I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant after seeing the great yelp reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was quite mediocre, made even more disappointing by the disproportionately positive reviews.
My friend and I tried:
Lollipop chicken wings - Dry, stringy meat. I don't think they were salted at all. I wished I was at home so I could cover them with sriracha, the savior of bland foods everywhere.
Jja jang myun - The noodles were so overcooked that they had a terrible gummy consistency and gave the dish a watery flavor. Really not awesome.
Seafood Jjambong - Another big meh. I was expecting a really flavorful and spicy seafood broth, but it was pretty weak and just tasted like cayenne and vegetable broth. I'm really confused by the use of spaghetti noodles in both the jja jang myun and jjambong. How authentic could that possibly be?
Wild Chinese mushroom with beef - The mushrooms themselves were really tasty! Perfectly cooked, very flavorful, I wanted to eat them all. Unfortunately the rest of the dish was missing any flavor at all. The meat was chewy and bland, the sauce was nothingness thickened with cornstarch, and the bok choy (one of my favorite vegetables) was just there, doing nothing exciting at all.
Pickled radish and kimchi came with the meal, which made me happy. That was probably my favorite part.
On the plus side, the service was very friendly and on point. No complaints there. They were so nice, in fact, I feel a little guilty for writing this review.
Personally, I liked the decor, as it was reminiscent of a 1990s Chinese restaurant. Some might find the interior a bit dated (and showing its age with stains and dust). I also really like the name: VIP Restaurant, awe yeah! I must, however, protest the presence of a loud television in the dining room.
In the end, I'm glad I tried something new, but I won't be rushing back.
Absolutely the worst chinese ever. Ugh. Awful. The only thing that made it bearable was the wine I drank it with. The sweet and sour chicken looked like calamari. Almost all breading. Â The fried rice had the frozen peas and carrots and the peas were still cold. The egg rolls were inedible. The mongolian beef was chewy. Never again. Sixty five bucks. Lesson learned.
Review Source:I read great reviews about this place so decided to give it a try. Â My food was super bland (I actually had to salt Chinese food -- I have never had to do that before!) Â The egg rolls were run of the mill freezer bought I suspect. Â The staff was awkward, the lighting dim, etc. Â I really can't understand why it gets such good reviews? Â Leaves MUCH to be desired.
Review Source:The food was yummy, the service was good. I wasn't planning on getting an egg roll but I saw someone else's and got the craving...they weren't too shabby. The jamp pong and cha chang mung was solid. The little chicken drumettes  had a thick savory glaze with a nice little kick to them. Dishes on other people's tables looked appetizing as well. I saw some shrimp dish with nice size shrimp that I wanted to try after seeing it.
Review Source:Tried this place for the first time Sunday because my favorite Chinese place was closed Christmas day and we had a group of 9 friends over and wanted Chinese.
The food was a mixed bag, some items were awesome, spicy fried pork, fried rice and orange chicken. Others not so much, crab rangoon were lame, no crab or even onion flavor basically just cream cheese, we had 2 items that were basically the same but did not look like either item we ordered.
We also ordered the half and half noodles which came separated from the sauce so we were a bit confused by the containter of plain spaghetti noodles and only one container of soup like sauce that possibly went with them and what we thought was a small container of soy sauce turned out to be the sauce for the other half of the noodles.
We have to give them a huge boo! for giving us a huge order of stuff and not marking what anything was, we spent 10 mins just trying to figure out what was what and still think we got a couple wrong. Also, they are very high priced for the area and the look of the restaurant, lunch specials are $7-8 and there are no small sizes, everything comes in large. Also, they don't deliver?
The food wasn't bad just not sure it was worth price but it is close so would try again especially for the fried rice!
I think all one need to do is look to the reviews by ppl who actually hail from Korea and China to gauge the authenticity and goodness of VIP. Â I'm a WASP and as such can't really comment on how authentic the food is.....but I can and will comment on how completely awesome the food tastes.
It is ridiculously good. There you have it.
Additionally, the family who owns and operates this small little restaurant are as sweet, kind and generous as the food they serve. Â You cannot possibly go wrong here.
Decided to try this place a while back after reading the reviews, and have become a regular ever since! Â Everything my wife and I have tried, we absolutely love and find ourselves craving it. Â I can't speak on the authenticity any dishes, but I will say they all have a genuine home cooked goodness about them. Â The people that work there are nice, and if you order to go, the food is ready very fast.
Review Source:I am going to preface this review with the fact that given the food that we ordered, and the reputation that many Chicago Koreans go by when they want to eat a certain type of food at a certain restaurant, I am going to compare it somewhat to other restaurants that are also well known for their dishes.
The restaurant itself is very straightforward with booths along each side of the restaurant and tables in the middle for larger parties. I would say a party of 4 would be the most comfortable number.
Our party of 6 ordered a sweet and sour pork, lollipop chicken drumsticks, jjambong and jja jang myun. Some of our friends ordered the half jjambong and half jjajangmyun entree, which I think is a pure stroke of genius, having love both of them. That alone will have me coming again.
The sweet and sour pork was solid. It is the other dishes that I am going to critique a little bit more. The jjajangmyun was fairly standard. I think that dish, along with jjambong has gone downhill for all Chinese/Korean restaurants. I was told a few days later that the dried fish jjajangmyun is good here. I didn't like the jjambong very much. They had overdone the noodles so the starch mixed in with the broth a bit and made it a little more glutinous and the broth was not that spicy either. As for the lollipop chicken, decent, but Great Seas and through their sister, or I should say daughter restaurant, Take Me Out, is the place to go.
Overall, VIP is a decent restaurant with decent prices. The half and half is what I would go back for.
My ex used to take me to all the great Korean places in the city. That was over two years ago, and I can't seem to remember where my favorite jajangmyun restaurant was. Enter my search for that restaurant because I obviously couldn't ask her (until recently as we've became re-acquainted, but that's a whole different story).
Once I entered VIP, I definitely remembered having went there with my ex. But this wasn't the jajangmyun place that I was thinking of. Don't get me wrong though: VIP's half jajangmyun, half jjamppong noodles were good too! My stomach was in heaven. But the bowls were way bigger than I remembered them to be, and so this confirmed that it wasn't the place I was thinking of. (But what if I just had a fuzzy memory of that place?? I don't know! OH, THE DILEMMA!!).
My friends and I also ordered tangsuyuk and something that my friends called "lollipop chicken." I loved the tangsuyuk; I almost think that this is what my ex and I would come here for. It was so good.
As it's unfair to set this place up against a place that may or may not exist, I'm giving it five stars. The owners were nice, and the servers were the same ones I remember from over two years ago. Service was excellent even though payment was a little rushed because the owner had to go to the hospital.
I'd definitely come here again.
This is one of the best place to go, becuase first off it isn't so popular with Chicagoan yet. That means no wait, and excellent place to take a date. You guys will be able to talk and hear yourself think. One of my top secret place to eat.
Let get down to the food! Half and Half cham pong cha- chang mein! That what everyone should get. You get the best of both worlds. Some delicious spicy seafood soup with noodles. Then you can switch off to the black bean noodles which are more full flavored and heartier. I advise you will have to check you teeth before you leave becuase it can make your teeth a little black ha ha.
The prices are very fair like ever Asian restaurant. More bang for your buck.
I'm not sure why I previously gave VIP a 3 star review, clearly it deserves more.
I'll admit, I stick with my favorite entree, I can't help it as it's just that good. Tofu with black mushrooms in an insanely addictive too good to be true sauce. It also has peapods, baby bok choy, and bamboo shoots. Â Oh, and possibly crack, because even when my belly is bursting, I can always finish it, and wish I had more.
I've tried other things, but nothing compares with this dish. We used to eat here for lunch about once a week, then other places got rotated in due to them being closer, and my laziness not wanting to walk far in the cold. Warmer weather = getting this place back in the rotation, stat.
Run around the block a few times before going here. Â The portions are huge. Â That's the only part that makes me doubt that this is how Koreans actually eat Chinese food. The residents of Seoul would be a lot closer in size to Chicagoans if they did. Â
I'd never had Korean-Chinese before, so I can't say how this compares. Empirically, it's really good, with friendly service. Â Plus, you can catch up on the news from the peninsula while you dine. I'd definitely go again.
Maybe I didn't order anything superb, but I just thought this place was ok.
We got the ja jang myun and sweet and sour pork. Â I liked the pork, but the sauce was too sweet for me. Â The Ja jang myun was like any other average korean ja jang myun, I wasn't too impressed. Â Actually, I prefer great beijing for korean-style ja jang myun, it seems fresher.
I did like their panchan...well, what little of it there was, Kimchi cut up in small pieces and some takuan (radish). Â Both were good.
Anyway it was a nice place with not many people in it, and the owners/staff were pleasant. Â That's all I have to say.
-- actually i have more to say.
The family that came in after us ordered different stuff than us, and although I didn't see what it was, it smelled REALLY good. Â So maybe this place is worth another try. Â I just have to remember to order the good smelling stuff.
The best Chinese-ish food I've found in the city thus far. Which isn't saying much actually. Â I'm from LA, we have a much larger and diverse Asian population, so far Chicago has FAILED in all aspects of Asian cuisine.
I liked the black bean noodle dish. It was good but wasn't as stellar as I expected from reading other reviews. Â The sweet and sour pork was also good; a bit top much batter but was crunchy and and not soggy at all. Â The sauce seemed a bit bland at first, until I added the chili oil which made it much better and pushed the tang further.
I'll definitely be back to try the wings and couple other dishes.
This is a 4.5 star establishment.
I am Korean. I love Shang Dong style (Korean/Chinese) cuisine. I grew up eating this type of food. VIP is a close competitor of establishments such as Great Sea Restaurant and Great Beijing. The draw is the kampungi (spicy chicken wings).
The spicy chicken wings at VIP were very good. I'm a huge fan of the Great Sea wings, but at times I find them almost too sweet. As a huge fan of sweet and salty combination, I tend to favor that flavor. But after hitting VIP for their wings, I think I prefer those?? It's a toss-up. The wings are still crispy, spicy, and a touch sweet. The balance is great. The wings are juicy. I would walk over my own mother to have one right now. I digress...
I also sampled their Seafood Black Bean noodle (Saam Sun Cha Chiang Mein) dish, which was good, but inferior to Great Sea's version. There was evidence of calamari in the sauce, but it was lacking the gigantic shrimp you find at Great Sea's noodles. We also had the Mapo Tofu (spicy tofu) which was decent, but again inferior to Great Sea's version. We also had the tan soo yuk (sweet and sour beef), which was a lot like how my mom used to make it. There were a sweet sauce drizzled on it, with a saltier dipping sauce on the side. It was good, but nothing too remarkable.
All in all a good meal. I will be returning to try their cchaampong (spicy seafood soup) and maybe their mongolian beef, which I hear good things about. And I'll eat another order of wings.
I was going to say this is a 4.5 star review, but then I couldn't think of a reason why VIP didn't earn the fifth. What is it about Korean-Chinese food that makes it so damn tasty? I think it's the noodles and the fact that they serve kim chi with their crab rangoon (what a revelation!).
Talk about bang for your buck: they literally give you a boatload of food. We ordered enough for three meals in total, but the wife (I'm just guessing it's a husband and wife team) didn't pass judgement. Based on the other reviews here, it looks like we need to try some other things. And I know Great Seas has a lot more reviews, but we liked VIP better!
Finally. Â Finally. Â Finally. Â I have found the best tangsooyuk (beef or pork sweet and sour asian style) in Chicago. Â I have been looking for you everywhere, and I've had to sit through plate after plate of sub-par tangsooyuk to find you, but now I've found you. Â Fresh deep fried battered beef or pork brought to your table freshly drenched in amazing sweet and sour sauce. Â Having the sauce poured fresh allows the beef to retain the crispiness while the sauce soaks in. Â Pure sweet tangy goodness. Â They give you some soy sauce on the side with it, but I'm not really sure what that's all about - anything that takes away from tangsooyuk sauce should be kept away from the table. Â I'm giving this place 5 stars just for the tangsooyuk.
As for some of the other dishes, we did NOT try the chachangmyun (black bean noodles) but I hear it is very good. Â We did NOT try the champong (hot soup with noodles) but I hear it is decent. Â We DID try the kkanpongi (spicy chicken wings) and I found the sauce to be good, but the chicken to be a little dry/ overcooked, and the amount of meat on the bones were less than the other 'unnamed' wing place down the street on Lawrence. Â We also tried the mapo tofu, which was good, but they didn't give us the option for having beef in the tofu sauce... I'm not a vegetarian, I need meat. Â If you don't give me the option for meat, I get angry, and you won't like me when I'm angry. Â Finally, one unnamed person in our group decided to not fill out our order with chchangmyun/champong as we requested, and instead decided to order, yep, beef and broccoli. Â Beef and fricking broccoli. Â Guess which dish was left only half eaten at the end of the mean? Â Yup, the beef and broccoli. Â If you're going to VIP, don't order beef and broccoli - not because it's subpar, but just because there is so much better there to order. Â
Service is good, and water was always full. Â Ample parking outside.
The only reason I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the items other than the tangsooyuk only distracted from the tangsooyuk. Â Do not miss out on the tangsooyuk.
Trying to stay in the neighborhood I decided to try something new. Glad I did. The place is definitely something I drove by and didn't give a second look. The inside is a total different story. VIP has the Chinatown feeling on the northwest side I was looking for. You know its going to be authentic good Chinese when the place with packed Asian families. The egg rolls were really good and fresh. I ordered the Sweet and sour chicken (Beef tang soo ook) which was huge and came in a boat! My only complaint about the dish is there is too much batter and not enough beef. Otherwise it was a great unique dish I enjoyed. Its also BYOB (no fee) so you can grab a bottle from the store a block east. Wife ordered the mongolian beef which was also delish and huge portions. Swapped rice for homemade noodles. The dishes are around $10 and $7 for lunch. Nice gem for the area and will be back to try the soup.
Review Source:3.5 stars really... but i'll push it to 4 for the sake of Yelp averaging.
I ordered the often yelped about egg rolls and cha chiang mein (noodles with black bean sauce) for dinner last night. Total for pick up was around $11.50. Not too bad or pricey.
I thought the black bean sauce was AMAZING. it really opened my eyes to a new type of sauce. However, the noodles tasted like they had been cooked about 2 hours earlier. And, while I appreciate them being served seperately to maintain a better overall consistency. It was kind of gross to look at them standing alone. But, once mixed with the mild, sweet black bean sauce, all was forgiven. It was a really exceptional dish. And, I would go back and order it again and again. I also, not sure if this is appropriate or not, mixed the kimchi they provided me, into the dish. I liked how the pickled turnip gave a nice crunch to the softness of the noodles. That's probably not the traditional way to enjoy the dish though.
The egg rolls were good. They were fresh. You could tell they are made on site. But, they just weren't my kind of egg rolls. These were a pork based egg roll that were really heavy on the pork. For some that's a good thing. For me, I like an egg roll that's equal parts cabbage, bean sprouts and chopped bbq pork. This was more of a ground pork. And I found them kind of small. They were actually a good size for an appetizer. I just look for an egg roll to be monstrous, almost chipotle size. These were not. But, still I thought, a good value. I would recommend, even though they were not my preference.
Overall a good experience. The owners seemed really friendly.
MAPA. TOFU.
Life changing words. Mainly because I have become a full blown addict... I turn into a ravenous animal when it comes to their mapa, no control whatsoever. The eggrolls are uh-mazing, same goes for wings, dumplings, fried rice, pretty much everything. Totally authentic korean-style chinese food, the real deal. You know it's good when there's always tables of Korean families that know how it's supposed to be done. Worth the trek to Ravenswood/AP hood.
Originally my girlfriend and I were going to get pupusas at the nearby pupuseria, except it was inexplicably closed at noon on a Wednesday. Seeing VIP nearby, we decided to check it out.
Now the lunch menu does not include any of the dishes that people have raved about here, and since we only looked at the lunch menu, we missed out on what are apparently the stars at this joint. The crab rangoon was very good in my opinion and came out so fresh and hot it was still crackling from the deep fryer. We both had the mongolian beef - which was average. Nothing bad, but nothing great either. The soup that came with it was a bland egg drop noodle sort of deal. Overall, we weren't impressed and the only reason I may go back is to try some of the dishes mentioned here that are supposed to be so good. But if you want your typical Americanized Chinese dishes (including a much tastier Mongolian Beef) in Albany Park, I suggest Wok Cuisine on Kedzie.
The best eggrolls I have ever had. Hands down.
This little gem is minimal and simple in decor, but don't let that mislead you, the food is amazing.
Aside from the egg rolls I recommend the Mongolian Beef or Champong Soup; a spicy seafood noodle soup that will cure a head cold!
** NOTE** Their sign is no longer hanging on Montrose, so don't miss them! They are right across the street from the Golden Cue.
LOVE VIP! Â The food is wonderful, fresh and tasty. Â My selections are a little less adventuresome when it comes to Asian food, but I can say the beef and broccoli, fried rice and black bean noodles (homemade) and amazing! Â The service is great and friendly. Â Definitely worth the trip.
Review Source:This isn't a traditional Chinese restaurant, it's Koreanized Chinese which is the traditional style of cooking Chinese food in Korea. One of the dishes that they serve what I basically grew up on in Korea--chachang mein, which is a black bean paste over fresh, made to order noodles. The seafood soup is probably the best hangover cure and you can ask them to make it less spicy if you can't handle the heat and that also comes with fresh noodles. You can even get half black bean noodles and half seafood soup that comes in this split down the middle bowl--perfect for those indecisive, I want everything days! The owner apparently hand rolls the dumplings--they're tasty and not too doughy. I ask for mine steamed. My favorite entree would have to be mapa tofu. Savory, spicy and garlic-y deliciousness. I come here with friends every time I visit Chicago. The owners are really accommodating and sweet. It's in a random neighborhood but totally worth the trek. More could be done in terms of decor but I'm usually too busy stuffing my face to even notice. And I saw that it's BYOB now! There are 2 liquor stores one block east of the restaurant.
Review Source:maybe cus i had take-out...the tangsooyook was lacking in crisp, and i thought the sauce was a but weak. Â i was impressed w the kampong chicken...yea i normally eat it shrimp but a friend ordered chicken. Â the mapo tofu was good too. Â ive heard of the jjajang/chambbong combo, and i think thats really cool. Â jjajang myun is a little boring for a full meal. (try jja jang myun at 'what the food' in evanston)
Review Source:Not to be confused with the other VIPs, this restaurant is so good basically because of two dishes for me! Â The fact that they give you jajangbong is awesome (combo of champong and jajangmyun) but their kangpoong saewoo is absolutely the best! Â Much much better than the version at Great Seas Chinese Restaurant which is surprising since I worship Great Seas so much.
Review Source:VIP is a great little find in the AP/Ravenswood area. Â It is not going to blow you away with its decor or exterior, but the service is impeccable and the food is delicious. Â We had the kung pao which was excellent and the cham pong (mentioned in the previous reviews) which was really good. Â
We'll definitely be going back.
I would have to agree with Joanne here and say that everything here, particularly the black bean pasta/spicy seafood soup is stellar. Â We will go here one day Joanne...ONE DAY, my bad. Â
Otherwise it's really not much to look at and the location is kind of in a weird place, but the aforementioned menu item alone is worth going for, plus its very easy on the wallet.
i love ordering the cha chang myun (black bean pasta) and cham pong (spicy seafood soup with noodles) combo!! Â it's only $7 and you get oodles of noodles!! Â we ordered some pot stickers as well but it was too much food...
the prices are reasonable and the food is great here. Â i would go there over and over again to satiate my noodle cravings. Â yum.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
