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Hoanh Long
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Vietnamese Seafood, Vietnamese [Edit]
6144 N Lincoln AveChicago, IL 60686
Neighborhood: North Park
(773) 583-7770
- Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun 10:30 am - 10 am
Fri-Sat 10:30 am - 10:30 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
131 reviews for Hoanh Long
Review Highlights
"Papaya salad with grilled beef-My FAVORITE."
(in 6 reviews)
"Can't wait to go back for my Banh Xeo."
(in 11 reviews)
"The hot pot was enough for two people."
(in 12 reviews)
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131 reviews in English
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Review from Bridget M.
Hoffman Estates, IL
2/2/2012
So many people rave about ramen, but seriously, there is nothing even close to comparable to the heart warming goodness found in delicious pho.
I may not know how to pronounce the name of this restaurant, but I sure do know how to slurp up that wholesome pho. Their broth is something special - cumin? cinnamon? something else equally sinful?!
The other items on their menu are just as yum but of course I can't remember their names. There is a papaya salad with beef which is scrumptious and I also enjoy their massive freshly fried wings, but it's the pho that keeps me coming back pho' mo'! -
Review from LuLu R.
1/31/2012
Pho-real?
Pho-king-awesome!
Yep. Viet food. Nothing short of amazing this place is. My sister took me here for a quick bite to eat. She told me that she no longer needs to travel far to fix her pho cravings. We ordered our pho: Sliced brisket and meatballs. The broth was so fragrant and the meat was soft and tender. I was in pure bliss. We also got the rice paper wrapped fresh veggie, shrimp, basil, mint, and vermecelli noodle roll with the hoisin peanut sauce.
This place is super clean and decorated beautifully. The service is fast and prompt. Parking is plentiful and PHO-free (ok i promise to stop with the pho jokes). Hope to see you PHO-lks there (hehe)! -
Review from Johnny T.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is how you do Vietnamese fare in Chicago. You have to find a place that's Izzy-approved. She's a tough critic, from the West Coast and a self-described hater of "[redacted] renditions of Asian food." I've found that if she can vouch for it, you have to go try it out. You should go try this out.
I haven't spent much time in this part of North Park. Given the way it loops around and doubles back over other neighborhoods, I'm still not convinced it is North Park. I'm going to go with Petersen Park. Or, maybe that's just the odd way Chicago neighborhoods are gerrymandered... um, configured. Configured. In any case, I wound up on this unfamiliar stretch of Lincoln ready to put a hurt on some Vietnamese food.
The hurt was put on me.
The menu is gigantic. Seriously. The offerings are numerous and your eyes will get the better of your stomach. Come in with a plan. Peruse reviews. Pick a couple of plates. Get a booth. Enjoy a leisurely meal. My crew did none of this. We came hungry. Ordered more than a small army could eat. Sat at a table (which could not bear the load of all the platters we ordered) and rushed to gobble down as much grub as possible before holding our overfull bellies in delicious pain. But, it was so worth it.
Sing it with me, kids: Jackfruit smoothie (I wasn't scared; the owner gave me daps and I took that bad boy down and contemplated another);
Squid Salad (I may fear them in the water, but not on land... after I am sure they are dead... and cooked);
Shrimp Crepe (it may be a French name but expect none of the slight delicateness you might be thinking of. This mother was yooge, packed with sea roaches, veggies, egg and topped with every sauce we could find on the table);
Papaya Salad (I don't eat beef. At least, by choice. I might have stabbed someone's hand who reached for this intoxicating combo of fruit and meat);
Lemongrass Chicken (I had travel plans and was a bit afraid of overdoing it with spice and what not. Gastric distress at 38,000 feet is not cute); and
Hot.Pot.with.Seafood. If you pay attention to nothing else in this review (and, if so, SHAME!), pay attention now: order the hot pot with seafood. Many times I'd heard of people ordering hot pots and my mind wandered from hot pockets to hot plates. I didn't 'get' hot pots. I know get hot pots. Imagine a spicy blend of everything you want to eat all at once. Now, make this blend the size of Luxembourg. Now, eat it. Eat it all. Eat it even though your mind, stomach, shirt, and jeans beg (nay, PLEAD) with you to end your vicious assault. And then go home and shame yourself in the mirror, pledging to never do so again (you beautiful liar, you). That is a hot pot.
You know you want one. -
Review from adam w.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012
Vegetarians beware!!!
I work near here so I don't have too many options, as a vegan. I have nervously ordered food with out egg, or meat, hoping I wouldn't get any surprises in my food. Well, they finally put a hunk of Chicken in my fried rice. I will never eat here again. There's no excuse for this. The food wasn't that great anyway. -
Review from Chris M.
12/30/2011 2 photos
I'm so glad my friend Johnny B recommended this place for us to meet for lunch. I'm a huge fan of Vietnamese cuisine, and while the selection in Austin is above average, it's nothing outta this world. So I was looking forward in doing some benchmarking comparison analysis on my Chicago holiday vacation. Sounds a bit formal and serious? Not really - - to put it simply - hot noodle soup on a cold day sounded like the perfect scenario.
It wasn't too busy so it was quiet here, the large tables are spread out, and it's very clean. I'm a newbie here but John is a regular and he says to leave the ordering up to him as I won't be disappointed. Awww - it almost felt like a special "date" w/ chivalry and the works - - but the thing here is he's married, we like women, and there's no possibility for a kiss goodnight. A handshake will suffice, or maybe we can hug-it-out Ari Gold-style. Regardless, there are so many appetizing options on the menu, and that tends to make me fickle, so John takes the lead and orders three dishes: Papaya Salad w/ Grilled Beef, Pho Combination, and the Hot Pot. Sounds good to me.
Wow - the Papaya Salad rocked! It's healthy, flavorful, refreshing, and you may want seconds. Probably the best dish I had during my brief holiday visit. I wish someone could duplicate this back home in Austin, maybe I need to find a nice Vietnamese family and see if they would adopt me. Any takers? I do chores, laundry, cook, some cleaning, kinda handy.
The Combination Pho was next, the aroma of cinnamon is strong in the beef broth. All kinds of meats and stuff in this bowl as it was all good. Next comes the Hot Pot - - they set it up quickly at your table. There's fresh calamari, fish cakes, veggies, shrimp, mussels, and greens which you place in the hot oil and let it cook and simmer for a bit. You get a plate of noodles which you can put in your bowl, then top off with the hot pot ingredients. It was darn good, a little heat, but nothing too major, perfect for those cold days.
Service was good, we drank a lot of water so at times we had to flag them down, but they were responsive. One of the best Vietnamese restaurants I've been to hands down, and now I know why John was so insistent on this place - - what a great choice. I would definitely be regular here if f I ever move to Chi-town.Listed in: The Best of the Best
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Review from John B.
Chicago, IL
12/23/2011
Disclaimer: I'm a pho neophyte and my Vietnamese cuisine is limited to a pho joint I went to once in Denver and about a million banh mi sandwiches from a couple joints in the city. So there's the possibility that they could be doing the vietnamese equivalent of spaghetti and meatballs made with ketchup and I'd never know.
BUT WOW IT IS GOOD!
I've been here a couple times so far - with a large group (including kids under 6) and once with just my wife. The large group is much more fun simply because you can share a couple of hot pots, some pho, and get a real wide sampling of a variety of dishes, that were all excellent.
Regarding the pho: be brave. Don't waver. Get their house special and when you pull a piece of unidentifiable meat (or ye gods, identifiably tripe) YOU PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH AND EAT IT. Because it is g. d. delicious. Super tender, flavorful, merges with the rest of the flavors in the pho . . . you're missing out if you're skeered of it.
They were consistent in service and food quality both times I've gone. -
Review from Michael S.
Chicago, IL
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm glad so many people like this place, but unfortunately this place is not for me.
I went here with my mom a while ago and we ordered a few things. I know I'm not a Vietnamese cuisine expert. Actually, I am far from it, but to me the food just wasn't great. I took suggestions on stuff to order from other yelpers and honestly was not impressed at all.
Honestly, I feel I get the same quality of food from Dong Ky in Argyle and they are much cheaper over there.
This place would have been okay with me if it wasn't for the fact that the servers weren't very accommodating. I asked for dish to be extra sour and not sweet because that is what my mother prefers. Unfortunately, the dish was really sweet. I think it was their papaya salad or something. Also, I asked for a dish to be spicy and it wasn't really. I know Thai spicy is different, but I've gotten better spice levels elsewhere.
Sadly, this is one place I haven't been back even though it seems so well loved by the yelp community. -
Review from Eileen L.
Chicago, IL
11/20/2011
I discovered this place when I was dying for some pho closer to home than having to drive to Argyle and fight parking.
Hoanh Long just opened a newer location a couple of doors down from its previous location which is definitely an upgrade. The restaurant is like eating at home with more seating. Parking is metered, but it's not difficult at all. You can even park for free if you can handle walking a few blocks within the neighborhood.
My family and I start with the shrimp spring rolls that comes with a sauce with peanuts. As main dishes, it varies between pho or #72: rice dish with marinated pork grill and egg. YUM! My 3 yo son loves the pork dish!
This is our permanent Vietnamese go to place! -
Review from H P.
Chicago, IL
1/18/2012
I love Hoanh Long because they provide consistently good food and close to where I live. I usually go to Argyle for some Pho but now, it's only a few minutes from me. I always get the chicken with Hoanh Long special sauce and although it is not in the menu (the chicken), they also make it with beef, squid or shrimp. It's my fave here...spicy and delish. I love spicy food and this place is a great place to try.
I've also tried the chicken with lemon grass and beef cubes with wine sauce was great.
The Pho is good too but since I don't eat beef currently, I tried the chicken and seafood Pho. It's okay, fills my Pho appetite but it's not like beef Pho that get's you all warm inside. Maybe one day, I'll go back to eating beef! For now, they have great dishes/selection for all so try something different.
Avocado with tapioca is great. The tapioca sometimes comes out hard so I just don't ask for it.
I do agree about the wait staff but I think it's a language barrier because I was saying something and she just nodded and didn't respond....showed me she didn't understand, not because she was rude. As long as my food comes out great every time, I don't care if she doesn't understand me. At the end of the meal, I got what I asked for. -
Review from Natalie S.
Chicago, IL
11/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Mmmmmm. Pho.
My dude and I were Tank loyalists. But, now that we're moved away from walking distance, we figured we needed to sample the local fare. My brother was recently raving about this place and it's super close to home so we gave it a whirl last night.
We started out with the shrimp spring rolls which are usually my favorite but I wasn't crazy about them. Mostly noodle. That's ok, next time I'll explore the appetizer list and go out of the box, never a bad thing.
My dude and I both wanted pho so we both got the sliced beef and meatball. The serving is HUGE. The sliced beef is the most tender beef I've ever had in a pho. The meatballs were delicious. The broth was heavenly.
I think what I liked best compared to a Tank experience is that there wasn't a manic rush to finish. We strolled in, were calmly seated, had service, got water refills... it was an altogether very peaceful experience.
We've got a new go-to for pho! Pho-real! Sorry, I had to throw in a bad pho joke... -
Review from Jean Z.
Chicago, IL
They have opened in a new store, next door, huge, beautiful place! They have a few more hands on deck and new numbers on the menu.
YAY! Our favorite place is here to stay!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/3/2011
We've been here about 100 times in the past two years. Trying several Vietnamese along the way -… Read more »
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Review from Karen L.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2012
I LOVE PHO!!!!!!!!! But I can't say I love this place...
My family and I went here because one of her friends recommended it. It was pretty convenient for us since we live like a 5 minute drive away. And I was kinda super excited to try this place out because it got better ratings than all of the other ph places in Argyle (Viet town!)
I had a bowl of pho (with all beef cuts) and I was really disappointed. I'm not a pho connoisseur, but I think most people know that the secret to a good bowl of pho is the broth (and good broth is made from boiling beef bones for a few hours). The broth from this bowl of pho did not have much tasty meaty flavor. Instead, it tasted like chicken broth with MSG. I added a lot of basil, jalepeños, and Sriracha to try and give it some flavor. So thumbs down on the pho. The ribeye steak slices were thin and tender, and the other things (tripe, flank, meatballs) were good too. However, there were at least 4 big pieces of tendon that were very fatty and not very edible... Hmm... My brother thought his bowl of pho was decent, but was not very impressed either. My mom ordered a bowl of seafood noodle soup and thought it was OK, but it was a rather small portion and there was not much seafood in it. She had to order another dish just to fill her appetite (my mom's not fat. She's like tiny 110lb Asian woman. She normally can't even finish a bowl of rice at home). The extra dish she ordered was the chicken & vegetable stir fry. It had a lot of bamboo shoots and therefore, was very heavy in bamboo shoot flavor. I don't hate bamboo shoot, I like it in moderation, but too much of it kind of tastes like butt. Altogether it wasn't too expensive, like $35, but we probably won't be going back...
Funny thing though, a few days later, my friend was craving pho and wanted to try this restaurant out. I agreed to go with her, thinking, "Oh, maybe it was just an off day for their pho last time. Maybe it'll be better this time." Unfortunately, this time it was slightly worse. My bowl of pho wasn't steaming hot when it came to the table, just kinda warm. My friend, who also ordered a bowl of pho, said it was really salty and sweet at the same time. Sigh. I really wanted to like this place and its pho, but I guess it just wasn't for me... I'm willing to give it another chance though. Maybe I'll come back in the future and try something else on the menu...
Oh, another warning, don't expect friendly service from this place. Both times I went, I was neither greeted nor spoken to by the waiters. Even when I said "thank you" to them there was no response. It was rather strange.... -
Review from Emily P.
Skokie, IL
11/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've eaten at Hoanh Long even before they moved over into the bigger building next door and found they never disappoint. It's much closer to my home and hence more convenient than driving over to Argyle (best place to go when you're got a cold and want some more comfort food). I really like their papaya salad with grilled beef and pho tai (no strange tendons here, please!).
It's usually not crowded so I've never encountered a wait time. As for the noise level - they usually have their television on, but it's not roaring or anything. Not an overwhelmingly "romantic" restaurant, but not dingy either. I think it would be a fine place to go with co-workers or family members. -
Review from Carmie C.
Skokie, IL
Updated - 10/22/2011
Last update. The new location is open, (2 doors down, 6148 Lincoln) and it's really nice. It's just lovely, light & airy with lots of tables. They did a great job, very organized.
I had Bo Luc Lac today and was having trouble keeping my hubby away from it, really delicious.
So nice to have an excellent Vietnamese restaurant on the north side. I'm very happy!3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/20/2011
I just can't stay away. Brought my husband here for a Saturday lunch and he went to his go-to dish… Read more »
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Review from Nhan P.
Chicago, IL
11/15/2011
I came here for a big birthday party. There were 20 of us on a Sunday with 8 children and 12 adults. The waitress was very accommodating as half of our party were 30 minutes late. She brought out the appetizers as we waited for the rest of our party. This place was very clean and unlike several Vietnamese restaurants in town, you do not leave smelling like the food.
Our feast in order of delicious:
Lau Canh Chua Ca jumbo fish with mixed vegetables in hot pot: OMG the broth blew my mind. I make soups from scratch, but I have not perfected canh cua. They have perfected this dish. You really taste the sweet and sourness. There were plenty of fresh vegetables (bean sprouts, tomatoes, okra, etc) and the catfish was so tender. They give you filet pieces.
Muc Sate Hoanh Long squid sauteed with hoanh special sauce - I really appreciate restaurants and can cook hard to cook dishes such as squid. I mean, one wrong move and it could taste like rubber. Their squid was so tender; I wanted the whole plate to myself.
Ca Hong Chien deep fried red snapper- the whole fish with head and eyes are presented to you on a giant plate with onions. I know some people don't want their food staring at them, but I love whole deep fried fish. The fish itself was good, fried a little bit too long. I was hoping for some kind of sauce to go on top so I just used the fish dipping sauce from our appetizer.
Chao Tom shrimp cake with sugar cane- this is a dish I've had a million times, nothing special here. The shrimp cake is made with shrimp and pork and formed into a sausage that are wrapped around a sugar cane stick and grilled. We ordered it to wrap into spring rolls. The vermicelli was easy to handle and veggies were plentiful and fresh.
Bo Thai Canh lemon beef salad- this dish was missing acidity and rice powder. The beef was okay.
Tom Xao Thap Cam stir fried shrimp with combination vegetables- average shrimp stir-fry that could have been from any Chinese take-out joint. The sauce had no depth of flavor.
Rau Muong Xao - stir fried water spinach- I did not like this dish at all. The sauce could use some salt/fish sauce. Bland. I'll pass.
I couldn't find this on the online menu, but we also had stir fried frog legs with bell peppers. The frogs legs were quite large which ruined the taste for me. It tasted like frogs that were given growth hormones. Nothing special.
Overall, this place is delicious and I will come back for more canh chua and try the pho. I recommend sticking with the Vietnamese dishes, the few Chinese dishes we had were just okay. -
Review from April P.
Since my last review, some things have changed, but JUST FOR THE BETTER!
I've taken both of my best friends here on separate occasions, and they both love the food! As they are both equally knowlegeable of the Vietnamese cuisine, both commented that this particular restaurant stands on it's own because of it it's unique dishes.
Besides the seafood eggrolls, chicken salad, beef pho and cathfish rolls, here's the new favorites
1) I love the bun, chalk full of angel hair rice noodles and topped full of luscious, beef, this is a comforting yet light meal all for $8
2) the warm squid salad is very pleasing. This dish isn't overcome with just vegetables, as there are plenty of squid which still remain the star attraction.
3) the seafood hot pot is oozing with warmth and various shellfish. The soup has a great kick without setting off any 3 alarm fires.
And what's the best part of my recent visit? Finding out that they will be opening a brand new SHINY restaurant just two doors down in September. As the sales lady stated "same owner, everything brand new". I was truly excited for this small mom and pop business of how well they've been progressing to want to open up in a larger facility. Clientele must be booming.
I'm looking forward to the winter months. I will face them bravely knowing that the wait at the new place will be bearable for the their wonderful pho2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/8/2010
Had the chicken salad, and it just gets better and better. Such fresh ingrediants and is a great… Read more »
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Review from Izzy N.
6/24/2011 ROTD 7/15/2011
This visit has been long overdue. Other fellow asian yelpsters in Chicago kept on telling me that I've gotta try Hoanh Long for vietnamese food and I finally did it. I only crave my people's food once in awhile when in the midwest because I'm a hater and I don't like eating shitty renditions of asian food. It is NOT okay. I've been disappointed one too many times! and I just can't take it anymore. The poor homeless people of Chicago have had to eat my repulsive leftovers for I can't bring myself to throw away a plate full of hardly eaten food. Hey, it's better than eating from the dumpster- taking food that's smeared with who knows what. So it took me some time to find an opportunity to cross Hoanh Long off my list of To-Do's.
I ordered takeout because I didn't have time to sit down and eat in. I would have liked to. I really liked that they packed my salad with extra care, wrapping the box in plastic wrap because the salad was a little drippy from the dressing. It's nice they have the holy trinity of southeast asian seasoning on every table: siracha, fish sauce and Maggi soy sauce. I love Maggi soy sauce! I grew up on that stuff. Fuck Kikkoman- that shit is disgusting. Nasty. Maggi is where it's at. Just trust me on that. Here's what I ordered:
Pho dac biet: that'd be the pho special, which to those who know means it comes with everything that's suppose to come in pho. Pretty good. A little much with the cinnamon but otherwise It was rich and flavorful. For Chicago, It's either this or Pho 777 that is acceptable. Anywhere else, you might as well say you DESPISE vietnamese people because it's a travesty what they're serving.
Papaya salad with grilled beef: served with shrimp chips that weren't stale. Round of applause because it is NOT okay to serve it with the stale chips. It ruins the experience! I'm looking at you Chi Tung on the southside. The salad was nice. Sweet and savory. I wish it were spicier but that can be easily fixed. My family would occasionally serve this salad with shredded Vietnamese style beef jerky- it's pretty good and that's what the beef reminded me of. Sweet-ish and kinda dry but it was okay and not inedible, screwing up the dish. It's enough for 2 to share. Next time I'll have to try their chicken salad.
I will definently be back for more and give their banh xeo and hot pot a try. For Chicago, this is my new go to place for vietnamese food if not pho 777. Easy on the cinnamon though mmmmk.Listed in: I write real good?!
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Review from Rod O.
Chicago, IL
9/17/2011
My wife an I had a craving for Pho and we usually head over to Tank or some place around Argyle. She had been to Hoanh Long back in the day and my brother had gone to this place a few months ago, coming back with only good reviews so we decided to make the drive up north and get some Pho.
The drive was definitely worth it. My wife and I both said that the Pho here is better than any we've had. The place is BYOB which is always a good thing. The decor is pretty simple but looks like business is doing good as there was a sign in the window that the place was moving a building down which looked bigger.
I would definitely come back for the Pho but would try other items on the menu as well! -
Review from Daniel H.
Chicago, IL
10/30/2011
So this place definitely edges out Tank in the pho department. The cinnamon and/or clove is definitely noticeable, but not overpowering like at Tank. Plus the meat balls and slices of rare beef (that's the version I ordered), are more plentiful and better quality meat. It also comes with all the usual pho accoutrement, i.e. bean sprouts, limes, and chilies. Overall, I'm impressed. And even if you don't like pho, the menu is pretty huge so that you'll be able to find something you like. Their "half fried" wide noodle dishes are particularly good - imagine a pad ki mao that's not as sweet with a nice crunch here and there. Plus you can tell that the place is for Vietnamese families - spartan decor with that really hard carpeting that kids have in their playrooms. I've never seen that in a restaurant, that's great... Anyway, this place is awesome and is the best Vietnamese place in the area...
I feel strange about giving out so many 5 star reviews lately (I like to make places actually earn them), but I've just been on a good culinary picking streak...Listed in: 5 Stars, Vietnamese
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Review from Ha-ti N.
Chicago, IL
7/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have been craving Vietnamese food ever since I moved into Chicago. It's unfortunate there aren't any good ones near where I live or even downtown we have to drive way up north to find the legit vietnamese.
Hoang Long is low key when you walk in - a sign of a good restaurant :) And there are Vietnamese families eating there - also a good sign.
My roommate and I ordered the Shrimp and Pork Crepe (also known as Banh Xeo) - crispy, a bit under seasoned, hint of coconut milk in the crepe - Wrap it in the lettuce, add mint, cilantro, basil + dip it in nuoc mam. Completely satisfying! Wish the contents in the crepe was a little more seasoned... I bought another one for my boyfriend so I could take it home for him :)
For main entree, I got the bun bo xao - gotta try the basics out first to find out if they really know how to do Vietnamese right here. The portion was amazingly huge! The amount of beef they put in my bowl, I couldn't believe my eyes. Needless to say, I couldn't finish it but it was very very tasty. One thing I would have to say about this place is that some things were a tad too sweet - a lot of viet places are like this but it wasn't too bad. The nuoc mam could use less sugar & more lime thats for sure. The beef marinade was a bit on the sweeter side too. Not to complain because it was delicious anyway.
My roommate got the Ga Xao Xa, lemongrass chicken - it was pretty good. Not my cup of tea usually but it was definitely good. Less sweet than my dish.
I will be back to try more! I was very impressed by the menu's variety. There's definitely something for everybody!
side-irrelevant note:
Some assholes behind me ruined my meal (socially) because they were talking about golf and their jobs and how much freaking money they make. One of them was with a girlfriend and they asked her if she had to make any decisions today? She didn't even react. If you're reading this, asshole, go to hell - you egotistical, male chauvinist. You embarrass the human race. You're fat and your penis is prob the size of my thumb.
Hoang Long is great! Go here! -
Review from Lauren P.
4/24/2011 13 Check-ins Here
The family loves coming here!
I don't know why it took me sooooo long to write a review on this place... but here goes...
Definite must try...
My mom's fave are the Seafood egg rolls - these babies are crispy and tasty!
cat fish spring rolls (my fave) - the catfish is covered with peanuts and hoison sauce and scallions! ... you need to make the spring rolls yourself but thats ok with me because the fish is so delicious and this dish is quite healthy
my brother's fave #64 (beef noodles) - its basically like a chinese dish but with crispy fat noodles... and veggies and beef etc etc... very tasty dish ... also ask for the crispy noodles on the side so it doesn't get soggy throughout the meal..
chicken salad - this salad is different but in a good way! fresh tasting ingredients - remember if you don't like a lot of spice ask them to mildly flavor it otherwise it could be too hot to handle...
#23 beef pho - pretty good pho! can't complain about it.
You can skip out on...
seafood pho - we came here once on a friday during Lent and ordered this.... and it was a mistake. We've been to other places that offer seafood pho and actually put various seafood in the pho. They're stingy on the seafood on this particular dish...
which is very odd because we had another dish which was very different to pho which we enjoyed! ... it was on their specialty menu... i totally forgot what it was called but it was also a different stew with lots of seafood - and that was ample in various seafoods like clam, calamari, and shrimp etc etc.
oh and BYOB! woo hoo.... -
Review from Phillip Y.
Chicago, IL
4/23/2011
This is what I'm talking about...
I grew up on pho.. well didn't actually grow up on it but my first serious relationship was with a vietnamese girl.. yeah I was 13 but whatever... lol anyways many many years later I crave the viet foods that I once loved.. brings back memories and brings back joy in my life...
first of all.. why do all vietnamese joints smell like feet? lol i know its because of the fish oil but damn.. every viet house or restaurant I've been in smells like straight butt.. but being korean I'm sure many of my friends thought the same thing coming over when I was younger lol
So I was starving at 9:59.. and was driving by and remember a friend telling me this place was legit.. and had already tasted the porkchops with 2 eggs that my sister gets me after she goes there.. so I pull up.. a minute before 10.. ps.. they close at 10... I walk in and ask very nicely if they were still taking orders.. the owner kinda looked at me like I was crazy but since there was a family there still eating he said yes...
i think this was the fastest meal that I have ever ate in my entire life... I ordered the pho tai... no tendons and all that crazy ish for me.. and the pork chops with eggs... 5 minutes later here comes the steaming bowl of pho and 2 minutes later porkchops...
Cilantro is the thing that kills me.. I hate cilantro with a passion.. and have had it at such a young age and having a brother in law thats mexican you would think that my pallet would have gave in by now.. but NOPE.. of course I forget to tell the guy that I did not want any cilantro in my broth.. that lead me to only finish the noodles, beef, and half of the broth carefully so that I would not gag.. unsuccessful of course.. but whatever thats my fault... the porkchops always perfect.. sweet and SPICY of course with all the sriarcha that I had used.. all in all.. great place.. smelly ass dining room.. but thumbs up on letting me eat at closing time.. will never do that again cause I hate it when customers come last minute while were cleaning! -
Review from Mas I.
Wilmette, IL
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
The strong scent of incense wafting from a censer unseen greets you upon walking into this small Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant. I personally don't find the thick, musty smell of burning sandalwood to be appetizing. No music, only the humming of a cooler, background television at low volume, the clink of silverware and crockery, the occasional ring of a phone in the back and two giggling servers conversing in vietnamese were to be the soundtrack for our meal. The decor is simple and the layout gave me the impression of spaciousness. Few other patrons were there at 4:18 on a Tuesday afternoon, and the service was adequate though not particularly friendly. Our bowls of Pho arrived in roughly seven minutes. We were given a generous helping of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and jalapeño. I ordered the egg noodle and wonton Pho. The wontons had a very strong shrimp flavor. The base broth was very good if a bit on the sweet side. The egg noodles were the same average egg noodles served in Chinese restaurants in Chicagoland. Imitation crab, one prawn, one piece of beef, two pieces of squid, two pieces of fish cake, one piece of pork and chopped scallions finished off the dish. Not bad but at $7.95, it was almost double the price of the same dish at Dong Ky on Broadway, Uptown (and not as good in my opinion). The butcher paper "tableclothes" cheapen the experience although the heavy ceramic soup spoons (as opposed to the standard light plastic variety) pulled in the opposite direction.
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Review from Steve G.
IL
11/7/2011
Great on every level, food, service, surroundings.
New place is very nice. I only wish they were open on Mondays too! -
Review from Mirnzy A.
Peoria, IL
3/26/2011 1 photo
Very, very good pho. I go out of my way to come here on winter days when it's frigid outside and winter seems perpetual. Pho is the only consolation to living in this city on such days (like today).
The pho is wonderfully spiced. All kinds of sweet, spicy, rich, and hard to tack down flavors in the broth. Wonderful chunks of things I would never eat were they not delicately marinated in this amazing liquid base. I mean, I embarrass myself here by moaning, groaning, & making noises that are not normally associated with eating...but should be cuz good food can be pretty pleasurable to the senses.
The service is great. They are super polite and courteous; constantly checking on the customers unlike some Asian places where you'd have to be on fire for them to come over and refill your glass of water.
Reasonably-priced...but they better be if I'm gonna drive an hour to get there.
I've only had pho there so I can't speak for other dishes... but it's getting 5 stars for having the best pho this side of Vietnam (in my book, at least). -
Review from Mike L.
Cook, IL
7/17/2011
Great place for an affordable filling meal. Mango bubble tea is excellent...like it came off the tree! Lotus salad is good....unique refreshing salad. Lots of texture.
There pork chop and egg is good. Pho comes with enough tendons and meat! -
Review from Alan M.
Evanston, IL
3/18/2011
Not your typical Vietnamese restaurant.
The ambiance leaves a lot to be desired. The seating is old, tired, and cheap. But the food... ahhh, the food.
I had spicy, lightly battered firecracker smelts. I'd never even seen these on any other Vietnamese menu. They were fabulous! A full dinner plate, piled up with smelts, multi-coloured pepper slices, chopped onions, scallions and parsley (maybe some cilantro, I'm not sure)... more than a hint of spice, but not too much to make your lips try to jump off of your face!
Delicious... light, and enough food to take home, and enjoy again!! -
Review from hanh b.
Franklin Park, IL
9/3/2011
i got a pick up order and i am sitting at home eating my pho...and Oh my god there is a fucken BUG in it (excuse my language) . A small gnat with wings and all. WOW this is disgusting. The food to begin with was on the sweet side ...which doesn't make any sense since this is VIETNAMESE FOOD NOT THAI. Even the sauce to dip the beef was too sweet. The portion was HUGE but is it worth it? The only reason I went here is because it stayed open longer than tank noodle. Never again would I go any where but tank noodle when I want pho in chicago. We also got the rice with grilled pork (com tam suon) and my boy friend said it was ok, now keep in mind my boyfriend is not a picky eater at all, so it being ok must not be so great. I have had rice with grilled pork at tank noodle and it was pretty good....so if you read this just go to tank noodle -_-
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Review from Nona Gayle D.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 1/9/2011 7 Check-ins Here
I can literally say I'm sitting here enjoying their food. I woke up today craving the fried tofu and pho here. So in the end I satisfied my craving and went and got all my little heart desired.
If you go here please try the crispy fried tofu, the sauteed beef cubes, the ca hallibut, and any of their pho selections! This place has the nicest staff and great food.
Everything is well priced also!
I can't wait to go back.... like tomorrow1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/8/2010
Nom Nom Nom
After being hungover for half a day, pho was exactly what I needed to get out of that… Read more »
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Review from d'N'L m.
Brooklyn, NY
12/6/2010
I will give this place the benifit of the doubt as I have only gone here once, alone.. Thus limiting me to just two items.. However, I was certainly able to tell from these two dishes, the skill of the kitchen.. And I was certainly able to tell by reading the menu that they are going for something a little more Authentic. They have hot pots, pho, crepes, bun and spring rolls..
This place is located in Suburban Chicago.. One certainly gets the feeling that most of the "ethnic" restaurants in the area are playing to the Midwestern Palate.. .. Whether it be Thai, or Chinese, Vietnamese, or even Japanese to some extent, The majority of the restaurants in the area, have melded into this sort of generic menu.. Most the dishes containing heavy and starchy deep fried items that are highly sauced with this sweet crap.. Crab Ragoon for example, tends to be on every menu.. What the hell is a Crab Ragoon you ask.. Well, it's cream cheese and crab wrapped in a wonton skin and deep fried.. Hmm.. A favorite for sure in every Asian Culture..
I started with something from the app side.. It was a crepe with shrimp.. The crepe shell was perfectly crispy and light.. It was served with a large assortment of lettuce and basil.. The crepe was expertly made.. I very much enjoyed this dish..
I then moved on to PHO.. I believe the menu number was 21.. Which included little beef balls, rare beef, some tendon, I believe some thinly sliced liver, and some tripe. The pho was highly spiced.. Defintely differently then I have ever tasted.. Strong flavors of anise, cinnamon, and dark sugar were presented. It was sweeter than any Pho I have had.. I believe there was some nutmeg even in it.. It tasted of fall, almost closer to a pumpkin pie filling but a lot more subtle.. One could tell that this was the cook's version of pho, surely a traditional recipe.. I enjoyed it but, wish it were less sweet.. It kind of caught me off guard, though it was still delicious..
I was dining alone and the staff was super nice..
Will come back my next time in Chicago.. -
Review from Mike B.
LITTLE PLYMTH, VA
7/8/2011
BEST PHO EVER! I've had Pho in Pittsburgh, LA, Chicago, Taipei, and even tiny Oklahoma City and various other areas of the US and world, and Hoanh Long owns every place I've been to. I'd go as far as saying I would fly to Chicago just to eat the Pho here!
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Review from Monique C.
Skokie, IL
1/18/2011
I haven't gone here in forever, but I do think it's one of the better pho places in the area without having to go to Argyle imo.
I love their fried tofu and their spring rolls are pretty good.
Service has always been good whenever I went here and everything is reasonably priced. -
Review from L T.
Chicago, IL
8/6/2011
The place is only mediocre so it's surprising that these people are rating it so high. I might only come here if I need a quick pho fix since it's 3 mins from my house, but if I had the choice, I wouldn't come here. The pho broth is not fresh and a bit too sweet for my taste.
Also the prices are affordable, but def more expensive than other pho places on Argyle. -
Review from Phil F.
Chicago, IL
11/29/2010
I dragged my friend here, who had never had Vietnamese and was scared, and I was also scared. I wasn't scared of the idea of Vietnamese but if my boasting about good the cuisine can be would live up to this places deliver-ables... And it did.
The chicken wings were some of the best ever. I would go back just for those lil babies. The combo friend rice was delish, the pork shrimp pancake was amazingly delicious too. The Pho was okay, it had some creepy bits in it, like tripe, and other things I was unsure of, so that made it a little less desirable. The flavor was not as amazing as others I have had but it was dang good.
Overall, I am very happy to have another Vietnamese place to go. Cant wait to go back and try more...But nothing will trump Luong Loi in Wheaton!!! SOOO good. -
Review from Annaliza F.
Lincolnwood, IL
Updated - 12/2/2010
Yayerrr!!!! I'm back again.... Consistent w/ da Quick azzzz friendly service. My buddies ordered the lemon grass chicken which was fan-pho-ing tastic!!!! Finally did the pho thing.... Pho Real (@JB).... I'm a big fan of soup & #23 is Pho-licious!!!! & I'm not pho- ing around bout it neither!!!! So yeah.... Best believe I'll be back^_^ *_*
-so just chill.... Till the next episode1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/28/2010
Yeah, I'm a fan of this place....
Service....They're nasss =D
Did the "Hot Pot" thing, I love that… Read more »
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Review from Joanne L.
Skokie, IL
8/11/2010
Pho in the suburbs! nice not to have to have to trek to argyle for vietnamese food. (usually head to Tank Noodle in argyle). moms and popops type setting..
Great Starters:
Banh Xeo (Crepe with shrimp, pork, salad). My dinner companion suggested cutting the crepe into quarters and eating as a lettuce wrap..yum!
Papaya salad with grilled beef-My FAVORITE! spicy and sweet flavor; cunchy julienne style papaya slices, the grilled beef was flavorful and tender-awesome dish, huge portion!
Main Dishes:
Pho with Rare beef & meatballs-i've had better quality beef and meatballs, but the broth and noodles were tasty.
Mi Xao Thap Cam-stir fried WIDE rice egg noodles slathered with a generous portion of mixed seafood. love the crunchy noodles and squid was surprising fresh and tender. another fav...
Cahn Chua Ca Fish Soup Hot Pot-great dish to share with groups..sweet/salty flavor. love the pineapple chunks!
Combination com chien (fried rice)-very tasty as well (more filler food, in my opinion)
Drinks:
Consider trying the Avocado smoothie and Vietnamese iced coffee-great drinks! (i would leave out the tapioca balls..haha)
Atmosphere: casual, small mom and pops; we went on weekday-easy to get seated.
Service: slow, but polite.
The portions were big, the price was cheap. This order was WAY to big for the 3 of us...we barely touched the fried rice in the end. Definitely will be back..want to try more hot pot flavors!! -
Review from Cameron H.
Chicago, IL
3/16/2011
With here with a friend and everything she told me was true. We started off with catfish rolls. Then we got the chicken salad. Both delicious. Then for the main dish, we got the pho. However, this pho was a specialty of theirs. It comes out in this large wooden bowl/pot. This bowl is put on a hot pot and warmed in front of you. When it is finally warmed, rice noodles are put in a bowl and the pho is ladled on-top of the noodles. There is so much seafood in this pho it is insane. Loved it!!! Would definitely go back!!!
Listed in: Pho
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Review from Y M.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 12/19/2008
This was a great opportunity for me to persuade my guy to try something different. His favorite pho restaurant on Argyle was closed and I was secretly happy. I didn't like their broth very much and always ended up ordering something else off the menu. So I decided to give Hoanh Long another shot.
We arrived here around 9pm (they close at 10), and the restaurant was almost full, with only one table open. Definitely a good sign. I never liked going to an empty restaurant, and this place seems very popular. We started off the meal with the fried tofu appetizer. It's a really simple appetizer, but we loved it. It reminded me of the fried tofu with soy/garlic/vinegar sauce dip that my mom used to make for me as a snack after elementary school. In fact, it was the exact same dish. I approve.
We both ordered the pho tai. As mentioned in my previous post, it comes with fresh basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and jalapeno slices. The beef was rare when it arrived, very tender and flavorful. They give you a small side dish of that heavenly garlic and chili paste oil. I added a bit of salt and lime juice and it became a dip for the beef. The rice noodles were PERFECT. The best I've had so far. They were perfectly chewy. Nobody likes limp, soft.... noodles. Heh.
I also ordered their fresh lemonade soda, "Soda Chanh" . Wow! This is probably my favorite rendition of lemonade ever. At other Vietnamese restaurants, I've had the fresh lime juice (excellent) and salty lemonade (also very good), but Hoanh Long's lemonade soda is my favorite. It was a blend of sweet, sour, salty (just a lil bit), and carbonation. I'm definitely ordering this drink again next time.
One more thing. They give you chopsticks and porcelain soup spoons with your soup. They're not piled together with the condiments and napkins like they are at other Vietnamese restaurants. I thought that was a nice touch. It's the little things that make a difference. They deserve 5 stars all around.Listed in: Crazian for Asian, North Park
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/27/2008
Looking for an alternative to the stretch of Vietnamese restaurants on Argyle, we came across Hoanh… Read more »
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Review from Ryan L.
6/8/2009 1 Check-in Here
Very good food here, tantalizingly close to five starness. Growing up around the area, i have dined here many times. I didn't know the name of this place for awhile, i just called it "the Vietnamese place on Lincoln next to the casino shuttle". Now i'm giving the place it's due.
The vietnamese spring rolls are quite large and very fresh, so that's a good choice to start. Last time i had the marinated beef skewers, which probably is meant to be served family style. Unfortunately, i ate the whole thing. Or maybe not so unfortunately. The flavor is great as well as the texture, i think i'd compare it to Pakistani-style beef. Drape it in sriracha and you're golden. I sampled the chicken dish cooked inside a ramen bowl, which was also great. I love dishes where you can eat the serving bowl as well. Funny, after the waiter brought it out, the table next to us looked in awe at the plate and immediately ordered it for themselves. Posers =)
I haven't had the pho yet here because, well, it's not enough food for me. I come here saying i want pho and i always end up ordering a large beef dish. I also haven't had the bubble tea but will try it next time.
Last but not least, it's BYOB! -
Review from Luan N.
Columbus, OH
Updated - 8/7/2009 7 photos
Hoanh Long has to be hands down the best overall Vietnamese restaurant in Chicago. You might find a few dishes here and there (like the pork chops) slightly better, scattered among the many different restaurants. But that's generally how it is right? You might have one specialty dish that the restaurant is known for but everything else is just garbage. But, I'm telling you, you're dealing with maybe a 4:1 odds with Hoanh Long when going pound for pound with another restaurant.
So no! I have not eaten at every single Viet restaurant in Chicago, nor have I eaten every single dish at Hoanh Long. But has Tyson fought every single boxer in the circuit? No! So I'm calling these sports book odds in one of my favorite sports called EATING!
This place certainly does not have the same sentiment as dining in "Viet town" but if my relatives want to try a good representation of Viet food in Chicago, this is the first place I would take them.
So here's the sports recap: The broth in the pho was very tasty and it won the Eastern Conference finals. The simmered salmon with tomato felt as good as when Federer won the French open.Listed in: Top Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/11/2009
I was about to throw in the towel when finding a great well rounded Viet restaurant in Chicago. I… Read more »
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