Food is great, you get a lot for what you pay for. Smoothies are great, sometimes I'll take the drive out their just for the smoothie

It's alright, service takes forever, but at the end food is okay and that server is super nice giving us free smoothes

We've been coming to Tai San since it first opened, and until last year ate here at least once every 2 weeks. We will no longer be eating there. The past year service & food quality has taken a nose dive. Friendly service and good food are no longer priorities. The well trained, friendly waitresses are replaced by indifferent teen age boys probably doing double duty as busboys/dishwashers. The cooking has declined considerably, tasting like it was made earlier in the day or the day before, and reheated. Frankly this place now has all the ambiance of a sit down McDonalds. Our busboy waiters can barely focus long enough to take out orders, practically toss down the plates and rush of f. Forget it if you need anything extra 'cause they aren't coming back until its time to clear away the dishes and toss down the bill. They can't even be bothered to pour the beer or check to ask if we would like water, more tea, chopsticks, etc. We used to love the fresh, tender soft spring rolls, now replaced by half frozen, dried out crusty rolls of noodles filled with a pathetic sliver of wilted cucumber slice and topped by a splash of bottled sauce. No garnish of fresh jalapeno and cilantro, no mixed fillings as in the old days. The rolls, which should be moist, fresh, and room temperature have been so dry the slices began disintegrating the second they are picked up, and are icy cold and crumbly in places as if taken from the back of a refrigerator minutes before. Noodle dishes were poor. Mushy , overcooked. For an item described as including vegetables and chicken there is very little of either. My noodles contained 5 bits of broccoli rabe (shreds of leaves and a 1/2" section of stem) in the entire serving, to be exact. Under cooked mushrooms almost raw in the middle, half the chicken and tofu as in the old days. Basically we got mushy rice noodles in slimy sauce with bits of stuff that looked like something salvaged from the left overs of other diners. We've given Tai San 4 tries this year (2012) in hopes it would improve but alas, mediocre quality and the indifferent to poor service appear to be the new norm. Service at lunch time during the week is exceptionally poor. read more

Not impressed. I believe that I have a palate for thai food. I had the Tai San spring roll which was deep fried and okay. I got the thai coconut hot and sour soup with shrimp. All spice yet no flavor. The panang curry was nothing to write home about. Again all spice which I love yet lacked flavor of Panang. People I talked to in line said they mostly order chinese from them and had never had thai food. I know better now. Oh and the crab rangoon was okay. Anywho...I will return and order Chinese. I hope it lives up to my standard. The place is a nice size and bright. I notice they make smoothies which are refreshing for summertime. read more

I'm very surprised by all of the conflicting reviews here. This place is really good. Had the Shrimp Pod See Ew and it was awesome. I'm not going to lie this place could be up to par w/ my fav. place for Chinese food in the burbs, Chi Tung. The only thing I noticed that was right from the other reviews was that the noodles were kind of burnt however not completely and honestly the food still tasted very good. I can also confirm that they use real fruit in their smoothies. I know this because they made it for me when I came to pick up my order. I will definitely be coming back and trying other things because Darien is a heck of a lot closer than Evergreen Park (Chi Tung) and Chinatown. One other thing, the prices are good here (similar to most mom and pop chinatown establishments where the prices are low). In addition to Chinese they also serve Japanese, Thai, and Sushi making it a one stop shop! read more

Save your money this place has gone down hill fast. The food and service is very poor, what use to a good place is done. I will never go back and I start going there when they open. If you go it's at your own RISK. read more

This place is just okay. Their food in general seems a bit too greasy or just not very flavorful to me. Their Pad Thai is doused in a sweet and sour type of sauce that is just absolute overkill. Their thai curries are too watery and lack flavor. I once ordered one of their lunch specials for takeout, which included the entree along with fried rice and an eggroll and the bag was literally dripping with grease by the time I got it back to my office. One thing I will mention, the service is really quick. Whenever I've gone in to eat the food was out to me within 10 mins or less, also they serve you hot tea which is pretty good. Hold on to your plates though, the wait staff is more than eager to take it away from you even with food still left on the plate. I probably wouldn't go to this place if it wasn't so convenient with regard to where I work and the time I have to fit in lunch. P.S. BEWARE OF GARLIC, apparently going for a good run doesn't get rid of the stench from this place, I had to eat a bag of parsley for dinner. read more

Tai San Chef offers Japanese, Chinese and Thai all under roof. The food is always fresh, including their sushi. Service is always good. If anyone is in the area likes Asian food, hibachi and/or sushi Tai San Chef is highly recommended! read more

I'm giving this place five stars because their fruit smoothies are amazing!!! I've never actually tried the food here, but the smoothies with tapioca are excellent!! I always get the mango and strawberry smoothie with tapioca read more

This place is soooooo good the potstickers are da bomb and you get free fried rice with order over $25

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and of course the sushi rolls were AWESOME! and very affordable!

Japanese, Thai and Chinese food in one location?! That's great especially in a small town of Darien! :-) I'm definitely a fan of the Teppanyaki! Chef Saito Lee is one amazing entertainer! The sushi roll was delightful! Orange chicken was "average" and the "crazy noodles" was just a little too crazy for me. :-) read more

I changed my review from 4 to 5. I think just because I'm craving it lately. I think the biggest thing about this place that sold me was I was never a sushi person and from trying different things here, now I am. Really happy with the quality and variety this place has to offer. As other reviews have said they have Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Hibachi, Sushi. We have liked everything. We do take out quite a bit, but it is also a nice place to go eat. It's really spacious, pretty quiet, but never totally dead. What I love about it is there's never a wait, even on a Saturday night when most places you have to wait a half hour, you can go out for a nice dinner here and sit right down. I'm a fan! read more

My girlfriend and I have gotten take out from here a few times when we were just too lazy to cook a meal at home. Luckily Tai San is no more than a ten minute drive from her. The three star review is based upon our most recent visit which just so happened to be last night. Usually I like to order the Chinese dishes from here but I decided to go out on a whim and try one of their thai dishes since I love Thai food. Let me just begin by saying that I made a huge mistake. I ordered Pad Thai, the lady friend Mongolian Beef (which I've had in the past and is absolutely delicious). She also ordered some Crab Rangoons. My Pad Thai was nowhere near close to the Pad Thai I'm used to from the authentic Thai places around my house (I live in the Glenview/Northbrook area). It came with a disgusting looking almost neon orange sauce which tasted spicy and sour. Those were the only two flavors I could taste. The dish had none of the layers of flavor I'm used to in Thai food. I ended up finishing no more than a few bites of my huge portion and threw the rest away because it was so bad. The few bites I had of the girlfriend's Mongolian Beef though, were delicious and did not disappoint. One other gripe that I had was that the quality of food does not justify the 30 dollar price tag I paid for the meal. I don't know the Downers Grove/Woodridge/Darien areas all that well but I'm sure there are other Chinese and/or Thai restaurants that blow this place out of the water. I don't see us being back any time soon but if we do, I just won't make the mistake of ordering anything from their Thai menu. In my opinion this place should stick to Chinese food and Chinese food only because as other reviews have noted, you can't be good at everything. read more

Great place for flavorful authentic food. I ordered orange chicken which was outstanding. I also thought I would try a mango smoothie with tapioca. The smoothie was made with fresh fruit and was great. Would highly recommend trying this restaurant. My only complaint would be the almond cookies were not fresh. Other than that really enjoyed. read more

They used to have high quality and good service. Last 2 orders were missing key items and the food was subpar. Avoid them!

Finally! A decent asian restaurant in the suburbs. The Hunan chicken and red curry were both good, however the curry was little creamier than I would have liked. The only reason I didn't give this place a 5 was bc during our entire meal the owner and a patron were discussing how the prices they have are too low and they should increase them. Well to be fair, it was more the patron trying to convince the owner the prices were too low. It was very distracting and I thought disrespectful to the other customers. As for the prices, they are good. I wouldn't say a steal, but certainly not way under priced. Some other asian places are probably cheaper, but Tai San is my fav to date. And one of the reasons is bc of the prices, don't change them! read more

I actually liked this place. However, the three stars was for slow service. Another star could be been achieved if there was another hibachi chef, however on a thursday there was only one and we had to wait for him to finish with the other table. The food was pretty good and the show was good, but they just need more staff to provide better service. read more

Tried their sushi, signature rolls are great, regular rolls are ok, I would come back again. Price is decent.

Great place for Chinese, Japanese and Thai. You can order from any menu regardless of the area of the restaurant you sit. Food is very good quality and variety is unique in our area. read more

I really enjoy the Bubble tea smoothies and the lunch specials. The soups are nothing short of amazing and I really like the amount of Booths they have in this restaurant. Food is delicious, I can't wait to go back. I recommend the Pad See Eww and the Ginger Chicken. Haven't had a bad dish! read more

Ordered Kung Pao Chicken takeout. Chicken was thin and tender. Good ratio of chicken, peanuts, and celery. Meal was way too runny. 80% of the container was filled with liquid! Nothing special on then taste side. I'd order something else in the future. I did enjoy the Mango Smoothie which saved them a star. read more

Absolute best Chinese food I've eaten. We try to go there at least once or twice a month. The shrimp fried rice is full of shrimp, not just one or two.Their orange chicken is actually white meat and not just fried bits and fat. You much get a smoothie too, too delicous to pass up. Very quick carry out and friendly staff at the front door. read more

Very good food. Great lunch and dinner specials. Sometimes service is slow but they are friendly and food tastes great. I love their homemade sweet and sour sauce read more

Really just average, nothing to rave about. Had the kung-pao chicken, chicken pieces were minimal and tasted subpar. Service was quick and friendly, however won't be back. read more

I was pleasantly surprised that with such a varied menu that the food was so good. My order is always prepared in a timely manner and every member of the staff I've met is very friendly. The food is tasty, quick, and the employees give the impression that they love working there. read more

Just okay. I had an order of Tom Kha Gai (listed on the menu as chicken coconut soup) and it was below average at best. Chicken was an odd texture and the soup was missing flavors. I did enjoy the spring rolls and my order of General's chicken was decent. They also charge for refills of soda which seems like a nickel and dime thing to do when it's a fountain drink. read more

Ihave been going here for several years. Love the taste of the food and the wonton soup and egg rolls are to die for. Management is great. I ordered a dish that had a hair in it. My food was replaced and the manager gave me and my daughter free smoothes. He definitely was aiming to please and succeeded. read more

I am a sucker for good Chinese food. When Tai San Chef opened a few years back, I was skeptical because I had yet to find a Chinese restaurant that was up to par in my area. Upon trying their food the first time, I was thrilled. I like my Kung Pao Chicken not warm, but hot, and they made it HOT per my request! Their beef and mushroom, Mongolian chicken, and Hunan chicken are all excellent, with lots of flavor. The veggies they use are very fresh; too often, Chinese restaurants use mushy, bland veggies, but that has never happened to me at this place. I also love their egg rolls--they are never greasy or soggy. The egg drop soup is good, but my favorite soup is sizzling rice soup. It's delicious. The staff have always been friendly when I've dined there. For takeout, they have never once messed up my orders, even when I made substitutions or had a special request. Their smoothies are also awesome. I can't speak for sushi or the Thai food as I'm not a fan, but we have tried the Hibachi and everything we ordered was very good. We recently moved to the far NW suburbs, and I miss my Tai San Chef!! Whenever I am back in the area, I get some takeout so I can relive the glory that is Tai San Chef. :o) read more

I drink 3-4 smoothies from here a week and I haven't been sick a day in the last 5 years. They use fresh fruit and the tapioca is always fresh and plentiful. Lunch specials are also a very good value, and your best bet for a cheap and satisfying meal. Puts other chinese/Thai in the area to shame. read more

Went back after a 3 month histus to see if they would regain some of their quality. Seems like i got a bit of that quailty they once had after the 3 months pause. I am bumping back up to 3 star from the 1 star review 3 months prior. If they can keep this track record going I will bump them back up to a 5 star, but only provided they keep consistent with their quality/quantity and price. read more

GREAT food! Excellent pad thai, smoothies, and egg rolls. Their homemade sweet and sour sauce is the best I've ever tasted. It's to die for!!! They also have Chinese, Japanese, and hibachi grills. I'm hooked on this place and have gotten several of my friends hooked as well. I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Good lunch specials, stick to the Chinese dishes. They serve a variety of Asian cuisine: Chinese, Thai, and Japanese sushi & hibachi, but the only one they do right is Chinese. Stay away from the Thai food and sushi. If you come here for lunch, you get a great deal with a good dish, an egg roll and your choice of soup - I recommend the egg drop soup. You can also ask for tea with your meal and they will give it to you for free. The service here has gone downhill over the past year or two. Every once in a while this place will overhaul its server personnel and their current staff no longer measures up to their old staff. The food is still good if you like the standard brown-sauce Chinese dishes. If you like orange chicken, I recommend the General Tso's chicken (same sauce, better vegetables). Please, don't ever go here expecting good Thai food. Go to Thai Happiness for that, just up the road on 75th and Lemont. read more

I like this place. I go for lunch once a week and usually order thai basil. It's a good lunch deal and is not to oily.

My husband and I went there for hibachi and was pretty pleased with it! It got my husband to eat broccoli which is a rare occasion. Our waiter was a little lacking, but who I believe to be the owner picked up his slack. I highly recommend their Mai Tias....for $6 and I could only handle two...I'm not a light weight either. Needless to say they were the BOMB!!!! read more

Third time eating here and this is my first review of Tai San. The food gas been consistently good and the service helpful. Today I was unsure about the octopus appetizer so I passed on it and my server surprised me with a sample dish on the house. Will be back for sure. read more

My favorite Asian cuisine in the western suburbs! I've been happily eating here for many years. Try the smoothies also!

This is our favorite Asian restaurant in the area. We have never had a dish we didn't like. It's rare to not get a table. The staff is always very nice. The meals come quickly and there is always a lot of food. The prices are great also. If you order to pickup, you can usually get your meal in 20 minutes. read more

It's a nice variety of Asian food since there is Japanese, Chinese, and Thai. The Chinese food is actually very good but the Thai falls short of expectations. read more

I'm vegetarian and Tai San has a lot of options. I am a regular customer because their food is consistently good and service is really fast. I love all their curries, especially their red curry with tofu. read more