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527 Cafe
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants Korean Restaurants Taiwanese Asian Fusion, Korean, Taiwanese [Edit]
527 Davis St(between Hinman Ave & Chicago Ave)
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 332-2233
- Nearest Transit:
-
Davis (Purple Line)
Dempster (Purple Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
91 reviews for 527 Cafe
Review Highlights
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"...presentation is great and Lu rou fan (taiwanese pork with..." In 3 reviews -
"Must try the plum sweet potato fries and Taiwanese beef..." In 2 reviews -
"However, the Mongolian cheesesteak is a big, BIG winner." In 3 reviews
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91 reviews in English
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Review from Barack O.
Evanston, IL
Updated - 4/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Glad I gave this place a second chance, this time with family, so I managed to sample many more dishes.
I guess I had the wrong expectations before my initial review. Back then I came here expecting heavily salted/sauced Westernized fare, but this restaurant has none of that. All the food is healthy and exudes a distinctly Taiwanese flavor, and if that's what you're in the mood for, then this cafe will exceed your expectations.
On the other hand, if you're looking for sesame chicken with a side of egg rolls, Joy Yee's is right next door. This not an insult to Joy Yee's, which I also rated five stars here - it's just that 527 Cafe serves a different purpose.
Out of context, prices (approximately $10 per dish) are high for a "cafe" restaurant, but you're paying for high quality.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/29/2012
Friendly staff--clean and airy atmosphere--but neither make up for the lack of flavor in any of… Read more »
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Review from Len L.
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wish I was in Taiwan and eating authentic Taiwanese delights but eating at 527 cafe is the closest I can find. The food is as good as it gets, the proportions were lacking for the value of a US buck.
I ordered a variety of items on the menu (the visual menu helps), paid and waiting patiently for the food.....waiting......waiting.......waiting......l ooked around and the place was not packed at all.....waiting....then decided to get up and ask - where my food was at.... she looked my receipt and she said that the printer only printed out the first line for the kitchen. She quickly wrote down what I ordered and surprisingly, my entire order came within 5 minutes.
I ordered the korean taco, fried fish ball and a bowl of beef vermicelli soup.
Overall the food was mediocre and the service needs to improve if they want to compete with Joy Yee (which is next door). -
Review from Eva S.
Skokie, IL
5/7/2012
This place is pretty brave, setting up shop with its Asian flavors next to Joy Yee's. However for me, it held its own ground. The menu is straight forward and is full of Asian fusion options. The woman behind the counter was extremely nice and gave us recommendations when my friend and I told her we were there for the first time.
For the appetizer, try the fried tofu. The patties were nicely fried and topped with spicy mayo and minced kimchi, served on a plate drizzled with eel sauce. Not bad and really unique.
The Taiwanese Noodle Soup was really tasty. The beef broth was fragrant and the beef tasted like pot-roast and was so tender it almost melted in my mouth. Order it with the rice noodles. My guess is that anything with "Taiwan" on the menu will be amazing.
The kimchi fried rice was only okay and slightly on the bland side, but there are lots of other things on the menu to try for next time. They also had special drinks like a Taiwanese root beer and other creations. Bottom line, this is a great place that was refreshing because it was new and unique, and has dishes you cannot order next door (ahem, J.Y.'s). Their distinct menu is their strong point. Definitely give it a try! -
Review from Crystal X.
Chicago, IL
Taiwanese inspired menu offering fried chicken, kimchi fried (egg) rice, classic Taiwanese pork chop and rice and best of all SHAVED ICE!
atmosphere: The space is painted with fresh lime green walls decorated with bright orange chairs, and fun lighting sponge fixtures.
service: not as quick as you want but you will receive your order.
price: $$ -
Review from Peter M.
Glenview, IL
5/21/2012
This was the 2nd time I've been to 527. The first time I was unimpressed. I ordered the mackerel today and it was one of the best I've had. It came with a side of stir-fried peppers. I actually was looking for Bawan and the lady behind the register who spoke Mandarin told me they didn't have it. She didn't seem to speak Taiwanese. I wonder if it was under a different name that we did not recognize.
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Review from Xiaoxi L.
Des Plaines, IL
4/23/2012
I love this place. It's nicely-decorated with a big, open window. Very clean. You order and pay at the register, so a great casual meeting spot or for a quick on-the-go snack. I've yet to find another restaurant that offers the same "street" food. The family who owns it and staff are very friendly. I've never been rushed, even when it's busy. There is plenty on the menu, but I always get the same things.
I LOVE the beef noodle soup. I ask for extra chili sauce. The beef is so tender and reminds me of the noodles from the street cart I had as a kid in China. I love to have the sweet soy milk with youtiao (fried dough). Much better than the ones I tried making at home when I was feeling sick for my youth. I LOVE the chive pockets.
The popcorn chicken is delicious. It has a fine crust and red pepper flakes. So good.
The prices are low and you can eat tapas-style and share.
I will come here again and again and again. It was about time the north burbs got one of these places! -
Review from Yanyao N.
3/13/2012 3 Check-ins Here
SO SO DELICIOUS.
Hello 527 Cafe! You have become my new surrogate mother of sorts, as my real mother lives very far away in Beijing and can't zip over to my house the minute I want an authentic soul-warming home cooked meal. (Is someone working on teleportation or what?). You are down the street and serve up some tasty home-style food. So what if you're Taiwanese and I'm Chinese? Good food knows no political tensions or borders. You have nestled your way into my heart and my Evanston lunch rotation. Welcome!
So, here's the deal. I stopped in here over a year ago to sample a bunch of stuff. It was delicious (I had the pork rice, Korean taco, and the popcorn chicken). I would order those things again in a heartbeat. But today, with my lunch buddy extraordinaire in tow, we came in to conquer and sample. We split the Taiwanese beef noodle soup, beef & kimchi fried rice, homemade dumplings, and fried tofu. Everything was SO DAMN GOOD. Plus, there was SO MUCH OF IT. Huge portions make my heart sing.
But you want to know what makes my heart wail (in the good way, no tears here!)? Homemade dumplings. My mom flies in once a year, and I always ask her to make me a thousand dumplings so I can stash them in my freezer. They are my favorite food on the planet (and I eat many things). I have yet to find dumplings in Chicago to hold a candle to my mom's. Well, turns out I was looking in the wrong place (Evanston represent!), because 527 Cafe's are pretty incredible. They are chive, pork, and shrimp. (BE STILL MY HEART.) 10 come in a serving. I suggest you order 4+ servings.
Aside from that MAJOR discovery, the fried tofu was stellar. Crispy outside, soft inside, topped with spicy mayo and kimchi... hello new favorite appetizer!
I'm going to be back many many times. I have confirmed that they sell chive pockets here (another one of my all-time favorite foods), only they are SO popular that they were out today. This is a good sign! I'm going to stalk some chive pockets this week.
The lady who owns this place is also super sweet. We talked in Mandarin for a bit and she told me it was good as long as I ate and was happy. I should have warned her that she might be making a lot of dumplings from now on.Listed in: (h)E(a)vanston, Aah, Motherland!, Carbo Loading
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Review from Bill W.
Vernon Hills, IL
3/3/2012
I love this place's food. Best is the luroufan. My friends think the portions aren't as big as Joy Yee's next door but I swear to god the food is 10 times better. If you are in the mood for quality Taiwanese food, I would highly recommend this place.
I don't usually write reviews but I was moved by what I saw today. So I checked online at 9:50pm on Saturday to see if 527 delivered. Turns out they close at 10 so I was ready to be told that they won't deliver. But instead, I was told to wait just 20 minutes for my food. Turns out when I got downstairs, the nice old man who owns the place was delivering my food himself. I recognized him because I've been there quite a few times and he's an extremely friendly and humble old man. He told me that his delivery people's shifts were over so he drove over himself. If that's not fantastic service, I don't know what is. I have just been turned into a walking advocate for this restaurant by a simple action and I want you to know that this is the best Asian food place in Evanston coupled with very very nice service. -
Review from Rowena L.
Evanston, IL
3/16/2012 1 photo
Frankly, the food is average. The salmon teri tacos I got were really dry and bland - I felt like I was the guinea pig for some new cook's experiences.
That said, extra star for the shaved ice! We got the red bean shaved ice with red bean ice cream - so yummy! just make sure you have enough people to share it with but the thing is huge. There was only 2 of us who were eating the shaved ice and afterwards we were frozen from the inside out -
Review from E. W.
Evanston, IL
3/1/2012
527 Cafe is a great place to study in downtown Evanston. There's free WiFi, they're open till 10pm, and as long as you order stuff periodically, they're quite fine if you want to hang out and study for a while. Ambiance is bright, colorful, and cheerful, as are most of the staff, though food can take a while to arrive. Music is pleasantly eclectic. Prices are reasonable for the area. The food, however, is definitely hit or miss.
Hits:
- The deep-fried tofu is an inspired dish. Crispy batter encases silky tofu beautifully plated with spicy mayo, kimchi, and black sesame seeds.
- The pot stickers are quite tasty, although they are mostly boiled and are only ever-so-slighty pan-fried on the bottom. Grab some soy sauce and/or chili oil from the condiment bar hidden on the side wall and make your own dipping sauce.
- The chive pocket is pretty good, provided you're not on a diet or have a low tolerance for grease and oil. I'd recommend adding some sriracha pepper sauce from the condiment bar.
- Red bean dessert -- deep-fried red bean rolls served with red bean ice cream. If you like red bean, this is your dream dessert. It's small though, do don't expect to be able to share with a friend.
Misses:
- Steamed veggies with meat sauce -- The actual veggies were okay but very bland. The meat sauce was pretty much meat-flavoured grease with chunks of fat in it.
- Beef with Vermicelli Soup -- not dreadful, but the meat, though tender and sauce, is very fatty, which makes the broth very greasy.
In other words, when it's good, it's really good, and when it's not, it's bland and/or super greasy. When I get a chance to try some of the tempting sounding shakes, I'll report back. -
Review from Nancy H.
1/16/2012
Close, but no dice. I mostly tried items from their Taiwanese breakfast menu (offered Saturdays & Sundays), and they were just ok... nothing to come back for. I haven't been to the DiHo food court in Westmont in a while for the same type of food, but I remember loving the food there. The warm soybean milk drink at 527 Cafe lacked sweetness (I even saw a girl add more sugar to hers, and I thought I should've done the same), the beef noodle soup was "meh" (but is large enough for 3 to split), and the pork chop rice was good, but I wouldn't come back just for it. The stuffed sticky rice ball was also good but not something I'd crave. The rest of their menu appears to be Asian fusion.
It's a nice, clean, modern looking restaurant that is never full. A nice touch is the tv with rotating pictures of their menu. The clientele is mostly Asian students. -
Review from Sandeep P.
Hinsdale, IL
1/21/2012
I was hankering for some hot soup, but this was simply inedible.
In truth, I really wanted a wonderful bowl of pho, being under the weather, but I knew that was out of my reach at this point in the night. Hence I ordered beef noodle soup from 527, hoping to at least feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Indeed, I was excited to see a LARGE bowl of soup for my money.
However, upon my first sip, I began to wonder what I had just been eating. Could this soup really be this salty? Let me add some more noodles and veggies, maybe it'll dilute out..... nope it's not going down. Mind you, I'm Indian and we eat some of the saltiest cuisines (overseasoned, if you're being generous) as is. But this bowl of soup was simply untenable. I tried to force myself to finish as much as I could, but after a third of the portion, I had a raging headache and knew I needed to give up.
It was a real shame to throw so much food away, and I hope it was just a Sunday night mistake, but I can't excuse the restaurant for serving something so blatantly overseasoned. -
Review from M R.
Chicago, IL
4/15/2012
Much better than the much-more-famous-and-overrated-Asian-food-place-ne xt-door. I don't like the fact that you have to pay first, but I suppose that's what makes them different too. Great place overall. You should no doubt give it a try.
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Review from KuangYou C.
Chicago, IL
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've heard this restaurant from my Northwestern friends for a long time, so I have such a high expectation for their food.
However, I was a little disappointed. I had a stewed pork rice and soy bean milk.
I was thinking the pork rice would go with soup or other appetizer. It did not. I only had rice and stewed pork. It tasted good but the price is higher that I thought.
I also had soybean milk. It was bland and didn't have intense soy bean smell.
Overall, the food was ok. I think I was disappointed because I had too much expectation.
However, my Northwestern friend told me I should try other dishes after I finished my meal because their stewed pork rice is not good....... -
Review from David L.
Food: 4
Decor: 4
Service: 3
I came here with my gf for dinner about 30 min before closing.
1. Chive Pocket
~Pretty good, similar to how I make them at home
2. The Original Korean Taco http://www.yelp.com/bi...
~Pretty good. Beef was nicely marinated, and the kimchi wasn't overpowering.
3. Beef with Rice Noodle Soup http://www.yelp.com/bi...
~Mediocre. Noodles were slightly overcooked, and it was a bit spicy.
4. Salmon Salad
~Pretty good. Salmon was cooked nicely.
Next time, I'll come by and get the shaved ice since it seems to be the best thing here.
The menus are pretty, but it would be better if it didn't change pictures so quickly. Service was okay, but could have been better since they brought out the entree before one of our appetizers. -
Review from Samuel M.
12/24/2011
I came for lunch before seeing a matinee on Christmas Eve. I associate this block of Davis with the mediocre Asian offerings of Joy Yee's, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out about this authentic (by comparison) option.
The food was pretty good. My friend ordered the sausage fried rice, and I had the beef Kim Chee fried rice. The former had tender, slightly sweet Chinese sausage, and was topped with taro spice, which was pleasantly reminiscent of cardamom. Very unique. My beef fried rice was very spicy, came with perfectly tender slices of beef, and was topped with a perfectly fried egg. My biggest gripe is that both dishes came with what were clearly pre-frozen carrots and peas, but they were not entirely unpleasant in this context. Mine was also a tad bit on the greasy side, but that is difficult to avoid in a dish involving several fried/high-fat items.
Service was fast, and pricing was pleasantly low (under $10 apiece). All in all, Cafe 527 is definitely a serviceable option for Asian food in Evanston. If they abstain from using frozen vegetables, I'd definitely give them a more favorable review! -
Review from Peter K.
I tried a bunch of different dishes here. Based off the reviews, I thought most of the stuff would be awesome, but I was a bit disappointed after coming here.
THE BEEF NOODLE SOUP had great flavor (a bit spicy) and they used lean meat which I thought was great. However, the noodles they used didn't bode well for me. They seemed to be overcooked. I wish it came with thicker noodles that were more chewy. 2.5 stars
THE PORK RICE was above average. I've never had a dish like it before. It comes with pork along the side of the dish and some crunchy chip looking stuff stacked on a mound of rice. The pork is well seasoned and very tasty. They give a very generous portion of food but after eating this by itself for 70% of the dish, I had enough and was looking forward to something with a bit different. 3.5 stars
THE FRIED TOFU was spectacular and was one of the highlights of the evening. It's topped off with kim chi and comes in a small portion. It's fried so that it's crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just the way I love it! 4 stars
THE SHAVED ICE (w/o ice cream) was AWESOME!! We got the combo plate with mango and strawberries and red bean. All of it was fantastic. We ordered one and shared it among 5 people and we still didn't finish it all. If there's one thing you have to get here, I'd recommend that. 5 stars
The price was very reasonable for everything we got and you definitely get a great value for what you try. -
Review from Helen S.
I've tried a lot of stuff from their menu:
salmon salad - 5 stars, so good. I would get this again and again.
shaved ice (you gotta get it with ice cream) - 4.5 stars because I split it with only one person after a big dinner, and we both got tummy aches. And it was freezing outside, so we were shivering violently for thermogenesis the entire walk home :( They should offer this in smaller sizes, because it's about the size of my head (and I have a pretty big head)
korean taco - 4 stars, I wish they used tortillas instead of seaweed, and they could be bigger.
salmon taco - 2 stars, rather bland
beef noodle soup - 3 stars, not the best niu rou mian I've had, but it's dece for Chicago.
I've also tried a few bites of stuff that my friends have ordered (the rice+some kind of meat dishes) but I can't remember what I thought about them because I only had a little. Usually I come with a group of 3-5 people, and everyone else's food comes out together except one person's, whose stuff comes out 20 minutes later and it throws off everyone's timing/mood.
Overall, solid Asian food for Evanston and much more authentic than Joyee's, but the service could be better. I really want to come here for their Taiwanese style brunch, but I never bother to wake up early enough. -
Review from Jeremy C.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
meh....it's ok
I was super super super excited about trying this place out because of all the RAVING reviews about the beef noodle soup.
To me, it was a total flop....definitely disappointed.
Now, I know I am a tough critic for beef noodle soup. I am Chinese and I do happen to have a mother who makes INCREDIBLE beef noodle soup...so I know that this is always part of how I gauge whether it's good.
I would say that the beef noodle soup was nothing special....the soup wasn't incredibly tasty...I remember it being a bit greasy feeling for my taste. The noodles, which are a VERY important component to good beef noodle soup, were nothing spectacular....not chewy...not thick....just...blah. I'm a sucker for a bowl of soup noodles, and I didn't even finish mine. meh....
On the plus side, my husband did enjoy the pork rice :) -
Review from Nelson M.
Restaurant Review
Taiwanese food in Evanston! With my recent trip back to my alma mater, I wanted to give this place a try instead of the normal Joy Yees. I really really wanted this to be a great new place to go when in Evanston, unfortunately my fellow Yelpers were correct that the flavor is lacking unfortunately. I opted for a app with the popcorn chicken they advertised on there menu page. The chicken bits were a bit overcooked and lacking in flavor except for saltiness. I had the noodles with pork cutlet which was okay, but again the pork cutlet had this dark color to it that may indicate that the oil needs to be replaced. On the plus side is the wonderful and friendly staff and cooked to order meals. My wife had the beef noodle soup with the dark "soy" based soup that completely lacked spiciness or flavor. By the time we were done, there was no room for Taiwanese shaved ice which I was looking forward too! Maybe next time
Pro- inexpensive, cooked to order, modern well lit restaurant
Con- Lacking flavor and over fried food. I was really hope that the x-factor would be in these dishes but something is off. Hopefully they can work on the flavors and improve, this is the type of restaurant that I hope will succeed!
Hidden deal- Lots of taiwanese snack items and dessert that are not expensive at all. Northwestern wildcard discount 5% -
Review from Leo G.
Evanston, IL
3/11/2012
Everything I've tried here has been delicious especially the sausage fried rice.
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Review from Mike D.
Chicago, IL
9/8/2011
Awesome food and great, friendly service.
My favorites: 527 salad, beef noodle soup w/baby bok choy and sausage fried rice. The salmon taco is outstanding, as is the brown sugar shaved ice with fresh strawberries. They have an excellent grasp on flavors and the food never disappoints. Try 527, you won't be disappointed. -
Review from Timi C.
Evanston, IL
8/26/2011
Authentic Taiwanese food and very lovely staff. A bit on the pricey side, but it's a treat.
Korean tacos were different and tasty.
Shaved ice here is larger than the size of your head; bring a couple friends! -
Review from Alan M.
Evanston, IL
11/6/2011
This was not what I was expecting. Although I had no idea what to expect.
My wife told me this was Taiwanese food, and I had no idea what that was... Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese... what?
It was all of the above, and none of the above. It's sterile and cafeteria-esque, you order at the counter from a digital big-screen menu (with photos)... then if you can find a table... they'll bring you your food.
The dishes are familiar, and yet unfamiliar tasting. I had Kung-Pao chicken that tasted nothing like anything I'd had at any Chinese restaurant... it was good, crunchy, didn't have much spice, but was very tasty.. had a vinegary flavour.. and was a generous serving.
Others with us had more traditional Taiwanese dishes, including Pork Rice.. which had a very pulled-pork without the barbecue sauce flavour... and a fried-egg on top. Also very good, very tasty. Food arrived one at a time, spaced far apart. It would have been nice if anything had arrived at the same time.
Lighting's a little too bright, chairs a little too orange, set-up a little too industrial, but the food was good, the prices reasonable... and I'd go back.
We were the only occidentals in the entire restaurant, so I have to assume that the food is authentic, but I have no yardstick by which to measure. -
Review from Yishan C.
Evanston, IL
1/21/2012
Authentic Taiwanese food + laid back environment + reasonably priced
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Review from Eliza Z.
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'll admit, the first time I came here I wasn't super crazy about it. But to be fair, this was in the first month they were open, so the menu was much much more limited and they were probably working out some kinks. The first time I came I ordered the beef noodle soup. My mom is Taiwanese and my parents live near San Francisco, so my expectations eating beef noodle soup are very high. The beef noodle soup here is alright ... I don't care for the type of noodles they use, but I will say it's the best beef noodle soup I've had in the Chicago area.
But man, the last time I came here, it was pretty awesome. First of all, the menu has at least tripled, they've got a whole board of new stuff, desserts, etc. I was pretty much only interested in anything with the word "Taiwanese" in the title, and I settled on the Taiwanese pork with rice. Oh dear god it was delicious. It tastes EXACTLY like a dish my mom makes called that we call "sauce beef". And we ended the meal with a shaved ice (it was to belatedly celebrate my birthday). We got it with strawberries and mangoes with mango ice cream on top. We split it between 4 people and it was difficult to finish, but it was awesome and perfect for this ridiculous heat wave weather we've been having. I'm going to have to resist stopping here on a weekly basis to relieve my poor sweating self.
I definitely would like to return to try some more of the Taiwanese specialties, they were out of the Taiwanese meatball, which looked amazing (and since they were out of it, probably super delicious). Also want to come back for the brunch, because it looks like they have a lot of Taiwanese-type stuff that's hard to get around here. -
Review from Marissa G.
Chicago, IL
Tired of the same old Cantonese fare? Come on, Chicago! Time to broaden your horizons and see how the Taiwanese do it. For me, it's just like my Amah (grandmother) used to make it, and that is a HUGE compliment. Filipinos out there, since a lot of Chinese cooking in the Philippines is based on the southern Fujian style, you will love this too...
From the outside, 527 Cafe looks like it is trying to be Joy Yee's whose style was the craze 5 years ago when all the Chinese restaurants were going for that hip Hong Kong style look. But the garish lights, flat screen TVs, and bright orange and green plastic furniture belies traditional southern Chinese delicacies that should not be missed.
On this trip I didn't go for the Korean tacos or Chinese American dishes. I'll check those out later. I came for new breakfast items and the traditional Taiwanese dishes. My three choices were AMAZING.
1. Braised pork belly in brown sauce with rice-- Or, as Filipinos call it, HUMBA. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this dish on the new menu. This was my grandmother's specialty and it brought back such great memories. This is possibly the most unhealthy thing you could eat in your life, but it is impossible to pass up. The basic traditional recipe is this: Take the fattiest chunks of pork belly you can find, marinate and slow cook in soy sauce, brown sugar, and anise. My grandmother sometimes added boiled eggs. Here at 527, Caroline makes it with large, soft tofu. It was so very satisfying with a cup of rice-- sticky and fatty and savory and wonderful.
*An aside: Imagine being a Chinese/Filipino-American and growing up in a small homogenous anglo town in Wisconsin, and during the first day of class in first grade your teacher asks everyone to share your favorite food. After a chorus of "hot dogs!" "spaghetti!" and "pizza!" you say, "My favorite food is pork fat!" Oh the scarring! Funny now that pork belly is quite in style, perhaps we should do a series of "It gets better" youtubes for us poor kids...
2. Taiwan Beef noodle soup (niu rou mian)-- Their most popular dish (until this review starts the Humba craze, I hope). Tender beef and lots of it, perfect noodles, just enough bok choy to make you feel less guilty, and a broth with no msg, just hours of boiling down beef bones and a bit of spice added so that the natural umami speaks for itself. For hard core Taiwanese/Fujian enthusiasts, you will find they even add chopped pickled mustard greens on top for an extra punch of flavor. Very nice touch.
3. The traditional breakfast menu is impressive, including Taiwanese rice cakes and donuts with hot soy milk. My brother and I opted for the silken sweet tofu, which in Hokkien we call "Tao-hu" but Caroline called it something else. In any language is was yummy.
My family and I will be back! -
Review from K L.
Mountain View, CA
4/7/2012
I haven't tried their rice plates or anything but their sandwiches are AMAZING. Ive had their Mongolian Cheesesteak and Korean Beef and Kimchi and both were delicious.
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Review from Kenny O.
I'm a Southern California boy with simple needs.
I'm going to be living in Evanston for the next five years, and I just want simple, cheap, tasty Asian food once in a while.
OHHHHH, this place delivers!
Some of my favorite things in life are spicy broth Chinese stews, and lots of heavily-spiced meats on rice.
I won't even get into the food. It's not as amazing as some of the heavily-concentrated Asian neighborhoods in LA that I'm used to, but this is pretty darn good for something out in the Midwest. I'll leave it at that.
The cafe is walking distance from South Campus at NU and is right off Chicago on Davis. Great location. I'm probably living in one of the apartments right around there, so I'll be frequenting quite a bit.
The ambience is bright and sterile -- great for a place you're hoping to grab a quick lunch from. The music is 90's pop, so +++ for that, too!
Food comes out quick. GREAT service. I had a nice talk with some of the workers and cooks there since it was fairly empty (I entered 5 minutes after it opened). My water was topped off often, and yeah! They definitely won me over.
Give this place a try! I suggest the Taiwanese Minced Pork over Rice or any of the Taiwanese Noodle Soups. I hear they have Taiwanese Shaved Ice now, too, so that should be quite a nice offering once Evanston warms up a bit!Listed in: Evanston / Chicago
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Review from Ehow C.
I'm on a new mantra: Pan-Asian out, Speciality in.
Don't come here to get Korean tacos or the miso soup, instead come for the Taiwanese cuisine. I'm talking about the pork belly, beef noodle soup, popcorn chicken, mapo tofu, etc.
Their weekend brunch selection is also excellent. Sweetened soy milk, sweet and savory pastries, it makes me feel like I'm with my parents.
What's even better? Taiwanese shaved ice. Yes, everyone rants about it, and rightfully so. It's balanced and delicious, a perfect treat for heat waves and the like.
My only qualm with this place is it's still slightly too expensive to come here on a regular basis. The weekend brunch is affordable, but I wish the rest of their menu was comparable.Listed in: An Evanstonian's Guide to…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/13/2010
I was really surprised to hear a Pan-Asian cafe opened up right next to Joy Yee's here in Evanston.… Read more »
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Review from Patrick D.
Glencoe, IL
1/7/2012
One of my favorite places in the area. Interesting take on Asian cuisine--pretty contemporary and innovative. Huge, diverse selection of entrees that are arranged well.
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Review from Gary C.
No lie, I spent the hour waiting for my order pondering the name of this establishment...and when I finally figured it out, I felt like a complete idiot. But to my defense, I didn't look at the address while driving toe 527.
Yeah, you read it right. I waited an hour for my order. My girlfriend and I ordered the salmon rice plate, Taiwan beef noodle soup, and sweet potato fries. Three items. One hour. To their defense, the place was bumpin'. But not like out-the-door bumpin'. More like three parties of two ahead of me bumpin'. An hour. I'm still baffled by the wait time. But hey, the staff was super nice and apologetic. No hard feelings.
Onto the important stuff...the food. I guess sweet potato fries are becoming a small food trend, as many restaurants [including this Taiwanese joint] are beginning to serve them. 527 kinda got it right. But something was missing. I think a little seasoning would do the trick. But these fried potatoes are served up with your choice of dipping sauce; I picked the chipotle mayo, which was aight.
The teriyaki salmon plate was ehhhhhhhh. Not saying it wasn't good, but I've made better. But hey, it was edible. The Taiwanese beef noodle soup, however, was really good. Great flavored broth. SUPER tender beef to the point that I could separate pieces with my two chopsticks. Chewy noodles, which is perfect for this type of dish. This dish alone deserves at least a four-star rating for taste...but there are other factors that come into play come review time.
We didn't save room, nor time, for dessert, though that shaved ice jazz looked awesome. I wouldn't mind popping back into 527 for another bowl of beef noodle soup and a giant order of shaved ice.
Ambience? Well, I got this cafeteria vibe. Like, there's a ton of Northwestern students that head into this place, and many of them are of Chinese/Taiwanese decent [I can tell by the languages; I understand some of the dialects], so I felt like I was in a school eating lunch. Kids had backpacks, notebooks, calculators, and [I kid you not] lunch trays.Listed in: Chai Knees
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Review from Katrina L.
Evanston, IL
2/7/2011
As far as asian food goes in Evanston - this might be as good as it gets. I've only had their Fried Rice with Taiwanese sausage but I was impressed by the ingredients (fresh vegetables and sausage) and the flavor. It wasn't too greasy and the price was reasonable. I wish people would support this business instead of going to the behemoth restaurant next door *cough* Joy yee's *cough*
I still want to try their kimchi fried rice, beef noodle soup and Taiwanese fried chicken. -
Review from Tom H.
Evanston, IL
10/11/2011
Interesting place, a nice addition to the Evanston dining scene. Ultra casual. You order your food and pay at the counter, take a number card, place it in the holder on your table and the server brings out your dinner to you. I think this place is aimed more at expatriate Taiwanese Northwestern students, rather than the population at large, which isn't a bad thing. I was the only one of the four occupied tables who wasn't speaking Mandarin.
For me, ordering was a little confusing. I didn't see a printed menu anywhere. There were a few sandwiches and entrees listed on a lighted menu board over the counter area. Then there was a poster board on the counter with large sticky notes listing other, presumably, special items, written both in Chinese and English. Finally, there was a TV in the back of the seating area which displayed quite a few menu items that I hadn't seen listed at the counter, in a silent slide show.
I ordered ginger tea, which was very good, with a strong ginger flavor, in a very large handle-less cup, which took both hands to hold it, with a half dozen seeds or beans floating for interest. For the entree, I had Taiwanese pork with rice: a large bowl with a big mound of rice, flavored with some sort of sauce over the top, and chopped bits of pork arrayed around the rice mound. Mixed in with the pork were small crunchy bits, which I believe were pork "cracklings", which gave the dish textural variety. The dish was good, a little oily, flavored nicely with light spices, garnished with a halved cold hard cooked egg and some sort of half-moon shaped pickle on top. Next time I order this dish, I'll add a side of some kind of vegetables for variety, as I unknowingly ended up with just pork and rice. I was too full to try the Taiwanese shaved ice dessert, or any of the other sweet bean desserts I saw on the video screen as I ate.
Price wise, my entree was $9 and the ginger tea $3.50. As I had ordered at the counter, like a fast food place, a tip didn't seem necessary or expected. Though the cashier/waitress did deliver my dinner to my table--I wonder if I should have tipped something? Again, a little confusing. -
Review from Jennie C.
4/10/2011 4 photos
I was quite excited when I heard there's a new Taiwanese restaurant in town, so I finally came here with 2 friends on a Weds night around 8. The place was pretty dead. Not a good sign.
I got extra excited when I saw the popcorn chicken. That's one dish that I have yet to find a decent version of in the US, so of course I HAD to order that. Also got the beef noodle soup. My friends got the kimchee fried rice and red bean shaved ice.
The beef noodle soup was fantastic, the beef shank practically falls apart at the slightest touch and the broth was very flavorful (almost too flavorful for me). I only wish they'd use hand-drawn noodles rather than those limp factory made noodles.
The popcorn chicken we had such high hopes for was a flop. Ok, it tastes decent, with a hint of garlic and pepper, but the coating was all wrong. We only got through half of the appetizer size. My friend who ordered the kimchee fried rice said it should be called kimchee juice fried rice, since there was nary a kimchee piece in sight. The shaved ice, however, was great (although it took forever and the red beans were undercooked).
All in all, I think the flavors good, but they're waaaaaay over-priced. Similarly priced to Joy-Yee next door but only 1/2 the amount of food. No wonder business was light. Guess the search for authentic Taiwanese food is still on... -
Review from David R.
11/17/2010
The menu sort of reminds me of the Babu Bhatt episode of Seinfeld, but the grub is pretty damn good for the most part. Plus they have a cheerily helpful staff and a Yelp discount (15% off through November 21) to boot.
Salmon taco? Light and delicious. Korean taco? Also delicious, containing quality beef, but impossible to consume neatly, as the filling is piled mountainously upon a modest square of seaweed wrapper. Use a fork or several napkins.
The shrimp miso salad is fresh and tasty. I also love the Chinese chicken salad (hold the oranges, natch). Both the miso and the sesame dressings are excellent. All the food tastes really fresh, but that quality comes through especially in the salads, which employ bright, crisp greens and vegetables to great effect. All the food is cooked to order--even the meat for the salads--and it makes all the difference.
I was disappointed by the Korean bbq beef sandwich--only two pieces of bland, skimpy meat on chewy bread. However, the Mongolian cheesesteak is a big, BIG winner. Perfectly proportioned (like every great sandwich) with not too much cheese (thank the Great Khan) and a generous helping of quality, flavorful beef, with a few sauteed onions. Scrumptious near-perfection.
I'm always happy to see a new face in my usual stomping grounds. 527 is definitely worth some return visits. You probably won't find me dining in, however, as they have fallen prey to the trend of day-glo orange chairs, and my simian brain stem just can't take that kind of stimulus.Listed in: Lunch in Evanston, Yes! I will pay more than $6…
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Review from Taylor J.
Moraga, CA
6/20/2011
Thanks 527 Cafe, now I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to recreate the magic that is your Taiwanese pork over rice.
This place has burst onto the Evanston food scene with a vengeance. A mark of how popular it has become with Northwestern students - last week I managed to spend a day eating solely food from this place when my lunch and dinner companions independently suggested this place for our rendezvous. Owners are super friendly and service is prompt. Do yourself a favor and split the shave ice for a post-dinner treat. -
Review from Stacey P.
12/7/2010
I came here on a break for work and got Lu ro fan. I love Lu ro fan, and when I was in Taiwan I wanted to get it all the time. People were like what's your problem, we have delicious seafood and fresh fruits and dumplings, and I was like WHERE IS THE GOOD STUFF!!!!!
haha. but really. i love it.
It was pretty tasty, but by the time I got it back to my office I was mildly dissapointed that it was over-steamed, due to getting it to go and it sitting in a box for too long. That was my fault.
I also think they added a little too much spice. At the time I ate it, I knew what spice it was... now, I can't remember. It wasn't a ay ay caliente spice, it was a spice like ... coriander or ... nutmeg. but not.
I definitely want to go back and try more. Please have more fun Taiwanese items. I do not care much about your fusions and korean tacos.... I suggest more taiwanese yummies. -
Review from Angela C.
Evanston, IL
9/18/2011
I've been here twice for their Taiwanese brunch on the weekends. The food is good and authentic Taiwanese, and there's a small NU student discount to boot. I've tried their fried bread (man tou), sweet soy milk, rice roll, chive pocket (with and without filling), and beef noodle soup (mildly spicy) -- all very tasty. Expect to spend ~$10 for a filling brunch.
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Review from Amy W.
I love how 527 is constantly expanding their menu. Every time I come here (which is probably two to three times a week... I'm not kidding), I see something new. Even though I always want to try the new dishes, I end up feeling torn because I definitely have my favorites there, including the beef noodle soup and Taiwanese pork rice.
I seriously LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new addition of the weekend breakfast menu. It's pretty much as authentic as it gets, and very reasonably priced as well. I ordered pretty much everything off the menu to split between a friend and me, and we both spend under $10. I love the sweet soy milk, the chive pockets, and especially the rice balls -- so authentic and filling for only $3.50! I always feel tempted to buy at least seven of them to last me the whole week, but I'm not sure how they would hold up in the freezer.
I also love the shaved ice options. It's a bit pricey in my opinion, but the portions are huge and it's definitely worth it.
527 has very quicky become my all-time favorite restaurant in Evanston!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/11/2010
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A PLACE LIKE THIS TO OPEN UP IN EVANSTON FOR FIVE YEARS!! Seriously, this… Read more »
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