This spot has some great dishes, but the standout for me is their gun poong chicken. Enjoy a plate full of drumsticks that are crispy on the outside and soft inside, covered in a spicy sauce and a side of rice. Be sure to ask for extra napkins.
Food: 5
Service: 4
Charlie Huang
Hidden gem
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Yujin O
Korean-style Chinese restaurants. Black bean noodles were the best.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Joseph Browne
Great food loved the fish green curry nicely spiced. Super friendly staff very helpful .Cute little place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dmitriy Chetverechenko
The food was perfect! The staff were very nice! Great place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DK
For me, this is THE best Korean-Chinese spot in Chicago. Sure, there are places like Yu's Mandarin, Chef Ping, Great Sea, Great Beijing, etc but they don't focus only on Korean-chinese food like Lai Lai do, hence in my opinion, Lai Lai serves the best Jajangmyeon and Jjambbong.
Now, Jajangmyeon comes in many varieties, but most people aren't aware of the differences:
Regular Jajangmyeon: All ingredients are stir-fried, then water and starch are added, resulting in a familiar starchy texture with added sugar or salt.
Gan Jajang: Cooked with just oil, it tends to be more oily and has a stronger "fire" taste from longer stir-frying, often more salty.
Uni Jajang: Ingredients are minced, so the dish lacks visible ingredient shapes and texture but brings out most flavor.
Sam seon Jajang (precious ingredients from sky, land, and sea): Originally with expensive items like shrimp, abalone, and pork, now often substituted with squid and cheaper ingredients.
Tray Jajang: Essentially +2 portions of Sam seon Jajang without the expensive ingredients.
I mention this because in Chicago, there are very few places offering these varieties, and even fewer doing it well. No one specializes in it quite like Korea, and the closest I've found to matching Korean taste is regular Jajangmyeon from Lai Lai.
I can also go on about Jjambbong and the chicken as you see on the picture but perhaps on another review...
It’s been a while since I ate Jjamppong~~ It's similar to Korean taste~~ Thank you~~
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: 짜탕면 짬짜면
Always Tell the truth
Every Monday after work I forget they are not open …. So I yearn to have it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, oh yeah and Friday ? such a great spot . So blessed to be able to enjoy their food .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Orange Chicken
Jose Aguilar Figueroa
This place is amazing, it's a shame the shopping center is going thru some ups and downs. We drive all the way out from Bartlett when we crave it. Our go to has always been the spicy seafood soup. Ask for extra vegetables, can be had mild or spicy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SOFIA GILLMAN
Legit champpong/chajangmyun spot.The best I found.Not saturated with grease/oil nor sodium nor glucose.Very clean taste and light yet not bland or just a bowl with water-soupAs a Korean and a foodie I have high standards for Korean cuisine and Korean-Chinese fusion food.This makes the list for regular visits.Unassuming mom & pop shop with solid quality.Price is great.Personally I like champpong with more spice and heat but I can do this light and less spicy version. I could tell it was made with care and attention. Chajangmyun could use tiny more of the paste but again no tummy ache afterwards so that is a win.Every time I eat these type of food I get tummy ache due to the high content of fats and sodium (stir fried) but this time I had no such symptoms. WowWe must preserve this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Bean Noodles and Spicy Seafood Noodles, Seafood Noodle, Peking & Seafood Noodle
Best jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk in the area. Hands down. Big portions
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very bath costumer service sorry will never go back there
Service: 1
Delicious and affordable!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just a great restaurant! Been going there for years!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Rice, Egg Roll, Peking Noodle
This spot has some great dishes, but the standout for me is their gun poong chicken. Enjoy a plate full of drumsticks that are crispy on the outside and soft inside, covered in a spicy sauce and a side of rice. Be sure to ask for extra napkins.
Food: 5
Service: 4
Hidden gem
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Korean-style Chinese restaurants. Black bean noodles were the best.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Great food loved the fish green curry nicely spiced. Super friendly staff very helpful .Cute little place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was perfect! The staff were very nice! Great place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
For me, this is THE best Korean-Chinese spot in Chicago. Sure, there are places like Yu's Mandarin, Chef Ping, Great Sea, Great Beijing, etc but they don't focus only on Korean-chinese food like Lai Lai do, hence in my opinion, Lai Lai serves the best Jajangmyeon and Jjambbong.
Now, Jajangmyeon comes in many varieties, but most people aren't aware of the differences:
Regular Jajangmyeon: All ingredients are stir-fried, then water and starch are added, resulting in a familiar starchy texture with added sugar or salt.
Gan Jajang: Cooked with just oil, it tends to be more oily and has a stronger "fire" taste from longer stir-frying, often more salty.
Uni Jajang: Ingredients are minced, so the dish lacks visible ingredient shapes and texture but brings out most flavor.
Sam seon Jajang (precious ingredients from sky, land, and sea): Originally with expensive items like shrimp, abalone, and pork, now often substituted with squid and cheaper ingredients.
Tray Jajang: Essentially +2 portions of Sam seon Jajang without the expensive ingredients.
I mention this because in Chicago, there are very few places offering these varieties, and even fewer doing it well. No one specializes in it quite like Korea, and the closest I've found to matching Korean taste is regular Jajangmyeon from Lai Lai.
I can also go on about Jjambbong and the chicken as you see on the picture but perhaps on another review...
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great tasting
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Fried Rice
It’s been a while since I ate Jjamppong~~
It's similar to Korean taste~~
Thank you~~
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: 짜탕면 짬짜면
Every Monday after work I forget they are not open …. So I yearn to have it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, oh yeah and Friday ? such a great spot . So blessed to be able to enjoy their food .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Orange Chicken
This place is amazing, it's a shame the shopping center is going thru some ups and downs. We drive all the way out from Bartlett when we crave it. Our go to has always been the spicy seafood soup. Ask for extra vegetables, can be had mild or spicy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Legit champpong/chajangmyun spot.The best I found.Not saturated with grease/oil nor sodium nor glucose.Very clean taste and light yet not bland or just a bowl with water-soupAs a Korean and a foodie I have high standards for Korean cuisine and Korean-Chinese fusion food.This makes the list for regular visits.Unassuming mom & pop shop with solid quality.Price is great.Personally I like champpong with more spice and heat but I can do this light and less spicy version. I could tell it was made with care and attention. Chajangmyun could use tiny more of the paste but again no tummy ache afterwards so that is a win.Every time I eat these type of food I get tummy ache due to the high content of fats and sodium (stir fried) but this time I had no such symptoms. WowWe must preserve this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Bean Noodles and Spicy Seafood Noodles, Seafood Noodle, Peking & Seafood Noodle
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