Joy Yee’s Noodles
WHAT: Joy Yee’s Noodles
WHERE: 2139 S. China Pl.
OUR RATING: Do It!
Huge portions, wholesome food and hot plates mark Joy Yee’s Noodles out as one of the most unique and fun experiences in Chinatown and Chicago itself. The bowls of food are literally giant and served traditionally in stoneware and metal, while bubble tea flows freely from the alcove out front, purportedly the first location to serve the concoction in Chicago.
Can’t make it down to Chinatown? Not to worry! Joy Yee’s has a plethora of other locations, including Joy Yee’s To Go in Lakeview, and locations in Evanston, Naperville and University Village.
Alicia: Everything about Joy Yee’s is big and loud. The place is always bustling, so you’ll probably wait a bit for a seat, and when you are seated, just be prepared for the meal to be loud and crazy. And then you get the menu and your head will spin, with page after page of fruit drinks, bubble teas, and an unending food menu. The picture to the right is just one page of many for just the drinks…
Bubble teas, etc, are good and all, but I don’t often order them. Yet, with Joy Yee’s offering an extensive menu of teas inside (as well as offering to-go windows on one end of the restaurant), I just had to order one. My sister and I split the Lychee Bubble Tea and the gigantic glass arrived at our table chock-full of fresh, delicious lychees and a plethora of beautiful tapioca pearls. It took quite awhile, but we savored every last drop of its sweet and refreshing tastiness.
As I’m all about contrast, the day I ordered the Lychee Bubble Tea was the same day I discovered the Korean Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup. Spicy broth housed luxurious noodles and an ongoing supply of shrimp, octopus, scallops and a white fish. The bowl was so huge that I had to bring more than half of it home. It was certainly spicy and is sure to clear your sinuses, but it isn’t so spicy as to completely overwhelm the delicate seafood, so it’s definitely a win-win.
I’ve been to Joy Yee’s more times than I can count, but my favorite visit was probably when Adam and I split their Korean Sliced Beef with Spicy Tofu Soup. But I’ve talked about food enough, and I’m hungry again for Joy Yee’s…so I’ll leave this one for Adam to describe!
Adam: Being a huge fan of exotic food, Joy Yee’s really fits my bill excellently. With cuisine from across Asia, you can take a quick trip to China, before hopping onto Korea and sailing down to the Malay Peninsula. I’ve had two experiences here and both of them resulted in very different responses, so bear with me.
The first dish I ordered here was the Lemongrass Spicy Chicken, which was, disappointingly, more lemon than spice. This might be due to its simplicity – you want to order extravagantly at a place that serves some of its food inside massive bamboo shoots. The citrus flavor of the lemongrass was, however, much appreciated, even if the overall dish cannot be recommended.
Now, onto the main event: Korean Sliced Beef with Spicy Tofu Soup. Perhaps the best item on the menu, it’s massive, easily split between two people and a perfect reflection of several Asian cuisines. A hot stone plate piled high with grilled beef and a tangy spicy sauce are laden upon one side of your wooden tray, whilst a stone bowl of steaming soup lulls deliciously on the other, complete with vegetable broth and numerous tofu pieces afloat within it. Definitely recommended and only for the hungriest of people, this meal is worthy of a visit in itself to this staple of Chinatown, Chicago.
Final Thoughts: To be honest, Joy Yee’s may not be for everyone. If you don’t like loud restaurants, you may want to think twice, and if you don’t like making decisions on what to eat, then this place will certainly test you. Another word of warning is that Joy Yee’s sometimes skimps on your leftovers. What we mean is, if you ask to take home your leftovers, they will only give you back an amount that fits in one takeout container, so if you have more than that, they will just toss the rest.
Other than these slight drawbacks, Joy Yee’s will provide a crazy and enjoyable experience whether you are on a fun date or hanging out with a bunch of your friends, and we’re sure you’ll leave feeling like you just ate a whole giant fish. Which, of course, is actually an option.