Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Chinatown

Joy Yee Noodle’s Chinatown flagship is a high-volume pan-Asian stalwart where Thai noodle dishes share the stage with a sprawling menu and one of the city’s largest bubble tea lineups. Since the mid-1990s, it’s been a default stop for groups looking to combine Thai staples like pad thai and basil chow fun with smoothies and fruit freezes in the heart of Chinatown Square.

Opened in 2018 on Cermak, Pho Cafe is a straightforward Chinatown pho shop where house special bowls, rare beef and meatball combinations, and bun bo hue anchor an affordable menu. Service and ambiance are simple, but it’s a practical move when you want a quick, filling Vietnamese meal near the Red Line.

Set just off the main Chinatown drag, The Noodle is a casual counter-service spot best known for large bowls of pho backed by a small roster of Thai curries and tom yum. It’s used more as an everyday noodle stop than a destination, with steady takeout traffic and value-focused pricing for students and neighborhood regulars.