Hutong Cafe

I don’t understand some of the other reviewer’s expectations here. This is not a haute cuisine dining experience. This certainty isn’t comparable to Chipotle either.
Since their merger/​absorption/​partnership/​whatever with Katy’s, now you have some delicious and pretty authentic noodley dishes to sample.
If you’re looking for some excellent Chinese food and live in the area, I can’t think of a better spot.

First off, I can’t tell if this is Hutong or Katy’s Dumpling House now.
We loved this place when it was Hutong. Fresh and delicious, and something kind of different. We ate in several times and carried out.
This past weekend we ordered out and it was different. Not so fresh. We had Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chow Fun with veggies and tofu, scallion pancake and chicken skewers. Neither of our apps had the sauces with them. Annoying. My chow fun tasted like it had MSG. The chicken skewers were just dried chicken on sticks in soggy wax paper. Nothing like Hutong. The chopsticks still say Hutong but the menus that came in the bag say Katy’s. They went in the recycling anyway, we won’t order again. Bummer. Hutong was the best Asian food in the area except for Penny’s and we’ve eaten it so much our daughter won’t eat it anymore.

So my BF and I went here 5÷27÷2013 after a movie. I had heard it recently became Katy’s Dumpling House instead of Hutong. We had tried Hutong last year and had been unimpressed, but I had heard good things about Katy’s. Anyway, we get there and the place was basically full. And yes, from the moment we sat down I was like, this is strange. Servers were literally running around. Like, running. We waited a while before someone took our food ordered, and after 15 minutes had to ask for water. That took a while to come. We ordered dumplings, Cantonese pan-​fried noodles w/​chicken and a strawberry smoothie.
Well. I had to ask where my smoothie was after 20 minutes and she said «It’s almost done.» We waited another 10 – 15 minutes for it. I could tell the place was full of annoyed people. I literally saw 5 or 6 tables of people looking pissed off or annoyed about service, or outright complaining. So, probably 45 minutes after ordering, we finally got out noodles. But no dumplings! Here’s the thing: The noodles were great. I loved it. Full of fresh veggies and the sauce was yummy. And 15 – 20 minutes later we got our dumplings. They should have come first or with the noodles! Well, by then we were barely hungry anymore and ready to leave. They were still good, but I prefer potstickers. I asked a guy for a box for our food and he said one minute but never came back. I had to flag down one of the running waitresses who finally boxed it up.
I give the 2 stars based entirely on the horrible service, not the food. The food was actually really, really good. Unilocal should have one set of stars for food and one for service. Anyway. Even the smoothie was delicious. I would give one star but the waiters and waitresses were not rude or jerky, per se. They just have NO clue how to run a restaurant. And it’s not even that big!
Oh, two final things. A busboy with a cart full of dirty dishes kept coming through and picking up plates. Ew. You are not supposed to do that. Bring the plates to the kitchen. It was gross to see this. Also, this place was extremely loud. There were children literally howling and hitting chopsticks on the table. We couldn’t wait to get out of there.
So in conclusion: Do NOT visit this place, but DO order takeout and enjoy the delicious food at home. My BF and I eat out quite a bit and this was the worst, most unorganized service I have ever seen. If they fix that, their gold.

The wife said write them a 5. Ok, so check it out, this is a review for this spot as «Katy’s Dumplings»… Everything I had, beef noodle, boiled dumplings, and xiao long bao was excellent (ok, so the beef could’ve been more tender, but they had just opened). This place is a total 4.5 –well above average… Great service, and I have to give extra points and a rounding to 5 since they put shit like kidneys and intestines on their main menu with no apology. I love that. Who wants to spend their life eating egg rolls and rangoon anyway? Don’t answer that.

Katy’s Dumpling House now, which we both agree is better than Hutong. We had Fried Pork Noodles and Shrimp & Chive dumplings. The hand pulled noodles are the real deal, they firm and just perfect. We’re really excited to try many more of the noodle dishes. The dumplings though we weren’t too excited about. The filling wasn’t shrimpy enough and I think we would have preferred the fried potstickers to boiled dumpling, our bad on that one. Also the service was just OK, I think that with a little more time the girls will find their rhythm. 4 stars for the noodles!

It says Katy’s Dumpling House on the outside of the building and Hutong Café on the inside. Either way, I’m eating here again. The noodle is such an integral part of Asian cuisine and the fact that they hand stretch their noodles daily and make fresh dumplings daily is a huge plus! Massive respect from me.
We got the boiled pork and bok choy dumplings and they were delicious. I got the chenghu Dan Dan noodles that was a sure winner with its spice level and baby bok choy. My wife got the chicken fried noodles. She added sriracha to it because we are spice junkies, but I tried a bite before she put it on and it had a beautifully subtle flavor. If you don’t like spice, but you want a good authentic fried noodle dish, this simple one will do.
The service wasn’t fantastic, but it was towards the end of the night and they were still super sweet. And the food was great. They deliver too. Plus!

This place might just take the cake for worst service I’ve ever had in my life. I came here on a early Fri night with my wife and toddler. We came at this time specifically to beat the crowds and have faster service. …which is not the case here.
First, one person took our drink order, and then we had to follow up and ask 2 more servers who walked to by actually bring the drinks over after waiting 15 mins.
Second, we had a simple order of a beef soup and 2 orders of dumplings. After ~1hr the soup came and 1 order of dumplings. Strangely, the soup came right away followed up by the one order of dumplings about 30 mins after.
When I asked where the other order was because my kid was getting antsy she just stared at me blankly and replied, «oh. there was another order?» This is poor poor service especially when the restaurant is not even busy. There was no follow up.
The dumplings were great but that’s about it.

The new addition or sell-​out to Katy’s Dumplings probably won’t work either… I don’t think Hutong realizes that they are selling mediocre food at expensive prices. The food is nothing special… I’d rather go to Penny’s for much better food at the same price or a hair cheaper.

Hutong Café? Katy’s Dumpling House? I’m not sure what this place is called anymore. I’m thinking it must’ve been bought out recently and they’re slowly changing the name? The staff is still the same as Hutong Café, but they have 2 different types of menu — the old Hutong Café menu and the new Katy’s Dumpling House movie.
Anyway, the Asian food here is average. When we first came here few months ago it was a good experience. I ordered the pork ramen which was pretty good. It was good that I asked my husband to order takeout for me for the ramen. My husband really like their fried rice — doesn’t matter what meat, the rice is good for him. Their baos… ehh it’s okay, we could pass on that.
This time we came back, we ordered a variety of food. I ordered the pickled cabbage and pork noodle soup. It was okay… the pickled cabbage made my soup base a bit sour so I didn’t like it much. My husband ordered the beef fried noodles which I liked, but it was pretty salty. (I had to drink cups of water afterwards). The beef fried rice is good. We also ordered the Katy’s special boiled dumpling of beef and chives. It was not a good order. we should’ve gone without it. It didn’t taste good.
Overall I’ll come back. it’s a café and I want to try out different food on their menu.

Curiosity brought me to Hutong Café on Valentine’s Day around 2 p.m. Gigantic menus and company explanations lined the long walk to the counter. Really, the setup was similar to what an all-​Asian-​cuisine Noodles & Company would be like. I was pretty set on what I wanted to eat. I was even going to put aside my dislike of tapioca balls to try the Hutong Boba Tea.
Unfortunately, the tea wasn’t ready. While I appreciate taking time for quality and freshness, I have a problem with the missing tea for a couple of reasons. It’s hours after the restaurant has opened and it’s a holiday (capitalistic or corny, it’s celebrated). I settled for a MANGO SMOOTHIE ($ 3.50), which was fine. The papaya smoothie wasn’t available either.
I wanted to sit at a booth, but the unoccupied one wasn’t cleaned. My dish came without napkins, although I noticed other diners were asked if they wanted napkins. Also, I noticed one waitress — despite diners receiving numbers to place on the holder for their table — came by one man’s table twice with the wrong order until she got it right.
My chosen entrée was the HONEY SHINE CRISPY SHRIMP ($ 9). I ate 10 jumbo rings of shrimp rings and a mound of white rice. Frankly, the rice could have been softer. The sweetness of the shrimp’s covering overwhelmed any sour, so the dish lacked balance. I got up to get some Sriracha sauce, a few fortune cookies, and napkins at the condiment stand near the counter. The sauce helped a lot. The shrimp tasted fine to me and the rings were fabulously crispy. It was an ample amount of food for the money.
While the serving staff were personable and asked at a later point whether everything was good, I think Hutong should make improvements execution wise. I recommend that management pay more attention to making sure that food items aren’t missing from the menu (particularly on special occasion days… come on!); add more punches of flavor to entrees; and be more consistent with service. Also, I would love to see small bottles of soy and Sriracha sauce at every table.
I may return, but next time I’ll give Grandma’s Spicy Rice with Shrimp a try. Hopefully, the Hutong Boba Tea will make an appearance at my table as well.

Okay – I just have to say this: do people REALLY have to mention a place like Panda Express in their review of this restaurant? (It would be more appropriate to compare McDonald’s with Panda Express, NOT Hutong.)
Anyway, my review is based on the few things I tend to order on a regular basis for delivery.
One of my clients was telling me about this restaurant, so I ordered some food. It came quickly and I liked it a lot. I usually order the BiBimBap and it is fresh and delicious, but I have no prior experience with this dish. I love the green beans and the crab rangoon. That’s all I’ve had from here because I tend to be a creature of habit, especially with Asian food. It gets to my workplace hot, usually before the scheduled time and the delivery guys are always pleasant. Can’t ask for much more than that…

Whenever I enter restaurants that have the Chipotle and Roti chain gang service, a bit of my restaurant snobbery leaps forth. A friend had told me about Hutong Café and looking through the window, I was almost certain I was going to get the Mexican/​Mediterranean set-​up of the aforementioned restaurant.
Pleasantly surprised, no.
Crab rangoons that were nicely filled with cream cheese but not to the point of an embarrassing episode of squirting because of being overstuffed, got worked out to a complete satisfaction. Dipped in a plum sauce, those rangoons disappeared. Panang curry with chicken in a HUGE bowl instead of in a cute cup, also went the way of disappearance. Filled but not usurped with fresh vegetables, I was quite a happy man when I finished and waddled to my car.
Let’s just say that I was sated to the point where my snobbery didn’t stand a chance of taking over.

Pretty good, I’ll be back. I don’t get whoever compares here to Panda Express, because Hutong is good and does not cause diarhea. So that reviewer is crazy.
This is not fast food. It’s good food. Little more thought and effort into the dishes, and it shows.

If I could, I would give Hutong 2−½ stars. It’s not quite «A-​OK» but better than «meh.» We’ve been here four times so far, and everything that my husband has tried, he has liked (orange chicken and honey shine shrimp).
I, on the other hand, have had inconsistent food. I’ve actually ordered the same dish 4 times — the basil & jalapeño chicken. But it’s been prepared 3 different ways out of the 4 times I ordered it! (and no, I didn’t request any changes when ordering) The first and third times I had it, the chicken was breaded and it had a spicy sauce (this was my favorite preparation). The second time I ordered it, there was no sauce… just a dry, yet still stir fried, mix of ingredients. The last time I ordered it, the chicken was not breaded and it tasted bland for a spicy dish.
I almost want to go back and order it again to see if they can come up with yet another preparation, but I probably won’t.

«Meh» would probably be the best word to describe Hutong Café.
The décor and menu are very slick, reminiscent of several chain Asian concept fast food restaurants. However, I was super-​excited to see bao on the menu.
I ordered bao, ramen noodles, ramune, and a boba tea. The cashier seemed a little confused about what I ordered and kept on trying to correct my pronounciation of ramune (to ra-​moon-​EEE) and ramen (hellfiknow). On the plus side, she was very cute and actually trying to be helpful.
First the boba tea. Obviously, someone there really likes his tea. This is one of the few places that a) doesn’t offer you 10,000 flavors of boba and b) you can actually taste the oolong tea. The tapioca pearls were properly cooked and the whole thing was bursting with flavor.
Then came the bao. I don’t know if you’ve had bao before, but if you haven’t, go to your nearest Chinatown and get some. Bao are supposed to be fist-​sized pillows of steamed bread filled with a savory mixture of Chinese bbq pork, sauce, and onions. What I got was a fist-​sized pan-​fried ball of dough loosly surrounding a marble-​sized pork meatball. I shrugged and figured I’d treat it like a pot sticker. Except I just got funny looks when I asked for chili oil and rice vinegar. So I mixed soy sauce and Sriracha to approximate the flavor. It wasn’t inedible, but my stomach is currently regretting the decision to eat it.
Finally, the pork ramen. I started with the preserved boiled eggs. They were excellent. I couldn’t wait for the rest of the ramen. I should have stopped there. The broth was straight from a Lipton packet. The noodles were the frozen variety you find in a supermarket, well, maybe an Asian supermarket. While not inherently bad, these particular noodles were really over-​cooked, so they fell apart on the chopsticks. The vegetables were very well cooked, but they couldn’t save the dish.
Again, the place wasn’t terrible. It was just really not good. I’ve had better from vending machines in Tokyo train stations. Okay, that’s not fair because some of those things are pretty damn good. But the food at Hutong wouldn’t make it in a vending machine in Tokyo.
Oak Park may not be a bustling center of Asian food, but it certainly deserves better than this.

After a quick, self-​guided walking tour around Oak Park, we were starving. I had picked the last restaurant my friends and I went to, so I let them decide where we should go. We thought about it, but realized we still weren’t familiar with the area. We popped into a little boutique and asked for suggestions. Our first request was Asian. The woman working the shop gave us a long list of what was around. Then we gave her the requirement of affordable and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She said, «You should definitely go to Hutong’s. They own the sushi shop around the corner and they also own Hutong. It’s great! I go there all the time. The food is really fresh and you can get a meal for under $ 10!» Can’t beat that recommendation!
We scurried around the corner and found Hutong Café a couple storefronts down from the sushi place. It’s big and bright, very open and welcoming. It has a traditional feel with modern accents (they were playing Adele in the background). I love the combination of natural wood and red fabric. The giant menu boards are also helpful for ordering and reading about the dishes and the destinations. They also have paper menus so you can study everything side by side. There were so many good, affordable options that it was very hard to decide what to get.
My dining companions went with noodle dishes. Both were very tasty, but unfortunately I cannot remember the name of one of them. However, I do remember the Old Beijing Noodles ($ 8). The noodles mixed well with the pork, veggies and sauce. I ordered a 3-​piece Crab Rangoon ($ 2), the Orange Beef ($ 9), and a Mango Boba Smoothie ($ 3.50). The Crab Rangoon was pretty good. The wonton shells were light and crispy, the filling was creamy. I wish it had a little more crab taste. For $ 2 you can’t really complain too much. The Orange Beef was spectacular. The meat is lean, it has a light batter that is slightly crispy, and the sauce is thick without being gorpy. It came with four perfectly steamed and still slightly crunchy broccoli bites and a side of rice (your choice of steamed or fried). I was only able to eat the broccoli and half the rice and beef. The rest became leftovers. The Bubble Tea Smoothie was great. It had a strong mango flavor and the tapioca pearls were very tasty, although a little frozen.
I’ve been raving to my friends about this place and I can’t wait to come back and try some more of their dishes. The Pork Bao looks amazing. And if meat isn’t your thing, they have a decent selection of veggie options as well. Also, I kinda want to steal their super cute smiling takeout box cartoon decal on their wall. It makes me all kinds of happy.

After an epic journey to the Orient I thought I wouldn’t be able to lay eyes (or my nose) on various Asian cuisine for a while. I was sorely mistaken when a mere week and a half later I craved Korean and Thai food.
To my stomach’s delight Hutong opened recently a mere hop skip and a jump from my humble abode and to my nostalgia’s delight, when I walked in I felt transported to a number of the trendy eateries in Seoul and even a hostel we stayed at in Bangkok. My heart swelled. The bright red wall with the stencil of the child eating noodles, amazing (and it was lot like stencils we saw on our trip). The lanterns strategically staggered for visual interest are just like lanterns I saw at markets all over Korea and Thailand. And I loved the adorable takeout cartoon at the entry.
The menu (which is strategically placed right when you walk in) has various Asian dishes, but I opted to get a couple of appetizers (you know, just in case my taste buds weren’t quite ready to jump back to Asian food yet). I ordered Bao, crab rangoon and pot stickers. Like I said I wanted to make sure I could handle even a hint of Asian food. I really enjoyed the Bao, the crab rangoon were pretty standard but the pot stickers were a little too salty for my taste. I missed the Bibimbap on the menu, otherwise I would have gotten that instead because I did not max out on that in Korea.
Anyway the food was good, not stellar, but good. The prices are fantastic and the service, ah the service, just like we experienced in Asia. Some incredibly nice and helpful people.
Next time I’m craving a fast Asian bite to eat or I’m reminiscing of my trip to the Orient you can find me at Hutong.

This might be my new go to spot…
I had a nice time relaxing in the spacious booth munching on my flavorful chicken lettuce wraps and a side of snap eas in garlic but was soon annoyed by the 8 teens crammed into a booth playing drums on the table with chopsticks and other loud behavior. I said something to an employee who walked by but he didnt do anything about it.
Besides that I thought the food was scrumptious! The wraps and peas had a salty taste that made me feel like I was going to be dehydrated later but I was not! Woo hoo!
The atmosphere is very nice and comfy. Ther eis no table service whech means no tip which translates into a cheap place to eat!

For years, my husband and I have wanted to write a children’s book called «Suzy Szechwan and the Cuddly Dumplings.» It would be an adventure, likely involving hijinks and brushes with peril in a Chinese kitchen, but ultimately ending with Suzy being reunited with Sammy Soy and her other friends. I’m not sure if this is really offensive. You will have to tell me.
Anyway Suzy lives at Hutong for sure. The décor is impossibly pretty (reminds me of the palettes at the Paper Source next door). Hutong means neighborhood but, unlike the mailman, the landscaper and the dog walkers, Hutong is anything but routine. Goodness, I have not Chinese food this fresh and crunchy (as opposed to over-​saucified) in many moons. I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken, one of their most popular dishes, and thinking it would be the barometer of flavors to come. It was perfectly spiced (maybe a touch more?) and well prepared. An ample portion for dinner; maybe even enough to take home for a snack. We also had the crab rangoon, egg rolls (skip it), bao, chicken lettuce wraps (favorite) and basil and jalapeño chicken (I’m getting this next time.
The menu is perfectly sampled: noodles, rice dishes, soup, vegetarian items.. . boba tea, smoothies. I would say don’t just carry out; a temptation quite hard to resist. Instead, sit down and enjoy the cozy ambience and the kind staff. It’s a great ending to a story starting with friends and foibles. Hat tip to Timmy Takeout, the adorable carry out box cartoon near the entry way.

The owners of Sushi House have given Oak Park another gem. Hutong Café is melting pot of Asian cuisine, with favorites like Pad Thai and Crab Rangoon mixed in with unknown (but soon to be famous) dishes like Korean bibimbap. It’s a casual order-​at-​the-​counter place, with plenty of soy sauce and siracha to go around.
On my first trip here, I had the bao (pork) and bibimbap, which was surprisingly awesome. I’ve been served dishes called «bibimbap» that bear no resemblance to the real Korean dish. Hutong Café does this dish RIGHT, with a ooey-​gooey sunny side up fried egg, cold toppings, and warm rice, doused in a bucked of hot chili sauce. It was hot, but hot with FLAVOR, not just heat. The bao wasn’t what I was expecting, but was still good. It was more of a meatball surrounded by dough than what I’m used to (loose fillings in dough).
While I was there, many people came in for to-​go orders, but I think they are missing out by not eating in. The giant booths can seat 6 – 8 people, and aren’t crammed together. It’s a very American design for an Asian restaurant. The atmosphere is lively, but not obnoxious, and the staff are helpful, cheerful, and willing to explain each dish to patrons.
I may have only been here once, but I’ll be back. and SOON.