Chicago 🇺🇸｜The Best Vietnamese Food – Beats the Hype Spots! 🍜

📍 HaiSous Vietnamese Restaurant, Pilsen If you want authentic yet modern Vietnamese food in Chicago, this is the spot—order blindly, no regrets, and it totally outshines La Colonial. La Colonial may have pretty decor, but the food is just okay and overpriced 😅. HaiSous feels down‑to‑earth while every dish is thoughtfully crafted—must‑try for Vietnamese food lovers! We were 5 people and shared almost the whole menu. Here’s my ranking: 1️⃣ Crispy Wings – Absolute must‑order! Sweet, sour, crispy outside, juicy inside, glazed in fish sauce. Saw another table devouring them and added them instantly—so good! 2️⃣ Rice Cracker Appetizer – Served with a mix of crab, scallop, peanuts, and herbs. Paired with super‑crispy rice crackers—texture heaven. 3️⃣ Bun Cha Hanoi – Their signature dish. The broth is incredible—savory, tangy, slightly sweet, with meatballs and lemongrass. Great for dipping noodles or pairing with rice. 4️⃣ Papaya Salad – Not your typical sweet‑sour version—more tangy‑savory, with meat mixed in for extra depth.💕😍 5️⃣ Fried Rice – So fragrant and delicious! The rice gets a nice crispy, almost burnt‑rice texture 6️⃣ Stir‑Fried Water Spinach – Solid, classic Southeast‑Asian style. 7️⃣ Ribeye – Portion was tiny and just average. 8️⃣ Curry – Tasty at first but heavy and overpowering—skip unless you’re a curry fanatic. 🍧 Save room for dessert—they’re amazing! 1️⃣ Bamboo Sticky Rice – Childhood nostalgia! Sticky rice with red beans steamed in bamboo, served with custardy coconut sauce—unbeatable. 2️⃣ Matcha Cream Puff – Intense matcha flavor, creamy but not heavy, with a crisp shell. 3️⃣ Coconut Rice Pudding – Everyone’s first reaction: so fresh! Light, refreshing, and coconut‑forward. #ChicagoEats #VietnameseFood #HaiSous #PilsenChicago #HiddenGem #FoodieHeaven