In the lead up to my most recent visit to Chicago, the hidden food court in Richland Center popped up in my algorithm... and as someone who loves "hole in the wall"-type places, as well as checking out various neighborhoods, their shops, and restaurants, I was super excited to check it out. The problem is that once you actually GET to Richland Center, especially to try out the food court, you realize it's dingy and unwelcoming. There's 0 charm, half the stalls are either closed OR the folks working in them are either rude or paying no attention (seriously, I want to be a paying customer!), and it's just generally disappointing. It didn't really matter which stall I visited or what selection(s) I was trying to make (while wanting to be mindful of cultural norms, expectations, etc). Also, I don't know who decided to pitch the food court as some hidden gem... first of all, it's literally inside the main doors from the sidewalk and then down a (filthy) set of stairs, but secondly, there doesn't seem to be any attention paid to... well... anything. I get that the mall itself is pretty abandoned... like, I anticipated that (and, unfortunately, it seems to be par for the course in many places these days). I understand the nature of dining at food stalls too... I've frequented many in my travels and I honestly love them and have had some of my best meals, and best interactions, from them... ... but this? This wasn't it. This was not a positive experience. Maybe it's different if you live in the neighborhood, I don't know. But I've never had this kind of experience before. I wouldn't recommend going to Richland Center either, whether it be trying to dine in the food court or anything else. read more

Richland Center - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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There was a cute store in here with a lot of items made of yarn. I also got a really good boba. Other than that..there is not much to see. read more

Richland Center - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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the place had a smell to it and while the soup dumplings i ordered were decent but kinda pricey, the scallion pancakes were mediocre at best, huge serving with no flavor and barely any scallions I really enjoyed my drink at elite boba however also, worst of all i got INCREDIBLY SICK, vomiting and diarrhea for days on end with unbearable stomach pains starting only 15 minutes after eating. after telling my friend about what I had been going through, he told me how he too felt sick after eating read more

Had the worst soup dumplings here (corner kiosk). Waited upwards of 20 minutes and they were all SOUP-LESS... The boba I got at Elite Tea was delicious though. Would recommend the matcha taro mochi latte. read more

disclaimer: this review is about the Richland center not about the food stalls. Overall, the place is not the cleanest. Walking in, the floors are visibly dirty and theres a smell. Once you're downstairs it does get better. I saw that there were employees cleaning tables, in and around the food court which was promising. I was just very thrown off with the entrance and probably wouldn't have eaten here if I didn't see the employees cleaning. The selections of food the stalls were offering were good, but not enough to keep me coming back, especially with cleanliness aspect I saw while there. read more

Very nice experience customer services on point. And they're very nice, also, the prices are not too bad. I found a few things that I like. The store is also very clean.Pricing was pricing was very good read more

While visiting Chicago me and a group of friends came to this good hall looking for food. I enjoyed this place for the many options. I forgot to get the name of the restaurant but it's located at the end of the hall on the right side when you do down the stairs. The food was delish and loved the environment read more

Richland Center - Seafood soup noodles and fried fish fillet - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you like places that look like a post apocalyptic war zone this is for you! At any point they could exert a bit of energy and attempt at cleaning up the stairway, it looks terrible. WTF happened to that poor waterfall thing? When you do enter the basement there are around 8 or 9 choices. Most have working digital menus. Some are one person operations, they are behind a curtain cooking and no one is available to speak to. I saw people ringing bells and no one would come out. We got steamed dumplings from one, they were plentiful and great. A previous review suggested one called Gourmet Duck. I couldn't find it so we ordered from a different one. While eating I spotted it, the name is written in English on the front of the counter, it's on the back wall. Next time! We ate at Noodle-verse. My food was supposed to be a beef soup, barely any meat, $16. Total rip off. My wife's food from the same place was great though. Previous reviews have said the prices here are cheap. NOPE. Plasticware to eat hot soup if you like micro plastics in your food. The tables are crap and the chairs are mixed, some folding chairs some actual ones. IF the prices were great I could see coming back here, but for what I paid I might as well sit in a nice restaurant upstairs with a comfortable, clean environment and actual silverware. Bummer, I was hoping this was some great hidden secret. read more

This place has the best variety of street Chinese food. And I truly appreciate the touch screen for ordering. This really helps for the language barrier between the customers and vendors. I appreciate the variety of foods. However, entering in, there were two questionable homeless people and smell of urine before you enter the basement. The fans were filled dust and there was lack of napkins. I don't mean this in a bad way. Growing up, our Chinatown were similar. Merely stating as a precaution for non-Asian tourists visiting the place. With that said, this place is very authentic with amazing food selection. I ordered a beef scallion pancake, which was handmade fresh by a married couple. They had condiments of soy sauce, black vinegar and chili oil. read more

Richland Center - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had been to Chinatown on multiple occasions and somehow had never known about this place before. Yes, it is underground in what looks like an abandoned mall. But the food was great. Everything we had was amazing. A few of the stations have touchscreen ordering, which makes it easy. We will definitely be going back. read more

3.5 stars + Yes it's downstairs in a semi abandoned mall. Yes the bathrooms are creepy--you need a key and to get a key you have to surrender ID or a CC to whatever vendor you buy from as collateral. And yes, the food is delicious, authentic, and CHEAP. I tried the last stall in the left and ordered the pan fried beef bao (8 to an order) & a beef stick. The baos were fluffy & so airy. The filling was well seasoned. The auntie was disgusted that I didn't speak Chinese, but hey, so long as the food is good. read more

The food court might look a bit simple but lots of hidden gems. Jue Wei ya ba wang is bold, spicy, delicious. The beef tendon is so tender, doesn't stick to teeth, easy to chew, love it. The bao and sticker place to the right of it is a mom and pop shop, lovely couple, very friendly. Their baos are huuuge! Like bigger than my fist, and dare I say I don't have little orange fists, mine are bigly lolol and they r delicious. The dipping sauce is premade with vinegar and a bit chili oil, just makes everything better. Ky Lin Teppanyaki had been there since Richland Center opened. Great food, and they keeps expanding and enhancing their menu. Can't go wrong. Rest, I haven't tried the others lol Restroom looks a bit haunted so... maybe go before coming down stairs lol read more

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So Chinatown was amazing and fun. There is a newer section and older section. We explored both. I really wanted to go into one of the old school Chinese restaurants and sit down to a full course meal, but my wife told us about Richland Center over in the newer section. We had to get directions because it's basically an unmarked building, down a set of stairs, into what locks like a basement. We found a paradise of any kind of Chinese food you could ask for. There were about a dozen walk-up restaurants in Richland Center. We all headed off in different directions. I headed over to the dumplings. The little walk-up was called Gourmet Duck. I ordered the beef and onion dumplings. I watched a wonderful lady prepare the dough, stretch the dough, and cut my dumplings precisely, all by hand. I'd never seen fresh dumplings prepared right in front of me. She then heated up her wok to about 1000 degrees in a couple of minutes. I had 2 orders, 30 dumplings freshly made, in 5 minutes. All for 14.00. I shared with my family. I love dumplings, and these were some of the best I have ever eaten. The experience alone was worth 14.00.! I only wish I'd taken more pictures. If you like real deal Chinese food, this is the place to go. I will go out of my way to visit here again. read more

Richland Center - Half of my hand rolled, hand cut dumplings. 14.00 at Richland Center. - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's been a long time since we stepped down into the lower level food court here.  The small appliance store (WM Trading) we were looking at is in the midst of this food court, so out of convenience we picked up a lunch item here.  It's a no-frills food court, nothing fancy and a bit spartan, but the food values like much of Chinatown looked pretty decent.  There are dumpling shops, noodle shops, a tea shop, and a couple of hair salons.  That was not an all inclusive list fyi.  I will review our lunch stop at the Four Seasons Noodles food stand separately, but from what I saw I would not hesitate to return here for a no-frills quick and casual food court lunch if that were to be in our mind. read more

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Place is cool how it is hidden underground but the food stand that we went to was not that great. The lady taking our order and cooking the food was super rude and had no patience, she also didn't really speak English so that didn't help. Everything was freshly made , you can see her go to the back making the dumplings, etc. but honestly wasn't anything super special. The dumplings were ok, the lamb stick was tasty but had a lot of fat. There were also no utensils or sauces.. had to go to a different food stand to get that read more

Richland Center - Dumplings - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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As an outsider looking in, this food court seemed very promising for me & my family to try authentic Chinese cuisine. We waited until the shops opened at 11am, excited to be first customers. However, when ordering from the shop in the far back left side (Ma Gong La Po) - we had to wait an hour for a soup dumpling dish we were promised to have within 10 minutes. Thinking they were busy on morning orders, we waited patiently for almost an hour only to be told by the lady that she never recalled taking our order. Since no receipt was given, my family & I proceeded to show the charge via banking app, & the lady continued to refuse our order to be served to us. This was an extremely disappointing experience & unfortunately would not recommend anyone (particularly outsiders) to dine there (unless you have a receipt to jog their memory). Sadly, not a welcoming atmosphere. read more

I was here mainly for the food court but it was very disappointing. It looks quite depressing in here, no AC (horrible) and the bathrooms - don't get me started. The food was greasy and unhealthy and no healthy alternatives. It's not coming out here. Also, it's quite difficult to find. Not worth your time! read more

This is that food court that is located directly across the street from the big parking lot in Chinatown. It's a little bit sketchy - you walk in and then go downstairs to find a handful of little restaurant stands and a few people here and there. The tables are a bit dingy and the whole place has a hole-in-the-wall feel. I've never seen all of the stands open at the same time. However, I would say that all of the stands are very authentic. They have more Chinese than English on their menus and the vendors snap at you and are extremely rude to you if you do not speak Chinese. I would come here with caution with your Chinese speaking friend and try a few of the places - it'll be tasty and cheap if your order the right things. read more

The best dim sum dumplings in Chinatown! Lamb skewers are also so good! Superior quality and price. Cozy dining atmosphere with multiple different vendors. But this lady's got them all beat. Last vendor on the left. She's top notch. Order online, too. Fantuan. Come here... Downstairs... several tables to eat at and shops. 312-493-7887 read more

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We always overlooked this place and thought it was a bit run down. To my surprise, the food stalls in the basement are actually very authentic and reminiscent of street stalls in China! I would say that this is a great place to go if you just can't decide on what everyone wants to eat. You can get s great variety of small dishes here for a reasonable price. We got some handheld breads, spicy dry pot, and fried chicken steak. All were delicious! read more

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This hidden gem found on the basement level of the Richland center has some of the cheapest food you will find in Chinatown let alone Chicago. The food court set up makes it convenient to mix and match small plates from different vendors. The majority of the vendors sell the typical Chinese fare consisting of rice boxes and noodles dishes, but there's also a Filipino food vendor. This review is specifically for the takoyaki at Kyu Lin. When you come down the stairs, walk straight then to the shop furthest to the right in the corner. The takoyaki comes in two sizes: 6 or 12 pieces. I recommend getting a dozen because it's cheaper and you can't just eat 6 -- they're that good (I mean, the best you're gonna find in Chinatown) For those who aren't familiar with takoyaki, "tako" means octopus and "yaki" means cooked/grilled/fried. These octopus balls are a popular Japanese snack made with a wheat flour batter and stuffed with octopus, scallions, pickled ginger and tempura bits. They are brushed with a Japanese Worcestershire sauce and mayo then covered with bonito flakes and a seaweed powder. Love at first bite -- the exterior is golden brown and crisp while the inside is creamy studded with chunks of octopus. I've tried their okonomiyaki, which is a savory Japanese pancake, but it was mehh. Skip it and use that money to buy more takoyaki! read more

Richland Center - Takoyaki! - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been here twice in a row last week. The first time I only tried the noodle shop up front and tako yaki (octupus balls). The noodle was toothsome and broth flavorful, though I wished the brisket could be just a tad more tender. Takoyaki were spot on with big chunks of octopus. Second time I tried the szechuan hotpot from the kabobs place. Most of the items in the broth were vegetarian, so they really push people to order their kabobs. The hotpot broth was not for the faint of heart! I had to fish everything out of it halfway during my meal because I couldn't handle the heat, but if you like szechuan style spicy then this is for you. We went for the takoyaki again, as well as the japanese pancake. I'll stick with takoyaki next time. Ended with fried ice cream, which was an interesting concept but overall meh. So it looks like while there's a good collection of items, you need to know what to order. Still can't beat the price. read more

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Food was expensive for the value. No A/C in the foodcourt. Bought food from 3 seperate stores and did not enjoy all of them. read more

Richland Center - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Met another couple at Richland center for lunch. Figuring we can pick from the various food stalls. Very disappointed We went around looking at the food and menus. When we decided what we wanted to try. Two of the venders just ignored us when we wanted to order. The dumpling place and the taste of Shanghai Took care of others when they walked up very rude. Will not be going back since they don't want our business read more

Did you know? The Richland Center is a newly opened shopping center that holds shopping + a food court in the basement. It's actually kinda hard to tell that there's anything in this plaza. However, if you walk in and pass the fountain to go downstairs, you'll find a number of hidden treasures. From what I can remember, here are the restaurants: (1) Vietnamese sub/sandwich + pho noodle place (2) A Taiwanese snack place (that sells takoyaki a.k.a. octopus balls), bubble tea, and all sorts of things (3) A Chinese food/noodle place -- will be opening soon (4) A Japanese sushi place (5) A teppanyaki/hibachi place??? From what I can remember, here are the shops: (1) A souvenir shop (2) A household shop All of the prices in this whole plaza are so cheap. You can get a bowl of wonton noodles for $4.00 (which they sold out today at 4pm bc its so cheap, so go early), the viet sub/sandwich meal is like $3 or $4 (drink included), a whole meal (3 sides?) from the teppanyaki place for like $4 as well, 2 kids pants for $5, summer scarves for $2, and much much more from the other stands! It's a pretty new place. The lobby/food court is set up with brand new chairs and tables. There are 2 large LED displays to watch while you're eating. It's still a little bit un-busy when I had visited, but definitely increasing in customers each time I go. The word is out. 4 stars for a definite must visit. Go and check it out for yourself! read more

Several friends and I frequent this food court on a weekly basis. In a year, this review will go down as the last review before this place blew up and people start raving about this place and there are Zagat/Chowhound/LTH forum/Steve Dolinky's picture all over the front. For $12 you can be sure you'll get your fill of authentic Chinese food. For a no frills, authentic dining experience, be sure to visit here. Most of the items have english on them with picture, except for the dumpling place, which only has a chinese menu. There's also a foot reflexology place, and a random minimart that sells really random stuff. read more

This place is a pretty awkward building with a bunch of little shops in it. I'd call it a mall, but it's more of a food court with a couple random stores thrown in. It's super clean (even the bathrooms) and all of the vendors seemed really friendly. Lots of different food/drink choices. There's also what appears to be a food reflexology shop. There's a large area to sit and eat your food, with lots of TVs. It never seems to be too crowded. It's a nice place to stop at and get a quick bite to eat, but if you're looking for a sit down meal, there are at least 100 other places you could go within a two block radius. read more

I have to say I like the concept of it, but it's just not really popular. It's like a food court with a few shops. I think if they filled all the spots, it might be a bit busier, but it's always almost dead in there. They have sushi, bahn mi sandwiches, noodles and quick snacks. Food is ok, but it's quick and cheap. I like how they have cameras around the bathroom since it's hidden behind the water fountain. Hopefully more shops open and it gets more popular. read more

We ordered different food from different restaurants just to try it out. The spicy lotus was so delicious and tasted exactly the same as back home. Also, the lamb kabob was unbelievably amazing. They only sell 10 or more but it was so worth it! I wish I bought twenty of them! The bubble tea was tasty as well and I would definitely come here to buy from now on instead of the famous one nearby (the quantity and quality of that one has been dropping recently). The only problem is parking. A little bit tricky to get your tickets validated here. read more