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    The Mukase

    3.6 (77 reviews)
    ModerateAfrican, Desserts, Soup
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    I think the left is banku and the right is fufu
    Karen L.

    Wow, this was my first time eating west African food. I feel like I unlocked another level of food. The fufu was so texturally satisfying and a perfect vehicle for the spinach egusi. I also got banku, which was similiar to fufu but a bit sour (like injera, sourdoughy) The sourness was more my speed but both were delicious. The spinach and egusi stew was SO flavorful like hit you over the head flavorful. Ive never had it before but it tastes perfectly composed. The fried plantains brought a welcome sweetness to complete the meal. I'm excited to try to peanut soup next. This restaurant is a winner.

    We drove over one hour to the location on 4501 N Sheridan. This is what a $21 tilapia looks like.

    We ordered the food and drove 1 hour to get it. I wanted my out of state friend to try some African food. This small Tilapia for $21? I called to complain and was told all your tilapia this week are small. In this case, add an extra for the customer or let us know before. Really disappointed and first time for my friend was a failure on your part.

    The little that is left of my spinach egusi and fufu (added jollof) Thought I could keep myself from finishing it...I thought wrong lol.
    Ashley B.

    This place is such a find. Now, there weren't many places to sit and eat, so be prepared to take your food to go. The up side of this is that their food is coming to you hot so it could take a 30 minute drive, no problem. The ambiance could throw you off a little since there isn't much in the building, but I believe they are just invested in their food quality. The woman at the front was very kind and helpful. She recommended a drink that was SO DELICIOUS. It was a tall canned fruit drink (passion fruit flavored). We had jerk chicken, jollof rice, and spinach and egusi. The Spinach and Egusi came with fufu. Every single dish exploded with flavor! Now, you have to be mindful that the food will have a good kick. The jerk is real deal and so is the spice in the Egusi soup. I wouldn't be shocked if they used real scotch bonnet. I loved it! The heat was powerful but the flavor just keeps you going. I was a little worried about the fufu since it had flattened in the plastic by the time we made it home, but it was great. Glad that it is near my church! I'll definitely be coming back.

    4. Motherland Combo  Chicken, Jollof Rice, Spinach and Egusi Stew, Fried Plantain
    Lauryn J.

    It was Ghana's Independence Day so I decided to order takeout from Mukase, a restaurant known for its African cuisine. I had the motherland combo with chicken, jollof rice, spinach stew, and fried plantains. The chicken could've had more seasoning and I wasn't a fan of the jollof rice but everything else was fantastic! The spinach stew is amazing with fufu and the plantains were perfection. I've also tried their Suya Chicken and it is great!! If it was closer I'd go more often. Will definitely return! Overall ratings Chicken 3/5 Spinach stew 5/5 Jollof rice 2/5 Fried plantains 5/5 Suya Chicken 5/5 Fufu 5/5

    1. Spinach and Egusi Stew
    Aaliyah L.

    Such a good and consistent spot to get Nigerian food. I always order through Ubereats and it's always accurate and I usually call the restaurant if I have questions and they're always able to help. I get the egusi with chicken, I've tried the okra soup (not the biggest fan of the texture but the flavor and spice is great!) pepper soup, and peanut soup (loved it). The jollof rice is very basic and usually hard and stuck together, so I don't get it every time I order. This is my go-to place for egusi though!

    Peanut Butter Soup, Oxtail and Jollof Rice
    Anisa F.

    Some coworkers and I ordered takeout from The Mukase as I had been dying to try Ghanaian/West African food. We had a large online order and did not receive confirmation that it was received. I had to call and confirm it had been received about 10 minutes later, it was only at this point that I received a confirmation text saying it was ready. I didn't mind having to call and the owner was nice enough, but it's just something to be aware of if you're ordering online. When I arrived for pick up, there was nobody up front but somebody came out and told me my food would be out shortly, which it was. The vibe was very much no-frills, neighborhood spot serving up some authentic West African cuisine. There weren't many people dining in (if any) but it was around 1pm on a week day and there was clearly a ton of takeout orders. The flavors did not disappoint!! The peanut butter soup with Chicken + Fufu was a top-notch combo. Spicy, but not overwhelming (but I do love a bit of spice.) my only grievance with the the soup was tiny fish bones that I would have to spit out, as the base of the soup is clearly made with fish. I also split Oxtail and Jollof rice with my coworker and the flavor/tenderness of the oxtail was to die for. The Jollof rice left a little to be desired as far as flavor/seasoning.

    Pepper Soup

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    2 years ago

    These people are scammers. They don't answer their phones and they charge you for items they end up not putting in your order.

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    2 years ago

    Love it here the food is amazing everytime I get the egusi stew with oxtail meat and fufu I'm never disappointed, thank you Mukase.

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    2 years ago

    I eat here at least once a week, my go to hollow rice w fish and peanut butter soup! Fast and delicious every time.

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    Lotus Banh Mi - Belly classic banh mi

    Lotus Banh Mi

    4.5(605 reviews)
    6.9 miUniversity Village
    $

    5 stars based on Bahn mi, cha gio and iced coffee I ordered today…read more I must have been part of an early crowd. When I arrived, there was only one other table dining, which made it GREAT for me. It's a decent size hall with 10+ table arrangements, making it pretty great for a group to enjoy their lunch. It also featured a couple of kiosks for ordering, which I thought was a bit easy to miss, since it was tucked away in the left corner when you walked in. It looked like there was also a cashier available to take orders, if you miss the kiosks. I've seen places where they simply do not have anyone at the register to take orders, but that wasn't the case for Lotus. Before deciding to visit them today, I had an impression that their menu choices were very limited compared to other Vietnamese restaurants I was used to. I'm certainly not complaining, since I'm usually a huge fan of select "specialty" approach in restaurants. That's why I decided to order one of their Bahn mi, where I normally would have chosen pho for my first visit. And it didn't disappoint. First off, the size of the sandwich was good. I've had it where they charged a buck or two less, but they weren't big enough to be a full "lunch" portion. Lotus' size, I thought was decent. I had ordered one of their cha gios just in case the sandwich failed to fill me, but I think I would have been okay without it. Cha gio was super good tho! Oh, and the iced V-coffee was good, too. Typically, they'll bring out the coffee before your meal is ready, probably because they're ready-made in the morning and all you'd need to do is pour them over ice. I of course, have known legitimate mom n' pop places, where they'll actually bring out coffee as it's brewing in Phin (stainless steel coffee filter) and a glass of ice with condensed milk, so you can wait for the coffee to finish brewing and pour yourself one, which is what I *always* prefer. Not here, but no big deal. You can usually tell how good the food is going to be by trying their iced coffee. Even though V-coffee isn't known for using "incredible" beans, the balance of the strength of coffee and condensed milk *does* make a big difference in your experience. I felt this place had it correct! I'll definitely come back myself and even bring coworkers or my family to have their Bahn mi again. What I'm not sure about is whether I want to try their pho or bun. First, they don't offer too many variations, so I'm stuck choosing from just a few. (For example, I usually go for "brisket-only" or a combo of brisket and rare steak, but they didn't seem to have those options. Granted, it's possible they'll make it happen if I asked) Secondly, I think they're a couple bucks more expensive than what I would like to pay for a bowl of pho. We'll see.

    Ambiance - neighborhood gem, casual, offers small dine in area…read more Service - order at kiosk upon arrival, self serve, pick up food at counter Food - pho broth was aromatic, sliced beef was slightly different than what I'm used to (it was marinated, not the typical rare un-marinated sliced beef)

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    Lotus Banh Mi - Inside

    Inside

    Lotus Banh Mi - Pork House Salad

    Pork House Salad

    Lotus Banh Mi - Sunny side beef

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    Shang Noodle - Chicago - Har Gao

    Shang Noodle - Chicago

    4.3(490 reviews)
    5.3 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.

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    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)

    Yummy Yummy Noodles - Wonton Beef Slice Noodle Soup

    Yummy Yummy Noodles

    4.4(374 reviews)
    7.9 miChinatown
    $$

    Easily the best noodle soup I've had. It's not just yummy, it's yummy yummy!…read more This is a must go Chicago Chinatown spot if you're a noodle and soup lover. It's that legit! They have other Chinese staples too, but let's not kid ourselves, you come and come back again for the noodle soup. And they have PLENTY of different options of it to choose from. It's a small place and off the beaten path a bit, so get there before the lunch rush. Owners are super nice and welcoming. I discovered it on the walking food tour we did and I came back for more!

    This spot has changed hands, names, and menus over the years, but it seems to have found its…read moreidentity - noodles. This family-run spot is quaint and doesn't offer much in terms of interior decor and lighting. The entrance is also fully covered in a decal, which makes it easy to walk right by this spot. The food makes up for some of these shortcomings. This is the familiar Cantonese cooking that is comfort food for many. The stir-fried noodles in particular are a must. There are rice dishes, soups, and more to choose from and you can't really go wrong with anything. The soup is my least favorite of these due to the broth lacking depth, but the wontons were good. The XO sauce stir-fried noodles with beef was my favorite. If you're looking for something casual with affordable dishes, Yummy Yummy is worth checking out.

    Photos
    Yummy Yummy Noodles - Inside

    Inside

    Yummy Yummy Noodles - Roast duck over rice

    Roast duck over rice

    Yummy Yummy Noodles - Pea tips with garlic

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    Pea tips with garlic

    The Mukase - african - Updated June 2026

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