delicious vegan fish sauce in-house that I go with almost every time. Banh Mi, Veggie Pho, Crispy Tofu, Fried Rice, I've had everything on the menu that is vegan or can be made so, and I'll gladly order them all again and again. This is not an all-vegan restaurant by any stretch (fear not, meat eaters), but Lisa goes out of her way to have options, and I've never been anything but satisfied. Even my kindergartner is into the veggie Pho broth and summer rolls, and he's not the easiest to please. Wilmette is lucky to have Ni's. I hope everyone knows that. They're tucked around the corner from the busier area of Central Ave and Wilmette Ave, and I've been doing my best to spread the word. "You've never been to Ni's?! Get the hell outta here.." So, if you didn't know, now you do. You're welcome. read more

I was visiting my home town from Washington DC. Had two bowls of Pho with my daughter, and some crispy spring rolls. Soup broth was okay. The rice noodles were overcooked. The spring rolls were probably previously frozen. They were not served with nouc mam, but rather a bottled sweet chili sauce. I really hope they read this review. We want them to flourish and to succeed. Grab that fish sauce! Make a real nouc mam! Make a real crispy double fried fresh spring roll! Your broth is pretty good. I hope the next time we go back, we will see a more authentic approach to your food. read more

Our party of 4 came in to enjoy a Friday evening Vietnamese dinner. Ni's Kitchen is a cozy, homey, and newish 2 year old mom-and-pop restaurant in a quaint commercial section of Wilmette. I'll go with 4.49 stars for our dinner experience. Wife ordered their house special pho bowl ($16.95). I had a very nice Sketchbook Session Coastal IPA ($8) and ordered their pork chop rice plate ($15.95), and surprisingly it was their only white rice plate offering though they do have several fried rice dishes. Our dinner pals had a chicken pho bowl ($14.95) and another house special pho bowl. We also shared appetizers of pork spring rolls (3 for $7.95) and shrimp summer rolls (2 for $9.95). All of the servings were fresh, delicious, and satisfying and my pork chop plate was a very good, filling meal for the price. The pork chop was nicely pre-sliced also and that was an atypical plus for this popular and traditional dish. There were a couple of minor knocks that held the rating back. The food came out rather leisurely, but it is a small mom and pop joint. If it were busier than the 3 parties present, there could be more waiting. We probably waited 15 minutes before the spring rolls came first. Then the summer rolls came out after another 5 minutes. The main dishes came out readily afterwards. The pho broth was not piping hot but rather just a bit hotter than lukewarm. The broth was tasty though and not overly salty. Hazel was our competent host and server and a young member of the owner family. There is free street parking right out front as well as a nearby public parking lot. We had an enjoyable and leisurely dinner in a calm setting and I would readily return just for what I had. read more

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Such a gem of a place! I love that I can rely on Wilmette for my frequent pho obsession! read more

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I recently visited Ni's kitchen while craving Pho during my travels and had such a great experience. The establishment is in such a cute area. There is street parking available nearby. The service was excellent - we were checked on often and the food was brought out quickly. The pho itself was delicious! The broth was very flavorful, containing plenty of scallions and onions. I had the beefsteak and brisket pho and found it to have a very decent serving of meat. I do wish that the meat was slightly less cooked, as the warm broth continues to cook it, but it was delicious nonetheless! You are also provided with beansprouts, limes, jalapeños, and Hoisin sauce. As an appetizer, we had the pork and shrimp summer rolls and the peanut sauce was so tasty for dipping them in! Overall, it was a great experience and great food. I would gladly visit Ni's again on my next Chicago visit. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - P1. Pho Beef Steak, P4. Pho Beef Steak & Brisket, P5. Beef Steak & Tendon - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Authentic pho here! My daughter who is a very picky eater really enjoyed her pho too! I also tried the Vietnamese hot coffee for the first time and it was very good and strong. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Worst pho I've ever had. Broth didn't taste like anything. The serving size for the beef and noodles is too small. If you ever tried pho or know anything about food, you'll know this pho is garbage. read more

I ordered summer rolls and Thai tea to-go. The flavor is okay at best. My to-go cup of Thai tea wasn't even filled properly. There was about an inch between the top of the drink and the lid. The summer rolls are edible but nothing to write home to. The dipping sauce is okay. For the price I paid for two items, I felt a bit robbed. The staff are nice and the restaurant is cute, but the food is mid for what it cost. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - A4. Shrimp & Pork Summer Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

In a North Shore deprived of Vietnamese food, this is a wonderful find! The chicken pho is on the spot, and so was the fried tofu. My wife loved her noodle dish, as well. The service is fast and friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy and casual. We'll be back! read more

Awesome spot with great fresh flavors. The staff is always friendly and the food tastes great. They do all of your standard Vietnamese dishes and it's done right. The inside is no frills but the kids always love a meal there. read more

Here's what you need to know: INCREDIBLE FOOD. This is what a great family owned chef run restaurant should be . Just wow! Cozy ambiance, awesome service and hospitality, and simply MAGNIFICENT food. Very well priced and over delivering in terms of quality and flavor. Truly a scratch kitchen. Can't say enough great things read more

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I had a wonderful dinner at Ni's kitchen tonight with family. The vegetarian pho is excellent. The atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and inviting and the wait staff and owner are lovely. read more

We had a great dinner at Ni's Kitchen. The food and service was great! My wife and our friend were in Vietnam on vacation and they both said that the food was very authentic. The owners are Vietnamese so that's why. Highly recommended! read more

This is great, local pho! The service here is always fast and friendly. We normally order the summer rolls and pho. Broth is always very fresh and flavorful. Thai tea here is also excellent. We've come back several times. Give it a try! :) read more

Ni’s Kitchen - P5. Beef Steak & Tendon - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Tried pho tai tonight. Very fast delivery. Extremely hot. Beautiful, fresh ingredients all packed nicely. Nice spoon and chopsticks. Maybe the best pho I've ever had. 5 million out of 10 read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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The portions were good size and food was fresh. My husband ordered the pork and spring roll vermicelli bowl. They offered the option of doing half beef, half pork. But ended up charging extra $3 which made the bowl almost $20. Wish we were told up front but know we know. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - V1. Grilled Pork & Spring Rolls Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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This vegan pho was absolutely amazing. I had food allergies and I felt so taken cared of. The Thai iced tea was absolutely delicious and was a perfect mix of not too sweet. They were so careful and helpful with my dish. The spring rolls accompanied with the side sauce was so scrumptious. The service was a 10/10 and everyone was so attentive and respectful. The chef was the best and reminded me of my mom. I loved the cozy atmosphere complimented the lovely food. The people were also so caring and a wonderful company. Shoutout to Hazeland also talk to her about Kpop you deserve a massive tip. Love ya read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Before - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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Shoutout to Hazel for being the real one! K-pop lovers will love her - love the PHOTOCARD . Such sweet and genuine service! My friend has a serious peanut/treenut and seafood allergy and the owner constantly checked in with her to make sure that there was no chance of contamination. She absolutely refused any allergy breakouts, we felt so so safe!! Everyone was so kind, welcoming, and engaging - lovely staff Now the food - Thai iced tea was SO creamy and rich!!! Beautiful orange color so u know that sh good . Very flavorful too and sweet, but not nauseously - perfect balance and sooo refreshing it perfectly balanced the savory pho. My friend got the veggie one since it was seafood and treenut friendly, had fried tofu which looked splendid . I got the chicken which tasted amazingggfg. The broth was so savory and plentiful, and it was so warm and everything just melts in your mouth. The portion sizes were also really big so you're definitely getting your moneys worth! The spring roll appetizer was also perfect - light, buttery, and soooo crunchy so everybting inside melted all together in a gooey mesmerizing way I definitely recommend this place for the adorable and cozy ambience (perfect for winter with snow everywhere ), crunchy and buttery spring rolls with warm and savory pho, all washed down with a sweet and thirst quenching thai iced tea! 100000000000000/10 read more

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Since moving back to the area, been looking for a good Vietnamese restaurant that offers a good assortment of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Think I found one in NI's. Prompt and friendly service, and better than average pho and appetisers at decent pricing. Not a big place but it was comfortable and being that it was a nice day, could have sat outside and enjoyed the meal equally well. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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Outstanding food, cozy atmosphere & wonderful service. Great place for families. Can't wait to come back!

Excellent restaurant that has quickly become one of my favorite spots in the Wilmette/Evanston area. The pho is probably my favorite amongst all other Vietnamese restaurants in Chicago (I've been to most places on Argyle), and their spring rolls, with the homemade fish sauce, are absolutely fantastic!!! *chef's kiss* And the staff is always delightful and friendly, and make me feel like a regular (which I've definitely become over the past 1.5 years!) every time I pop in. Highly recommend Ni's! read more

Terrific food at a family restaurant. Service is very friendly and great with our kids. Outdoor seating is nice when the weather is good.

The Pho is clean but also full of flavor and fresh ingredients. Very considerate wait staff who will immediately help to make your experience worthwhile. My kids are picky eaters, and they find the chx wings, spring rolls snd noodles to be excellent. read more

Maybe the best pho broth I've ever had. I got the chicken pho and the chicken was so tender. Definitely coming back :)

A memorable dining experience. Great spring rolls, reasonable prices, and friendly service. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

The Thai iced tea was delicious and bright orange. Don't mind my friend in the background she was stressing about school, but once she tasted that Thai iced Tea she became happy again. The pho was so comforting and delicious, definitely a new comfort food! The service was nice because the cook made sure my friend didn't die from her allergies, very very considerate and concerned service. If you love Kpop talk to Hazel. Thanks Hazel you deserve to see Ateez live! read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Thai iced Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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I recently had the pleasure of dining at Ni's Kitchen which is a delightful Vietnamese restaurant that left me with a very positive experience from both the service and delicious food. From the moment I stepped into the cozy ambiance of this hidden gem, I knew I was in for a treat. Tried the pork egg rolls and chicken pho both were excellent. Have been back several times since the food is delicious. You won't be disappointed! read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Chicken Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

I just got home from having dinner at Ni's Kitchen and the Wilmette Art Fair; what a great way to end the weekend! Bought awesome paintings of Biggie Smalls and Jimi Hendrix at the art fair then decided at the last minute to check out Ni's Kitchen, since it happened to be the only restaurant near the art fair which had the cuisine I was craving the most: Vietnamese cuisine (a great dining find in downtown Wilmette, which is largely comprised of burger, pizza and pasta-oriented restaurants...nothing against them; I LOVE those kinds of food too and WILL hit those other places in the future)! Anyway, I came in around 5 pm, was the only diner there along with a couple who were finishing up. The whole restaurant was clean (including the wash room), cool and had a relaxing laid back vibe to it. The service here was spot-on, too: Asia and Thao took great care of me the whole time: taking my order quickly and accurately, perfectly pacing the serving of the food, making sure my lemonade glass was never empty and being so pleasant and engaging the whole time! For appetizers, I had the Shrimp and Pork Summer Rolls and the Salt and Pepper Egg Tofu--both were incredibly fresh, flavorful and delicious! For entree, I had the House Pho--also incredibly fresh, flavorful, hearty, and delicious! The restaurant's owner and Executive Chef, Lisa, even came over to my table and chatted with me, as did members of her family -- this was THE MOST awesome hospitality I had ever received at any Vietnamese restaurant I'd ever been to! Anyway my total bill was $50.35; I was so incredibly happy with my dining experience here, I left Asia and Thao a bigger than normal tip! If you can't guess already, I do plan on coming back!!! read more

Incredible meal. We had family visiting from various large metro cities and everyone was so impressed with their dishes. Pho, rice plates and vermicelli were all excellent. I'm local and this will definitely be on our rotation. read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Picture taken after we personalized by adding veggies Broth was really good, lots of depth. - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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Came here right when they opened so no wait :). Located right next to the Farmers Market. Plenty of free parking. Ordered a Summer Roll and Pho Tai. Summer Roll lacked flavor and the wrapper was kinda thick and hard. The Phos broth lacked body, it didn't hit like normal. Pho is all about the broth right?? Steak was chewy. Portion and price were fine. The saving grace was the noodle, it was thin and has a nice chewy texture. It was OK at best. The reviews here are so high. Did I come on a bad day? IMO much better options elsewhere. Not sure if I will be back. read more

Great food and service. Superb quality and very clean and well maintained inside. Definitely will be coming back here for lunch and dinner.

Tried this for the first time last night. I live in Wilmette and I didn't even realize this restaurant has been in town since November! It's in the downtown but just far enough to the side on 12th street that I have not noticed it. Anyway, we really enjoyed the food. We spoke to the owner, who was lovely - a first-time restauranteur, with her sister and nephew helping out around the restaurant. She wants to bring authentic Vietnamese cuisine - recipes her mom would make - to Wilmette. As far as we can tell, she's doing a great job. The menu has enough to chose from but is not as extensive as some - yet. She is seeing what people are interested in and evolving it slowly, which makes sense. Everything was good; we particularly enjoyed the pork chop with rice. It is BYOB. We want everyone to go give them a try, so we continue to have this much-needed dining option in Wilmette. read more

Staff was very hospitable and the food was delicious! We ordered the Pho Tai Nam and Vermicelli with beef which were both great! Would definitely go again read more

We tried a lot of dishes at Ni's Kitchen, but everything we ordered lacked flavor. It was pretty disappointing overall after reading the the good reviews on here. I wish people would just be honest. The broth was very light, no aromatics anywhere, and they majorly skimped on the toppings on everything we got. There is much better elsewhere. read more

Great addition to downtown Wilmette. Ordered the veggie fried rice and spring rolls. Great taste. Staff was very friendly. Will go back. read more

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SO excited that this place opened up in downtown Wilmette, it's in much need of more eateries like this! There are definitely early growing pains - their online ordering system isn't working yet, and we called in to put in an order but no one picked up. So we went in to put in the order, it took about 20-30 minutes to get our two entree order ready. We got: Chicken pho - This was solid, all the usual toppings came with, the broth was very tasty after adding the veggies, lime, sriracha. But it did taste overly licorice-y and sugary, without all the additional add-ins. I'm a lover of pho broths, so would've liked something richer and cleaner to taste. Grilled pork & egg roll vermicelli - I highly recommend this dish if you're into bun. The grilled pork was cooked to perfection, had just the right balance of meat to fattiness, was perfectly sweet and savory, the vermicelli was well cooked, and the fish sauce brought it all together. The egg roll was a good size and was delicious - wish they weren't so expensive as a standalone appetizer, otherwise I'd order extra! The only thing that was a bit off putting was the mint, it was too strong and even a little bitter, so I plucked that out, but other than that, this dish was a winner! Can't wait to go back and try more dishes! read more

Really cute little Vietnamese spot in Wilmette! The pho and iced coffee are delicious! The girls in the front and the kitchen staff are wonderful! 10/10 would recommend! read more

Ni’s Kitchen - Pho Special - Vietnamese Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Cute little spot serving yummy Vietnamese food in Wilmette! I ordered Pho Dac Biet and it was exactly what I needed. Warm, hearty broth with a generous amount of meat and noodles. The tofu appetizer was flavorful and fried just right. The thai iced tea was made perfectly. Staff was very nice and attentive and the food came out fast! I had to order the Thai basil shrimp fried rice to take home. I definitely appreciated the spice and flavor the dish packed. I will definitely come back here with the rest of my family! read more

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The Pho here is amazing! This is an authentic Vietnamese Pho restaurant, with wonderful female owners, that I believe immigrated here from Vietnam. The waitresses, Hazel and Thao, and provide excellent service! The pork spring rolls are also delicious! This is now our "go to" place for Pho! Be sure to try it-you will not be disappointed! read more

The braised pork banh mi is a contender for best lunch sandwich in Wilmette. Salt & Pepper Egg tofu with jalapenos and bell peppers is a unique dish that is great appetizer to share. read more