Great Asian Food in Chicago's Lakeview Neighborhood
Joy's Noodles and Rice, located at 3257 N. Broadway in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, is home to the best asian food I have ever had. That's right. The best. This casual BYOB features noodles and rice dishes common in Thai cuisine, but also standards like fried rice, steamed dumplings, and curry dishes. The staff at Joy's is extremely friendly and quick! It is possible to get in to Joy's, sit, have your meal, and pay in less than half an hour if you are a quick eater, but you'll want to linger and people watch.
The restaurant is large, with two dining areas, and floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the street during pleasant weather. Joy's is busy most nights of the week, but with quick service and so much seating, the wait times are never very long. The menu is arranged into noodle dishes, rice dishes and curry dishes, and all are available with tofu, beef, chicken, or shrimp - making it a flexible menu for any vegetarian. Standouts on the menu include the pad see eiuw, pad thai, and steamed dumplings. There are many healthy options if you are eating light, such as steamed vegetables and brown rice. Portions are huge, so you can share, or take home the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Average ticket price for one person is less than $10 - what a steal for great asian food! There's no corkage fee, so feel free to bring your own spirits since this restaurant is BYOB. I would highly recommend Joy's to the traveller looking for something off the tourist path. Take the #36 Broadway bus to Aldine, or the Red/Brown El to Belmont (about 6 blocks away).
