Hole in the wall. Dive. Greasy spoon. Whatever you wanna call it, this is THE place to get real noodles in Chicago. While the owners are a friendly Vietnamese family, there is no pho here baby! Instead they offer egg noodles and rice noodles in their signature broth with a variety of toppings (seafood, meatballs, wonton, etc). I also like the fried shrimp and long john bread. While most people put the bread in their soup, I like it with condensed milk as a snack on the side to satisfy my sweet tooth. I am addicted to the fried garlic oil condiment and wish I could add it to everything I eat!
The seating isn't comfortable. There is no "decor" or "ambiance." The bathroom is serviceable. They have added a flat screen TV that often plays local channels. This is no 5 star restaurant, but it's 5 stars in my book for the food.
My family has been coming here for years and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. My grandma even enjoys this place and she is anti-eating out!
Cheap Chiu Chow nooddles place. Honestly the place is kinda yuck! one look at the layer of grease build up on the table you will know what I mean. The food is cheap though, I always get the combination noodle (egg noodle or white noodles are both good) with the broth on the side. They also have very good dau chao quay - tastes very fresh here. Make sure you add the crushed peanuts and garlic to your noodles. IMO, the noodles don't taste right without them. The peanuts and garlic roasted in oil are in the condiment containers found on every table.
Review Source:This place is as good as it gets if you love noodle! My friend took me here for breakfast and I keep coming back like you wouldn't believe! It is definitely a hole in the wall place but if you like noodle, it's just fantastic. I always order #1 dry..it is a boiled yellow noodle garnished with pork, shrimp, fishballs. Then you can douse it with the side car of soup, and this unbelievable fried garlic in oil. OMG, that garlic is superb!!!! Don't come here for the ambiance but come here for cheap fantastic Vietnamese noodle. They also serve this fried shrimp rolls that are to die for, and the radish cake is also yum. Love it! My happiness is definitely doubled each time I had their noodle.
Review Source:I might be bias since I've been to this restaurant since I was at least 7 years old. It has not changed at all since than, I'm 23 now yet the food is still reasonably priced and delicious!
The assorted (pork, shrimp, fish cake) yellow noodle soup is my favorite, I normally ask for the thicker noodles just by preference. Also I prefer the broth on the side (Mi Kho - dried noodles) so my noodles don't become to soggy. My brother and I absolutely love their fried shrimp cakes. Once those baby come out you let them soak just a bit in your broth where they aren't extremely soggy and still have a crunch to it. Also Ha Chu (sp?) these little shrimp rolls that is served with a sweet also adds great flavor to the meal.
The family that owns this restaurant are very kind. They greet you and are tentative.
You check out at the front counter where there are various pastries you can purchase.
A good friend once told me that you know it's a legit Chinese restaurant when the staff is mean to you. Dude at the front counter didn't even look at us when we walked in. Check. I also looked for some of my own indications for how to tell if a Chinese restaurant is going to be good, one being how awkward the name of the restaurant is and another being how ugly the interior is. Checkity check.
I had the #1, the "assorted ramen," which came with pork, shrimp, and fish cake. It's not often that I have ramen that I would write home to mom about, but hey mom, it's me. The broth was perfectly seasoned and the noodles and all the fixins made perfection even more perfect. I also had the Chinese Long John. No, it's not underwear. It's essentially a donut. Seriously, the smell of these alone could get you pregnant. Ramen + long john = match made in heaven.
So don't be scurred, what Double Happiness lacks in decor and friendliness, they definitely make up for in the quality of their ramen and donuts.
I have been going here since I was 4 or 5, and it is still owned by the same family. My dad use to take me here for a quick lunch growing up. Nothing has changed since then, maybe just the price but still really cheap. The furniture, decor, and food is still the same. Â This is still one of the few places my mom will go to, she hates eating out. If you have been in Thailand, this is just like the mom & pop noodle shops they set up in front of their home. That is the exactly how I feel, when I am there. The menu is simple, egg noodle or rice noodle, dry or wet. No one in Chicago makes dry egg noodle the way they make it. Â They also give you chicken broth on the side so if you don't like it dry, you can just throw the broth in your bowl and make it a soup. Â My dad use to tell me that they make the noodle fresh here but I'm not sure, they are really good. They also have local lao & thai beverages like hot soy milk.
Review Source:Decor nothing to write home about, but this is the classic hole-in-the-wall (clean) place where they serve great simple noodle dishes. Generally I like ordering dry noodles with a bowl of soup on the side, plus a shrimp roll on the side. The fried radish cake with egg also reminds me of what I ate growing up in Singapore -- ask them to add bean sprouts to it. Good stuff here always -- Diana T's review is spot on -- make sure you add the condiments they provide in generously quantities. A buddy of mine first brought me here years ago -- glad that I rediscovered it after I moved to Chicago a few years back.
Review Source:The underdog
It's funny how I managed to find myself sitting in this hole in a wall enjoying a good meal time after time. Â I never came here on purpose, yet I end up here more often than a lot of other places on Argyle. Â If it wasn't for me thinking I need to Yelp this place, I still wouldn't know the name of it. Â
Yes, it's a dive and not much to look at, but don't let that stop you! Â If you like bamee noodles, you'll love #1 on the menu here. Â This delicious dish is disguised as a simple egg noodle soup on the menu. Â You have the option of having it with broth or without broth (go without and you'll still get a little broth on the side). Â This dish is the first dish I have finished in one sitting in a long time. Â That's not to say it's small, but it was just that good. Â The iced coffee is pretty good, too. Â All that goodness for under $10. Â
They also had the Cubs game on HD on the big screen.
Woof, woof!
The stars aren't for the looks, it's for the food. This place has been open for over 10 years and I have been going there since I was a little kid. Their noodle soup dishes are amazing. I prefer when they're dry, with the soup in a separate bowl. And once you add all the condiments in, garlic, little bits of pepper soaked in vinegar, and soy sauce, mix it all together, and you have something really delicious. The soup itself is also really good. Looks very basic, but taste very homemade. I also like this fried egg/radish/turnip dish. It comes with a soy sauce/vinegar sauce that you must add sriracha to. MMM. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Another goody is that everything is relatively cheap! One thing that I really don't like is the tables always feel grimy and I always feel like I need to wipe my chopsticks before I use them.
Review Source:So why is this little tiny, dumpy place still open after 10+ years? Â
They don't have a nice front, they don't have nice chairs or tables. Â They DO serve some of the best Chinese-Vietnamese noodle soup you ever had. Â Asians always make the best noodle soups. Â The crowds during the morning and afternoon during the week will tell you why. Â
SOUP - In any soup place, the test of the soup is the broth. Â If you try a noodle soup and you try the broth alone, you can tell how the rest of the food is going to be made. Â The soup here is relatively clear (important), but has a nice rich pork flavor to it. Â You notice there is no hint of MSG, soy, additional salt or too many herbs. Â This is because too much of these mask the flavor of the broth. Â The broth here is made with pork bones, and skimmed in the cooking process to remove the impurities. Â What's left is a rich, semi clear tasty broth that makes noodles dance with flavor. Â
WHAT TO ORDER - The soup consists of a clear broth, noodles (thin or thick rice noodles, egg noodles, or mix of both), a heap of nicely seasoned cooked ground pork, shrimp, squid, roasted garlic and cilantro. Â Menus are in English so read carefully. Â They have one also with shrimp wontons too (man, that's good if you are hungry). Â
Fried Radish Cake with Egg - This is a really tasty alternative to eating an omelet. Â It is a nice starchy omelet with no hint of radish at all. Â Eat this with the hot sauce (sriracha).
Vietnamese Steam Roll with ground pork - 4 steamed rice eggrolls with cooked seasoned ground pork with fresh herbs and a light sweet sauce. Â Pour the whole thing over the top and eat with a spoon.
Shrimp Roll - your standard deep fried shrimp sausage (all shrimp) with a sweet sour sauce. Â It satisfies the fried craving you might have. Â Good, not great.
Chinese fried bread - Chinese version of doughnut. Â Good stuff, but filling.
Ice coffee - This is your standard Vietnamese ice coffee (Cafe DuMonde) with condensed milk, but cold or hot and no waiting. Â THIS is what Starbuck charges you 5 bucks for, here it's 1. Â You will get buzzed, so watch it.
Everything else, I would give it a try, but the stuff above I know is good.
Of the condiments, try the roasted garlic, the hot peppers in vinegar, peanuts and anything else. Â Everything is good, but taste before you put. Â
WHAT NOT TO ORDER:
Meatball (siu mai) - flavored, steamed pork meatball, no wrapper, uninteresting, not that tasty.
CAVEATS - No parking and desserts. Â And again, all the asian desserts have to do more with sticky texture, coconut milk and tapioca. Â If you don't mind that, go to town!
The owners speak english, but just bear with them and the accent.
PRICE - Very reasonable, but you will figure about $10/person with soup and a drink and tip. Â If you get more, up it.
They do carryout, and if you have a cold, or just want a killer bowl of soup, and you don't keep kosher, this is the place.
A cluttery place...with some good things to be found. They offer traditional chinese bakery items...from baos to moon cakes and all kinds of things with sweet bean and lotus fillings. This bakery also offers drinks and regular dishes though I havent tried any of the dishes here. And for after your meal, you can buy gum and candy here too.
Review Source:
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