The Phoenix Restaurant

when i first moved to chicago, one of my chinese friends brought me here and treated me to what he claimed as the best dim sum in town. i thought it was good, and decided to come back again…this time on my own wallet… but ack, it was expensive!

since then, i’ve found a couple other places around chinatown that are more affordable and still tasty. the one thing phoenix does have going for it is its ambience – it’s a nice dining environment compared to some of the other chinatown restaurants.

watch out for the crowds though – it can get super busy.

It’s not the best Dim Sum I’ve ever had, but they do have the best Dim Sum in the Chicago area. I love the fact that the restaurant appears clean (not like other Chinese restaurants in Chinatown) but the food is pricey. If you come on a weekend, expect to wait a while for a table. My family loves coming here for dinner too.

Okay, I’m a real sucker for dim sum, especially good dim sum, and Phoenix definitely delivers. I especially enjoyed the cha sui bao and har gow. The selection is awesome, and most of what we decided to order turned out quite delicious. Be mindful that most of the servers have limited English speaking skills. I basically played hand signals to indicate what dishes I wanted.

The price isn’t bad for what you’re getting, especially compared to other pricey restaurants. But if you’re going to the restaurant, be prepared for at least a half hour wait on weekends. If you want a quicker stop, go to the cafe downstairs.