Chicago Now Has the "Songzi"‑Style Spot! 🐿️☕

Today’s Menu 🍽️ 🍵 Tary Tea Honestly, the tea was very bland — no sweetness at all. I think my homemade milk tea tastes better. 🧆 Tary Sweets Platter Five to six different snacks — the egg roll was the best, tasting exactly like childhood memories. The rest (feta‑like cheese balls, peanut brittle, cookies) were interesting but not mind‑blowing. 🥨 Baursak The "Songzi" specialty! As Kara described — like mini‑you tiao (Chinese fried dough). Freshly fried and fragrant, served with a tangy‑sweet pomegranate sauce. 🍩 Chocolate Donut I know, ordering a chocolate donut at a Kazakh café is questionable — but it was decent, nothing special. 🐂 Balgyn Kuyrdak (Stewed Beef) The Google Maps photo is totally misleading — reality did not match. The beef was dry and under‑seasoned (homemade stew would’ve been more flavorful). Key Details 📍 🍴 Café: TARY Coffee House 📍 Address: 111 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654 💰 Price: ~$40 per person. Honestly, this spot gets a 5/10. ⏳ Slow service — waited over 40 minutes for the first snack plate. 🖼️ Reality vs. photos — expectations were not met. 🇰🇿 Limited authentic Kazakh options — and not cheap for what you get. #ChicagoEats #KazakhCafe #TARYCoffee #SongziStyle #ChicagoFoodScene #HonestReview 🥨