Overview: the place was clean, cute vibe and the food was excellent. I gave it a four because I didn't love all of the food but look forward to trying more on the menu. Would recommend you come to try it out!! I love Vietnamese food after spending 3 weeks there in 2017. I have found Chicago has a hard time creating authentic Vietnamese cuisine but I enjoyed a lot of the dishes I tried here. I would be interested in coming back to try their pho and Bánh mì. Vibes and service: the place is well decorated, high ceiling and well lite. Our waitress was nice but made it very clear about the time limitations for the table. They do have the time limits mentioned on open table for varying party sizes- so something to keep in mind if you intend on staying longer than 1.5 hours (if you have 4 or less people) Food: the food was quick and is served when it is ready. Therefore, we did family style for our meal. -spring rolls: they were clean, simple, loved the mint and peanut sauce was flavorful. Would definitely order again. -original egg rolls: these were good but a little heavier than the spring rolls. It came deconstructed with large pieces of lettuce, mint and vegetables. We wrapped the roll with all of the sides and dipped it into the sauce- it was excellent. Without the addition of the sauce or greens/herbs - it felt greasy. Would recommend putting it all together for a delicious bite. -Ben thành market salad: wow yes and yes. I loved this and would order it again at the restaurant and for take out. The pork was marinated and grilled to perfection and the combination of the herbs, rice noodles, vegetables and sauce was flavorful without being to heavy. I loved this! -slap mama crab fried rice: I didn't love the fried rice -it was bland and needed more fish sauce. For those not familiar- Vietnamese fried rice is typically more mild from Chinese fried rice due to the main seasoning being fish sauce vs soy sauce. This was good but it felt to me like it was missing something. Can't wait to go back and try more from the menu! Food tried: Egg Rolls, Market Salad, Crab Fried Rice, read more

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This is maybe my 3rd review? Doesn't matter. I have no idea how they do it every single time but every single time I say the same thing. This is the best food I've ever had. Tonight we ordered it delivered instead of going to the restaurant. They added a few things we hadn't yet tried so...we did. The wings are the best wings I've ever had. Ever. Just phenomenal. Our go to order is the Ben T Market salad, ribs, egg rolls, shaken beef and of course now...the wings! I don't know how we lived all these years without Sochi Saigon in our world. If you haven't been you are missing out on one of the culinary greats of Chicago. read more

One of the best Asian restaurants that i have been to. Here is a list of must try: Eggplant, Shrimp dish, Ribs, Crab fried rice and the Coconut jelly dessert. I do like the idea of being able to watch them cook your food. It is always packed so do make your reservation before coming in. read more

Excellent ambience and professional service from checking in to our departure. The food is simply amazing from the eggplant appetizer to the unique Claypot short ribs dish. Nice casual vibe mixed with serious food. Will be back soon! read more

An amazing meal that we will be back for again! Our server was lovely and attentive and fun. Stephanie! We ordered and everything was delicious but my favorite items on the menu was the golden nest, Short rib clay pot, finishing with tiramisu! Runners up would be the mussels and the cheese cake! We also ordered the chili salted chicken and watercress steak salad. Still delicious. Ambiance is as balanced as the flavors in their menu. Interesting with calm palette and subtle surprises. We'll be back again! read more

It really pains me to do this because the food is great, but Sochi's hours/reservation system is bad. We have now had two experiences where Sochi has been "closed" even though their hours online said they were open. Today's was very bad. We made a reservation on OpenTable for 9:00 PM, which the restaurant presumably made available, only to receive a call 10 minutes before our reservation that the kitchen was closed and they couldn't seat us. It is also very aggravating because we made a deposit to reserve. It's perfectly fine to stay open till 9, but you shouldn't put a reservation time at 9 if you may not keep it. It sucks. We are loyal customers and we talk this place up. read more

Sochi is very good Vietnamese food at a high end price point. We really liked the Ben Thanh Market Salad and preferred the egg rolls over the spring rolls. The banh mi sandwich was probably very authentic, but we'd try something else next time. Slap yo mama crab fried rice was good, even at the price. We had lunch takeouts 2 days in a row. The takeout experience works, but could be improved. They send updates via text to confirm when the food is ready. I had to wait 5 minutes for the hostess to get the food from the bar, even though the sign said takeouts would be placed on a shelf for pickup. The second day it was raining hard and the restaurant was empty. Suddenly the food was ready well before the estimated time and waiting on the shelf. read more

This spot should be called Sucki instead of Sochi...Just terrible Vietnamese food. The one star is for the cold noodle salad which was absolutely delicious and its all downhill from there. The chicken wing appetizer was one note in taste and fried dry and salty (Btw this will be the trend of the night with salt) The chicken curry was over salty and one note as well...The only saving grave was the bowl of white rice that comes with...Yes the rice is as good as it gets. Now lets talk about that 24 dollar half chicken lemongrass train wreck...Ughhh...Over salted beyond belief and to add insult to injury this place thinks it a good idea to partner this half a chicken salt lick with salty fries...Really! And no sauces in sight to help...Well except for a lemongrass sauce that is guess what? Over salty as well...This place is in love with salt. Now on to the terrible drinks....Strawberry crazy cocktail sounds good on paper but instead its just a non sweet mouth full of alcohol and yep you guessed it, sorta salty...lol Well how about Vietnamese coffee which is always sweet and good...Right? NOPE! Not here...8 dollar Vietnamese coffee here is black hot drip coffee served over ice with a smidgen of sweet cream aka this is a glass of just bitter ice coffee...And do I taste salt So the food is terrible so hey maybe the waitstaff is cool...Nope, wrong again...We had a gum chewing waitress who reminded us that we have to leave in an hour and a half as soon as we sat down...Which is fine...Unfortunately we were told this already when we came in the door by 2 of the waitstaff...lol Believe me I didnt want to stay here for 30 minutes...And me and my partner in crime were out the door in under 45 minutes along with the 2 tables to each side of us who also seemed to dislike the food. Btw did I mention this slop cost over 100 bucks....lol Needless to say I will never be back... Note to all sane diners...Do yourself a favor and just go to Asia on Argyle and dine in one of the many good Vietnamese restaurants found there and save yourself like 50 bucks easy and enjoy waaaay better food. And with that im out! Damn my stomach hurts after eating here. read more

5:30 reservations on a Saturday night. It was either that or 8:00. As we were seated, we were promptly told we had to depart by 7:00 for the next reservation. Not sure if there's a more tactful way to address that but it was no problem, we were done eating and ready to leave by 6:30. They had a large window open and it was on the cold side, in the 60s, but I hesitated to ask them to close it on our account. That might have been why we didn't order dessert and we ready to go so quickly after eating. Our party of four had cocktails ($12-$13), served fancifully with pretty flowers in them. They were on the petite side, and were good and strong. The original egg rolls were the best item we had, crispy and delicious, served with a tasty dipping sauce. One person in our party is a vegetarian and it would have been nice to have had more options for him. I think there might have been only one entree and one appetizer to choose from for him. Other dishes we had were the Shaking beef ($32) - good but not worth the price; Vegetable curry ($18) - good; Slap yo mama crab fried rice ($25) - very bland and disappointing; and the Ben Thanh Market Salad ($18) which was by far the best entree, really delicious. It's not what many would think of a salad, more like a noodle dish with a little lettuce. I'd highly recommend that dish and the egg rolls. They didn't time the beef entree very well, it came out a good 10-15 minutes after the other 3 entrees. Overall this is a nice place to go, but the value, at least for me, isn't good enough to return. I don't mind paying up for good food, but overall the food and experience didn't measure up to the cost and the alternative places to go in the area. read more

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Remarkable fresh ingredients, clean vegetables and that perfectly balanced fish sauce makes the best salads. Can't wait to come back with cold weather to try the pho read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Canceled our reservation with Zero notice. No explanation, no "sorry"; just canceled after driving crosstown for 45 minutes.

Sochi Saigon Kitchen is a modern take on Vietnamese cuisine that reimagines and combines familiar dishes and plates them in a more Western way while keeping flavors authentic, especially their masterful execution of sauces. We enjoyed the Vietnamese eggrolls that their menu calls "Original Eggroll" most of all. It was among the best versions of Vietnamese eggrolls I've ever had. You wrap them in lettuce and fresh herbs and dip them in a sauce that has delicious bits of fresh garlic floating in it. The garlic in the sauce is a nice touch. They serve each dish with a different sauce and they really nail sauces. We also loved the Veggie Noodle Salad, Chicken Wings, Roasted Eggplant, and two different shrimp dishes, both of which were excellent. Their shrimp are of a high quality and they cook them to perfection, a rarity at restaurants these days, as most of the shrimp served in restaurants now are farm raised and not special, but these were great. The Vietnamese coffee was especially delicious because we watched it made fresh at our table from freshly ground coffee. It smelled incredible while it brewed. The service was excellent. John, the server who took care of our table, was an expert on the menu and he was welcoming, attentive, and he curated every aspect of our experience perfectly. While many restaurants staff too thinly these days, this restaurant seemed to have plenty of team members who visited our table to fill glasses and clear plates. They were all wonderful. I not only enjoyed Sochi Saigon Kitchen's food, I liked their vibe. read more

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Everything was perfect, one of the best places in the city. Never disappoints. My go to place for friends and family visiting from out of town. read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Banana Blossom Duck Salad and golden nest - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beautiful restaurant very bright and beautiful decor. Even bathroom was bright and fun. Got the spring roll to start and the chicken curry as main course. Lovely experience, great fast service. read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Chicken curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious food, great atmosphere, and allergy friendly. I have celiac disease (gluten free) but had so many options to choose from!

Just visited Sochi for the first time and we'll definitely be back. Great atmosphere and friendly service, and the food is authentic and delicious with deep, complex flavor profiles. We really enjoyed everything we ordered. Highly recommend! read more

Came in on a lark as in impromptu anniversary lunch, and was pleasantly surprised by this gem. Sochi has the style of a comfortable spa, with some amazing plants set against a simple monochromatic color pallet of soft grays and whites. The service was welcoming and responsive. We were met with an apology that the kitchen was running slightly behind and would require a longer wait than usual. None of that happened. Everything came more promptly than we've experienced in establishments with longer and stuffier reps. Then there's the menu; a simple selection of Vietnamese classics like spring rolls and Pho, but unpretentious and simply and tastefully presented. And they all tasted as good as they looked. All the way around, a truly great find. Almost as great a find as my wife, you know our anniversary lunch. read more

We had a great lunch here. It's a brightly lite and warm space during the day. Like most asian restaurants it's made to share the dishes. I've never had a Saigon Vietnamese curry but my chicken was very good as were the spring rolls. All the dishes were beautifully plated. The only fault was the seafood fried rice which was a bit pricey and lacking in seafood but the other dishes made up for it along with the service and wait staff who were all great and friendly...and don't forget to order a Vietnamese iced coffee to end your meal you won't regret it. read more

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Delicious food, but coming from Houston where you can get similar quality for half the price, it's kinda sad to see how expensive they make their menu. Vietnamese food isn't meant to be expensive. I would recommend this place to almost anyone, but be ready to spend. Great service and ambiance. read more

I was excited to try this place. What a disappointment and rip off. Pho is a staple of a Vietnamese restaurant. The pho broth was tasteless, very few noodles, and the accompanying fresh herbs and bean sprouts was minuscule, 4 basil leaves and a sprinkle of bean sprouts?! And it was $24 dollars, vs going to Argyle St and getting a giant delicious bowl with a plate piled of herbs, bean sprouts and limes for 13.20 and you usually can't finish it all. The Veggie curry, was flat, no favor. And who puts pepper in the jasmine rice. Please do not waste your money on this food. read more

I would like to apologize for calling this a Thai restaurant, when it is clearly Vietnamese. I do stand by review, and wish the Bahn Mi had been available. read more

We love this place! Such a cute quaint restaurant. We frequent here as our neighborhood spot for a great meal. Their egg rolls are out of this world and we love the market salad. Other stand outs are the wings, the curries and we love the shaking beef! A modern clean and warm place to be! You can tell the owner cares deeply for the place! read more

Came here for the first time for lunch Nice and clean looking. Ordered pho and wings. Taste was okay but I don't think lunch was worth $40 since we did not order any drinks either. read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Chicken wings - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our first visit to Sochi on a recent weeknight exceeded our expectations. Our server was a bit assertive (as other reviewers have mentioned), but everyone else was smoothly cordial. VIBE: A light, airy space with tasteful minimal décor featuring plants. It got noisier as the place filled up. SERVICE: Food was decently coursed and came out in a timely manner. Server made helpful suggestions. FOOD: Egg rolls (like fried spring rolls) were exemplary: flavorful, light, crispy, no trace of grease. Eggplant was milder than we expected, but tender and delicious. Shaking beef was tender and seved with yummy onions and fried rice. The selection of wines by the glass was compact and unassuming; if you like sparkling rosé, try the brut Chianti rosé -- it was very flavorful and nicely fizzy. I'm sure we'll return. The food is pleasant, the service was good, and the noise was tolerable. Sochi is a nice addition to the neighborhood. read more

I tried the spring rolls, egg rolls, lemongrass pork ribs, market salad, spare ribs clay pot. My favorite were the egg rolls and spare ribs clay pot which came with a few pieces of bread. Flavors were really on point. The market salad is basically bun thit nuong. I thought the fish sauce/nuoc mam that came with it had the perfect spicy kick but was too sweet. I think it needed more of the fish sauce component and lime. The lemongrass pork ribs didnt have much lemongrass flavor, but the meat was fall off the bone tender and the green dipping sauce it came with was very good. The food is pricier than what I'm used to with vietnamese food but this is not your traditional vietnamese joint- definitely a more elevated feel. That being said, I would come to back to try other items! read more

Yea this place is amazing - just super high quality and the taste is next level. Yea, it's a little bit more expensive but the price is well worth it. Glad I finally tried it. read more

New, fresh, trendy, yet casual comfortable open space, good vibe, tasty food and reasonable prices for quality cuisine. read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's great to finally have a Vietnamese restaurant open in Lakeview! I finally have an alternative to going all the way up to Argyle for Vietnamese food. Sochi Saigon is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant; they have a pretty wide space with both bar and table seating. It's a mom and pop shop (support local businesses!) that has really taken off with the recent re-opening. At the time of this review, they don't have their alcohol license yet, so it's BYOB for now (should have alcohol license by June, 2021 ish) We ordered the wings appetizer, Vietnamese iced coffee, crab fried rice, and the pho. The food did not disappoint - it's definitely much pricier than any other Vietnamese restaurant in Argyle (I'm talking $17 for a bowl of pho) but the quality and value is definitely there. Full review of items below: Wings: you get 6 of them and they're nice and crispy. You won't go wrong with these if you love garlic like me. Vietnamese iced coffee: this was the only thing I was slightly disappointed about. The presentation of the dish is creative (you get to watch the coffee get brewed and drip) but for $5, I at least would have liked a full glass of the coffee. The glass was small and it was barely 3/4 full. Crab fried rice: absolutely delicious. It's pricy and the portion is a bit small, but the flavor hits in the right spots. The fish eggs on top adds a bit of pop in terms of presentation and texture, and I love the crab meat. Pho: the beef is probably the best beef I've had in a pho. It's super tender and basically like brisket. I do wish there was a bit more noodles to complement the generous amount of meat that they gave, but overall highly impressed. I also do think they could use a different style of noodles - the noodles were flat noodles instead of the string noodles you see in Argyle. Our server, Ryan, was super friendly and outgoing. He gave us a super detailed walkthrough of the menu and we had a nice conversation. Props to him for having so much energy. Definitely would come back again when I want to splurge a bit on dinner again. I can't wait to try their drinks. Overall, a 4.5/5 experience. read more

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The anticipation for this place to open was well worth the wait!!! Hands down best pho in the city. They use the authentic thick home made pho noodles; not the super thin store package ones that gives off a weird smell. Light broth, not over powering with spices. The beef Was perfectly cooked with high quality meat. Chicken wings were crispy with just the perfect amount of fish sauce. Love the ambiance, design and simplicity of the place. This restaurant is a much needed staple of Vietnamese cuisine representation for Chicago. Congratulations and thank you dearly to the owners for this addition to this city! read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Cafe Sua Da - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious, fresh, authentic Vietnamese cuisine in a beautiful, airy space. Lots of white tiles, blonde wood, and a neat bar area. We had the Original Spring Rolls, pork Banh Mi, and Market Salad. Everything was delicious. The spring rolls came out first and absolutely knocked our socks off. Best fresh spring rolls we think we have ever had. They came with an incredible warm, spicy peanut sauce. The traditional Bahn Mi was rich and delicious with a combination of pork, pork loaf and Mayo complimented by pâté. Richer than other Bahn Mi we've had in the past. The salad was to die for. So fresh, the rice noodles were cooked to perfection. Amazing pork, light dressing, fresh herbs...amazing. Service was fast and friendly! We'll be back! read more

The food is always excellent every time I visit this place. The dishes are carefully modified from VN traditional food. My only issue is the servicing staff who need improvements and remember your drink orders. They always forget to take second-round orders and bring them to your table. read more

Just tried out this new restaurant and boy was I blown away. The owners were incredibly sweet and the service was very attentive. The real star is the food. The egg rolls were the best egg rolls I've ever had and the crab fried rice is one of the best dishes I've had in a long time. The duck salad was delicious and the original banh mi was phenomenal. You can tell this food is made with love. Every dish was well composed, balanced and flavorful. Everything tasted authentic but also very modern. I highly recommend checking out this new spot. They don't have a liquor license yet, so BYOB. read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Crab Fried Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Support this new, mom & pop restaurant! The couple who own Sochi immigrated to Chicago recently from Vietnam and brought their passion for food with them -- Fresh, delicious dishes! The Vietnamese egg rolls, spring rolls, vermicelli salad, crab fried rice, and of course Pho are all outstanding. The desserts and coffee are no joke too! Try the casava cake, flan, or cheesecake...Made in-house by the owner's mom. It's BYOB for now (but heard they'll have a full bar soon). They have unique items on the menu too that most other Vietnamese or Vietnamese-American places don't have. read more

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A FANTASTIC new addition to Lakeview which has been needing a delicious Asian restaurant. Sochi is a great Vietnamese restaurant, and I loved every dish we got. Definitely order the wings, although I enjoyed everything. The drinks looked delicious too. It's got a great open interior and windows that almost fully open which is perfect for summer. Definitely a new favorite restaurant in Chicago. read more

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Amazing amazing amazing! I found this place through Michelin guide and I'm so glad that I gave it a try!! One of the best pho and egg roll I have ever had! I'm so glad that I live right by this place. Definitely coming here again! read more

Inauthentic and overpriced. I grew up in Vietnam. The food was bland. The flavors do not represent Vietnamese cuisine. The price tag goes towards the interior design rather than the food. Disappointing to say the least. Yet the worst thing about this place still has to be the hostess. This person was downright hostile the second we walked in. An awful person setting an awful atmosphere. Not sure if it was a job requirement to remind the customers they have to leave in an hour (twice) when they have been seated for 15 minutes without any food served. read more

FABULOUS! If you want DELICIOUS Vietnamese food- Sochi is the new hottest spot in Chicago. Grab a reservation before the secret is out. I have had my fair share of all things Asian cuisine (yes...I'm pulling the "I'm Asian" card) -and this husband and wife chef team bring you big flavor with a vibrant ambiance. A new staple for Lakeview! Perfect for a date night. Perfect also for a group of friends who just love great food. Lots of other tables celebrating and having a great time while we there. Coveted seats should be at "the bar" looking into the kitchen as the amazing staff churns out delicious and beautiful plates. The original egg roll wrapped in mint and lettuce is a must. We were going to skip the wings but that would have been criminal. "Slap you mama" fried rice made me slap my date, it was that good. We had the seared duck salad which I would return for lunch just to have it as an entree! Start with a Vietnamese iced coffee. Finish with the Coffee Flan or another beautiful cocktail like the Saigon Sling The secret ingredient to this place is authenticity mixed with real passion from the talented chefs. And plenty of fish sauce (this is how you know this is real deal Vietnamese)! Before we left- we already planned to return with friends. Wow!!! ***As of July 2021: read some Yelp reviews and lots of things have changed since they've just been open for 8 weeks ago. So I felt compelled to write a review of my own! They got their liquor license! They're better staffed post pandemic. TIP: 7pm is the busiest hour.*** read more

My friends and I were very excited to try this place. I enjoyed the restaurant, the menu was simple and the food and plating was yummy as well as beautiful! read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We went on one of their first nights open and LOVED the food and decor. The Slap Mama Fried Rice and the Eggrolls were my favorite. Will be coming back here often! read more

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My new favorite restaurant in the Lakeview area! The pho is the best I've had in Chicago -- the beef in the pho was tender and high-quality, and every ingredient was so fresh and well-balanced. The desserts were outstanding as well. We had phenomenal service from the waitstaff and me met the owners-- they are the nicest people! Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu! read more

Sochi Saigon Kitchen - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois