Dong Ky Chinese & Vietnamese Restaurant

For the price can’t beat this place for phở, friendly staff, piping hot soup when served, and consistency. Everything I’ve tried was awesome: papaya salad, chicken curry soup, fried rice, all non-​soupy noodle dishes, and of course phở. Even the sometimes non-​cleanliness doesn’t seem to keep me away! :P

The food here is really good. Its located inside of a market entrance. Kinda dingy dining though.
Ordered rice plate with porkchop/​shrimp (com tam suon & tom) comes with veggies and nuoc mam (fish sauce). Its flavorful but overcooked protein which im very keen to. (⁸⁄₁₀)
Hu tieu is glass noodle soup which wasnt really flavorful just in a beefy broth with bean sprout etc. (⁶⁄₁₀)
Mi quang noodle is a spicy soup with shrimp, duck, squid, beef and pork with noodles (pretty much a combo) somewhat flavorful (⁷⁄₁₀)
Lastly an appetizer: banh cong, a potato ball with a shrimp on top. Reminded me of an asian muffin. eat it similar to banh xeo which you wrap in lettuce with pickled veggies and nuoc mam. Its very dry so i wouldnt recommend it unless you like dry cornbread. (⁴⁄₁₀)

Crazy good phở. Cheap prices. Server doesn’t know what white and dark meat is unfortunately but it’s ok the phở makes up for it. Get the #32. Bun Bo hue also spicy and delicious. #69 is also great. If you’re not a fan of their use of intestines then I would say be warned; I personally just pick them out then continue on my merry way to devouring everything in my path

This is one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in Chicago. This is as close to Vietnam that I think I’ve found with some of their dishes. It’s a hole in the wall place, so if you’re going for fancy and fru fru, this ain’t it.
I love the wait staff too. Both times I’ve gone and tried to use my broken Vietnamese, they laugh and help me… just like in Vietnam! It makes it that much more of a great experience.
The phở is full of flavor, which can be difficult to find in Chicago. The Banh Xeo is delicious. They give you more side herbs than most Vietnamese places in Chicago. The papaya salad is to die for. It’s perfectly spiced with a nice balance of flavors. And the dumpling soup or whatever that thing is… I’m not sure, but we ordered it once and were surprised as what we got and ate it anyway. It was so delicious that we went back and ordered it again!
My favorite part about all of the delicious food and the staff is that this place is dirt cheap! It’s difficult to find inexpensive GOOD food, but this place hits the spot.
I did try the Banh Mi one time and I wasn’t impressed with it. If you want the best Banh Mi in Chicago head a ways down to Nhu Lan Bakery. Other than that, all of my other favorites are definitely keepers at this restaurant.

We came here for a late lunch. The food was cheap and good. We ordered Bun Bo Hue, 2 different type of Mi Xao. The Bun Bo Hue was spicy and good. The Mi Xao was ok nothing too special. The food was cheap but was ok.

I came from California and I was use to the Vietnamese food that was greasy. After having their fried rice with a combo chow mein and chicken. The chicken was so tender and lean with very delicate noodles with tons of flavor. I was very impressed with how friendly the atmosphere and service was and not to mention the best fried rice I ever had. Easy 5 star recommendation and I will be here at least once a week.

Nice place. Nice family owners. Cheap prices. Free parking!!!

Used to be one of my favorite spots for Phở but now has become a «trendy» restaurant in the area. What used to be a well-​hidden locals-​only joint is now another mainstream Vietnamese restaurant around Argyle. Prices have rose since I’ve last reviewed (to the point where it cannot be considered cheap for phở anymore) and the broth isn’t as hearty. Service is still lackluster.

SHE LIKES IT!
Remember that old commercial where one brother goes to the other let Mikey try it he doesn’t like anything and when he does he likes it and the brother goes «Mikey likes it… he really likes it.»
Well I felt like a little like Mikey recently when I went to Dong Ky a few days ago. I didn’t expect to like it, but I did. I REALLY LIKED IT, like Mikey!
You had me at HELLO!
I was promptly greeted by an enthusiastic waiter by the name of Leung (sp?) who without missing a beat brought over the obligatory ice water. Except nowadays that’s not always a given. Nowadays you’re lucky if you get table service! I still like it though because it’s free and I just happen to like water with my meal. Okay now on to the good stuff, I ordered #44 after seeing something like it posted in the window, this consisted of charbroiled beef, crispy egg roll and thin ramen noodles served in a rich broth loaded with those crunchy bean sprouts. I got the official nod and smile of approval from my waiter when ordering and felt über confident I made the right choice. Once it was served I marveled at the portion size and presentation and began to dig in. Now if I said I loved it that would be an understatement! It was soooo good Mikey would’ve REALLY liked it too! The freshness, the flavors, the subtle hint of mint and cucumbers and the egg roll all blended together perfectly.
To wash it down I ordered their exceptional pineapple bubble tea sans tapioca. Who cares if it’s 20 degrees outside, I love pineapple and I’ll take that any day over the standard soda offerings? They don’t skimp on the pineapple either… Asian Mix Café take note!
Simply Chicago’s Best!
After being in this neighborhood for close to 4 years I finally found a restaurant that fires on all four cylinders. The service, the price, the generous portions of food and fresh tasting ingredients make Dong Ky one of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in a long, long time.
Like Mikey, try it, you’ll like it too!

Rude service. I could barely walk — in fact I slid everywhere — on their floors. I had to flag down the server to take an order. The food was not great. As I checked out, Boxes of food could be seen sitting on the floor in the kitchen, which, by the way is a giant flag they likely have roach and rat issues. DO NOT GO HERE. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE EVER AGAIN.

The prices are extremely affordable– a bowl of phở for less then $ 5! Avocado smoothie for $ 3! The portions are generous and it’s a small family-​run business like most on Argyle (e.g. meaning substandard levels of cleanliness and customer service are not it’s strong points). It may not be the best food– but it is definitely the best value. 12 of us ate dinner here for $ 106.00! It is conveniently located next to the super market so you can do grocery shopping before or after. Being second gen Viet from California, homemade banh xeo is the best. However, this place definitely satisfied the fish sauce Viet food craving.

So I came about a month ago. I’ve been sampling Curried Fried Rice from various sources and this one was by far the best I’ve had.

Best Vietnamese restaurant in Argyle for its value.
The food here isn’t over-​priced and although they have raised prices due to the economy, they didn’t JACK UP the prices because of the Vietnamese food trend. Honestly, where else can you get a okay banh mi for less than $ 4? Phở for less than $ 7? The portions aren’t ridiculously huge here like a lot of other phở places that give you a HUGE BOWL OF PHO BROTH. I really think this place serves just the right portion. If one entrée isn’t enough for you, get 2 and you won’t spend an arm and a leg. If you want a traditional Vietnamese meal, order the ca kho to (caramelized cat fish in a claypot) and canh chua ca (sour soup with fish & veggies). You will be served rice in a huge bowl that you use to serve yourself and a plate of fish sauce with crushed up chili peppers. Take the fish from the soup and put it on that plate, boom.
What to get:
–Any of their com tam plates. Com tam suon, com tam suon cha, etc. You can customize your combination. Ask for a bowl of soup on the side
–Bun/​vermicelli bowls
–Phở, bun rieu, bun bo hue
–Banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake/​crêpe), spring rolls, banh cu cai chien (fried radish cakes), crab rangoon
–Banh mi thit nuong with an egg
–Vietnamese coffee, che 3 mau, avocado smoothie, jackfruit smoothie
pfft no, I don’t live here. *cough*

Let’s be honest, I will never pass up Vietnamese food and good Vietnamese food at that. My mom’s friend (who lives in Chicago) had recommended this place and who better to trust than a local, who’s also from Vietnam. With it’s entrance hidden away in a strip mall, it seems that most of the restaurant’s customers were regulars who stop by to eat and shoot the breeze. Love this atmosphere. Again, Vietnamese food obsessed, so not surprising that we ordered 5 dishes and a dessert. Guess how much that came out to… less than $ 40! To top it off, everything was delicious! We got 2 orders of the spring rolls — fried to perfection, banh xeo — which not every spot offers, phở, banh cuon, pork chop with rice and a che ba mau. Can’t beat the value and quality of the food. Will definitely be back if I find myself in Chicago again.

I love this place! The prices are right and the food is delicious (especially the pork chops)! I also love the shrimp. Number 71 is my go to dish. I would stay away from the apps (I’ve tried everything that is fried with shrimp and I haven’t been impressed) but who goes to a hole in the wall for apps anyway? The bubble teas are also really good, I generally get some type of fruit mixed with coconut.

So let’s be real, you say Vietnamese food and most people immediately point you to argyle street and another over rated establishment. However just a little south of Argyle tucked in the corner of a strip mall next to an asian food market is Dong Ky. No need to go any further. The food is delicious. The phở is amazing and so are the beef dishes. The spring rolls are surprisingly fresh and there’s more than one little tiny piece of shrimp like some other spots.
If that’s not enough, I challenge you to spend more than $ 10 on your plate. It’s pretty hard to do. Two meals with appetizer and tea and we barely hit $ 20. This place is vastly underrated and is now my go to referral for people wanting to dine on Vietnamese food in the area.
OOOh, I almost forgot. BYOB. You’re welcome.

Today was a good day! I’ve visited this restaurant In the past, and my experience has always been good. My experience today is no different than when I first came here in the late 90’s early 00’s.
The people are friendly, attentive and accommodating. The restaurant is clean and they keep condiments stocked on the table. The prices were fair and the food is delicious.
The reason the food is good? (You already know) It’s because the food is fresh!!! My smoothie was so fresh I had bits of shredded coconut and avocado in it. And of course the rice (jasmine) was super fragrant which means they used fresh (new crop) jasmine rice.
This was not, and never will be, my last time here!
We had the fresh lemon beef salad, sautéed mini clams, fried eggrolls, Vietnamese iced coffee (oh so good!) and avocado and coconut tapioca smoothie.
Can’t wait to go again!

The banh xeo (Vietnamese crepes) and pork chop and rice dishes here have always been spot on at Dong Ky. So much so that I’ve ceased to order anything else when I come here. We initially started coming here (as children) because the prices were so hard to say no to! I am happy to report that the prices remain incredibly competitive compared to neighboring Vietnamese restaurants. I sure hope it stays that way.
While you are here, you might as well get a fruit smoothie, which are also very reasonably priced. My go-to’s are the durian and avocado smoothies, and they offer many other flavors. So come here and run wild! HUGE bang for your buck.

Friendly service; REALLY GOOD food. First time we tried dishes other than their tasty Phở. As is usual with Asian restaurants, the restroom is «bleh,» but knowing that up front should help. They also do takeout. I ordered orange chicken over rice, and the orange sauce tasted freshly made– not
out of a bottle or can. Slices of an orange lined the dish. Fried breaded shrimp was our appetizer. Very good.

Of all the phở that I have tried in argyle, I think this one is most likely the one i frequent most and think that it is truly the better one. Décor wise it is nothing over the top and «new» looking like it’s neighbors «Le Phở and Tank», which makes it that much better to me. Now to the food, the soup base here is always served hot and stays hot. Unlike some of the ones I’ve been to, where by the time I start eating the soup is warm. I normally get the #32, which had beef, flank and something else, but today I had the #25, not sure what the name of it is, but the broth was so sweet and tasty. It had seafood in it and the broth itself was amazing. One good thin about the place is that it is also cost friendly and will not break the bank.
Would I recommend this place? Yes. You should try the egg rolls and the spring rolls here, really good too.