Shine — Restaurant in Chicago

The service is excellent -- friendly and careful to get the order just right. I had a green curry with tofu and mango bubble tea. The bubble tea was tangy and flavorful from top to bottom (some places can be watery toward the bottom). The curry had the right amount of heat -- I don't mind that it came from jalapeno rather than Thai chili. It had a rich flavor, and wasn't overly liquid. The veggies were still "alive" tasting, and the Japanese eggplant in it is really good. There is also a LOT of food there -- two meals for moderate eaters, 1 for big eaters. Another plus is that they have good brown rice as an option at no extra charge.

I heard a few other tables talk about how they loved the sushi. I can't comment on it myself, but I take it as a good sign that they have consistently good staff in the kitchen.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that they had the doors open to the sidewalk dining area, so the 90+ degree heat and humidity came inside -- ick. Plus, I only tried the one dish. I'll definitely go back to try the Singapore noodles, and if they are just as good, I'll bump my rating up to 5 stars. One thing for sure, it is a lot better than most of the Thai places I've been to, which are kind of stale smelling and/or have bland, greasy curry drowning in coconut milk. Oh, another plus... the place is clean, including the restroom -- a welcome change from a lot...

Disappointed by Unprofessional Communication and Declining Quality

I never leave negative reviews to restaurant , but I feel compelled to share this experience to help others avoid similar frustration. I contacted this restaurant on Sunday to request a reservation for the following Sunday, clearly stating that I needed until Thursday to confirm. See screenshot attached and I have used GPT translated it into English. They did not respond at all for three days. Then, out of the blue on Wednesday, they informed me that my order had already been placed—without my confirmation or consent.

This kind of communication is not just unprofessional, it’s disrespectful. No follow-up, no courtesy check-in, and no regard for the customer’s timeline. It felt like they made a decision for us without our input, which is unacceptable.

To make matters worse, many recent reviews echo concerns about the declining quality of food here. See screenshot of reviews of other Chinese customer. Sadly, our experience aligns with that trend—not just in service, but in overall hospitality.

I hope this feedback encourages the restaurant to improve its communication and respect for customer preferences. Until then, I’d recommend...

Have been here several times for the Shanghai menu but honestly might not be coming back in a while. The food is rather authentic and so it really helps to come here when I miss my hometown flavors terribly. The menu carries lots of traditional and “real” dishes which is what we love and crave for. However, lately the quality has been inconsistent. The fish 熏鱼 and the pork 红烧肉 are both soft and tender one day, but hard and over-cooked the next. Soups can be super bland one day and way too salty on another. We have tried to put in notes when ordering (e.g,. Less spicy/salty) but felt that they were never honored. Overall, it feels a bit “try your luck” each time. The other thing is that sometimes when you order ahead the person who answers the Wechat messages can be a bit rude… finally, it can get a bit pricy if ordering seafood (crabs especially) and from the Shanghai menu only. We’ve been here 5+ times and it’s always been ~$200 or more for 4 people. In short, I truly have mixed feelings for this place and wish that the quality can be more consistent. If that can be achieved we’d be more than happy to make this place the go-to for...