Cafe Hoang - Chicago

Delicious and affordable food that truly satisfies. Be sure to try the lemongrass chicken, the spicy catfish in a clay pot, and the flavorful Tom Yum soup. You can't go wrong with any choice on the menu. While there is street parking available on Cermak, it can be quite challenging to find a spot on Friday evenings. I recommend heading directly to the Chinatown public parking lot and getting your ticket validated here for an economical parking option.

This restaurant offers some of the finest Vietnamese food in Chinatown. After seeing it featured on Check, Please!, we started visiting frequently. The #22 and #25 dishes are the standout choices, featuring vermicelli noodles served with beef, chicken, shrimp, or a combination of these, along with vegetables and flavorful Vietnamese sauce. Additionally, the soft shell crab with tamarind sauce is a must-try. It's also a BYOB place with no corkage fee, which is a nice bonus!

The House Special is my favorite pho dish, and it's priced quite reasonably. The soup is usually hearty; however, during my most recent visit, I found the broth to be a bit lacking in flavor. This was disappointing since it had been a while since my last visit. I’ve had to remind myself multiple times to CALL AHEAD and check if they’re open, as I've experienced at least three occasions where they were unexpectedly closed. While I know it's my responsibility to confirm their hours, it’s still disheartening to show up to a dark, closed restaurant. Despite this, I’ll likely return for the great location and the quality pho at such a good price.

Love to eat here on Saturday afternoons and for carryout. Favorite dishes are the Vietnamese pancake and the spicy beef salad. The service is fast and in case of language barrier, just order by number. BYOB! Its worth the trip to Chinatown.

The best Vietnamese food, especially Bun Bo Hue, I have ever seen in USA. I tried in many States but this is the best one. It's taste is nearly the same in Vietnam. I came here everyday in the 4-day-trip to Chicago in Oct 2017. And I will come here for sure if I have any chance to visit Chicago.