Red Chilli Noodle Star

$$ • Chinese, Noodles, Seafood

About Red Chilli Noodle Star

Red Chilli Noodle Star is a restaurant located next to Waba Grill in the Chicago and University area. The place is fairly casual and open, with a surprisingly large, open dining area with booths lining the walls and large tables to facilitate family meals, dim sum, etc. The lighting is just right by day, and adjusted down at night. Towards the back is the closed kitchen, but on display is where the dumplings and steamed buns are prepared, and assembled fresh to order. The place is nice inside and very clean, with ample parking.

The food receives praise for its fresh flavors. The cucumber salad is delicious and a large portion, so sharing is possible, or leftovers. The Szchuan fried fish is a very big plate, and with rice on the side, very filling, plus there's that satisfying mouth-numbing sensation only Szchuan peppercorns can achieve. The sui mai and juicy pork dumplings hit the spot, and the pad thai has just the right amount of sweet and spice. The Hong Kong style noodles, Mapo tofu, beef roll, braised beef noodle, and vegetarian orange chicken are all so good. The dumplings come with many options for fillings as well as steamed or fried preparation, and the pork and leek fried comes with a dipping bowl of black vinegar and ginger. The steamed buns are tasty and fresh. The Chefs special #1 Mao's Brised pork was one dimensional in flavor and the meat was DRY, and the dumplings/wontons dimsum ones or soup as well as the wonton soup chefs special greenbeans and the white rice are recommended.

Service is friendly and consistent, though it can get pretty busy and the staff can be stretched thin. The food is worth the wait. They offer American Chinese styles and traditional food from Hunan, Szchuan, Canton, and Shanghai amongst other regions, all made to order.