NoodleBird

“Update August 2025 The new cafe is open.”

Update August 2025 The new cafe is open! This is a great place!! Update October 2024 Just got some shrimp and garlic dumplings and egg tarts. Took it home. OMG These two dishes are World Class! Compliments to the chefs! It doesn’t get better. Hey Noodlebirds. I'll be there in a few weeks. What's Good! Fantastic Authentic Yummy! I was visiting Chi and staying down the block when my friend told me about this place. But I think he only mentioned the donuts. I had their menu headliner chicken dish which was nice and juicy and well spiced with some exotic aromas. Also took out their frozen shrimp dumplings - amazing with big chuncks of nice shrimp inside. They picked some very nice shrimp of which I'd never heard so I looked it up and wow! The shrimp are from Oishii Sshrimp. Check it out and lemme tell you they make some tasty dumplings here. Their dumplings are not the typical style with a thin wrapper. They are substantial here with a nice chew. The shrimp - next time I'll try their peel and eat jumbo shrimp. I also took out their pork dumplings and ate too many they were that good. Once again, something exotic in the taste. The boss and all the staff I met there were warm and welcoming and you bet I'll be back. PS They made me a very tasty version of Negroni while I was waiting. Nice. Obviously I'm a big fan and if you look up my past reviews on Google Maps, you will see that I'm also a harsh critic so when I rave as I have about Noodlebird, you can bet it's worth it.

J.D. Kaiser

Aug 2025

“As a local small business owner in the neighborhood I was THRILLED to discover Noodlebird just a...”

As a local small business owner in the neighborhood I was THRILLED to discover Noodlebird just a block away because now we don’t have to go far for the best vegan food in the city!! I cannot express enough how delicious (and filling) the “vegan dinner for two” option is, you’ll just have to try it for yourself, I warn you though, you may become obsessed! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, from the teas to the cabbage salad to the corn and jalapeño fritters to the noodles and the tofu curry down to the very last bite of the coconut jasmine rice is FANTASTIC. It’s truly the best and my most favorite meal I’ve had in the city, and I’ve eaten at a lot of places here. Tons of vegan options, great vibe, friendly and attentive staff— what more could you want? Definitely give them a try!!

Erica Santine

Jun 2025

“This has quickly become my new favorite restaurant.”

This has quickly become my new favorite restaurant! I've eaten here twice, and both times the food was amazing. Every dish was tasty. My top picks are the chicken fried rice, Dan Dan Mian noodles, pork and ginger dumplings, char siu bun, and the egg custard tart. The portions are generous, prices are fair, and the service was great.

Vincent Mañara

Sep 2024

“Austin and jess were so welcoming.”

Austin and jess were so welcoming. I've passed by too many times and finally decided to stop by so happy we did , because the food was great. We ordered the chicken for 2 and it came with so much! My top items were the chicken, corn Jalapeño fritters and egg tart! Soo good! 😋 will definitely be back. Can't wait to try more of their items. The cocktails are very refreshing and not too sweet, another plus!

Bianca Huerta

Sep 2024

“Great Asian food with a bit of Portuguese flare.”

Great Asian food with a bit of Portuguese flare! The his place is a little bit unassuming from the outside, but don’t be fooled. The inside is well decorated and with a great ambiance, a nice bar, and a cool open kitchen. The menu has a lot of fun options, including half or more that are gluten free (which was a selling point for us). We got shrimp fried rice and pork noodles. We also got a gluten free oatmeal cream pie which was excellent. Staff was very friendly. We will definitely return.

M Pawlowski

Aug 2024

“Such a great place.”

Such a great place! Came here for dinner on a Friday night, wasn’t too crowded, but there was a steady stream of people. I loved the interior decor and the whole self-service water and utensils with ordering and paying from the table QR code. We got the chicken curry hand pie, the char siu bun, 2 pc egg tart, steamed chili peanut noodle, shrimp and garlic dumplings and spicy cucumbers, all for 2 people! And everything was great, we were really stuffed and the egg tart was so so good! All the food came out pretty quickly too. Would definitely recommend and wouldn’t mind going back to try all the other things!

Anway De

Jul 2024

“This might be my new favorite restaurant.”

This might be my new favorite restaurant! We tried the smoked tofu fried rice, tofu coconut curry, marinated cucumbers, egg custard tarts, and the broth drink. So much food and I was pleasantly surprised with how large the portions, we had to take two boxes home with us. I can't think of a single thing we tried that didn't wow me. The whole meal we just kept commenting how we couldn't believe we hadn't come here sooner. They also have a kids menu so next time we'll bring our kiddo along with us! So excited to go back and try everything!

Aubrey Lewis

Jan 2024

“The food is simply amazing and it just feels so warm overall.”

The food is simply amazing and it just feels so warm overall. It's comfort food on another level. From the consistency of the noodles to the spiciness and tanginess of their sauces this is a place that we will not forget. Can't forget to mention their pastries... One word "YUMM" must try it! You'll be back for more.

sebastian Lee

Jul 2023

“Might be my new favorite place.”

Might be my new favorite place! We came here during happy hour to take advantage of discounted menu. The smoked tofu fried rice is a must! Jalapeño corn fritters and charcoal chicken were delicious! If you are used to eating spicy food then you’d have to ask for extra spicy for peanut chili noodles !

Verocious Queen

Jan 2023

“Wow! Noodle bird at Fat Rice has some of the best and quality Asian food I have had. It was easy to...”

Wow! Noodle bird at Fat Rice has some of the best and quality Asian food I have had. It was easy to find a spot and an employee quickly came over to clean off our table. Since it was our first time here we went up to the counter and the employee explained that we have to order at the counter when we are ready and gave us some great recommendations. We ended up ordering shrimp dumplings, peanut noodles and spicy cucumbers. Everything was fantastic but my favorite was the homemade dumplings. Also they offer a variety of fun self serve hot sauces. The restaurant had street parking and isn’t very large, so plan accordingly. However, noodle bird at fat rice is well worth any wait and I would absolutely recommend it.

Jenya

Jan 2022

“Great food, awesome service, really cool ambiance.”

Great food, awesome service, really cool ambiance. We were seated in the "Ladies Room", which had this great pink/orange lighting and the walls were covered with vintage-looking posters of Hong Kongnese women. Started off with the famous egg tarts which were hands down the best I've ever had. The pastry was buttery, flakey, and so fresh. The egg custard filling was phenomenal. They were still warm when we got them. We also ordered the Purple Bandit (rose hibiscus with basil seed bubbles), the Fat Rice, fried tofu, and a chocolate mochi doughnut. I wasn't a big fan of the drink even though I I typically love florals, but I think it's worth finding out if you're adventurous. We ended up ordering the fat rice because we had so much trouble deciding what we wanted - everything looked so good. The prawns were absolutely delicious. I would probably order just the prawns next time. The Jasmine rice, which was dotted with green grapes, was also so flavorful from the meats. The grapes were such a sweet and unexpected surprise. The croutons were also delectable. I found the curried chicken thighs, sausage, and beef to be good, but not as great as the others. The tofu was a fun dish. The deep fried enoki mushrooms were sticky, sweet, and full of flavor. Loved them. The lettuce on the bottom soaked up the black bean sauce, so it was great too. The watermelon radish was refreshing, and the garlic and green onions offered aromatics. The tofu was very similar to agedashi tofu, but when eaten with everything else, became a really fun dish that played with lots of textures, temperatures, and flavors. Lastly, the chocolate mochi donut was wonderful. So chewy and dark chocolatey. Definitely not as sweet as I expected, and I liked that. The sugar and nuts on top added some fun crunch. Super cool place. Such a fun vibe. I would come back just for the ambiance. And the tarts, prawns, and doughnuts.

Luciana Qu

Jan 2020

“Amazing restaurant with friendly stuff and unique style food.”

Amazing restaurant with friendly stuff and unique style food. Everything from the bakery looks super delicious. The Portuguese egg tart is a must have! Haven’t had any better egg tarts than this one in Chicago area. The Fat Rice has a variety of meat in it, including beef, pork, chicken, and topped with two prawns.

Wenqi Gui

Nov 2019