An amazing experience! Service was exceptional and everything was delicious. Highly recommend the skirt steak skewers! Definitely go here, a truly unique experience.
Sudhir
We are vegetarians. It would have been nice if there were more vegetarian options. Vegetarians do not eat any fish and eggs either. I certainly would visit the restaurant again provided they have more vegetarian items to choose from
Laura
Very impressive selection. Our server was knowledgeable and the food was extraordinarily tasty. Great value and we enjoyed the BYOB aspect of the restaurant.
Arnold
We tried the Tasting menu and it was amazing! It was traditional dishes that had so much flavor. It was a wonderful experience.
Emil
Excellent and truly unique food. Sub-par service - inexperienced and disoriented servers all around.
Molly
We had the tasting menu and it was incredible! The staff was kind and welcoming both to our vegetarians and meat eaters.
Billy Cabrales
Wow. The owner responding to everyone calling them trolls and telling them what they should and shouldn't like based on what they serve is completely unprofessional and sounds like a 15 year old. I feel bad for the business owner that probably isn't aware that this is happening. Can't wait for the troll of a response to this review. Losing customers is not good for business. Can't imagine the business will last long if they continue trading customers like they are second rate citizens when they don't like the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Donna Wang Su
What an amazing experience!! Currently, they're only BYOB but the mocktail flights were absolutely delicious - there was a ginger beer, lychee and a third one was a coconut lemongrass one.
For food, for our group - our favorites included Beef Skewers (Sach Koh Ang), Pork Belly (Chein Sach Chrouk), Mai's Eggrolls, Noodles (Cha Mee Katang), and definitely this super delicious shreeded mango salad with crispy fried tilapia on top. We also tried the prahok kitss (grilled pork belly and gorund pork dip) that was interestingly served with vegetables and fruit. We also had their Khmai famous curry that was simmered in coconut curry broth. The only dish that fell a little short for us was the Sach Ko Ang which was braised beef ribs as the meet was a little tough and the BBQ sauce was okay. But everything was absolutely fabulous that it was easily overlooked. Service was friendly and was able to explain the menu and dishes to us as it was our first time having Cambodian food. Can't wait to come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bao Pham
I’ve only been once, but I will be back again and again for the scrumptious, flavorful food. I appreciated the wait staff’s efforts on a fairly busy night — I also observed genuine, thoughtful, and kind staff who enjoy working together as a team. I’ve been recommending Khmai to local friends and will be taking a friend from out of town here soon!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Walker
We loved our food and experience at this neighborhood gem. On a cold winter night, our warm and delicious dishes hit the spot. Our server guided us through the menu and every dish was a delight. We ordered too much but enjoyed the take away the next day.
First time trying Cambodian food and I was floored! The server was very knowledgeable regarding the menu and specifically for me, I have a fish allergen and the server Dakota made sure to let me know what was safe for me to eat. Will definitely be returning and hopefully they will start serving alcoholic drinks because I’d love to try them!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
COAnyMusic
Delicious food and awesome restaurant. Unfortunately despite booking in advance I was called and told we needed to be in a separate area with a limited menu for my my wife's bday dinner with our daughter. Nothing of the sort was indicated when booking. I will say having dined there the food was great! But there are tons of great dining options in Chicago and unfortunately a negative experience like this is enough for us to not return. Too bad as we live so close.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
M F
This place is a real find. Not just for the fantastic and interesting food, but also for the love and fun and wild experimentation of Chef Mona. You know you'll always get delicious food, but you never know what else she'll come up with on her ever-changing menu. Bone marrow? Sure, why not. A Cambodian Hamburger? Delish. An entire menu based on Funky Flavors? Absolutely amazing.
Go with an open mind and an empty belly and you won't be disappointed. Have only eaten in the casual restaurant but plan to try the upscale side soon.
Our favorites: Loc Lac (grilled rib eye w/onions) Mee Kow Ko (braised beef shank w/noodles in broth) Bobor (porridge w/chicken) Lod Bompoung (chicken nuggets in rice paper) Bai Bampoung (coconut croquettes) egg rolls Ktam Chien (crab cakes) Pahut Sach Ang (meatballs in butter sauce) Bai Cha (fried rice w/sausage, egg, veggies) chicken & waffles ice creams -- coconut, fish sauce (tastes like caramel!), peppercorn
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erwin John
Everything we ordered had perfect flavor balance. All the side dishes and sauces really complimented the main dish. Amazing service and awesome 90's R&B playlist.
B
We visited Khmai to celebrate our wedding anniversary and it was a wonderful culinary adventure. We tried the Funky Journey and loved the multiple courses of creative dishes, bold flavors, and thoughtful inventiveness which made the meal unforgettable. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, adding so much to the experience. We also enjoyed the mocktails, which were both unique and refreshing. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore exciting Cambodian flavors in a gorgeous setting.
An amazing experience! Service was exceptional and everything was delicious. Highly recommend the skirt steak skewers! Definitely go here, a truly unique experience.
We are vegetarians. It would have been nice if there were more vegetarian options. Vegetarians do not eat any fish and eggs either. I certainly would visit the restaurant again provided they have more vegetarian items to choose from
Very impressive selection. Our server was knowledgeable and the food was extraordinarily tasty. Great value and we enjoyed the BYOB aspect of the restaurant.
We tried the Tasting menu and it was amazing! It was traditional dishes that had so much flavor. It was a wonderful experience.
Excellent and truly unique food. Sub-par service - inexperienced and disoriented servers all around.
We had the tasting menu and it was incredible! The staff was kind and welcoming both to our vegetarians and meat eaters.
Wow. The owner responding to everyone calling them trolls and telling them what they should and shouldn't like based on what they serve is completely unprofessional and sounds like a 15 year old. I feel bad for the business owner that probably isn't aware that this is happening. Can't wait for the troll of a response to this review. Losing customers is not good for business. Can't imagine the business will last long if they continue trading customers like they are second rate citizens when they don't like the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
What an amazing experience!! Currently, they're only BYOB but the mocktail flights were absolutely delicious - there was a ginger beer, lychee and a third one was a coconut lemongrass one.
For food, for our group - our favorites included Beef Skewers (Sach Koh Ang), Pork Belly (Chein Sach Chrouk), Mai's Eggrolls, Noodles (Cha Mee Katang), and definitely this super delicious shreeded mango salad with crispy fried tilapia on top. We also tried the prahok kitss (grilled pork belly and gorund pork dip) that was interestingly served with vegetables and fruit. We also had their Khmai famous curry that was simmered in coconut curry broth. The only dish that fell a little short for us was the Sach Ko Ang which was braised beef ribs as the meet was a little tough and the BBQ sauce was okay. But everything was absolutely fabulous that it was easily overlooked. Service was friendly and was able to explain the menu and dishes to us as it was our first time having Cambodian food. Can't wait to come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve only been once, but I will be back again and again for the scrumptious, flavorful food. I appreciated the wait staff’s efforts on a fairly busy night — I also observed genuine, thoughtful, and kind staff who enjoy working together as a team. I’ve been recommending Khmai to local friends and will be taking a friend from out of town here soon!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
We loved our food and experience at this neighborhood gem. On a cold winter night, our warm and delicious dishes hit the spot. Our server guided us through the menu and every dish was a delight. We ordered too much but enjoyed the take away the next day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
First time trying Cambodian food and I was floored! The server was very knowledgeable regarding the menu and specifically for me, I have a fish allergen and the server Dakota made sure to let me know what was safe for me to eat. Will definitely be returning and hopefully they will start serving alcoholic drinks because I’d love to try them!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food and awesome restaurant. Unfortunately despite booking in advance I was called and told we needed to be in a separate area with a limited menu for my my wife's bday dinner with our daughter. Nothing of the sort was indicated when booking. I will say having dined there the food was great! But there are tons of great dining options in Chicago and unfortunately a negative experience like this is enough for us to not return. Too bad as we live so close.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
This place is a real find. Not just for the fantastic and interesting food, but also for the love and fun and wild experimentation of Chef Mona. You know you'll always get delicious food, but you never know what else she'll come up with on her ever-changing menu. Bone marrow? Sure, why not. A Cambodian Hamburger? Delish. An entire menu based on Funky Flavors? Absolutely amazing.
Go with an open mind and an empty belly and you won't be disappointed. Have only eaten in the casual restaurant but plan to try the upscale side soon.
Our favorites:
Loc Lac (grilled rib eye w/onions)
Mee Kow Ko (braised beef shank w/noodles in broth)
Bobor (porridge w/chicken)
Lod Bompoung (chicken nuggets in rice paper)
Bai Bampoung (coconut croquettes)
egg rolls
Ktam Chien (crab cakes)
Pahut Sach Ang (meatballs in butter sauce)
Bai Cha (fried rice w/sausage, egg, veggies)
chicken & waffles
ice creams -- coconut, fish sauce (tastes like caramel!), peppercorn
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything we ordered had perfect flavor balance. All the side dishes and sauces really complimented the main dish. Amazing service and awesome 90's R&B playlist.
We visited Khmai to celebrate our wedding anniversary and it was a wonderful culinary adventure. We tried the Funky Journey and loved the multiple courses of creative dishes, bold flavors, and thoughtful inventiveness which made the meal unforgettable. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, adding so much to the experience. We also enjoyed the mocktails, which were both unique and refreshing. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore exciting Cambodian flavors in a gorgeous setting.
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