Chicago Restaurant｜Nostalgic Imperial Colonial Vibes

Le Colonial — yes, we're talking about you. The restaurant description says it aims to capture the "seductive spirit of 1920s Saigon." Miss Saigon and Madame Butterfly weren't subtle enough hints — what exactly is this "seductive spirit" you're romanticizing? Don’t be vague 😠 But… putting historical unease aside, I have to admit I caved. 🍜 Their pho — it’s like they put something addictive in it. I crave it every day. The beef is sliced just right, cooked perfectly in the broth. 🌟 Other must-orders: 🦞 Seafood Ceviche & Tuna Tartare — even someone as paranoid about parasites as me was completely won over. 🍛 Green Curry Shrimp — just order it! It’s so delicious you can’t help but marvel at how French cuisine has "refined" other food traditions. Both were colonial powers, so why is French-Vietnamese food so much tastier than British-Indian??! 🤔 🐟 Crispy Whole Fish — anyone missing sweet-and-sour whole fish (like squirrel-shaped mandarin fish) should order this without thinking. 🥗 Cabbage & Chicken Salad — colorful, pretty, often seen on other tables. 🥩 Shaking Beef — also solid. 🍮 Dessert — skip the tapioca. At $15, it feels like they’re emphasizing “We’re not like other Asian restaurants, we’re French~” at the very end. Rating: 4.7/5 Went twice in three weeks — among my Chengdu-Yunnan foodie crew, it’s second in popularity only to Qiao Lin Hotpot. #FrenchFood #ChicagoLife #Chicago #FoodDiary #ChicagoEats 🍜✨