Yu Noodles — Restaurant in Elgin

Anyone knows that I am super picky about asian food coming from Hawaii lol, my husband and I dined in at 8pm and were welcomed and sat quickly. The atmosphere was nice, small restaurant but welcoming! They have a nice little bar area and a large family size table so I’d say it’s very accomplished for its size. Service was great, the waitress checked on us multiple times and they were on top of it even though we came in within an hour of closing. And lastly, the food, was super delicious. The potato tower could’ve used a little more seasoning, wasn’t as spicy as we expected but it was perfectly crispy and a great appetizer! When we came, they were out of dimsum which was super sad because that’s what I was most looking forward to but they still had wontons and buns, we ended up going with the spicy oil pork wontons… and WOW this was our favorite part of our meal, super flavorful and it just brought me back to eating dim sum with my family back home. The chongging noodles came next and they were delicious! My husband and I ended up sharing a bowl and we were both thoroughly satisfied. The wings were a dry rub but they were really crispy, yummy and just what I expect from an asian-style wing. Everything had spice to it and if it didn’t we had chili oil, vinegar and soy sauce readily available at our table (a plus)! I ordered a mango smoothie as my refreshment and it was more like a mango slushie, but paired well with our spicy meal. And to end off our meal, we had the mango sticky rice, wasn’t too sweet and the mango to rice ratio was a bit off but nonetheless a great dessert! Woud...

(This is based only on my opinion alone)

This is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the Chinese cuisine establishment I recently visited.

The staff exhibited exceptional customer service, maintaining a cheerful demeanor despite the establishment's bustling atmosphere.

N4 Beef Noodles (7/10): The spiciness level ranged from mild to moderate, and the handmade noodles were a delightful addition. While the beef was slightly dry for my personal preference, it remains a recommended dish.

Mango Pomelo Sago (7-8/10): This dessert offered a pleasing taste, although it could benefit from an increased quantity of coconut milk to enhance its overall flavor. Nonetheless, it is still worthy of consideration as a must-try dessert.

S1 Scallion Pancake (3/10): Regrettably, this dish did not meet my expectations. The excessive greasiness detracted from its overall appeal. A potential improvement could involve achieving a crispy texture while preserving the dish's inherent flavor.

11. Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumpling (10/10): This dish stands out as an absolute must-try. Its exceptional taste, even without the accompanying dipping sauce, is truly remarkable. The savory and creamy shrimp flavor is simply exquisite. I wholeheartedly recommend indulging in multiple orders of this delectable dish.

As I departed from the establishment, a staff member confidently asserted that I would return, and I wholeheartedly concur with this prediction.

Can't wait to try the other...

I am so excited that Columbia has a genuine homemade dumpling restaurant that can compare to ones I have had in places like Seattle and San Francisco.

I’ll start with the food. Everything that I tried was delicious and fresh made to order. It came out steaming hot and we only waited about 15 minutes. I feel like portion size was fair to price and extremely generous. The dumplings were packed full of filling and the soup dumplings were full of soup. They all had a depth of flavor above your basic standard Chinese restaurant and the noodles and dough tasted handmade. I feel like the spice meter was fair on the spicy dish. I’m not the biggest fan of spice but it wasn’t overwhelming.

Service: This is a small restaurant, they had bar style seating and maybe 7 tables. That being said the servers are very attentive to keep service running quickly and smoothly since there is usually a waiting list to be seated. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful and we were never left waiting on waters to be filled, to go boxes, or for our check.

Overall I will be back and the 30 minute drive from downtown Columbia is 100% worth it for the...