The Best Restaurants in Chicago’s Chinatown
Chicago’s Chinatown isn’t particularly large, but the number of restaurants representing China’s many different cuisines feels endless. Plus, once you add the Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese restaurants also in the neighborhood, the food options become dizzying. Here are the best restaurants in Chinatown.
1. Go 4 Food
Restaurant, Chinese
2. MingHin Cuisine
Restaurant, Chinese, Seafood, Dim Sum
3. Potsticker House
Restaurant, Chinese
Potsticker House is technically south of what’s considered Chinatown, but the restaurant’s unique take on Chinese cuisine makes it an essential inclusion. While most Chinese restaurants in Chicago focus on foods from the Cantonese region – the southern regions of China – Potsticker House focuses on what they call “traditional Mandarin cuisine,” which draws inspiration from the central and northern reaches of China. Their potstickers don’t resemble the typical dumplings you find in most restaurants in Chicago. Instead, you get long, rolled dumplings that are both the right amount of greasy and crispy on the outside while juicy on the inside. They offer plenty of palate-friendly dishes, like Szechuan pork ribs, but have many adventurous items on the menu for those looking for a tasty change: stewed beef tendon in hot sauce is tastier than it sounds.
5. Joy Yee
Restaurant, Chinese, Thai, Japanese
Joy Yee opened in Evanston, IL in 1994, opening a second location in Chinatown two years later. The restaurant is known for its vast list of bubble teas, and Joy Yee has even gone as far as to add tapioca balls to their fruit smoothies. Other than that, Joy Yee also has fantastic shabu shabu, a Japanese dish that pairs boiled slices of meat and vegetables with a diverse selection of dipping sauces. Joy Yee’s true talent is their wide selection of food from China, Taiwan and Japan, offering fantastic chow mein and chow fun as well as tasty rice dishes like garlic pork and chicken teriyaki.
6. Bonchon
Restaurant, Korean
Among the more interesting choices, Bonchon is actually a fried chicken chain. In Korea, at least. In the Chicago area, Bonchon has only a handful of locations offering tasty Korean barbecue. Their fried chicken wings, strips and drumsticks are double fried, making them extra crispy on the outside. And yes, Bonchon’s spicy sauce is quite spicy, even for the seasoned wing-eater. Don’t worry, for those who can’t handle a lot of heat, their soy-garlic sauce hits the spot without the pain.
7. Happy Lamb Hot Pot
Restaurant, Chinese, Mongolian
Happy Lamb Hot Pot is a chain with a fantastic location in Chinatown. The Mongolian hot pot cuisine offered by the restaurant is superb: you can boil lamb, beef, cabbage and more in a number of tasty broth bases that include tomato, milky bone marrow, and a spicy house broth. Their large selection of options ensures happiness for even the pickiest eaters.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
- Post ID: 590381
- Sponsored? No
- View Payload