New Chinatown Cafe and Restaurant

Came here to try their mi kho. It wasn’t good. It might… might be the most bland mi kho I ever had. The service was good and attentive. The ambiance was not. It was 88 degrees outside and no one bothered to turn on the air conditioning. It’s a small place. Spend the money so we’re not sweating and generating body odor.

One of my fave restaurants in Chicago. Being Vietnamese myself, I always crave for Vietnamese food… not the Americanized kind, not the fusion kind… but the kind that tastes like my mom whipped it up in her own kitchen. This is the place for that. Everything here is just plain delicious, including: Mi Vit Tiem (duck noodle soup), bot chien (fried rice flour cake), com suon bi cha (pork chop over rice), banh mi xiu mai (toasted french bread with meatball in tomato-​based sauce).
This place doesn’t get the recognition they deserve. People go to Tank down the street but there is no comparison. This place is where it’s at, hands down.

Definitely a Ma and Pa type of place. The owners of this restaurant are a husband and wife duo who know what they’re doing. The restaurant, itself, is nothing to marvel at by any means, but the food is just to die for. The food is authentic and delicious. New Chinatown is located on the eastern end of Argyle, which is why most people don’t even know that there’s actually good Vietnamese food on Argyle. This place get five stars from me because the staff is friendly and nice and the food reminds me of real homeland food. My all time favorite entrees are Com Tam, Mi Kho, Bot Chien, and Mi Viet Tiem. And keep an eye out on what there is to drink because the owners make seasonal drinks too!
Just a side note — the owners speak little to no English at all. The language barrier may pose a problem to non-​Vietnamese speakers. But nonetheless, give it a try because it’ll be worth it!

Default place for my weekend lunch. Since they are only open in the daytime.
My order everytime: Duck noodle + Stir fry rice cake (My absolute favourite)

I have honestly been a bad Unilocaler. I must have been away from Unilocal for a couple of months but after noticing that New Chinatown has no reviews, I decided spread the word.
New Chinatown is a true «hole in the wall» that I’ve walked past multiple times on Argyle St. I would have never walked in until my Vietnamese friend told me about their excellent Mi Viet Tiem (Duck Noodle Soup) and Mi La Cay (Egg Noodles Soup). Boy was that a surprise!
Their Mi Viet Tiem has a wonderful ducky broth that is robust and slightly sweet. It is served with egg noodles, some gai lan (chinese broccoli) and off-​the-​bone tender duck meat. This is not your regular over MSG-​ed broth that leaves you thirsting for water. And no, they did not just get a roasted duck from Sun Wah BBQ and slap the meat on the noodles. It’s chopstick-​tender, my friend, the kind that seems to have cooked in the broth for hours. What can I say, it’s pure heaven.
Another thing I would recommend is their stir fry rice cake of some sort. It’s like Chinese «cheong fun» but pan fried until crispy and then cook with a hoisin-​like sauce. It’s a great appetizer to share. Make sure you give them a try when you’re at Argyle next time!