One of my favorite places to eat in Chinatown! :3 totally tasty!
Their steak pho is the typical pho--warming, delicious broth with noodles. Simple yet really delicious and my go-to on cold rainy days :3
Their spring rolls are ADDICTIVEEEE!!!! As my cousin has said, "their spring roll noodles are made from crack!!"
Cafe Hoang, is also located up in Argyle and their pho is larger in portion and their food taste better in general. However, I don't mind going to the Chinatown location because I want a good old fashion pho and fresh spring rolls. The pho taste great the broth is wonderful, but they do not give you enough noodles or beef. SIGH, but it is the only game in the town that I is close by. I do no like the Noodle restaurant so that is why I am saying it.
Review Source:Not quite sure what's Thai about this place, but as a likely legitimately Vietnamese individual and new Chicago transplant, I was looking for the nearest place to grab my pho-phix, and this seemed like a rather good candidate, right off the red line stop. While the wind chimes on the door might be problematic for a somewhat taller individual, I was vertically challenged enough to navigate it safely.
The first litmus test for a new Vietnamese restaurant for me is a heaping bowl of  ph c bit. And this place did deliver. One big bowl, full of everything I wanted. Usually these places will offer a large or small size, but I think the one-size model here works pretty well. The broth was a little lighter than many of the other versions I've had (meaning a little less marrow and fat, but still rather tasty), but it did hit the spot exactly. Props for bringing out the coffee in a personal-sized percolator as it should be. Nice big portions around in general.
I saw a lot of other fantastic traditional Vietnamese dishes coming out around me, so I will probably be back to try even more.
Note that they don't take card for less than $10, and many of the entrees are under $10, so you might want to be ready with cash. :)
I'll be back!
We stopped in here before heading to a party in the karaoke place next door. I think it's a Viet/Thai hybrid restaurant. I had no idea what to order, and got the pork meatball, which came with sheets of crunchy rice paper (and a bowl of hot water, which I assumed was for soaking them in to make them pliable), lettuce, bean sprouts, and vermicelli noodles. It's a very "self-assembly" kind of dish, and I think for a clueless person I did okay, but it seemed like a lot of effort for some average-ish food.
Review Source:My husband and I had a craving for Vietnamese food, so we decided to head here since it's close to our place! Â I ordered the spicy lemon beef salad (#7) and my husband ordered the grilled chicken, egg roll w/ vermicelli noodles and veggies (#22).
My salad was definitely spicy (which I LOVE). Â As a forewarning, the beef served on this salad is almost raw. Â I don't mind raw beef because I'm used to it, but I can see some people getting off put by the color of the raw beef on the plate. Â The spice and the lemon from the salad is really what "cooks" the beef. Â Nonetheless I pretty much finished my entire plate, with the exception of the ginger slices (there were just too many ginger slices and I found the flavor to be too overpowering).
My husband thoroughly enjoyed his meal. Â He always orders vermicelli and he stated this was better than others in the area. Â The chicken was tender and flavorful and the egg roll was crunchy.
We'll definitely be back to try other dishes, especially pho in the winter!
Recently, I've been ordering the same thing: #25, pork meatball with egg roll and vermicelli. Never fails to satisfy my tummy. It actually seems like I get a lot more when I order take out vs. eating at the restaurant. I also really like their pork chop and rice. Another dish I like is the bun bo hue. Yeah yeah, I can't do the little marks on the letters but it's #20 on the menu. It's spicy but if you're adventurous, ask for extra spicy.
Service is quick and to the point. It's not a place to lounge around in. Well, at least not for us. You go in, eat, then go about the rest of your day. Â Or night.
And who can forget drinks? I either get the Vietnamese iced coffee or the lemonade with club soda. The coffee will open your eyes and the lemonade is great for hot days.
Had ordered the spicy catfish clay pot. The owner would not accommodate my request to lessen the spice.... Instead he made it beyond spicy for me could handle! The service was terrible as well, instead of asking if we want some more water during our meal, the waiter had waited until we were finished with our entire meal before coming back to check on our table... Waiter was no where to be found . Â Would not go back there again... Not even if they were giving it for free. Â Would not recommend this place to anyone including my friends or to a Third World Country with starving children! Â Refuse to give them not even a 1/4 of a star! Â Furthermore, it will be his own fault if and when his business shuts down for no business coming his way!
Review Source:Mmmm! Â Their pho is amazing here! Â Whenever we have a craving, this is our spot and we have never been unhappy. Â The portion is huge and the broth is super tasty; not too salty. Â Their spring rolls are also a must-get. Â The peanut sauce is some of the best my boyfriend and I have had. Â Plus being BYOB is a great option for us to bring in our own beers.
This is a great lunch or dinner spot in Chinatown and we will for sure go back!
Good place, but certainly not Chinatown's finest.
The menu is a bit overwelming, but I do like my options. However it can be daunting.
Fairly inexpensive for the food your getting and the service was better than I had anticipated. Servers hate the amount of water I drink...
Check it out if your lookin for something new and have tried the hotspots. If not, yelp harder and find the hotspots!
This is the place where I go if I want some pho! Going up to Argyle street is a bit out of the way for us so whenever we're in Chinatown we come here for some grub. My fiance and I normally order spring rolls for both of us. The portion used to be bigger before. Now the rolls are smaller in size AND it is only one shrimp sliced into halves. Each half goes into one spring roll (the order comes in set of 2 spring rolls). Same price as usual, just less to eat :(
I normally order the House Pho. It is good. My fiance sometimes order the pho or their fried rice. I also ordered this seafood chow mein they have on their menu. It is pretty tasty. I would prefer more noodles though.
This is a decent place to go eat. Enough pho to fill you up!
The service depends on the type of waiter you get. There's this one particular server that we're not fond of because we find him rude. He's taken our order several times now and his behavior has been the same. The younger waiters are the nice ones.
Minus a star--their lemongrass porkchop rice dish has gone downhill in quality and taste. Shrimp that come with it are tiny now, and in a 2 piece order of spring rolls was 2 shrimp. Plus, way overpacked with noodles--who are you trying to fool?
Too bad, another Vietnamese place in Chinatown went down the tubes. Still have to go up to Argyle for the good stuff.
Simple, affordable, Vietnamese place in Chicago's Chinatown. Â My dinner companion is from middle Vietnam and he commented that these folks are from the north - as evidenced by their menu selection.
I had the bun nem nung (noodles with fried meatballs, lettuce, sprouts, etc.). Â It wasn't bad nor was it spectacular. Â I'd certainly go back.
I am so happy that I've finally stumbled upon Cafe Hoang, because you can call me hooked!
I now no longer have to always trek out to Argyle to get my pho fix as I can take a quick drive down to Chinatown to eat at Cafe Hoang.
Love their pho. What really was interesting to me was that their broth was lighter than the average pho which usually indicates that "Oh, maybe this broth hasn't simmered to reach that flavory goodness..." Â Did looks deceive because the broth was so flavorful. Loved the balance of tripe, beef, tendon and meatballs. Often times tripe can be tough and chewy with a unique aftertaste but the tripe in the pho was so tender.
Love their bun! I took my dad to the restaurant and he enjoyed the bun so much that he ordered 2 orders to take home. The meat, whether you select chicken or beef, is juicy and full of flavor with a smoky aroma. Their fish sauce just perfect. Love a bun that is covered in a plentiful amount of veggies.
If Cafe Hoang was a stuffed animal, I would hug it for satisfying my pho and bun cravings.
This restaurant is low key, not fancy -- which is great for me when it comes to Vietnamese restaurants because the best ones are the least fancy. I was looking for viet eats that was closer than uptown so my roommate and I checked this place out.
It is managed by Vietnamese people so that was a good sign. We ordered the banh xeo to start - it was great - except they had all the sides (lettuce, pickled carrot, cucumber, nuoc mam, basil..) BUT cilantro and mint! Never forget those two, people!!
I ordered the Bun Bo Hue (had to :d) and my roommate got the spicy lemongrass beef. The broth in the bun bo hue was tasty tasty tasty! I recommend it - it wasn't quite what homemade tastes like but was a good substitute. The noodles were cooked just right - not overdone or under. Wish there was definitely more meat in it. There was liver chunks in it I believe and though i didn't prefer it - that is a sign of true Vietnamese cooks in the back! :)
My roommate had the spicy lemongrass beef - it was good. Nothing special. I'd get something else on the menu. The beef rice wrap is a traditional viet dish as well and i got it for my boyfriend and that was def good too. Try it!
I didn't try the pho because everybody knows that the best pho is at the places that ONLY sell pho. duhh! get something else! the grilled porkchop looks delicious...
I WILL BE BACK.
The menu seemed rather average to me personally. They've got your regular Vietnamese stir fries, noodles, rice dishes etc and I don't think they specialize in anything in particular. There's something for everyone although, nothing were particularly of interest to me. So I ordered the pho dac biet (house special pho) and see how special it was.
Broth was average, nothing to shout about but the noodles were overcooked to me. I don't think the chef understands that noodles becomes softer as it sits in a bowl of hot broth. If they overcook the noodles, it will and did became soggy after 5 mins. They were also quite stingy with the meat that comes with the pho. In the end, I didn't walk away from Cafe Hoang feeling satisfied. Not hungry but just longing a little more je ne sais quoi.
Best pho in the southside. No need to go up north for pho anymore. Our waiter is always so nice to us.
Edit - The service at this place has gone down significantly. Ever since that one guy left, this place is not what it use to be anymore. The new staff is not friendly and they seem to get mad when you tell them that the order was not done right. The pho and food is still good, so I figure giving them a 3 stars instead of my 5 before will be fair.
Very tasty! Â I'm not a fan of Vietnamese food a.k.a. pho, but this place is good. Â I want to go back.
Get lemon grass chicken or pork chop and you will be happy.
The interior decor is the classic-not-so-classy Asian restaurant (which makes me feel at home). Â Basically it's clean enough for Americans =)
It was serendipity that I came to this restaurant. It was a cold winter day in Chicago and I felt like a hot, steamy bowl of Bun Bo (spicy beef noodle soup). I was not in the mood for the other Vietnamese favorite, Pho Bo (beef pho). I asked my foodie Vietnamese friend where the best Bun Bo Hue is in Chicago and he said Cafe Hoang. I yelped this place and the Chinatown location came up, which made me suspicious since this place was not located in Vietnamese town uptown in the Argyle/Broadway area. Generally speaking, my experience with Vietnamese food from Chinatown has been horrible. Â Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience here (apparently my friend meant the Argyle location when he recommended Cafe Hoang, but it did not come up on Yelp when I searched it since Yelp used my current downtown location). I went with a male friend and we had:
Appetizer of spring rolls (goi cuon): it was really delicious! Nice combo of shrimp and pork; the best thing was that the pork was lean without the fat. Nice hoisin peanut dipping sauce.
Vietnamese pancake (banh xeo): perfectly crispy on the outside with lean pieces of pork wrapped on the inside. I prefer the pork to be cooked into the pancake, but it was still delish!
Spicy Beef noodles (bun bo hue): this totally hit the spot; however my male friend was sweating bullets so beware if you can't handle spice. It did clear up his sinuses though :) this was the best bun bo outside of my mom's house.
Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk (cafe sua da): it didn't have enough condensed milk at first, but the waiter gave me more on the side. Awesome service for Chinatown since these Asian dives are usually not known for their service.
Overall, I'm really happy with my experience here and ecstatic to discover a Vietnamese restaurant close to the Loop that is not expensive and overly fancy. It felt like eating at home. Only 4 stars though because it is not as good as my mom's cooking and the ambiance is not that great (pictures of food on the walls in lieu of art work). Our bill including tip was less than $40! Can't beat that for all that we ate.
One of the best dining experiences I've ever had in Chinatown. The tamarind soft shell crab is one of the most incredible things I've ever put in my mouth (hey now--watch your dirty mind!) It was a textural orgasm. Â Crispy with a bit of sweet and savory... Â My partner had the Tamarind Shrimps Soup. Â Another culinary triumph.
Wonderful service, incredible value. Clean, open and modern. I've been meaning to get down here for awhile but I've been so busy in the opposite direction from Chinatown... Seeing another review reminded me just how much I love this place.
You really have to try it. Wow--that soft shell crab...dude, wow!!!!!
I came here on a Friday night with friends and the House Special Pho was so good I came back by myself on Sunday afternoon to get more. I just had to have it. It really was that good.
So, why only three stars?
Service, Watson, service.
When I came on Sunday I was rushing home from a long church service, and trying to have a quick meal before returning my Zipcar. I came in and didn't even get a menu -- I knew I wanted the House Special Pho.
Got to the end of my meal (delish!) and whipped out my debit card to pay. Sorry, I was told, there's a $10 minimum. My bill was $7.70.
Almost nothing tweaks my ass more than these restaurants charging credit/debit card minimums when they know it's a violation of the terms set by the issuers.
I gave the server/manager gentle pushback. I told him I knew that establishments really weren't allowed to do that, and further, there was no signage, etc. indicating that this was an issue. Clock's ticking...15 minutes to get home before Zipcar charges me...
Dude pushes back. Actually says YES I KNOW we're not allowed to charge a minimum but we do and it's in the menu (that I never saw) and so, um, we're going to have to charge you the $10.
I push back again, with finality. There is no argument: Follow the rules.
He sees that I am not backing down and says, ok. "For you--just this time--I will do it."
Yeah, yeah, whatever, just run the card. Now at this point I wasn't even upset. Establishments try to get away with this, flouting that most consumers don't know their rights. It doesn't happen that often and in reputable establishments, regardless of size, it doesn't happen at all.
I'd planned to tip at least $2.30 -- exceeding 20 percent and making sure they got their $10 -- precisely BECAUSE I enjoyed the food there so much.
Then the server/manager comes back and says "Make SURE you make the tip add up to $10!" Real huffy-like.
Really? Really?!
So, now, I'm irritated. And you just got yourself stiffed. And lost a very good, would-be loyal customer over $2.30.
I don't care how good your noodles are, there are good ones somewhere else. This has nothing to do with frugality. It is the proverbial principle. Stop nickel-and-diming people to death and just give us great food and great service and your financial blessing will come.
When are these businesses going to learn? For Cafe Hoang, the lesson comes a little too late.
So.. uhh... they really don't have any competition from other Viet places in Chinatown now since the Noodle closed down. Â Despite that, they've always been better anyways.
If you're not willing to drive up to Argyle, this is about as good as it gets in the city for Pho. Â PLEASE PEOPLE, order the spicy chicken salad. Â It's so amazing that I'm actually drooling thinking about it. Â Shredded chicken with a kick and tang. Â Sigh.. how I wish it were in my stomach now.
There is not a lot of Vietnamese Pho places in Chinatown that is worthy enough to be considered good except in Uptown (Argyle/Broadway). This place rocks!
I've ordered two variety's of spring rolls (fried and fresh) to compare and both passed with flying colors. (My comparisons are with my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Uptown). Next dishes ordered was "house" special Pho and grilled pork chop with pork pie. The Pho's soup was steaming hot, but did not have enough noodles and meat to satisfy, but was very flavorful. The pork was not overcooked and the rice was cooked just right.
Overall this place passed my test for a repeat and next time when I got a taste for Vietnamese food and don't want to drive up to Uptown. I will definitely choose Cafe Hoang.
This was my first Vietnamese restaurant in Chicago. At the time, I didn't know about Vietnamese town in Uptown. I was pretty happy to have found a good place for pho and other authentic Vietnamese food in Chicago. I probably went here twice last year before I discovered the restaurants on Argyle and Broadway.
Well, I came here again today and I was thoroughly disappointed. I mean, I love the Argyle location so much that I had such high expectations. Too high, probably.
My friend wanted to order the three color bean dessert drink. They didn't have it. Then she tells me that they never have that drink whenever she wants to order it. I thought, "Geez, that's sad because it's MY favorite drink too!"
We got the goi cuon / spring rolls... The sauce was okay. The spring rolls were kind of too mushy... Like they overcooked the vermicelli noodles. Bleh...
We got the banh xeo / Vietnamese crepe or pancake (whatever you English speakers call this dish). This was good, except that I noticed the vegetables aren't as fresh as the vegetables at their Uptown location... Dude, what is going on??! I raved about this restaurant to my friend and this is what you have to show for it?? I was really bummed because between my friend and I, I was supposed to be the "expert" on good Vietnamese restaurants even if they're not in Uptown.
My friend enjoyed her duck noodle soup. I didn't enjoy my pho dac biet very much though -- noodles seem overcooked and the vegetables were again not as fresh as I'd like. Pho 888 is a lot better. I was just craving pho and she was craving some boba drinks after dinner and so it made sense to go to Chinatown instead of Uptown. My cravings were not satisfied and I actually felt so bummed that I wasn't able to finish my bowl of pho.
The only plus side I could think of was that the Vietnamese food here is probably slightly cheaper than the Uptown location.
Maybe we ordered wrong because I don't understand the glowing reviews for this place based on our experience.
We came here hoping to find a local Pho alternative to avoid having to trek up north every time we are looking for that sort of tastiness on these cold winter days.
We were very disappointed. My soup was completely inedible. It was difficult to even look at. I ordered the only spicy soup on the menu. The description was simple enough. It was suppose to have some pork and beef. Not sure what was in there but it looked sort of like an ox tail with the skin still on it. Very Gross, especially when that is plopped on top of some amber looking SPAM type meat. Tried to just eat the broth but I can only describe it as tasting like a stuffy room filled with old Chinese ladies. Not my thing.
The lady ordered a vegetable soup. She isn't vegetarian but she still found it weird that her veggie soup had bits of beef in it and was made with what appeared to be a chicken broth. Be forewarned if you are a Vegemite.
Ooooooh, I ain't never going back.
What do you do when you are craving pho, nems, spring rolls and Vietnamese pancakes and you live down in Hyde Park?!?
1. You drive 103 blocks North to Argyle, braving traffic, bad weather and end of day laziness.
2. You follow the advice of some of your favorite Yelpers (hello biche Erin!!), still jump in the car but for only 30 blocks or so and find Vietnamese bliss in the middle of Chinatown.
I think that now that I know about Cafe Hoang Argyle Street won't see much of me anymore........
Everything is good, piping hot and they have the tastiest nems (egg rolls if you prefer but the word is almost outrageous to my ears) I have ever had in the US. Wonderfully flavored broths, lots of options, and two adorable smiling cow stickers on the window to welcome you.
It doesn't get any better than that!
I didn't have high hopes. Â Even though my girl, the main chick, the Notorius P-R-E picked it out, I was skeptical. Â Vietnamese in Chinatown, not Uptown? Â Huh? Â Chinatown: the site of my worst Neighborhood Tour? Â A restaurant suggested by one of the meaner guests on Check! Please? Â I just knew this wasn't going to be a good experience. Â I was pleasantly mistaken. Â This place is good, low key and about serving yummy food. Â I can dig it. Â
There are pictures of everything you want to order scattered about the walls and front windows. Â When I said out loud, "I wonder how #30 looks." Â Not only did I get a head shake, "no." Â Not only did I get a, "Not on my invitation." Â But, I got a "Look right next to you, man!" Â Oh. Â There it was: a picture of #30. Â Right on. Â Since Notorious P-R-E and Missy P (yes, I am going to keep giving y'all random hip hop names) are regulars, I let them handle the appetizers. Â Listen to these women. Â They know what time it is. Â We started with the spicy chicken salad and spring rolls. Â The salad was incredible. Â It was super fresh, bursting with flavor and it dared you to question its authenticity. Â THIS was the Vietnamese food experience I was hungry for. Â Yes! Â I was in the groove, when we hit the snag of the evening.
The waiter came out and brought a plate of spring rolls. Â Cool. Â They're good. Â They're springy. Â They're rolly. Â I'm eating. Â No problem. Â This dude brings out the second plate (there were 7 of us) and he sneezes on the food and sets it down. Â I knew I must have gone through the wormhole because I did NOT just see this go down. Â Everyone tried to play it cool. Â We had a real-live adult with us and flipping out would have seemed oh-so-juvenile. Â I excused myself to go to the washroom. Â Even though I needed to wash my hands, I was really looking for a window to crawl out of. Â Didn't this dood know there's a swine flu going around? Â Agh. Â I don't feel good as I type this. Â He better watch out. Â I am a vengeful type. Â I WILL get his bubonic @ss back for this!
I came back to the table a little freaked out. Â This wasn't helped by commentary like "You don't know WHAT happens in that kitchen! Â Take it on faith!" Â Aaand, so ends my going out to eat. Â I took a xanax and got back to the task of eating. Â Because I was still detoxing from my attempted-assassination-by-donut, I drank a pot (an entire pot) of hot tea as my beverage of choice. Â Everyone else had cool drinks like...well, I don't quite know what they were but they were fresh, fruity and un-canned. Â I wanted one.
My dinner was unadventurous: grilled chicken with lemongrass. Â It was spicy. Â I coughed. Â I ate some more. Â My sinuses drained. Â I drank some tea. Â My mouth was hot. Â I scooped more in my mouth. Â My stomach and lower intestine said, "Just wait until tomorrow...feeding us all that hot spice...what ARE you thinking?" Â It was satisfying. Â Better. Â It was good. Â I'd come back. Â Chinatown at night was sorta sexy. Â There was none of the crazy hustle & bustle of NYC Chinatown at night. Â It was silent, neighborhood-y. Â Chinatown: redeemed. Â Johnny T: full. Â Grand Master Ps: always right. Â Yeah, boyyeee!
My partner and I stopped by here on a whim; they advertise Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, which meant that there was something for everyone in our relationship. Â We both ended up getting Pho, however, which was a great decision! Â I can't recall the name of the Pho I had, but do remember that it was #19 on the menu. Â I was very happy with it (Hellooooo Shrimp!!!) and stuffed myself (the portion was generous - no "small" option available). Â
The thing that will bring me back to this place, however, is not the Pho, yummy as it was; it's the music. Â Throughout our meal, my partner and I were treated to the sounds of a Vietnamese? Thai? Chinese? cover band singing pop songs in heavily accented English. Â My favorite covers were of Tatu and David Bowie songs. Â Do you know who this bad is? Â Please tell me.
Although it has been reviewed by the popular television show "Check Please", it is still possible to get seating here without a reservation  if you go early, late, or on a night where they are not known for being busy.  It is not unheard of there to be a line "out the door", so have a plan B in mind should you venture here.
Our first trip, with high expectations, and they exceeded them easily!
We highly recommend the Spring Rolls---perfectly crafted with just the right balance of flavor, crunch, and texture, and color. Â
The Vietnamese Rolls were also very good as the combination of the two proved to be the excellent starters or appetizers.
I highly, highly recommend number 26, which is a shrimp and beef noodle dish with an egg roll. Â The flavor was outstanding, and of course I had the love of my life stealing it every chance she was able. Â The flavor of the grilled beef was unbelievable and I am still craving more.
Her dish was a typical Thai dish, a Thai Basil Beef, and it was very good. Â But it is hard to put it up against that dish having had it at some premier Thai restaurants, and say it was as good as what we have had at a pure Thai restaurant. Â Although it was good, my recommendation is to stick to more of the Vietnamese dishes and the Pho which we intend to try next, and leave the other "common" asian dishes to someone else.
One BIG note for some, this place is BYOB. Â Although we love that, some might arrive expecting cocktails or wine and be disappointed at not having an option to order adult beverages. Â If this important to you, bring your own.
Service is solid and the wait staff is very friendly and accomodating.
All in all, this place is worth a trip and does not miss on exceeding expectations!
This place might have just the best pho ever. Â I first got wind about Cafe Hoang through the unforgettable Check Please show it was suggested on. Â On one cold evening with a desire to try something new, my boyfriend and I embarked on the journey to Chinatown to check this place out and see what all the raves were about for ourselves.
People are right. The food is good here, and its cheap. Our bill was under 30 dollars and we had enough pho in one serving to take home and last us another couple days. Â On top of that the noodle dishes are good too. A Â week later after visiting for the first time, I was sick and under the weather and I told my boyfriend all I wanted was some Pho from Cafe Hoang. Â We drove back and got some, it was that good.
The only thing about our first experience that I would change is that we waited about an hour to get seated. I believe it was from the hype of Check Please that the line was out the door.
I've only had 3 dishes here and I think they are phenomenal and I will give it 5 stars for that. I love their egg rolls and their crab rangoon for appetizers. Freshly made when you order, none of that pre-made staleness you sometimes get. Their grilled pork chops are the best. This is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes and its so hard to find it made well in this city. My friend recommended this place just for that dish. Its $7.95 and so much food. It comes with 2 pork chops, rice, and a side salad. I suggest getting the grill pork chops with shrimp. The shrimp are also grilled on the skewers. The pork and shrimp were grilled to perfection and its really a dish worth trying if you didn't enjoy this place before.
I have come to this place before and after it aired on Check Please. Their service is the same. They are not meant to have the best service, their food is cheap and good and that's all you can ask for. Its the same level of service you would get at almost any restaurant in Chinatown and can't be compared to a fine-dining restaurant by any means.
We took the El to Cafe Hoang before a show at Reggie's. Â Hoang reminded me of the atmosphere that Tank Noodle has. Â Simple and nothing spectacular with the decor. Â The menu is extensive and full of yummy looking Vietnamese and Thai dishes.
As I go to KheeMao for Thai, to test out the Vietnamese dishes, I go straight for the Pho. Â Thinly-sliced rare beef with rice noodles. Â I know, it's the simplest damn dish, but like some diners can fuck up eggs, so can Pho be failed. Â As does Thai Avenue, Hoang cook the bean sprout, lime and basil into the broth, so it's more flavorful than when served on the side as does Tank.
Experience: Â Good service, good food, good simple atmostphere. Â Heh...I was there the night someone (who gave this place 1 star) was complaining about the service and "waited 2 hours" and when someone else in her party asked "do you want to complain to the manager," she snapped "oh, I'll just write a review." Â We were seated right away. Â I personally would never wait 2 hours for food, but that's just me, and I don't see why they would have to wait that long.
Thanks to Kathy P., we found this place and weren't let down. Â I cannot wait to go back to Chinatown for Pho and other dishes!
Note: don't ever go to a restaurant that has been featured on Check please for at least two or three weeks.
I decided to stop by with my acquaintance  the Sunday after Cafe Hoang was featured on the show. When we arrived at 6, there were lines out the door- and this was a pretty cold night. We waited an hour for a table for two by the wall. On this particular night, they were extremely understaffed. Our server did not take our order until 20 minutes into our sitting, and we had to wait 45 minutes for our appetizers to arrive. When they did arrive, they felt lukewarm. During the course of this time, a table a few feet away left in frustration because they had been waiting for an entree and never got it, and the table to our left was missing an entree as well.
As for the food, I found the crab rangoon to be delicious, and my acq. liked their spring rolls. I had the #46 (grilled shrimp and lemongrass beef) and my acq. had #45 (pork chop with Chinese sausage). We enjoyed our entrees. I really liked how my beef was seasoned but felt that the shrimp needed more seasoning. The pork chop was delicious as well. I had their lemonade and liked it, but wished it could have been a bigger glass.
I haven;t been back here to dine in, but I did do carry out a few times. Each time the food was ready when they said it would be. The line seems to have dissipated greatly since the segment aired, so that's a relief.
If I were to base my review from when I dined in, it would garner a 3. Based on my carry out experiences and the quality of the food I've tried so far, I would give Cafe Hoang a 4.
They are closed on Tuesdays.
I went with a buddy before a Bears game. Â He'd heard about Cafe Hoang on Check Please and wanted to try it. Â He spent two years working in Singapore, so he's something of a Thai / Chinese / Vietnamese / etc. expert. Â We had many dishes:
Spring Rolls - best spring rolls I've ever had. Â Served with a very nice peanut sauce.
Vietnamese Chicken Salad - they're famous for this and it was awesome.
Pork Chop, Sausage and Egg - another awesome dish. Â The owner tried to convince us that American's don't like the sausage because it's kind of sweet, but it was spectacular. Â The pork chop was very tasty.
Vietnamese Pancake - my friend didn't like it so much because he's used to a a fluffier - not crispy - version. Â I loved it, and the sauce and veggies that came with it really made it.
Vietnamese Coffee - really, really good and authentic according to my friend.
Stir Fried Lemon Grass Beef and Vegetables - where was the lemon grass? Â Not so good. Â We think he misunderstood what we ordered on this one.
Service was OK on a not-busy night, not great. Â I'd give 3.5 stars if we had half-stars, due to the service and lemon grass beef mix-up. Â But the chicken salad and pork, sausage and egg entrees were amazing, so I'll give them 4. Â Will definitely go back many times!
I also learned about Cafe Hoang on Check Please and wanted to check it out since everyone on the show loved it. I then checked Yelp and saw all of the mediocre reviews. I was a little concerned but decided to go and make my own opinion.
The Yelp reviews are right on target. The food is just OK. I tried the chicken noodle soop, which was the best item that I had at Cafe Hoang, as it was served with fresh basil, lime and sprouts on the side. The basil and lime added a nice flavor to the soup in a flavor combination that I have never tasted before- bright, yet soothing and mellow. The soup had some delicious noodles at the bottom, and overall it was very comforting and flavorful. I would get the soup again if I were sick, or wanted some "comfort food".
I also tried the vermicilli (sp?) - with the meatballs and the chicken. The meatballs were good, but not amazing. The grilled chicken was just ok- nothing special. I ate to the point of being satisfied, and was not full at the end of my meal, which speaks to the overall flavor of the food.
I also ordered the Thai Iced Tea, and there was WAY too much milk in the tea vs. what I have experienced before. I only had a few sips because it was too creamy for my taste. I would have sent it back, but they have a note on their menu that if you order something/make a mistake with your order that they won't replace it.
The service was pretty basic - we got our water refills, order taken and food delivered in a timely manner. The serving sizes are huge, and you can easily split a soup and an entree with someone and be satisfied. We left alot of food on our plates.
Overall, I would say that if you happen to be in Chinatown, go ahead and try Cafe Hoang. This is not a destination restaurant in my opinion. If you have to travel over 2 miles to get there, I don't think that it is worth it.
NEXT!
I brought my family to this restaurant because I frequent chinatown and a line out the door peaked my curiosity. Â We arrived at 8 PM and there were about 15 people waiting. Â I asked one of the servers (since there was no host) how long the wait to be seated was and he said about 2 hours. Â We decided to return in an hour to see if the line would be better. Â When we returned, there was no longer anyone waiting, however, we waited for about an hour before tables started opening up.
After 20 minutes, our waiter came to our table and told us something about the kitchen being backed up and there was a lot of food that is waiting to be served still. Â We asked how long the wait would be and he said 30 minutes. Â We told him we did not mind to wait for the food because we have waited a long time already and we were looking forward to eating there. Â He took our orders. Â Our orders were simple: spring rolls, 2 bowls of pho and a rice and basil chicken dish. Â
1 hour 1/2 later, about 6 tables had cleared and new customers had arrived. Â We were still waiting, however, I noticed that the new customers that had arrived an hour after us were already served or being served. Â Their dishes were the same as we ordered and some more complex. Â We were confused. Â Everyone in the restaurant was being served except for us. Â I asked for the manager and it turned out to be the same person who took our order. Â
When I approached him about not being served, he seemed to make an excuse for why everyone else had food before us. Â I can not help but suspect if they just did not want to serve us since he had implied they would not be able to when he first approached us. Â We were about to leave and they put down a plate of fried rice. Â Not even close to anything that we ordered. Â We decided to leave at 11:30 PM. Â 2 and 1/2 hours too late. Â
The long lines were generated due to 2 reasons:
1. the restaurant was on Check Please! and
2. the lack of organization and structure for seating and serving people. Â Â The bathrooms were dirty and messy and there was oily cardboard all over the kitchen floors. Â
I know it does not take over an hour to make a spring roll even if you have to make 50. Â I also know that the broth for Pho is made ahead of time and the components just need to be added. Â That should not take an hour and a half. Â Many others were served the same orders in less than 10 minutes.
There are many other restaurants that serve the same dishes with better quality and taste. Â There is no reason to chose this restaurant over the rest unless you are in the mood to be disappointed. Â Reading the other reviews on this place, I realize that I did not miss out on anything.
A group of friends went here because we saw that it got really good reviews on the show Check Please!
I thought that some of the apps were good, but our entrees just did not deliver. Â They are known for their Pho, but we all agreed that it was just ok.
I am not a germaphobe or anything, but this place was so dirty and it smelled really bad. Â I was really grossed out by it.
Oh my goodness, I did not initially believe my friend when she said there was a pho place that was open late in Chinatown. My friends and I were at Fulton Lounge on Saturday night and around 2, we started getting hungry. Â Obviously, we started running through all the late night food spots that were open but there wasn't that, "That! Â That's what I want!" kind of feeling.
Until she mentioned the pho place. Â
Mmmm...I have also been having a mean craving for pho for the past couple weeks not to mention that I just saw the episode of Check Please with Tank Noodle. Â I think I started drooling when I watched them take some sriracha and swirl it into the broth....TV makes everything look so good. Â
Anyways, the pho (#12) was delicious...the broth was phenomenal and the beef was good. Â It's a little difficult judging food when you're in a somewhat inebriated state but I think I was correct in my judgment since I also tried the spring rolls and egg rolls and they were just okay but not great.
The menu said that it closes at 4:30 am so I am super happy...will be making many more late night pho trips. Â Would give this place 5 stars except the appetizers weren't that great and that it took awhile to get the food and pho does not take that long.
Ordered the salad which is pictured above- it was well worth the 8.99 paid. Also ordered pork chop over fried rice-most tender pork chop Ive ever had, and with good dipping sauce and some fresh veggies too. Lastly, we got a little adventurous and ordered the congee with intestine. Broth was just the right flavor, very good on a cold winter's day I'd imagine.
As for service, there weren't many people in the place, so everytime I looked up at the guy he knew to come over. Like many places on argyle street, it doesn't look like much but offers a genuine Viet meal. My tip, mix savory(i.e. meat, soup) and sweet dishes(salad ect.), it will leave you the most satisfied. Drinks were also good too. The iced cofee is very strong. The sour plum drink is excellent, comparable to American lemonade for those who've never had it.
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