Sweet Bean — Restaurant in Chicago

Located in the heart of South Loop, Sweet Bean features a spacious, cutely decorated interior with a separate cafe and pastry section and tables interspersed between. I was a big fan of the diverse, creative selection of Taiwanese-style breads, buns, and pastries— both sweet and savory— and everything we got was extremely delicious. It was decently quiet and good for light work; the music selection was chill and not too loud.

It was only slightly short of a pure 5 stars for a couple reasons: Most of their buns are best eaten warm, but many are sitting outside for awhile and get cold. We asked them to heat it up for us, but they were still kind of cold when they brought it back out for us, which wasn’t ideal. Not a big deal, but heated up, their tastes and textures would have been much augmented. Another reason is that they’ve unfortunately removed their food items from the menu, including their famous xiaolong baos. Instead, they’re serving acai bowls, which are neither that interesting nor unique.

I got the following items, all of which I heavily recommend: Tuna Egg Mayo Bun: Being a huge fan of all 3 of these items, this bun was INCREDIBLE; the flavors just burst in your mouth.

Taro Mochi & Pork Floss Bun: Perfect combo of opposite flavors and textures: the light and fluffy, savory pork floss matched with the soft and sticky, semi-sweet taro mochi made for a unique and popping combo.

Korean Garlic Cheese Bun: The garlic aioli-esque cream inside is so fluffy and delicious and paired perfectly with the plump exterior bread. Cream got kind of a lot / heavy after awhile though.

Mushroom and Corn Baguette: This one was definitely one of the items that would have been much better heated up, but even colder it was excellent: very strong corn flavors paired with creamy mushroom interspersed throughout, ending with a crispy baguette crunch.

Scallion Pork Floss Bolo Bun: A delicious classic— when I went, they were also doing 20% off all bolo buns.

Overall, the prices are quite solid: not as cheap as bakeries in Chinatown, but their selections are also more creative— I haven’t seen a lot of these bun/pastry types in more traditional Chinese bakeries. It’s also cheaper than other Asian bakeries in the Loop area (aka H-Mart/Paris Baguette). Overall, most items are between $1.50-$5.

I’ll definitely be back, as everything looked great and there are so many I have yet to try. —

Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5 Food: 4.5/5 Ambience: 4.5/5 Suitability for Work/Study: 4/5 Overall...

Sweet Bean is a welcome addition to the South Loop. I highly recommend it, so here's my wordy review!

We have been in a handful of times in the last two weeks and, each time, we have been met not only with the smells and tastes of an amazing bakery...the staff there are some of the most kind and courteous I've encountered.

My first visit was with my 1 year old on his birthday. The stroller managed to maneuver well (aside from by the cheesecake area hehe) which is rare. We were greeted with smiles and recommendations, and everyone was so helpful. I ordered an acai smoothie bowl, which I didn't expect them to have...and I was hooked.

Since we have discovered more favorites. My son's fave is the hot dog bun. My older son loves their selection of unique candies and treats ...and the cheesecakes. My daughter loves the red bean and cream bun. My personal favorite is the pork sung bun (the dog version of this is cute but supremely messy.)

Since the first visit we have been there three more times. Arturo often greets us at the front, and recommends the most amazing almond custard bun.

We got the watermelon smoothie today and it was intense and delicious. Very sweet. And the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of primary school.

Each time, someone from the staff has been kind enough to hold the door so me and the stroller can meander out with our box of goodies to enjoy at home.

If you haven't tried it, go tomorrow. And I promise you'll want to go back the next day, and the next day, and the next day.

Some people have to have their Starbucks. For me, it's Sweet Bean. All the way. Please stay...

Sweet Bean is an amazing little coffee shop. It is similar to the chain 85C Bakery Cafe, but then takes it that extra mile being much better!

Morgan, the server, was very nice and was able to answer all my novice questions without making me feel like a bother.

Firstly they have a massive assortment of pastries. It was very difficult to decide exactly what not to get, I ended up getting the: • Ham scallion bun • shrimp rolls • pineapple bun • corn and ham bun • pork floss roll • hot dog cheesy roll

I won't lie all of them were delicious and well made. I don't normally go for a pork floss bun, but even so this one was still very tasty.

The drinks are very unique unlike some some chains. I was able to get adventurous and get away from my standard Mocha. I got two different items: • Teddy graham mocha • pumpkin chai sweet with espresso

I loved the teddy graham mocha, very good combination of flavors for a nice dessert style coffee.

Then finally to call out they offer more entree style items. Various dumplings, skewers, and more. I didn't realize this till I got to the register or I may not have got as many pastries. Either way I ended up at least getting one item: • Lamb skewers

They were delicious and were a good savory finish to my pastry filled lunch.

Sweet Bean is a must stop for anyone visiting Chicago. It was definitely worth the trek from the top...