Rickshaw Republic

For years I fought the urge to got to Rickshaw Republic because I thought it was yet another Asian restaurant with a gimmick. Oh how wrong I was about Rickshaw Republic. After well over 90 minutes of savouring several menu items, it was as though they gave me life.
Sate ayam. Sate udang. Beef rendang, coconut rice, string beans, corn fritter. Wedang cincau dan selasi
The chicken in the sate ayam was so tender that it fell off the wooden skewer. I loved the sauce on it. I felt like I didn’t have enough of the sate udang, it was that good. The main dish was where I was hooked. I waffled between saving some to take home or finish it all at the restaurant so I wouldn’t have regrets. I finished it all and ordered another dish for to go. The wedang cincau dan selasi drink was more like dessert in a glass, although one that helps with digestion.
This restaurant is on my Top 10 list, for true. I’ll never doubt another restaurant again.

I visited Rickshaw Republic for the first time and enjoyed a filling lunch at a decent price. They offer a wide variety of appetizers, meats, and sides, and their portion sizes vary from one dish to another. We ordered a couple appetizers, the boneless chicken curry with rice that barely covered a small plate, and the fried egg noodle that covered a full-​sized plate. Anyone can find something to order here.
However, they make their food heavy, which can make you feel full and bloated. I also felt the main dishes lacked some flavor, particularly the chicken curry. But overall, their food tasted good and I liked it.
The restaurant has a small and gentle atmosphere without feeling crowded, and it is BYOB. If you’re thinking of eating someplace new, I recommend giving Rickshaw Republic a try.

Small place. Very well run. The food is pretty tasty, honestly can’t speak to the authenticity of it. I generally have the the crapes with beef things, forgotten the actual name.
Been here with the kids a couple of times, there are some rice dishes that the kids will eat, but it depends on how picky your kids are.
It’s a BYOB.

Really cute interior, wonderful ambient music, attentive service and great food. My husband and I split the pastel (veggie and egg empanadas) and gulai ayam (boneless chicken braised in savory lemongrass & turmeric coconut curry sauce), along with unfiltered ginger ales. Delicious and filling. We are excited to come back and try more!

Really enjoyed our meal here even with a group of mixed eating preferences. We ordered: pork belly, coconut lemongrass chicken, chicken fried rice, a noodle dish with multiple meats and another chicken dish plus bala bala and some lumpia. The first two listed were my personal faves. The pork and the fried rice were good for those with stomach sensitivity. Members of our party enjoyed their meals all around – lots of clean plates. I recommend the coconut rice upgrade, as I really preferred it to regular white rice.
Noise was minimal and it felt intimate so that it could be a good place for dates as well. Service was attentive. I’d come again.

I loved loved loved this place. the food was really authentic and it was very cute. they are definitely short on staff though, so you will have to wait or call/​flag the waitress/​check in girl/​billing girl (yes she does it all, im sure shes some kind of superhero) if you want anything.
we had the fried potatoes– they arent really all that fried, but man, they are tasty and super spicy. we loved the martabak– very authentic taste, but not as big as the ones you get in singapore/​indonesia. this is definitely an appetizer sized portion. for the main we had the coconut chicken with the caramelized tempeh, theres a good amount of food here, and the chicken is cooked perfectly. We got the black sticky rice and coconut milk for dessert– it comes in a glass which is super interesting and it tastes out of this world. I also got the el chicula– which tastes a lot like falooda if you have had that. I liked it a lot, it tastes exactly as it is descibed on the menu. I would ask for it without ice though, since the ice makes it really watery.
I LOVED the décor, they have the masks, the mens hats, the puppets and parasols all on the walls and ceilings. very fun and colourful. This is my new spot to stop by and try something new on the menu each time. I would come here for a fun date, or when I have an indonesian food craving.

After a few visits it’s time to review Rickshaw Republic.
This semi small space is perfect for a date night or dinner with a few friends. If you’re going with more than 4 people you may need to wait a bit. Be sure to bring a bottle of wine or a 6 pack.
Don’t skip the appetizers. The pastels, a loaded fried pastry is flaky and crispy on the outside and warm on the inside. The peanut dipping sauce compliments is addicting (can I get a spoon of it please?) The spring rolls are crispy and have a sweeter sauce.
The cornish hen dish (ayam rica rica) is spicy and savory. It’s hard not to shovel all of it in your mouth. The fried egg noodle (mie goreng) is another excellent dish and can be ordered by spiciness preference.
It’s easy to say that Rickshaw Republic is my favorite international cuinsine spot for the food, décor and overal experience. Also, you get these coffee candies with your bill that are amazing!

This is our second visit to Rickshaw Republic in the span of two years. I am glad the quality of food and service remained as good as it was, if not better. Some of the items on the menu were very similar to dishes you would get in Malaysia.
We ordered the Bala Bala (vege fritters), and Mee Goreng which was our personal favorite. We had the noodles made spicy and it was incredibly flavorful! The portions are quite large so the next time around we may just end up sharing a plate. Service was great and accommodating. Looking forward to another trip to Chicago and definitely dropping in Rickshaw Republic!

«Meh» is an interjection used as an expression of indifference or boredom. I believe «meh» thoroughly fits to describe Rickshaw Republic. BORRRRRING.
I went with six people on a Friday night. The place is very small and their seating did not make sense. They had parties of one person holding up a table that could have easily fit four. So when we walked in, we had to wait 30 minutes because of their unorganized seating arrangements.
Once we were sat, we all looked at the menu in a very confused manner. This was our first experience with Indonesian so we had zero clue what to order. Based on Unilocal recommendations and our server’s, I chose the empanadas as a starter and the pork belly with coconut rice as my main.
The empanadas were TASTELESS. I described it as an Indonesian Hot Pocket. Even with added salt and pepper, these didn’t taste like anything. It was the most boring dish I’ve had at a restaurant in ages.
The pork belly was better, the sauce was great, almost like a sweet spare ribs sauce you get at a Chinese restaurant. However, the pieces were 90% fat, 10% meat. Another disappointing aspect of the meal.
The coconut rice is good but I don’t see it being out-​of-​this-​world. I am Hispanic and know some GOOD flavored rice. Unfortunately, this is not the best rice out there.
My friends and family had ordered some fried rice dishes which they said were better but still mediocre, at best. My sister ordered a coconut curry chicken dish which, in my opinion, was the winner. Ironically, it tasted like Indian food.
The service was okay; our server was very nice. She even offered us some tea that comes out of the anus of cats which is apparently a delicacy in Indonesia. Thanks for the offer, lady, but hell naw!
The décor in this restaurant is IMPRESSIVE; beautiful! Sadly, this was the best part of Rickshaw Republic.
Overall, a very lackluster experience. Trying Indonesian food: Check. Having it again? NOPE!

As the only legitimate Indonesian restaurant in the entire Chicago area, I’m so glad that Rickshaw Republic rocks! Its so good that we take friends there and are even going tomorrow!
This is a family-​run restaurant where you’ll often see someone there managing, serving, or cooking. They are friendly and gracious — just what I learned about Indonesians and their culture — wonderful people.
The restaurant has a great red door that you can’t miss and is decorated with Indonesian art. Paper umbrella and puppets hang from the ceiling. Photographs and masks are prominent on the walls. The décor is inviting and takes me back to Indonesian memories.
Eat-​in is best as delivery doesn’t get the food served at its prime, but re-​heated leftovers have even more flavor and are literally awesome. I really can’t think of a menu item that I don’t enjoy… and I’ve tasted most of them in the past year since returning from a long trip to Bali and Lombok.
Start — all of the grilled starters are awesome (Sate)… I like ayam (chicken) served in a nutty peanut sauce with a spicy sauce as an add on. I also am in love with Gado Gado — it seriously could be the national dish of the country. Even though its sort of an entrée, I often get it as a starter too. Some of our favorite entrees include: #15 AYAM PENYET (Javanese dish; fried all natural cornish hen in spicy shrimp paste & sweet soy sauce), #16 IKAN BALADO — (Padang dish; battered swai fish in tangy spicy sauce), and #11 RENDANG — (caramelized beef curry in traditional Indonesian aromatic spices). Always go with the coconut rice option!!!
I’ve never tried dessert because I’m generally too stuffed, but they give you delightful Indonesian coffee candies at the end of the meal. Also a plus is BYOB! If you like Asian food, you won’t regret trying Rickshaw Republic!

The best way to thoroughly enjoy yourself at Rickshaw Republic is by making a reservation for the Rice Table and bringing a couple of bottles of wine. The Rice Table isn’t an actual table like I originally thought. Instead, it’s a pre fixe menu shared by the entire party. The menu is long, varied and represents some of the best dishes at Rickshaw Republic. I had to stop eating by the time the last four or five dishes came because I was stuffed from the splendid foods that came earlier!
We didn’t know that until our second visit to the Rickshaw Republic. We went for an early dinner on a weekend and had to wait over an HOUR for a table. We had lovely conversation with our friend but we were starting to get ornery by the time we were seated. Or food was really fabulous though. I don’t remember everything we ordered but somehow we stumbled upon big winners. I loved the crunchy fried chicken! It was sweet and sticky and had a candy-​like shell.
It’s busy at Rickshaw Republic so (unless you have a reservation) be prepared to wait. There’s a bar but no alcohol (because it’s BYOB). The space is beautifully decorated with Indonesian stuff so there’s lots to look at. The service is quick and friendly but not very chatty.

We came here for dinner on a Friday evening and loved this place! It’s BYOB so we brought along a bottle of riesling to pair with our meal!
We started with the shrimp satay and the chicken lumpia (spring rolls). Both were delicious; I really enjoyed the crispiness of the lumpia and the accompanying sweet/​spicy chili sauce.
For our mains we got the Babi Kecap (braised pork belly) and the Mie Goreng (fried egg noodles with meat, egg, & veggies). Both were amazing. The pork had so much flavor — an amazing combo of sweet & savory sauce and the fattiness of the pork belly itself. I would come back just for this dish. I’m a big fan of Mie Goreng, and this one did not disappoint! Lots of great flavors — fairly spicy but with a mild sweetness, the egg and beef meatballs added a richness that worked really well overall. Can’t wait to come back here and try out the rest of the menu!

My boyfriend and I had dinner here on a Tuesday Night.
The atmosphere is awesome with wooden carvings, hats and creepy (but cool) puppets hanging from the ceiling. Service was fast and polite.
We started with Rickshaw Wings and the Pastel. Both were delicious the Peanut Thai sauce that the Pastel came with was amazing we wanted to dunk everything in it.
My boyfriend ordered the Beef Rendang with coconut rice. It was very good, a teeny bit dry but the flavor was deliciously beefy and tasted like home.
I ordered the Gulai Ayam with coconut rice which was also very good but we both liked the rending more (had more flavor.)
Overall great experience and adventurous food without getting too crazy.

This was my first encounter with Indonesian food, and my experience here far surpassed my already high expectations. I came here with 4 other friends on a Saturday night and the wait was only 30 minutes. The ambiance is one of the best I’ve visited recently – it was creatively decorated and would make a perfect atmosphere for both a romantic evening or a night with friends. Plus, it’s BYOB!
I ordered the Rickshaw Wings as an appetizer (a minimum of 2 of each app is required) which rivaled and perhaps beat Crisp’s wings. It was enormous, crispy, and so flavorful. it was well worth the $ 2.50. Then, I ordered the Beef Rendang as my entrée. I risk sounding hyperbolic when I say this was the best piece of meat I’ve eaten in a long time. The beef is slow-​cooked for 3 – 4 hours and it is succulent and amazing! I suggest you order the coconut rice as well; it’s a mildly sweet compliment to the rich rengdang. I got to try bites of friend’s dishes as well including the Nasi Goreng (indonesian fried rice), which was also one of a kind. The pork belly in the Babi Kecap and the smashed chicken were also uniquely flavorful.
Rickshaw Republic is definitely serving up something special and you can not go wrong with this atmospheric BYOB.

So good lah! Or maybe I’m just homesick and missing Indo/​Malay food. Tasted very authentic though… and my friends (many first timers to Indonesian food) loved it. I ordered the rendang which was yummy and tastes just like it does at home. My sister ordered the Nasi Rames which is basically a smaller portion of either the Rendang or Gulai Ayam with side dishes. The side dishes were okay… you’re better off ordering the Gulai Ayam or Rendang dishes on their own with coconut rice for $ 3 – 4 cheaper than the Nasi Rames and larger portion of meat. The sambal was on point though!
It is a small restaurant though so our wait was about 40 mins long for a group of 10 people even at 9:30pm. I wouldn’t recommend this place for a large group, especially during busy hours. Overall, great food/​experience though. Oh and it’s BYOB.

This was my first time trying Indonesian food but definitely won’t be the last! Everyone loved their dishes. I had the beef curry with coconut rice. It was delicious, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes beef. The coconut rice was an extra $ 2, and I think you could get the regular rice and be fine. I mean, the coconut rice was delicious… but if you’re debating that extra money, you don’t need it. The rest of the food speaks for itself. My table-​mates got a noodle dish with chicken and the cornish game. They all raved about the flavors. I have to eat gluten free (Celiac) and the majority of their menu was clearly marked with options. I love it when it’s easy!
The restaurant itself is small but has a lot of character. I love all of the creative décor! Our server was exceptionally helpful and kind. She answered all of our questions about the dishes and even gave her recommendations. The restaurant is BYOB — they allow 1 wine bottle or 1 six pack of beer per couple. No corkage fee. I wish I would have known as that is a great idea! If you like Asian food, you NEED to check this place out!

I came to Rickshaw Republic last week for lunch and felt the food was fine. Nothing great but nothing bad.
I am admittedly no expert on Indonesian food. The rest of southeast Asia, yes, but Indonesian, no. So I asked for some recommendations. Many of the plates come with a variety of foods, generally centered around a particular dish and then with a variety of sides or small portions around the main item.
I had chicken curry which was surrounded by a variety of items — it was one of the lunch specials. I would recommend the dish as the individual items were cooked well and had some good flavor. However, there simply wasn’t enough flavor, nothing really stood out on the plate. It was just a variety of good, but disappointing separate items on a plate.
Solid 3 stars for me

As we made our 1-​hour urban trek towards Rickshaw, we realized that we had been to Rickshaw back in November. We had walked in, but then walked out because it wasn’t what we were looking for at the time. We’re glad we came back.
Though the Rice Table was tempting, we decided to order a la carte — fritters, crepes, chicken thigh curry, and fried rice. The fritters were heaven, the crepes were incredibly bland, the curry was rich and delicious, and the fried rice had a strong peppery flavor (which I enjoyed) and was portioned quite generously. Our table of two was full.

This place is a must.
I tried Rickshaw Republic a year or so ago for dinner and was turned off by the spiciness level of their food. Looking back, it was probably my fault as I didn’t express my dislike of all spicy things to my server at the beginning of the meal (is that weird to do?) My experience this second time around was great. First of all, Rickshaw Republic is the ONLY Indonesian restaurant in Chicago and the entire family works there. I mean, that’s just awesome and I immediately want to be a customer of theirs and become friends with the mom who cooks and I’m sure has for many years. The owner Oscar, couldn’t be nicer and I just love the atmosphere of the place.
Last night my husband and I were invited to a beer dinner by a friend that was held at Rickshaw. Lakeshore Beverage partnered with Rickshaw Republic and put on an awesome Chicago Craft Beer Week event that paired beers from their represented breweries with Rickshaw Republic’s rice table entrees. The rice table, also available in the restaurant (minimum 2 people) is a traditional Indonesian style feast with multiple courses showcasing the best local flavors of Indonesia. Many of the dishes we tried were either family recipes or foods you could find from street vendors in Indonesia. So. Good. Phenomenal beer make the experience just about as good as it could get.
Our experience included six courses (I think the normal rice table at RR is around ten). Everything was phenomenal, but the highlights were the Bala Bala (veggie fritters), Gulai Kale (Kale & Tempeh Curry) and the Babi Kecap/​Mie Goreng (braised pork belly and fried egg noodles). Our second course included Indonesian Chicken Wings, which my husband scarfed down in about 0.2 seconds… but I couldn’t handle their spiciness. The waitress noticed this and for the next course brought my Ikan Balado (Swai fillet) without their normal spicy sauce and instead gave me a sweet sauce. I couldn’t believe how much she went out of her way and I really appreciated it!
This place is also BYOB (one six pack or one bottle of wine per two guests), which puts it at the top of my Chicago Asian food restaurant chart. I would definitely recommend doing the rice table ($ 35/​person) as you get to experience so many amazing foods. Will definitely be back here again to try more of their unique flavors and support this great family owned restaurant.

Rickshaw Republic is a very easily missed restaurant if you’re not specifically looking for it. As you walk in, take a look at the interior decorations. They are just about some of the coolest and most unique decorations I’ve seen in any small Asian restaurant. Just take a look up and you’ll be amazed!
We started off with the Martabak appetizer which tasted great, although I thought it was cooked in way too much oil. I don’t like the feeling of biting down and feeling oil coating my lips! For our entrée, we got the Mie Goreng stir fried egg noodles with medium spice which I loved. It was still a tad on the non-​spicy end so they were able to give me more of their spicy hot sauce on the side. The portion is about right for the price (on the higher end for something like stir fried noodles) but I had enough to take some home. I loved the chicken and meatball added inside. We also got one of the special entrees which came with rice and pork belly. Unfortunately, the pork was tough to bite and not tender at all. It was a disappointment for us as we expected yummy pork belly goodness!
Great and efficient service, pleasant staff, and an awesome atmosphere. I’ll be back!