The Happy Chef Dim Sum House

i typically come here for dinner whenever i’m in the chicago area.
the food is great– reasonably priced with pretty good tasting food. a wide selection of cantonese dishes.
i’ve only tried the dim-​sum here once; it wasn’t bad, i must say. reasonable prices once again. i do agree with other reviewers that it isn’t the cleanest place nor the quietest place, but it is definitely worth it to come here if you like cantonese food.

For a long time this was one of the few places that served dim sum. Food wise I think it excels compared to the competition but the atmosphere has much room for growth.
FOOD: Dim Sum wise the best compared to competition. Wide variety of crepes, buns, sesamed fried buns. Previously offered option on tea but recent visits seemed a bit more meager on tea varieties.
ATMOSPHERE: Noisy, a bit trashy, busy and can use renovation but maybe that keeps the taste and price under control. If you are new to China town then visit here once you get comfortable w/​other joints first, such as next door Ming Hin. Sprawling single floor with not so enticing view of the kitchen from some parts of the dining area. Bare white walls give you the feeling of an institution.
LOGISTIC: easy to get to new development area inside the mall, just north of Cermack in China town.
CREATIVITY: love the wait-​staff walking around with additional items not on the menu being offered on trays, takes the feel of restaurant out and provide ambience of being in some outdoor area in the Far East.

The dim sum here is really good. It’s a bit on the saltier side but I like more flavor to my food. I stick to what I usually like to get and everything I order is always good — beef rice roll, chicken feet, spareribs, beef balls. Their lunch menu is also a great deal and the portions aren’t skimpy either so it’s worth it. I really like their fried rce and dried beef chow fun.
They also have my all-​time favorite dessert — sweet tofu (do foo fwa). The tofu is really soft and the syrup is not overly sweet and doesn’t have a ginger flavor to it. It’s a really light dessert. Asian custom is to share food and I’m more than happy to do that with the other dim sum dishes but I absolutely hate sharing my sweet tofu. I suggest getting your own if you are with someone like me at this restaurant.
Bathrooms are disgusting, the waiters are rude, and the tables are covered in plastic sheets — but again, who goes to Chinese restaurants for the décor and ambience. It’s all about the good food!

I’ve went to several dim sum places in Chinatown before… and I expect very little on the service side, but today just stunk.
My group ordered 12 dishes. The first 8 came within 30 minutes (which was slow even for the lunch rush), and the last 4 took an additional 45 minutes to come out (even after we asked 5 times for it). Service is 1 out of 5 stars.
The food quality is similar to most other dim sum places.
Shui Mai — Tasted a bit flat. (1 out of 5 stars)
Shrimp Crepes — Shrimp was not fresh (2 out of 5 stars)
Shrimp Dumplings — Came out fairly fast and tasted good (4 out of 5 stars)
Shrimp + Chive Dumplings — Tasted great (4 out of 5 stars)
Turnip Cake — Tasted Normal (3 out of 5 stars)
Pork + Preserved Egg Congee — Rice wasn’t cooked as long as it should be (3 out of 5 stars)
Tea Leave Wrapped Rice — Had one little tiny piece of sausage in there and wasn’t extraordinary (3 out of 5 stars)
If I were to go for dim sum again, I’d go to Phoenix (if money were not an issue) or Triple Crown (but expect low service).

Chicken feet — decent, at least they were normal and not dyed crazy red like at a lot of places.
Shui Mai — Meh. I would not get them here.
Shrimp crepes — Another nono.
Turnip cake — egh
And I was against getting the Chinese broccoli cause well I’m Chinese and I don’t do that kinda thing at dim sum… But alas we got it, and it was overcooked.
Well I guess you get the picture…
Oh and they also tried to shove a shrimp crêpe on us that was unwanted by another table or they made extra. Her broken English and pushy attitude is something I’m used to, but I guess my firm no in Chinese via the excuse «oh we just sat down and want to wait for everything to come.» Was enough to deter her from trying that crap again with me.
5 people it was about 70something.
They charge $ 2.50 per card if you try to use more than 2.
The one redeeming quality of this place is pretty decent service for dim sum and also the variety. There were actually one or 2 new things for me to try.
This being said I will not return here for dimsum, solely based on the food.

Being a newbie to Dim Sum, I may be a bit biased or inexperienced, but I think I found my new go-​to Sunday brunch. If only I could take the train down to Chicago to visit Chinatown every weekend and I would be in heaven.
Myself and nine others stopped by The Happy Chef when in Chinatown, and what a treat! Yes, the white table clothes may look a little sketch, and the ambiance is not perfection, but the food. Delicious and cheap! This is a great place to come with groups and try out a ton of various options. Our group ate family style esque, ordering a TON of food, and everyone could pick and choose. Seriously, my kind of meat at a whopping price of $ 10 each including tip.
My favorites included the shrimp dumplings, and the pork BBQ dumplings. The service was phenomenal, as there was no wait time, and the adorable servers assisted us in every way possible. That is, they brought over a vast array of forks and knives (chopsticks were a dangerous option for this hungry crew), and brought out everything in a timely fashion. AND they refilled our pots of jasmine tea countless times, without ever having to ask.
Dim Sum is too delicious not to love. Please do yourself the favor of paying the Happy Chef a visit, and eating your heart out. Also, can I mention that I kept envisioning a happy chef cooking every meal? Definitely put a smile on this gal’s face.

Many people have talked about the down side of this place, and they are all true. A little chaotic, long waits for dim sum, as a result… this is not my go-​to Chinese food or dim sum normally. However, I recently planned a Chinese New Year party and wanted big trays of food to go, Happy Chef was just the ticket! The menu features authentic Cantonese food with lots of fresh seafood choices.
I went for a dinner one night, got their menu, picked out what I wanted and ordered them three days before my party. I asked them specifically about making certain dishes vegetarian friendly and they changed the ingredients for me on two dishes. The food was ready to go at the designated time, hot and steamy in big trays. The waiters helped me carry everything out to the car. Everyone loved the food and I will certainly be back for the next party!

Skip the long waits and higher prices at Phoenix, and come to Happy Chef for dim sum on Saturday mornings. I think I prefer their card over the typical cart dimsum system because the food is (usually) fresher. And for some reason, whenever I go to Phoenix, they always run out of the good stuff. Also, Happy Chef has their $ 5 lunch menu, which is good to supplement dimsum with.
Anyway, this is on the list of must order;
— ja leurng (I have no idea what this in cantonese translates too, but it’s deep fried bread wrapped in the rice paper stuff in soy sauce. It’s so good)
— yu-​tou jiao (deep fried taro puffs)
— bbq pork buns
— bbq pork croissant things
— luo bo gao (radish cakes)
— black bean spare ribs
And remember that dimsum tends to serve things in threes, so come in multiples of threes, else prepare to play the chinese game of being polite and never eating the last thing left.

Been here maybe 20 – 30 times, but never for dim sum. My family and I usually come here for dinner and it’s okay. We always come with a large group (sometimes we even take 2 large tables) so all the good dishes we order are usually gone pretty quick and I think it’s affordable. My cousin or uncle usually takes the check.
I like most of the seafood they have to offer, but the lobster is kinda tough to eat. Overall, it’s definitely good for big groups (round tables seat 10), but will I come here on a date? Definitely not.
It’s BYOB, but from what I remember, there was a $ 5 cork fee.

For whatever ever reason my family decides to wake up on 7:30am on a Saturday to get here for dim-​sum. We got here around 9am, which is still early in my opinion. My FAVORITE thing about this place is they cook to order. So whatever we want they will cook it when we order it, sure it takes about a few minutes longer than places that have those carts pushed around, but it taste so much better!
The food is fresh and hot! Their shui mai and shrimp dumplings are yummy, but the chicken feet lacks flavor. The shrimp crepes were decently dowsed in sauce and the fried taro with meat was yummy!
The service was so-​so. Sometimes the servers were tentative other times they just ignored us.
The best part was the bill was about $ 150 for 11 adults and one child, which is a great price compared to a dim-​sum place I went to in the northwest surburbs that was about $ 220!
I wish there were better dim-​sum place closer to my house. I live near O’Hare Airport.

lol don’t come here and NOT get dim sum. It’s just wrong. why? cuz it’s SOOO yum!
i always get the shrimp in a steamed rice roll, and the spare ribs in black bean sauce.
It’s kind of tough to order since you might not know what you’ll be getting. But recently I think these guys just put out a new menu with pictures. very helpful if you’re not familiar with the dishes
but for the newbie to dim sum, you can never go wrong with dumplings or steamed buns, or the steamed rice rolls.. just choose your protein. along with that, these guys use the plastic chop sticks which can make it a little slippery. ^_​^ don’t hesitate to grab a fork. this food can NOT go to waste!
the service here is pretty curt. although i don’t mind that these guys get straight to the point. order what you want, and it’ll magically appear on your table. I’ve also gone to phoenix, where I find that i keep waiting and waiting for lightning to hit and see a cart of trays i like.
Just be warned. this place can get busy. Bring a nice big group with you to ensure a table by yourself. Otherwise, you might have to share a table with other diners to get seated.
Overall, this place is a definite go-​to for a cheap, awesome, savory, and healthier meal for the person who’s trying to avoid fast food grease. Being petite, i like to try many things but usually can’t finish a single big plate all on my own— PLUS i don’t have to settle for only one dish.
Its so for you if… you get bored with the same flavors on one plate. when you can’t decide on one thing. easy on the wallet. never disappointed. always delicious. every time. lol and you don’t feel terrible digesting it afterwards.

I know there’s probably 5 or 6 better dim sum restaurants in the area but this one has always been my staple since the service is quick, the prices are competitive with the neighboring restaurants, the food is hot and they understand the importance of the chili sauce/​hoisin ratio.
We got here on a surprisingly quiet 4^th of July Sunday and got a table instantly. Our tea and bowl of chili sauce was dropped off instantly and the ever so familiar dim sum sheet was deposited with the specials menu. Since we were only visiting, we kind of went nuts and ordered 6 dishes even though 3 or 4 would have done the trick.
Shrimp with Rice Rolls, Shrimp with Chives, Shrimp Dumplings, Pan Fried Chive Cake, Crab Dumplings, and Shui Mai should all just be called «Pork with a touch of crab and shrimp in it.» I’m honestly surprised by how much pork finds its way into something called «shrimp dumpling.» In any case, they all tasted hot and came out in waves and were eager anticipated by my awaiting stomach.
If you’re ever stuck here with a huge line, I’d suggest popping across the street to Joy Yee’s and getting a bubble tea or some fro-​yo ’cause Happy Chef doesn’t care if you bring in outside drinks or food. This place usually has long horrible lines and considering the awful heat that Chicago is almost infamous for, you should be grateful for the neighboring specialty shops. For less than $ 20, you could feed three people and get an authentic meal.

Happy Chef makes me happy.
It’s our favorite dim sum joint. Cheap and delicious. Service can be good or poor; seems to vary. The plastic over the tables is not exactly classy but seems to suit. Three of us can eat till we’re stuffed and the bill rarely hits $ 20.

The short of it:
–The staff is nice
–The food is tasty (both dim sum and the regular menu)
–The prices are cheap
–The food can take a while on Sunday mornings when they get busy
–Sitting down can take forever if you show up at like 11:30 on a Sunday
All in all a very good place to grab a standard meal or some dim sum. :).

The dim sum is delicious for a place like this. I love how their dim sum hours are longer than most places. I get annoyed with waiting for dim sum but I usually come in the afternoon and it’s pretty empty by them. I went with 2 other ppl and the bill came out to less than $ 30.

I like:
— the fact that this restaurant is packed with Chinese people.
— that the food is decent, and bordering on good.
— that I usually have a good time here with friends.
— that they have picture menus for those of us who can’t read Chinese (I could only read some) and for those of us who don’t know the names of the stuff we like (me, most of the time).
What I don’t like:
— white plastic garbage bags as tablecloths. TACKY. REALLY TACKY. And if they were concerned about saving money, I’d say that purchasing actual tablecloths and running them through the washer and dryer will actually save you a lot more money in the long run.

In the immortal (though possibly heard incorrectly) and fitting words of Lauren Hill, «you might dim sum, but you just lost one.» I would never set foot in this place again. The experience was so bad, in fact, that one person (at least) of the group I was with has sworn off dim sum for the forseeable future.
The problem was, for many of the group on the Chinatown Neighborhood Tour, this was our first experience with dim sum. While Chinese food is as American as apple pie (apple custard with mango chunks?), this particular subcuisine is not.
I like to credit myself (though some may disagree) with being decently smart. I notice patterns in restaurants and can usually figure out a unique ordering style. Not here. Happy Chef is ordering chaos. Do you order off the dim sum menu? Do you order off colorful laminated posters on the wall? Do you order from the passing carts? Wish I had a definitive answer, but I’ve been there and I still don’t know. I think it’s a combination of the three (though how a final bill is added up is beyond my primitive math skills).
Now, I do know one thing — a piece of wisdom I can impart through all the confusion. On the menu, you can order one, two, or three of anything. This refers to the number of small plate servings, not the number of items. The twelve desert buns I got were pretty incredible though (no, I didn’t eat all nine, only seven or so).
Unfortunately, beyond even the language barrier that prevents asking a server for help with figuring out what’s in something (there should be a rule for dim sum that the most red meat based part of a food should be in the title — I’m looking at you beef filled «chive» cake), the food’s not even worth the hassle. Said buns were the only palatable part of the meal. I know this place is in a mall and all that, but it is Chinatown Square Mall so I did expect the food to taste better and be made with a little more care than stale Panda Express!
Maybe this is the dim sum equivalent of a diner (there did seem to be a lot of large families in here enjoying a Saturday meal). I don’t know — I was unable to ask. Whatever it is, this is not a good place to start a dim sum appreciation society for sure. Though it might be a good place to practice Chinese.

I have been here twice, and while it is ok, nothing spectacular. I did appreciate how we could feast for cheaply though – with tax and tip it came to $ 8 per person and I was stuffed.
but as someone else noted, the bathroom was vile, which makes me nervous.
I don’t think I would come back unless someone else really wanted to go, it just didn’t wow me.

*cradles self*
**rocks back and forth while whimpering «i’ll never teeeelllll**
***tries to eat while visions of dirty diapers, clogged toilets and nasty mops flood (hyuck) the recesses of my memory banks***
…THE BATHROOMS!!! …THE BATHROOMS… DEAR GOD ALMIGHTY… THE BATHROOMS!!!
I HATE you, Lao Shanghai, for bringing my group of Unilocalers to… this.

SPOILER ALERT: Be careful ordering if you are a vegetarian.
There is a downside and downside to going to a restaurant where all of the diners are Asian. The upside of going to Happy Chef was that it seemed to be popular among Asians and they should be a good judge of the cuisine. The downside is that our table had a ridiculously hard time communicating with our server.
After finding out that Lao Shanghai gave away our table we scrambled to find a place that could accomodate 11 hungry people and fast, enter Happy Chef. The interior of Happy Chef is nothing fancy, actually it’s kind of unappealing; a large space with stark white walls, color copies of dishes taped to the walls, and layers of plastic table cloths resembling Hefty bags covering the tables*. I also heard from multiple sources that both bathrooms were stinky and the ladies seemed to have some sort of flood situation going on. If you’re looking for ambiance this place doesn’t have it.
We weren’t really given an explanation as to how things work, we were just given 3 different menus (for the table, not each) two of which were laminated and badly water logged. Most of the items on the menu offer no explanation, which I think led to confusion and dissatisfaction with some of the dishes at the table. First, there were servers wandering around with dishes in hand offering them to tables like some sort of odd, food-​based auction. Second, we didn’t understand our server and vice versa she took 2 of our 5 orders and walked away before we flagged her down to let her know we weren’t done.
Our food was delivered to the table haphazardly even though we weren’t sharing. One of the first items to arrive were billed as pan fried chive cakes, however when the vegetarian who ordered them cut into one we discovered that it was meat filled. After much confusion they were removed from our bill. LESSON: Don’t assume that something is veggie just based on its name. We also got too many steamed custard buns, which ended up being a good thing; instead of getting 2 individual buns we got 2 orders (6 total). Luckily the buns helped tide over those unhappy with their meals.
Since I am a ridiculously picky eater I played it safe. I split an order of crab rangoon and got an order of fried shrimp dumplings. The crab rangoon was very good, not the best ever but good. I also liked the shrimp dumplings, they were balls of diced shrimp with what looked like a crispy fried noodle coating.
Prices were reasonable, but the reviews on the food at my table were mixed. I don’t really see myself coming back here, but then again I’m probably not a dim sum kind of girl.
* I won «guess how many plastic bags are on the table» my guess was 26, the correct number was 31!