Namit Cafe & Restaurant — Restaurant in Jefferson Township

Visited Namit a week ago and had a wondrous meal. It is now my favorite Filipino place in Chicago. Why? It's not your typical "carinderia" nor your fancy frou frou fusion type. When you speak of Filipino food and talk of being homemade, it usually means overcooked, greasy and excessively seasoned dishes. Here at Namit, you will find none of those. For instance, the Kwek-kwek, a street food made of boiled quail eggs, is gently coated with annatto batter. It is delicate and delicious to the bite. Have you ever tasted the subtle flavor of rice vermicelli? If not, you must try their Pancit Bihon. See the strands glisten and taste the flavor of the broth which the noodle has been cooked with. Their molo dumpling is made fresh, there is crunch as you munch the filling. All the vegetable ingredients are crisp and tender, as the way it should be. The Arroz Caldo had plenty of toppings. In addition to the typical hard boiled egg, there's crispy chicken nuggets and tokwa (tofu sticks), a flair unseen at other places. If you're new to one-pot dishes, you should try the Beef Nilaga, beef stew with clear broth and a colorful medley of carrot, cabbage, green beans, potato and corn to boot. My friends had tapsilog and chicken inasal. Overall I love the dishes, it just feels very clean, the flavors are nuanced. The food doesn't feel weathered down for me, compared to other pinoy places I've been, with, broadly-speaking, unhealthy dishes. The proprietors were wise to stay away from processed ingredients. And did you know they don't serve pork? No offense to porkies :) And no religious leanings in particular either. Just a mere preference. Chef Mark, with xx+ years of culinary experience on his belt, says (paraphrased) 'If I can capture the distinctive taste of the dish with either chicken or beef, why not?' I quite agree. We didn't leave the place without sampling baker Nathalie's goodies. The chocolate and ube cupcakes are flavor-packed! With buttercream no less. I look forward to many more...

My siblings and I went on a filipino food roadtrip around Chicago, and this was one of our favorite spots!!

The interior is beautifully decorated with plants & string lights.

The food was INCREDIBLE. We started off with lumpia (classic & veggie options), which came perfectly crunchy & fresh out of the fryer (not pictured bc we were too hungry to take photos lol). My personal favorites were the pancit & chicken sisig! The pancit has the perfect ratio of noodles to veggies, and is very flavorful yet still feels light and not greasy at all. The chicken sisig was soooo delicious (idk how they seasoned it but I could eat it for days on end) and came with super crispy tofu pieces mixed in as well. I'm not usually the biggest fan of tofu, but they know how to cook it right with the most flavor & perfect texture. We also ordered bangsilog & vegetarian kare kare (made with sunflower seeds instead of peanut butter, very considerate for those with peanut allergies!!) for my pescetarian sibling, and she loved both dishes! Each dish paired perfectly with their tasty garlic rice. We ordered halo-halo for dessert, which had a perfect amount of toppings like ice cream, leche flan (rich & creamy, made in-house along w/ the ube halaya!), and rice crispies (stayed perfectly crispy even after mixing it into the milk & ice).

*Update: I should clarify this was food for 4 ppl total and we boxed up some leftovers 😅

10/10 Filipino hospitality!! Everyone in this family-run restaurant was incredibly kind, attentive, and friendly. Our server very warmly welcomed us to Chicago and made us feel right at home. I was initially worried because we walked in 40 minutes before closing, but we never felt rushed or pressured. In fact, we were encouraged to take our time and order dessert as well. This experience made me wish I could move to Chicago just to come here again and again. Next time, my siblings and I hope to bring our...

I recently attended a fantastic private birthday party at Namit Cafe, a Filipino restaurant that serves up delicious homestyle dishes made Co-owners Mark and Nathalie created a buffet spread that was simply amazing - it included chicken adobo, garlic rice, chicken pancit, lumpia, chicken nuggets, beef stew, and a fantastic dessert table. Each dish was sooo good, made with fresh ingredients, minimal grease, and the right amount of seasoning.

Co-owner Nathalie is a pastry wizard! The ube and chocolate cakes were moist and full of flavor, while the pineapple and coconut tarts were absolute perfection. Her talent is so impressive that I wouldn't be surprised if she starts her own bakery soon. Rather, she SHOULD start her own bakery soon!

But what made the evening truly standout was the hospitality of Mark and Nathalie. They went above and beyond to make sure the event was special, managing the karaoke queue and staying late to ensure that all our needs were met, making guests feel like they were the most amazing singers belting out 80's tunes.

The restaurant itself has a warm and inviting ambiance, and it's exceptionally clean, making it perfect for a small gathering.

My partner was so impressed by the experience that he's already planning to recreate the exact same setup for his birthday next year. He proclaimed it was the best buffet set up he has ever experienced (and he has had plenty of experience eating private buffets). I hope to celebrate with Namit for my next celebration. The Kamayan/boodle looks like a ton of fun!

This is a small family-owned restaurant opening during the pandemic that surely doesn't have a ton of staff for their operations, so I'm especially impressed with their attention to detail and quality. I'm excited to support them in the future. I only wish that this amazing restaurant was closer to my home so I could indulge...