I've been several times now for hibachi with coworkers, and generallt, it is a good time. The lunch chicken hibachi special is 9 dollars and comes w soup, fried rice, and veggies, and is plenty of food, especially for 9 dollars. Gotta say though, the flavor of the hibachi food, while OK, definitely isn't as good as the expensive hibachi joints in the city. Not that it's bland, it's just...ok. The steak and shrimp hibachi lunch specials are all several bucks more for the same amount of food, and while they are decent they're (to me) not worth increasing cost by 60%. I have had their sushi several times and enjoy it. I'm no sushi pro so I stick to the conventional rolls, but hey, I know what I like and I like those. Beer and sake available, they have cocktails hut I've never tried them. Hibachi show is quite animated, WAY better than the hibachi place I used to go to. The show is definitely fun and the chefs are good at it. No hibachi Mon and Tue though! Food is 3/5, bonus 0.5 for low price, bonus 0.5 for liking the hibachi performance. Plus I like the sushi. Will continue to eat here for sure.
(4)
Ritta A.
We order from this place about once or twice a month. The food is decent. I always order the filet mignon and shrimp hibachi and my husband the steak and lobster hibachi. The portions are good. one of my complaints would be that, I don't think they actually give me filet mignon and the shrimp seem steamed instead of grilled. Sometimes the food is amazing, other times not so much. On a good day the lobster tail and shrimp is tender, juicy and delicious. On a bad day its like rubber. Maybe because we always order for delivery. They do deliver really fast and that's a plus. We usually spend about $80 per order for 2 hibachi dinners, crab Rangoon and sometimes pot stickers. I also love the smoothies, but don't order the pineapple because it doesn't taste like pineapple. I would also recommend you didn't order the sushi, the 3 times I ordered it was like grocery store quality.
(3)
David M.
I've tried a handful of dishes from their Thai and Chinese menus. The Thai menu should just be entirely eliminated, it just isn't good. Their Chinese dishes are better, but nothing I'd write home about.
(2)
James J.
It's a nice variety of Asian food since there is Japanese, Chinese, and Thai. The Chinese food is actually very good but the Thai falls short of expectations.
(3)
Sara M.
One of my favorite Chinese food places by my parents house. Since I'm staying at my parent's lovely rehabilitation center post surgery, my dad and I placed an order for dinner tonight. I can only eat soft foods so we ordered: veggie egg foo yung, veggie fried rice, and egg drop soup. My plan was to stick to the egg drop soup, but it really wasn't that great. I found it pretty slimey and not my taste. I decided to venture in to the egg foo yung and rice containers, since they didn't seem like much harder foods than the macaroni and cheese the oral surgeon suggested. They went down easily and were delicious, as always! And, hey, my dad said they place was, "pretty good," which is a pretty solid 4/5 on his scale.
(4)
Jason G.
This place is awesome. Reliable and consistent food, great service. You can even write rap songs about this place. Specifically about fortune cookies
(5)
Laura C.
Outstanding asian cuisine & service! Fresh ingredients, veggies cooked al dente. I have not tried their sushi. Vast menu offerings. Tonight, they didn't provide white rice in our take-out order. They delivered rice & a free smoothie to us. Can't beat that! Best Chinese, Thai, Japanese in the area!
(5)
Patrick W.
There's no way that I can compete with Candice's review so like Bart Simpson, I'll have to be happy underachieving. Brought my 3 month old here for lunch while my wife was at work. Very friendly staff. One of the owners came by to sit and play with my lil punkin while I ate. I should probably clarify that by lil punkin, I mean my daughter, lol! The sushi I had was good. Tasted fresh and I enjoyed the preparation. I also ordered some sweet and sour chicken to go for later and didn't care for that as much. I personally am not a fan of the sauce directly on the chicken if it's a to go order. Everything gets soggy, and that's no fun for anybody. All in all, I loved the sushi and will definitely be back to try more of that insanely ginormous menu!
(4)
Fran A.
This Chinese restaurant has little bit of everything. Chinese Thai sushi just bought anything you can imagine of Asian culture. I opted for the sushi and hot and sour soup. It met my needs and I will definitely be back when I'm in the area.
(3)
Rafael D.
I really like their food but sometimes there's glass in my soup! Luckily I find it. If you go there a lot, they give you candies and chocolates! Amazing food and service, just be careful with the soups.
(3)
Graciela S.
It's my first time here but I will never be back. Their soup was disgusting and I could've made better at home. Their sushi was subpar. The actual meal I had was also disgusting. Also I found a hair in my soup.... I'm a little bit doubtful bout their reviews. I think these are all a lie. Also think I'm going to call the health department on them. Because I've been a little under the weather since I was there yesterday.
(1)
Miguel F.
The worst customer service I've ever had... I call to see if they accept AMEX cards and they say yes, I go and my card wasn't accepted I though is my card but I bought gas and groceries after and everything was ok with my card, I call to talk to the manager and the guy was very unfriendly and rude, he though I want free food or something like that and give me the worst service, what the f... is wrong with this employee I don't want free food I was calling to let them know that something is wrong with their system, he hung up with out even say I'm sorry or good bye!! If he was the owner, men, shoe some respect to your loyal customers, the foods is ok, don't lose them only because you don't know how care customers.
(1)
Juanita S.
food is always good. nice size portions and good prices. we have been going there for years.
(4)
Lolla S.
I'm giving this only 2 stars because last night I took my friend Dan for his first visit here. The staff were not clearing the tables so there was a long wait to be seated. When we finally were seated, the large table next to us was still full of dirty plates and half-eaten food by the last customers, I could actually smell it. and...it stayed that way for a good 45 minutes, as did other tables in the dining room. This kind of ruined our entire dining experience. Mind you, I had told Dan what a great place this was, so I felt bad for even taking him here. I had never had an issue before with Tai San Chef, and previously liked the food. But after this visit, in the morning I woke with a huge migraine so I'm wondering now if their food doesn't have MSG. Not sure I'll come back to this place.
(2)
Ezra E.
Just okay. I had an order of Tom Kha Gai (listed on the menu as chicken coconut soup) and it was below average at best. Chicken was an odd texture and the soup was missing flavors. I did enjoy the spring rolls and my order of General's chicken was decent. They also charge for refills of soda which seems like a nickel and dime thing to do when it's a fountain drink.
(3)
Devin W.
Good food and service. The only downside is how dirty it is.
(3)
Michelle T.
This is our favorite Asian restaurant in the area. We have never had a dish we didn't like. It's rare to not get a table. The staff is always very nice. The meals come quickly and there is always a lot of food. The prices are great also. If you order to pickup, you can usually get your meal in 20 minutes.
(4)
Toby C.
I drink 3-4 smoothies from here a week and I haven't been sick a day in the last 5 years. They use fresh fruit and the tapioca is always fresh and plentiful. Lunch specials are also a very good value, and your best bet for a cheap and satisfying meal. Puts other chinese/Thai in the area to shame.
(5)
Nichole M.
Food was just what the three stars says, A-OK. I was not delighted by anything, I was not angry by anything I had. Just eh. Fried rice was a little greasy.
(3)
FRANK F.
We've been going here for several years and the food lately is too inconsistent. Last time we ordered we spent about 40 on carryout which is a pretty good assortment of food and every single thing was tasteless. I have never called there to complain, except when they forgot part of my order, but this time I just had to make them aware of how bad it was and they could care less .Just bad business
(2)
Lary S.
Very good food. Great lunch and dinner specials. Sometimes service is slow but they are friendly and food tastes great. I love their homemade sweet and sour sauce
(4)
Jenni E.
As close as this place is to me, I don't know why I haven't tried it before. Before I go any further, I have to say that for me the saving grace of this place is their fresh fruit smoothies that are on par with Joy Yee. They offer some good lunch specials and also have Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisine all conveniently in one location. It usually scares me when a restaurant claims to be able to make foods from three different places, and my instinct was not that far off in this instance. I mean, you can't be good at all three. It just isn't possible and personally I think they should cross Japanese off the list. I ordered the lunch special of a spicy salmon roll and a couple of pieces of salmon sushi. I also got a specialty roll, the Red Dragon to try something else. My lunch came with a bowl of miso soup which was probably my favorite food item. My spicy salmon roll and the Red Dragon which were supposed to be spicy weren't. In fact all of the sushi lacked flavor overall. I wondered if maybe the fish wasn't fresh and that is why the food lacked flavor. The only thing that I could taste were the cucumbers inside the roll and the sauce on top of it. The service was good, the waitress was eager to please. I do wish that when I had ordered my smoothie that she had asked me if I wanted tapioca in it. I figured it was obvious that I did, but when she brought it to me it was missing those delicious little balls - but that was my fault for not ordering it correctly. Because this place is so close and because of the great smoothies I will be back, but I will probably try Chinese food next time.
(3)
Dave D.
One of my favorite places. This is not Panda Express! Authentic cuisine of almost every Asian persuasion. Very friendly staff, very clean, food is served hot, and seating and atmosphere is comfortable. Try the hot and sour soup. One of the best I have ever had. BTW, delivery is fast and reliable.
(5)
Lawrence C.
I was pleasantly surprised that with such a varied menu that the food was so good. My order is always prepared in a timely manner and every member of the staff I've met is very friendly. The food is tasty, quick, and the employees give the impression that they love working there.
(5)
Heather K.
I have been going to this place for years. I love it! Their smoothies are delicious (have them add tapioca pearls!) I can't get enough of their panang curry either. I've tried a lot more of their dishes over the years, but the panang curry is their best dish, in my opinion. My son loves their chicken lo mein, though. I'm also a big fan of their tea. Tons of options here, so you'll definitely be able to figure out what dish is your favorite too. Never had anything bad from them.
(4)
Leanne M.
four words. taro coconut boba smoothie. wait. here's five more. best pad see iew EVER. no really. and one more. awesome. (and now a long winded TIP! their "spicy" meter has really confused me on both visits. they make you pick how spicy you want something, even if it's not inherently a spicy dish- ie my pineapple fried rice- and thus, end up making it with "Less Spices" as opposed to "Less Hotness." Now I love me some flavor just can't handle me some fire. so until this is figured out, just be sure you're clear on what you want & what they mean.)
(5)
Sherwin C.
This restaurant is a pleasant surprise but it's hard to appreciate if you aren't familiar with Cantonese cuisine. I tried a variety of dishes and items and was in general happy with what I received. The eggdrop soup (with corn) and hot and sour soups were a little above average. There was a little more care than normal put into the preparation but didn't make a strong impression. The smoothies were surprisingly good. Few places outside of Chinatown get a good mix of flavor without being excessively sweet. The biggest surprise was that the tapioca (boba) was both soft and properly separated. Many places outside of Chinatown tend to freeze the boba instead of preparing it fresh, resulting in suboptimal texture and clumping. The beef chow fun was probably the best dish with thick rice noodles that were fried to be very crispy. This was paired with tasty, tender beef. The crispy duck was prepared exactly as advertised -- crispy. Like the beef chow fun, I felt like I was eating Chinese junk food (but it tasted so good I couldn't tell myself to stop). The Szechuan string beans were also a solid choice with good flavor and texture. The item I was disappointed by was the shrimp pad thai. It was prepared in a almost Hong Kong style tomato sauce and didn't taste bad, but I was hoping for a contrast in flavor. Overall, a solid choice if you're in the area or you want a bit different flavor from the cuisine you get in Chinatown.
(4)
Derrick T.
After a long day of work, and still more work to do after getting home, I found myself just too tired and too busy to make dinner. The wife and I agreed: let's do take out Chinese. We ordered up the following: Beef and brocolli - Standard B&B, tasty, meat was tender, brocolli was fresh. Szechwan string beans - Unfortunately not spicey at all... beans and pork were friend nicely, but not a hint of spice. Yu Shang Eggplant - The egg plant was more soggy than crisp (may just be how they serve it here...) but more importantly, it really wasn't spicy at all! My expectation of eating food is that if there's a red pepper next to it on the menu, I want some burn! Beef Chow Fun - Actually quite tasty! The noodles were soft with some pull, and the beef was tender and enjoyable. And since we were over $50, they threw in a very large chicken fried rice. This served as three meals between the two of us, and snacks for a bit as well. Which goes to show how large portion sizes are here! Verdict: huge quantities, good food, but the spice levels were terrible. I may give it another chance but order the food extra spicey instead... I kept waiting for the spice to hit, but there was just no kick! And thus the three stars... we may be back to try again.
I feel like Bart Simpson after he ate that bad Krusty-O ... only I didn't eat anything bad, per se. But I would 'se' that the amount I ate was bad- very bad. Because Good God, am I in pain now. Okay, maybe I feel more like when Bart Simpson is imagined in the future being morbidly obese as media folk stare and take photos. See: youtube.com/watch?v=jSJQ… God, I love that quote. Only I'm not the 8 second version. Oh no. I'm the 11 minute loop. See: youtube.com/watch?v=Mpa1… Hyup... it's not a pretty scene up in my person right now. And holy hell was I happy the bathroom is one of those giant single person dressing-room types of loos (has one for the Fs and one for the Ms, too). It restored my faith in Jeebus, that's for sure. See: youtube.com/watch?v=PVwC… But I don't blame Tai San Chef, or their 20 page menu of Chinese, Japanese, and Thai creations. I blame my gluttonous habits and the broken switch in my head that should be saying "Stop eating, Stupid!" Overall, the food was aight, yo. I could probably go a 3 star but their portion sizes are no joke, I really liked my veggie soup, and the place is unassumingly large and WAY cuter than I had expected inside. A few notables~ -Their first menu page shows a bunch of photos of bubble tea and has a flavor list but says 'smoothies'. Just to be sure, I asked my server guy and he said they don't have bubble tea, only smoothies... Bummer! Until I see a table across the way who clearly has bubble tea. I assume he made a mistake and I decided to just say the flavor I want while pointing to the bubble tea on the menu and just hoping I got what I wanted. What did I get? A plain ole frickin' smoothie. LAME! What's a girl gotta do to get some boba around here? -My Spicy Basil Leaves and tofu dish wasn't very spicy and it had that super thick syrup-y sauce I've found to be indicative of Chinese food restaurants who try to add in some Thai tastes. To me, it's just too heavy and you don't get to taste the veggies the way you would if it were the thinner Thai chili sauce. -My fortune cookie arrived broken. :( -Free (and delicious) almond cookie at the end -The place was PACKED at 6:00 on Wednesday evening -Service can run a bit behind but it appeared as if just one young guy was serving all 15 tables in the area where I was sitting. NOT an easy feat. Keep this in mind and tip well- that boy busts his ass. -Like I said earlier, the veggie soup was delish! -The spring roll order was HUGE and though not very flavorful, I did still enjoy it as a filler. I would go back to try their hibachi, sushi, or the super cheap Mai Tais I've heard about, but I think I'd stay away from the Thai food as it doesn't seem to be their specialty.
(4)
Milt M.
Third time eating here and this is my first review of Tai San. The food gas been consistently good and the service helpful. Today I was unsure about the octopus appetizer so I passed on it and my server surprised me with a sample dish on the house. Will be back for sure.
(5)
Monica P.
Not impressed. I believe that I have a palate for thai food. I had the Tai San spring roll which was deep fried and okay. I got the thai coconut hot and sour soup with shrimp. All spice yet no flavor. The panang curry was nothing to write home about. Again all spice which I love yet lacked flavor of Panang. People I talked to in line said they mostly order chinese from them and had never had thai food. I know better now. Oh and the crab rangoon was okay. Anywho...I will return and order Chinese. I hope it lives up to my standard. The place is a nice size and bright. I notice they make smoothies which are refreshing for summertime.
(2)
Jie S.
Disappointed. Me and my friend met up here for lunch as the reviews are pretty good. It was crowded when we got in and had to wait for about 5 minutes before was seated. We thought that was a good sign. We looked up the long menu and then got our usual order of Thai food: Chicken Pad Thai (lunch special) for her and Red curry with Shrimp for me. The Egg roll was huge with thick wrapper. It tasted OK. Pad Thai arrived first and came with Fried rice. Not type of Pad Thai she liked. A bit mushy with no much flavor. Fried rice was just OK. Red curry was served with chicken. I didn't realized it till I took one bite. Well chicken didn't taste good and curry sauce was too salty. I told the waiter that it was wrong dish. He said I ordered Chicken. My friend confirmed that I ordered Shrimp. He did cooked another red curry with Shrimp for me which tasted better but still too much salty and not enough sugar and coconut milk. I think i might have the better chance with the Chinese food here instead of Thai. I have nothing against Chinese Chef cooking Thai food or Mexican chef cooking Chinese food but the dish has to taste good. I guess I'm picky as a gentleman next to me told the waiter that his food was excellent and asked the waiter to send the compliment to the chef. So there are people love their food. It is just not my type.
(2)
Craig S.
A favorite lunch spot for me and my group. We've been going to this place since they opened, and watched them slowly expand as the word of their great food spread. In one spot you can get quality Chinese food, Thai food, Sushi, even hibachi! I've never had a bad experience, and I find the ownership and staff to be welcoming, friendly, and attentive. Top notch, highly recommended.
(5)
Rod G.
I've eaten at Thai San over 20 times and I've never had a bad meal. That being said, I only order Chinese here. They added Japanese and Thai to have a wider appeal, but I don't order those in a Chinese restaurant. So, I wholeheartedly recommend the Chinese, but if you go Thai or Japanese, you're on your own!
(4)
Gabriel C.
Really just average, nothing to rave about. Had the kung-pao chicken, chicken pieces were minimal and tasted subpar. Service was quick and friendly, however won't be back.
(2)
L S.
Love it! I find it hard to find a decent Chinese place. I just moved to the area and Tai San was suggested. I loved it. Everything I ordered was delicious. It was delivered hot and fresh. The smoothie was so delicious with the tapioca. Will definitely be back.
(5)
Jade M.
I come here about 4x a week for my avocado bubble smoothie made with coconut milk and served with extra tapioca. I am completely addicted, all of their smoothies are delicious and made with FRESH cut fruit. I haven't eaten here but I always see people ordering take out or dining in. The restaurant has a lot to offer, it's very clean and the staff is friendly. They never judge me for my daily obsession lol! If your in area you need to stop by and try the bubble tea, it's a life changer lol!
(5)
Matt W.
I changed my review from 4 to 5. I think just because I'm craving it lately. I think the biggest thing about this place that sold me was I was never a sushi person and from trying different things here, now I am. Really happy with the quality and variety this place has to offer. As other reviews have said they have Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Hibachi, Sushi. We have liked everything. We do take out quite a bit, but it is also a nice place to go eat. It's really spacious, pretty quiet, but never totally dead. What I love about it is there's never a wait, even on a Saturday night when most places you have to wait a half hour, you can go out for a nice dinner here and sit right down. I'm a fan!
(5)
Melissa V.
My husband and I went there for hibachi and was pretty pleased with it! It got my husband to eat broccoli which is a rare occasion. Our waiter was a little lacking, but who I believe to be the owner picked up his slack. I highly recommend their Mai Tias....for $6 and I could only handle two...I'm not a light weight either. Needless to say they were the BOMB!!!!
(4)
Judy J.
Totally agree with Caroline- We used to love this place. Really good food! No MSG. Even my kids learned to love sushi and those potstickers! But the quality has slipped. Seriously. We always do take out, at least twice a month. But lately our orders have been wrong (bummer when you realize this at home...yes, they do offer to bring you the correct order or comp u next time). The food has been lukewarm. But the kicker was getting 1 egg roll when ordering 1 order of egg rolls (2) Really?! Sorry Tai San, it has been a terrific love affair, I'm going to be a poor sport, but we decided 3 strikes and we're not coming back. So where do we go from here? There's a lot of bad Chinese food around here....
(2)
Terri R.
Will never be ordering from here again. I ordered the lunch special once before and it was ok and pretty inexpensive. This second time I ordered the sweet and sour shrimp lunch special. It was gross. None of the shrimp had been deveined and someone did a horrible job peeling them as I had shells and tails on some of them. Disgusting!
(1)
Brad C.
First, this place is everything, which makes it less of each in my opinion. First dish, first stop, China and some Cucumber salad. It was just cucumber and juice. I normally have this and there is a little more to it than just a cucumber in a sweet sauce. Second dish, quick jump to Japan, the sushi was OK flavor-wise but fell apart with the touch of the chop stick. Main dish and a stop in Thailand for some panang curry and pad thai. I wish I could remember these more but the panang was rockin' good, like the only food item we would order again if we come back here... but the pad thai, large, large, large disappointment with its lack of flavor. Finally, the reason we stayed through the mediocre dish after dish... $4 Mai Tai drink special. These are totally worth you dropping a $20 on drinks alone. If you come here, drink specials and appetizers only would be my recommendation. Make it your own happy hour... There you go, create your own 'I'm-happy hour'.
(3)
Ande V.
Enjoy this place for Chinese food. It is the only Chinese place that my husband likes. Lunch specials are good and contain a lot of food (love the egg rolls and egg foo young). I've tried a couple of the Thai selections which are hit or miss. Overall solid choice for Chinese takeout in this area.
(4)
Lauren T.
I love the idea of this place. Wouldn't it be great if you could get your Thai, Chinese and Japanese food all in one place? Well you can here. We were here Christmas Eve for the Hibachi and there were quite a few people here. I guess we weren't the only ones with that idea. Service was good, albeit a little slow. There were Mai-Tais on special for 3.95$ and they even have ramune in a bottle. Score! Prices for the hibachi food are a little high, but it is worth it. I had the calamari, scallop and shrimp combo for 24.95 and it was awesome. They certainly don't skimp on anything either. Plenty of seafood, more than enough fried rice and veggies galore. I probably should have taken some home, but what would be the fun in that? Warning for parents though, make sure your kid can handle the flames. From what my 3 year old boy told me, the flames were scary and the man was too loud. I thought it would be fun for him, but what do I know? For 4 adults to eat and have one alcoholic beverage plus a kids hibachi chicken (which was delicious by the way) the tab was only 140$ Not bad and totally worth it.
(4)
Lee T.
I met a friend for lunch here. I had the pad thai lunch special. It comes with fried rice, soup, pad thai noodles and an egg roll. Pros: -More than reasonably priced -Friendly service -Lots of food Cons: -I did not enjoy any of the items that I had :-/ The noodles were made in a thick red sauce that reminded me of ketchup and they were very heavily sauced. They did have a Hibachi section, as it is a very large restaurant. Perhaps this is their specialty and where they really shine. I didn't give them 1 star because they were very, very friendly and that goes a long way for me.
(2)
David N.
Two words come to mind after stopping in for lunch here today... "Average" and "ehhh". There are far superior Chinese/Japanese/Thai restaurants within minutes of Tai San, which after visiting today, I now recognize. Edible, not memorable. Service was a bit slow. Waited ten minutes for anyone to acknowledge us after being seated. Started off with some Egg Drop Soup, which was extremely hot, but fair. Ordered the "Lunch Special" Shrimp Broccoli with Chicken Fried Rice from the Chinese menu (they offer Chinese, Japanese, & Thai) and the Shrimp Tempura Roll from the Japanese. Prices were all reasonable ($5.99) for the Shrimp Vegetable Lunch. Once served, realized our lunch today was going to be.... "ehhh". The chicken fried rice was dry and flavorless. My shrimp broccoli was extremely hot (fresh out of the micro), and also had very little going for it in the flavor department. I ordered my dish spicy as well, which the apparently forgot to mention to the chef. My wife's entree, Cashew Shrimp, had a little bit more going for it, but the same dry rice, and average taste seemed to be the theme with our meals. Towards the end of our lunch we finally received our Shrimp Roll. 5 pieces. Noticed right away the lack of shrimp and overabundance of celery. Ehhhhh. The flavor matched its boring appearance. Lack of flavor, lack of shrimp, and the shrimp tail being left on and hidden inside one of the rolls, drove the dish straight into the ground. Luckily, some chile oil rescued what could be saved from our lunch. Long story short, go somewhere else. Unless you're in a pinch, low on funds, or don't have wheels drive, spend your time and money elsewhere.
(2)
Laura K.
After having three cavities filled at a nearby dentist, I was craving some some warm soup. Since Tai San was just across the parking lot, I decided to give it a try. After scanning the HUGE menu, I went with a dinner special of Thai ginger with tofu, hot and sour soup, an eggroll and fried rice. It was definitely enough food for two good-sized meals, which justified the $9.95 price tag. They asked me how hot I wanted the Thai ginger, and I told them VERY hot. Well, they delivered! It was so hot that I had tears in my eyes, which is just how I like it. I really appreciated how fresh everything was. The veggies used in my Thai ginger, as well as in my eggroll, were delicious. Unfortunately, the fried rice was just kind of meh (I spiced it up with some of my Thai ginger) and the hot and sour soup wasn't hot at all. It also had chicken in it, which seemed kind of random. I'm used to it just including veggies. Oh, and I don't want this to come across the wrong way...but I love that they had a woman who was fluent in English working the register. Many times, I've had communication difficulties at Chinese places. Overall, it was a good meal. I'd like to go back and try other items on the seemingly endless menu.
(4)
Maura S.
Seriously...never had bad food from here...ever
(5)
Ben T.
I'm shocked and surprised to read the disparaging reviews here about my favorite suburban Chinese/Thai restaurant. I love the technicolor pad thai; it has been my favorite item since first dining here years ago! Say what you will about my palette or taste - I love it. Their delivery area is seemingly endless and the prices are good for the amount of food you get. You can also order take-out at the register and it is ready in 15 minutes. The menu is large and has grown to incorporate Japanese, which I unfortunately have not made the effort to try. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Thai San and wish them only success. They had me the first time I dined-in and heard piano renditions of contemporary billboard hits playing softly as background music... I can only hope that is still the music of choice.
(5)
Howard L.
This is place is ok for a hibachi meal, but nothing particularly exceptional. They also offer Thai and Chinese, but the menu looked a little more fast foodish to us. The hibachi meal was accompanied with a nice, watered down hot mustard/soy sauce which went well with the steak, and which I haven't encountered at other Asian restaurants. Strip mall location with convenient parking.
(3)
Stef F.
So, while this isn't the greatest Japanese style food I've ever had, it was decent. One thing that was awesome-- they had $3 Mai Tai's which were well worth every penny. And I didn't get a headache from them, which means the alcohol used was A-OK. But I got the Garlic Shrimp and I thought it was pretty gross actually. I've never had such bad shrimp before. While the rest of the food seemed "typical" and was pretty good, I doubt I would rush back to this place again. One nice thing, they gave us $10 off our bill because we had spent over a certain amount--but our bill was still $70. So, in my opinion, for the money there are certainly other, much better Japanese places to go to.
(3)
Jennifer T.
Updated 5/2/09 Not sure what has happened to this place between my last review when I gave it a 4 stars to current but the quality of food at this place have DEFINITELY went down. The last time I was there, we ordered a Thai Sour soup and it was the worse thing I've ever seen presented for almost $6. It was basically water, with raw humongous pieces of veggies floating on top. The mushrooms looked like it just came out of packaging the length of your thumb. The tomatoes were cut just as big. I can't believe how they would expect to charge a premium for this soup. Plus, it tasted nothing like Thai soup; in fact, it tasted like they just dumped seasoning and mixed it in for 5 minutes and served. So we asked the waitress if the soup was suppose to taste like this, and when she said "yes!", we sent it back. She wasn't nice about it or seem apologetic at all. My other dish was the Pad-See Eww and the noodles came out black and burnt. As first I thought it's OK if it's just a few burnt strands but half of my dish was burnt. They also put the same white mushrooms like the ones from my soup into this noodle dish (whoever heard of mushrooms in your pad see eww?). But while the noodles were burnt, the mushroom was raw. So final score: it was a mistake and this place will never have my patronage again. Why? Because both the food's quality have come down to a bare minimum and that their service isn't really up to par for the price that they charge. I would have given it 2 stars but the indifferent and ill-mannered customer service just didn't leave me with a good taste in my mouth, literally. ======== The sushi maki seems alright but nothing too special or set apart from the ones you get in a box at a grocery store. Their Thai dish are not too bad, particularly the Pad See Ew. Their Thai curry dishes is alright too but could use more flavor and coconut intensity. I was a little disappointed in the bubble tea because it didn't taste like they used fresh fruits but powder instead. The bubble themselves were too soft and not chewy. But the bubble tea is a pretty cheap (under $3) so in that sense, you can't expect Joy Yee's standards.
(1)
Matt B.
Above-average Chinese take-out makes this place my go-to in the DuPage County area. I have tried pretty much every Chinese food place in three counties, this is still my favorite. - Good cuts of meat used for beef dishes, which I appreciate. - Crab rangoon is delicious. (Someone said it tasted sweet? I have never noticed that.) - Good hot & sour soup for sick days - Kung Pao is very good, and recently seems to have gotten spicier (or I've gotten wussier) - BBQ pork appetizer is tasty, although sweet Owners are very nice people. Sushi is average, and I'm not a fan of Thai food, so I can't comment on that. But I'm happy to give these people my business, as I have yet to be dissatisfied with an experience dining in, taking out, or getting delivery.
(4)
Jeff L.
I have been going to Tai San since it opened. The Orange chicken never fails. My new favorite is red curry chicken (or shrimp, chicken, beef combo). Everything is good and always fresh. Smoothies are amazing - recommend the mango strawberry. Their lunch specials are great. Ton of food for a great price. The sushi is good, but I have not tried the hibachi yet - it always looks and smells amazing when other people order it.
(4)
Monica V.
For the record, there is one place that I love more than Tai San and that's Bamboo Garden in Tinley Park, but that can be kind of a drive... Tai San Chef was introduced to me by my co-workers. Now, I work in an area that has not one, but TWO Asian restaurants within walking distance, however, I noticed that the girls always ordered from the place that was a few minutes away. When I finally tried them, I was impressed! Over the past few months, I've ordered Curry Fried Rice, Thai Spring Rolls, Red Curry Vegetables and Tofu, and Spicy Pineapple Fried Rice and they've all been delicious! Did I mention fresh fruit smoothies?? Yes, I like to order mine without sweetener (actual phone conversation: "No sweetener?" "Right, I don't want any sugar or sweetener added.") I love that he verified it with me while I placed my order! That's another great point, I've never had an order messed up, and I'm notorious for having special requests and substitutions. They get major points in my book for being open Mondays, which is a notoriously bad day to have a craving for Asian food (most places are closed.) Anytime I'm at work or placing an order to take some food home after work on Mondays, I'll be calling Tai San Chef for sure.
(4)
Willy W.
The food was mehh... Not the best I had. What can I say? It's not 'real' Chinese food. Maybe I just chose the wrong stuff from the menu. Maybe I"ll give this place another try. Haven't tried the Thai food so I can't comment on that. (Maybe I"ll try that next time) I tried the sushi. The rice is hard, and the sushi falls apart easily. The would have really wanted to possibly give this place 3 stars..But I just couldn't. The reason is because of their service. There's this waiter that is rude. It just seems like he hates his job, & does't really give a crap. So next time I'll ask for the waitress instead. Btw, The manager there is pretty nice & friendly.
(2)
Vany L.
I love this place! My favorite is Pad Thai with Chicken. or Shrimp or Tofu...they have lunch specials from Monday-Saturday and it is so inexpensive. They have sushi bar and it is fresh and good! Really a great little place.
(5)
Peter G.
What a disappointment. My guess is that this place is owned by Chinese or Koreans. Sushi sucks just falls apart and fish is not that great. For the love of god stay away from the Pad Thai. It comes technicolor orange from that disgusting canned sauce and rubber noodles. You can make WAY better at home and I don't care who you are. So once you get rid of the Thai and Japanese what you're left with is mediocre at best Chinese. Crab Rangoon if filled with disgustingly sweet filling probably frozen. I've tried this place three separate times hoping that I'm wrong. The best thing I've had is the red curry. It's really mongolian beef with a little coconut milk. Not even red in color but not bad tasting. Best Thai in Western Burbs in Bambu Thai in Elmhurst. Thai O'Choa in Darien is pretty good too. I know you'll try it anyway hoping that I'm wrong but you'll see.
(2)
Gina L.
Excellent. We had hibachi and everything was great! Our new favorite hibachi, plus the sushi rocked!
(4)
M W.
I am a sucker for good Chinese food. When Tai San Chef opened a few years back, I was skeptical because I had yet to find a Chinese restaurant that was up to par in my area. Upon trying their food the first time, I was thrilled. I like my Kung Pao Chicken not warm, but hot, and they made it HOT per my request! Their beef and mushroom, Mongolian chicken, and Hunan chicken are all excellent, with lots of flavor. The veggies they use are very fresh; too often, Chinese restaurants use mushy, bland veggies, but that has never happened to me at this place. I also love their egg rolls--they are never greasy or soggy. The egg drop soup is good, but my favorite soup is sizzling rice soup. It's delicious. The staff have always been friendly when I've dined there. For takeout, they have never once messed up my orders, even when I made substitutions or had a special request. Their smoothies are also awesome. I can't speak for sushi or the Thai food as I'm not a fan, but we have tried the Hibachi and everything we ordered was very good. We recently moved to the far NW suburbs, and I miss my Tai San Chef!! Whenever I am back in the area, I get some takeout so I can relive the glory that is Tai San Chef. :o)
(5)
Anthony S.
This place is just okay. Their food in general seems a bit too greasy or just not very flavorful to me. Their Pad Thai is doused in a sweet and sour type of sauce that is just absolute overkill. Their thai curries are too watery and lack flavor. I once ordered one of their lunch specials for takeout, which included the entree along with fried rice and an eggroll and the bag was literally dripping with grease by the time I got it back to my office. One thing I will mention, the service is really quick. Whenever I've gone in to eat the food was out to me within 10 mins or less, also they serve you hot tea which is pretty good. Hold on to your plates though, the wait staff is more than eager to take it away from you even with food still left on the plate. I probably wouldn't go to this place if it wasn't so convenient with regard to where I work and the time I have to fit in lunch. P.S. BEWARE OF GARLIC, apparently going for a good run doesn't get rid of the stench from this place, I had to eat a bag of parsley for dinner.
(2)
Jeff G.
The best Chinese food in the burbs. We just had dinner tonight and brought home the leftovers. Delicious Sesame Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken! The Crab Rangoons and Potstickers are great! My friends say the Sushi is good and they have Japanese Hibachi grills.
(5)
Don N.
Great place for Chinese, Japanese and Thai. You can order from any menu regardless of the area of the restaurant you sit. Food is very good quality and variety is unique in our area.
(4)
Ryan I.
Tried their sushi, signature rolls are great, regular rolls are ok, I would come back again. Price is decent.
(4)
Steven M.
I have never seen this before in my life. One cook and one waitress at lunch time in a full service restaurant? Four people at our table including one child. My friend got his sweet and sour soup right away. 5 minutes later I got my won ton soup. 5 minutes later, 2 more soups and 4 egg rolls. 2 minutes later a beef and broccoli a chicken satay and sweet and sour chicken? My friend who got his soup first was served his general tao's chicken after we had finished eating. And don't think about a refill. That would have thrown a wrench into the operation. TG there were only 3 tables to serve. Everyone got one thing to hold them over. Again. All these 2 star or less reviews are my friends suggestions. CLICK!
(2)
Andie W.
Another good and clean restaurant serving Asian food in the suburbs, I'm impressed. Good quality food with good reasonable prices. Lunch and dinner specials come with your choice of soup, egg drop or hot and sour soup, an eggroll, AND chicken fried rice.....wow! The sushi was actually not too bad either, I'm so excited that there's now a good sushi restaurant around this sushi-less area, it's been a long time await. They also have one of the friendliest staff, our waiter was very attentive, and catered to our every need! I'm sure to come back, I think I'll be a regular! Overall: Cleanliness: A Food: B+ Prices: A Service: A --------------------- Grade: A
(4)
Cindy B.
Tai San Chef offers Japanese, Chinese and Thai all under roof. The food is always fresh, including their sushi. Service is always good. If anyone is in the area likes Asian food, hibachi and/or sushi Tai San Chef is highly recommended!
(4)
Meagan L.
I actually liked this place. However, the three stars was for slow service. Another star could be been achieved if there was another hibachi chef, however on a thursday there was only one and we had to wait for him to finish with the other table. The food was pretty good and the show was good, but they just need more staff to provide better service.
(3)
Danielle P.
Absolute best Chinese food I've eaten. We try to go there at least once or twice a month. The shrimp fried rice is full of shrimp, not just one or two.Their orange chicken is actually white meat and not just fried bits and fat. You much get a smoothie too, too delicous to pass up. Very quick carry out and friendly staff at the front door.
(4)
Kimberly R.
GREAT food! Excellent pad thai, smoothies, and egg rolls. Their homemade sweet and sour sauce is the best I've ever tasted. It's to die for!!! They also have Chinese, Japanese, and hibachi grills. I'm hooked on this place and have gotten several of my friends hooked as well. I would definitely recommend this place!
(5)
Mike D.
Having lived in the area my entire life, this place is a welcome treat! Great food, great service, and great sushi! Even the hibachi is pretty good! I would recommend this place hands down! Their Pad Thai is awesome. It may not be to some peoples liking, but I certainly like it!
(5)
Jan L.
Japanese, Thai and Chinese food in one location?! That's great especially in a small town of Darien! :-) I'm definitely a fan of the Teppanyaki! Chef Saito Lee is one amazing entertainer! The sushi roll was delightful! Orange chicken was "average" and the "crazy noodles" was just a little too crazy for me. :-)
(4)
Maria S.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and of course the sushi rolls were AWESOME! and very affordable!
(4)
Karl B.
I'm very surprised by all of the conflicting reviews here. This place is really good. Had the Shrimp Pod See Ew and it was awesome. I'm not going to lie this place could be up to par w/ my fav. place for Chinese food in the burbs, Chi Tung. The only thing I noticed that was right from the other reviews was that the noodles were kind of burnt however not completely and honestly the food still tasted very good. I can also confirm that they use real fruit in their smoothies. I know this because they made it for me when I came to pick up my order. I will definitely be coming back and trying other things because Darien is a heck of a lot closer than Evergreen Park (Chi Tung) and Chinatown. One other thing, the prices are good here (similar to most mom and pop chinatown establishments where the prices are low). In addition to Chinese they also serve Japanese, Thai, and Sushi making it a one stop shop!
(5)
Leia H.
I've had some HORRIBLE experiences trying to find decent Chinese food in the area since moving here 9 months ago. This is the first, and only place that has had food I'd not only eat again, but actually enjoy. Everything we've tried off the Chinese menu has been good. The sushi & thai isn't great, but definitely okay.
(4)
Tennelle W.
Me and my family went to this restaurant yesterday and at first we were very excited about our first time going there but as we were seated and the waiter came to take our order he was very rude, wasn't helpful and didn't seem like he wanted to be at work, so I was not happy with him at all. After trying to get him to help us with our orders and help us learn about the food choices, I had enough with his attitude and went to retrieved a manager because I was about to gather my family and leave, but after I spoke to the manager he swiftly disciplined the waiter sent him away and personally took care of me and my family for the rest of our meal. The Hibachi chief was amazing, prepared our food perfectly and my family was very happy with him I also had sushi the Chilled Shrimp Tempura rolls and California rolls and they were very good and fulfilling. At the end of our meal the manager brought our check and I was over charged for two sodas but it was okay the manager made my family happy and gave my children some little gifts that put a smile on their faces. I left a good tip that I hope the Hibachi chief received, I hope that the next time we visit we get better service from a better waiter because first impressions are everything and I will never forget that one. I do suggest this restaurant to others because the food portions are large and the price is right, I just wanted to share my experience. Enjoy
(4)
Fred H.
Not sure what kind of food you want - Chinese, Thai, hibachi grill? You may want to try this place. It serves reasonable Asian food in the Darien area. Our family likes the hibachi grill. The show is fun for guests. The portions are bigger than Benihana's and the prices are similar. In the Chinese section the deep fried tofu is good. The Chinese food is not as good as some of the best in Chinatown, but it is hard to beat in its neighborhood.
(4)
Pri P.
Finally! A decent asian restaurant in the suburbs. The Hunan chicken and red curry were both good, however the curry was little creamier than I would have liked. The only reason I didn't give this place a 5 was bc during our entire meal the owner and a patron were discussing how the prices they have are too low and they should increase them. Well to be fair, it was more the patron trying to convince the owner the prices were too low. It was very distracting and I thought disrespectful to the other customers. As for the prices, they are good. I wouldn't say a steal, but certainly not way under priced. Some other asian places are probably cheaper, but Tai San is my fav to date. And one of the reasons is bc of the prices, don't change them!
(4)
missmonster m.
Aw man. After loving this place for months i got an order of sushi that smelled of old fish and tasted really weird. Gross enough to put me off my weekly take out orders. Sorry, Tai San but i don't want another round of the trots.
(2)
Jeff V.
I started coming here when it first opened. When it first opened the quality of food was great! Didn't have any complaints. As almost with any small business though as the business picked up and they were doing well and expanding to a hibachi area. The quality of good became average and prices went up. I gotta say the owner knows my family and if he takes the order he does add a few cups of chili paste. Cause we like spicy food. That attention to detail on customers is what I am talking about customer service. I wish the rest of his staff was that great :P. Well maybe I am asking for to much..but a guy can always dream. The times I went there the customer service was great! The good like I said was average nowadays. The owner has a location in Chinatown in Chicago. So he knows what customer service is! If you eat in I have experienced longer then usual wait times. I can say it's really a hit or miss if you eat in. Tai San has grown as its customer base. If it could go back to its roots of quality and not quantity then it could be better!
(3)
K J.
WOW! I have to say this place really impressed me! I live in the city and make it out to the Darien area to go to Hollywood Bar and Filmworks about a few times a month. Yesterday I had a taste for sushi and decided to do a search of sushi spots in the area, found this place, and checked it out. Four of us went to dinner, my friend ordered the panang chicken, which was so good, I kept eating off her plate. I ordered the spicy lobster roll and added spicy mayo, must say this is my new favorite roll of all time. we also ordered the philly roll which was so fresh, it melted in your mouth. The sushi chef was running a bit slow on his first night, but the managers more than made up for it offering extra rolls and a ten dollar coupon. I have hit tons of Chicago sushi restaurants up, and I have to say the price and quality of this place will have me coming back again and again. Check it out.
(5)
Bill M.
Have been there several times, LOVE THE FOOD. Tried some sushi, was good too. I have just started to try sushi so I'm no expert. They have expanded the business to include a sushi bar, sit down restaurant and Hibachi Grill.
(5)
M J.
Great Chinese AND Thai food. You'd think a restaurant that serves two types of cuisine may be lacking, but both are very good here. We recently moved from the city and were pining for chinese and thai food and found both at one place! Highly recommended.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Matt S.
I've been several times now for hibachi with coworkers, and generallt, it is a good time. The lunch chicken hibachi special is 9 dollars and comes w soup, fried rice, and veggies, and is plenty of food, especially for 9 dollars. Gotta say though, the flavor of the hibachi food, while OK, definitely isn't as good as the expensive hibachi joints in the city. Not that it's bland, it's just...ok. The steak and shrimp hibachi lunch specials are all several bucks more for the same amount of food, and while they are decent they're (to me) not worth increasing cost by 60%. I have had their sushi several times and enjoy it. I'm no sushi pro so I stick to the conventional rolls, but hey, I know what I like and I like those. Beer and sake available, they have cocktails hut I've never tried them. Hibachi show is quite animated, WAY better than the hibachi place I used to go to. The show is definitely fun and the chefs are good at it. No hibachi Mon and Tue though! Food is 3/5, bonus 0.5 for low price, bonus 0.5 for liking the hibachi performance. Plus I like the sushi. Will continue to eat here for sure.
(4)Ritta A.
We order from this place about once or twice a month. The food is decent. I always order the filet mignon and shrimp hibachi and my husband the steak and lobster hibachi. The portions are good. one of my complaints would be that, I don't think they actually give me filet mignon and the shrimp seem steamed instead of grilled. Sometimes the food is amazing, other times not so much. On a good day the lobster tail and shrimp is tender, juicy and delicious. On a bad day its like rubber. Maybe because we always order for delivery. They do deliver really fast and that's a plus. We usually spend about $80 per order for 2 hibachi dinners, crab Rangoon and sometimes pot stickers. I also love the smoothies, but don't order the pineapple because it doesn't taste like pineapple. I would also recommend you didn't order the sushi, the 3 times I ordered it was like grocery store quality.
(3)David M.
I've tried a handful of dishes from their Thai and Chinese menus. The Thai menu should just be entirely eliminated, it just isn't good. Their Chinese dishes are better, but nothing I'd write home about.
(2)James J.
It's a nice variety of Asian food since there is Japanese, Chinese, and Thai. The Chinese food is actually very good but the Thai falls short of expectations.
(3)Sara M.
One of my favorite Chinese food places by my parents house. Since I'm staying at my parent's lovely rehabilitation center post surgery, my dad and I placed an order for dinner tonight. I can only eat soft foods so we ordered: veggie egg foo yung, veggie fried rice, and egg drop soup. My plan was to stick to the egg drop soup, but it really wasn't that great. I found it pretty slimey and not my taste. I decided to venture in to the egg foo yung and rice containers, since they didn't seem like much harder foods than the macaroni and cheese the oral surgeon suggested. They went down easily and were delicious, as always! And, hey, my dad said they place was, "pretty good," which is a pretty solid 4/5 on his scale.
(4)Jason G.
This place is awesome. Reliable and consistent food, great service. You can even write rap songs about this place. Specifically about fortune cookies
(5)Laura C.
Outstanding asian cuisine & service! Fresh ingredients, veggies cooked al dente. I have not tried their sushi. Vast menu offerings. Tonight, they didn't provide white rice in our take-out order. They delivered rice & a free smoothie to us. Can't beat that! Best Chinese, Thai, Japanese in the area!
(5)Patrick W.
There's no way that I can compete with Candice's review so like Bart Simpson, I'll have to be happy underachieving. Brought my 3 month old here for lunch while my wife was at work. Very friendly staff. One of the owners came by to sit and play with my lil punkin while I ate. I should probably clarify that by lil punkin, I mean my daughter, lol! The sushi I had was good. Tasted fresh and I enjoyed the preparation. I also ordered some sweet and sour chicken to go for later and didn't care for that as much. I personally am not a fan of the sauce directly on the chicken if it's a to go order. Everything gets soggy, and that's no fun for anybody. All in all, I loved the sushi and will definitely be back to try more of that insanely ginormous menu!
(4)Fran A.
This Chinese restaurant has little bit of everything. Chinese Thai sushi just bought anything you can imagine of Asian culture. I opted for the sushi and hot and sour soup. It met my needs and I will definitely be back when I'm in the area.
(3)Rafael D.
I really like their food but sometimes there's glass in my soup! Luckily I find it. If you go there a lot, they give you candies and chocolates! Amazing food and service, just be careful with the soups.
(3)Graciela S.
It's my first time here but I will never be back. Their soup was disgusting and I could've made better at home. Their sushi was subpar. The actual meal I had was also disgusting. Also I found a hair in my soup.... I'm a little bit doubtful bout their reviews. I think these are all a lie. Also think I'm going to call the health department on them. Because I've been a little under the weather since I was there yesterday.
(1)Miguel F.
The worst customer service I've ever had... I call to see if they accept AMEX cards and they say yes, I go and my card wasn't accepted I though is my card but I bought gas and groceries after and everything was ok with my card, I call to talk to the manager and the guy was very unfriendly and rude, he though I want free food or something like that and give me the worst service, what the f... is wrong with this employee I don't want free food I was calling to let them know that something is wrong with their system, he hung up with out even say I'm sorry or good bye!! If he was the owner, men, shoe some respect to your loyal customers, the foods is ok, don't lose them only because you don't know how care customers.
(1)Juanita S.
food is always good. nice size portions and good prices. we have been going there for years.
(4)Lolla S.
I'm giving this only 2 stars because last night I took my friend Dan for his first visit here. The staff were not clearing the tables so there was a long wait to be seated. When we finally were seated, the large table next to us was still full of dirty plates and half-eaten food by the last customers, I could actually smell it. and...it stayed that way for a good 45 minutes, as did other tables in the dining room. This kind of ruined our entire dining experience. Mind you, I had told Dan what a great place this was, so I felt bad for even taking him here. I had never had an issue before with Tai San Chef, and previously liked the food. But after this visit, in the morning I woke with a huge migraine so I'm wondering now if their food doesn't have MSG. Not sure I'll come back to this place.
(2)Ezra E.
Just okay. I had an order of Tom Kha Gai (listed on the menu as chicken coconut soup) and it was below average at best. Chicken was an odd texture and the soup was missing flavors. I did enjoy the spring rolls and my order of General's chicken was decent. They also charge for refills of soda which seems like a nickel and dime thing to do when it's a fountain drink.
(3)Devin W.
Good food and service. The only downside is how dirty it is.
(3)Michelle T.
This is our favorite Asian restaurant in the area. We have never had a dish we didn't like. It's rare to not get a table. The staff is always very nice. The meals come quickly and there is always a lot of food. The prices are great also. If you order to pickup, you can usually get your meal in 20 minutes.
(4)Toby C.
I drink 3-4 smoothies from here a week and I haven't been sick a day in the last 5 years. They use fresh fruit and the tapioca is always fresh and plentiful. Lunch specials are also a very good value, and your best bet for a cheap and satisfying meal. Puts other chinese/Thai in the area to shame.
(5)Nichole M.
Food was just what the three stars says, A-OK. I was not delighted by anything, I was not angry by anything I had. Just eh. Fried rice was a little greasy.
(3)FRANK F.
We've been going here for several years and the food lately is too inconsistent. Last time we ordered we spent about 40 on carryout which is a pretty good assortment of food and every single thing was tasteless. I have never called there to complain, except when they forgot part of my order, but this time I just had to make them aware of how bad it was and they could care less .Just bad business
(2)Lary S.
Very good food. Great lunch and dinner specials. Sometimes service is slow but they are friendly and food tastes great. I love their homemade sweet and sour sauce
(4)Jenni E.
As close as this place is to me, I don't know why I haven't tried it before. Before I go any further, I have to say that for me the saving grace of this place is their fresh fruit smoothies that are on par with Joy Yee. They offer some good lunch specials and also have Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisine all conveniently in one location. It usually scares me when a restaurant claims to be able to make foods from three different places, and my instinct was not that far off in this instance. I mean, you can't be good at all three. It just isn't possible and personally I think they should cross Japanese off the list. I ordered the lunch special of a spicy salmon roll and a couple of pieces of salmon sushi. I also got a specialty roll, the Red Dragon to try something else. My lunch came with a bowl of miso soup which was probably my favorite food item. My spicy salmon roll and the Red Dragon which were supposed to be spicy weren't. In fact all of the sushi lacked flavor overall. I wondered if maybe the fish wasn't fresh and that is why the food lacked flavor. The only thing that I could taste were the cucumbers inside the roll and the sauce on top of it. The service was good, the waitress was eager to please. I do wish that when I had ordered my smoothie that she had asked me if I wanted tapioca in it. I figured it was obvious that I did, but when she brought it to me it was missing those delicious little balls - but that was my fault for not ordering it correctly. Because this place is so close and because of the great smoothies I will be back, but I will probably try Chinese food next time.
(3)Dave D.
One of my favorite places. This is not Panda Express! Authentic cuisine of almost every Asian persuasion. Very friendly staff, very clean, food is served hot, and seating and atmosphere is comfortable. Try the hot and sour soup. One of the best I have ever had. BTW, delivery is fast and reliable.
(5)Lawrence C.
I was pleasantly surprised that with such a varied menu that the food was so good. My order is always prepared in a timely manner and every member of the staff I've met is very friendly. The food is tasty, quick, and the employees give the impression that they love working there.
(5)Heather K.
I have been going to this place for years. I love it! Their smoothies are delicious (have them add tapioca pearls!) I can't get enough of their panang curry either. I've tried a lot more of their dishes over the years, but the panang curry is their best dish, in my opinion. My son loves their chicken lo mein, though. I'm also a big fan of their tea. Tons of options here, so you'll definitely be able to figure out what dish is your favorite too. Never had anything bad from them.
(4)Leanne M.
four words. taro coconut boba smoothie. wait. here's five more. best pad see iew EVER. no really. and one more. awesome. (and now a long winded TIP! their "spicy" meter has really confused me on both visits. they make you pick how spicy you want something, even if it's not inherently a spicy dish- ie my pineapple fried rice- and thus, end up making it with "Less Spices" as opposed to "Less Hotness." Now I love me some flavor just can't handle me some fire. so until this is figured out, just be sure you're clear on what you want & what they mean.)
(5)Sherwin C.
This restaurant is a pleasant surprise but it's hard to appreciate if you aren't familiar with Cantonese cuisine. I tried a variety of dishes and items and was in general happy with what I received. The eggdrop soup (with corn) and hot and sour soups were a little above average. There was a little more care than normal put into the preparation but didn't make a strong impression. The smoothies were surprisingly good. Few places outside of Chinatown get a good mix of flavor without being excessively sweet. The biggest surprise was that the tapioca (boba) was both soft and properly separated. Many places outside of Chinatown tend to freeze the boba instead of preparing it fresh, resulting in suboptimal texture and clumping. The beef chow fun was probably the best dish with thick rice noodles that were fried to be very crispy. This was paired with tasty, tender beef. The crispy duck was prepared exactly as advertised -- crispy. Like the beef chow fun, I felt like I was eating Chinese junk food (but it tasted so good I couldn't tell myself to stop). The Szechuan string beans were also a solid choice with good flavor and texture. The item I was disappointed by was the shrimp pad thai. It was prepared in a almost Hong Kong style tomato sauce and didn't taste bad, but I was hoping for a contrast in flavor. Overall, a solid choice if you're in the area or you want a bit different flavor from the cuisine you get in Chinatown.
(4)Derrick T.
After a long day of work, and still more work to do after getting home, I found myself just too tired and too busy to make dinner. The wife and I agreed: let's do take out Chinese. We ordered up the following: Beef and brocolli - Standard B&B, tasty, meat was tender, brocolli was fresh. Szechwan string beans - Unfortunately not spicey at all... beans and pork were friend nicely, but not a hint of spice. Yu Shang Eggplant - The egg plant was more soggy than crisp (may just be how they serve it here...) but more importantly, it really wasn't spicy at all! My expectation of eating food is that if there's a red pepper next to it on the menu, I want some burn! Beef Chow Fun - Actually quite tasty! The noodles were soft with some pull, and the beef was tender and enjoyable. And since we were over $50, they threw in a very large chicken fried rice. This served as three meals between the two of us, and snacks for a bit as well. Which goes to show how large portion sizes are here! Verdict: huge quantities, good food, but the spice levels were terrible. I may give it another chance but order the food extra spicey instead... I kept waiting for the spice to hit, but there was just no kick! And thus the three stars... we may be back to try again.
(3)Ellery R.
Dang this is good. I don't know if it's my fault or theirs that I left here feeling sick because I was so full. They have everything! Hibachi, Thai, Japanese, Chinese. Prices are fair, service is prompt. I recommend the pad si ew. I don't recommend the chicken sauté. I'd dock a 1/2 point if I could for bad decor (the thrift store price sticker was still on one of the display vases lol) but meh, who goes to Chinese for the atmosphere? Check it out!
(5)Candice G.
I feel like Bart Simpson after he ate that bad Krusty-O ... only I didn't eat anything bad, per se. But I would 'se' that the amount I ate was bad- very bad. Because Good God, am I in pain now. Okay, maybe I feel more like when Bart Simpson is imagined in the future being morbidly obese as media folk stare and take photos. See: youtube.com/watch?v=jSJQ… God, I love that quote. Only I'm not the 8 second version. Oh no. I'm the 11 minute loop. See: youtube.com/watch?v=Mpa1… Hyup... it's not a pretty scene up in my person right now. And holy hell was I happy the bathroom is one of those giant single person dressing-room types of loos (has one for the Fs and one for the Ms, too). It restored my faith in Jeebus, that's for sure. See: youtube.com/watch?v=PVwC… But I don't blame Tai San Chef, or their 20 page menu of Chinese, Japanese, and Thai creations. I blame my gluttonous habits and the broken switch in my head that should be saying "Stop eating, Stupid!" Overall, the food was aight, yo. I could probably go a 3 star but their portion sizes are no joke, I really liked my veggie soup, and the place is unassumingly large and WAY cuter than I had expected inside. A few notables~ -Their first menu page shows a bunch of photos of bubble tea and has a flavor list but says 'smoothies'. Just to be sure, I asked my server guy and he said they don't have bubble tea, only smoothies... Bummer! Until I see a table across the way who clearly has bubble tea. I assume he made a mistake and I decided to just say the flavor I want while pointing to the bubble tea on the menu and just hoping I got what I wanted. What did I get? A plain ole frickin' smoothie. LAME! What's a girl gotta do to get some boba around here? -My Spicy Basil Leaves and tofu dish wasn't very spicy and it had that super thick syrup-y sauce I've found to be indicative of Chinese food restaurants who try to add in some Thai tastes. To me, it's just too heavy and you don't get to taste the veggies the way you would if it were the thinner Thai chili sauce. -My fortune cookie arrived broken. :( -Free (and delicious) almond cookie at the end -The place was PACKED at 6:00 on Wednesday evening -Service can run a bit behind but it appeared as if just one young guy was serving all 15 tables in the area where I was sitting. NOT an easy feat. Keep this in mind and tip well- that boy busts his ass. -Like I said earlier, the veggie soup was delish! -The spring roll order was HUGE and though not very flavorful, I did still enjoy it as a filler. I would go back to try their hibachi, sushi, or the super cheap Mai Tais I've heard about, but I think I'd stay away from the Thai food as it doesn't seem to be their specialty.
(4)Milt M.
Third time eating here and this is my first review of Tai San. The food gas been consistently good and the service helpful. Today I was unsure about the octopus appetizer so I passed on it and my server surprised me with a sample dish on the house. Will be back for sure.
(5)Monica P.
Not impressed. I believe that I have a palate for thai food. I had the Tai San spring roll which was deep fried and okay. I got the thai coconut hot and sour soup with shrimp. All spice yet no flavor. The panang curry was nothing to write home about. Again all spice which I love yet lacked flavor of Panang. People I talked to in line said they mostly order chinese from them and had never had thai food. I know better now. Oh and the crab rangoon was okay. Anywho...I will return and order Chinese. I hope it lives up to my standard. The place is a nice size and bright. I notice they make smoothies which are refreshing for summertime.
(2)Jie S.
Disappointed. Me and my friend met up here for lunch as the reviews are pretty good. It was crowded when we got in and had to wait for about 5 minutes before was seated. We thought that was a good sign. We looked up the long menu and then got our usual order of Thai food: Chicken Pad Thai (lunch special) for her and Red curry with Shrimp for me. The Egg roll was huge with thick wrapper. It tasted OK. Pad Thai arrived first and came with Fried rice. Not type of Pad Thai she liked. A bit mushy with no much flavor. Fried rice was just OK. Red curry was served with chicken. I didn't realized it till I took one bite. Well chicken didn't taste good and curry sauce was too salty. I told the waiter that it was wrong dish. He said I ordered Chicken. My friend confirmed that I ordered Shrimp. He did cooked another red curry with Shrimp for me which tasted better but still too much salty and not enough sugar and coconut milk. I think i might have the better chance with the Chinese food here instead of Thai. I have nothing against Chinese Chef cooking Thai food or Mexican chef cooking Chinese food but the dish has to taste good. I guess I'm picky as a gentleman next to me told the waiter that his food was excellent and asked the waiter to send the compliment to the chef. So there are people love their food. It is just not my type.
(2)Craig S.
A favorite lunch spot for me and my group. We've been going to this place since they opened, and watched them slowly expand as the word of their great food spread. In one spot you can get quality Chinese food, Thai food, Sushi, even hibachi! I've never had a bad experience, and I find the ownership and staff to be welcoming, friendly, and attentive. Top notch, highly recommended.
(5)Rod G.
I've eaten at Thai San over 20 times and I've never had a bad meal. That being said, I only order Chinese here. They added Japanese and Thai to have a wider appeal, but I don't order those in a Chinese restaurant. So, I wholeheartedly recommend the Chinese, but if you go Thai or Japanese, you're on your own!
(4)Gabriel C.
Really just average, nothing to rave about. Had the kung-pao chicken, chicken pieces were minimal and tasted subpar. Service was quick and friendly, however won't be back.
(2)L S.
Love it! I find it hard to find a decent Chinese place. I just moved to the area and Tai San was suggested. I loved it. Everything I ordered was delicious. It was delivered hot and fresh. The smoothie was so delicious with the tapioca. Will definitely be back.
(5)Jade M.
I come here about 4x a week for my avocado bubble smoothie made with coconut milk and served with extra tapioca. I am completely addicted, all of their smoothies are delicious and made with FRESH cut fruit. I haven't eaten here but I always see people ordering take out or dining in. The restaurant has a lot to offer, it's very clean and the staff is friendly. They never judge me for my daily obsession lol! If your in area you need to stop by and try the bubble tea, it's a life changer lol!
(5)Matt W.
I changed my review from 4 to 5. I think just because I'm craving it lately. I think the biggest thing about this place that sold me was I was never a sushi person and from trying different things here, now I am. Really happy with the quality and variety this place has to offer. As other reviews have said they have Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Hibachi, Sushi. We have liked everything. We do take out quite a bit, but it is also a nice place to go eat. It's really spacious, pretty quiet, but never totally dead. What I love about it is there's never a wait, even on a Saturday night when most places you have to wait a half hour, you can go out for a nice dinner here and sit right down. I'm a fan!
(5)Melissa V.
My husband and I went there for hibachi and was pretty pleased with it! It got my husband to eat broccoli which is a rare occasion. Our waiter was a little lacking, but who I believe to be the owner picked up his slack. I highly recommend their Mai Tias....for $6 and I could only handle two...I'm not a light weight either. Needless to say they were the BOMB!!!!
(4)Judy J.
Totally agree with Caroline- We used to love this place. Really good food! No MSG. Even my kids learned to love sushi and those potstickers! But the quality has slipped. Seriously. We always do take out, at least twice a month. But lately our orders have been wrong (bummer when you realize this at home...yes, they do offer to bring you the correct order or comp u next time). The food has been lukewarm. But the kicker was getting 1 egg roll when ordering 1 order of egg rolls (2) Really?! Sorry Tai San, it has been a terrific love affair, I'm going to be a poor sport, but we decided 3 strikes and we're not coming back. So where do we go from here? There's a lot of bad Chinese food around here....
(2)Terri R.
Will never be ordering from here again. I ordered the lunch special once before and it was ok and pretty inexpensive. This second time I ordered the sweet and sour shrimp lunch special. It was gross. None of the shrimp had been deveined and someone did a horrible job peeling them as I had shells and tails on some of them. Disgusting!
(1)Brad C.
First, this place is everything, which makes it less of each in my opinion. First dish, first stop, China and some Cucumber salad. It was just cucumber and juice. I normally have this and there is a little more to it than just a cucumber in a sweet sauce. Second dish, quick jump to Japan, the sushi was OK flavor-wise but fell apart with the touch of the chop stick. Main dish and a stop in Thailand for some panang curry and pad thai. I wish I could remember these more but the panang was rockin' good, like the only food item we would order again if we come back here... but the pad thai, large, large, large disappointment with its lack of flavor. Finally, the reason we stayed through the mediocre dish after dish... $4 Mai Tai drink special. These are totally worth you dropping a $20 on drinks alone. If you come here, drink specials and appetizers only would be my recommendation. Make it your own happy hour... There you go, create your own 'I'm-happy hour'.
(3)Ande V.
Enjoy this place for Chinese food. It is the only Chinese place that my husband likes. Lunch specials are good and contain a lot of food (love the egg rolls and egg foo young). I've tried a couple of the Thai selections which are hit or miss. Overall solid choice for Chinese takeout in this area.
(4)Lauren T.
I love the idea of this place. Wouldn't it be great if you could get your Thai, Chinese and Japanese food all in one place? Well you can here. We were here Christmas Eve for the Hibachi and there were quite a few people here. I guess we weren't the only ones with that idea. Service was good, albeit a little slow. There were Mai-Tais on special for 3.95$ and they even have ramune in a bottle. Score! Prices for the hibachi food are a little high, but it is worth it. I had the calamari, scallop and shrimp combo for 24.95 and it was awesome. They certainly don't skimp on anything either. Plenty of seafood, more than enough fried rice and veggies galore. I probably should have taken some home, but what would be the fun in that? Warning for parents though, make sure your kid can handle the flames. From what my 3 year old boy told me, the flames were scary and the man was too loud. I thought it would be fun for him, but what do I know? For 4 adults to eat and have one alcoholic beverage plus a kids hibachi chicken (which was delicious by the way) the tab was only 140$ Not bad and totally worth it.
(4)Lee T.
I met a friend for lunch here. I had the pad thai lunch special. It comes with fried rice, soup, pad thai noodles and an egg roll. Pros: -More than reasonably priced -Friendly service -Lots of food Cons: -I did not enjoy any of the items that I had :-/ The noodles were made in a thick red sauce that reminded me of ketchup and they were very heavily sauced. They did have a Hibachi section, as it is a very large restaurant. Perhaps this is their specialty and where they really shine. I didn't give them 1 star because they were very, very friendly and that goes a long way for me.
(2)David N.
Two words come to mind after stopping in for lunch here today... "Average" and "ehhh". There are far superior Chinese/Japanese/Thai restaurants within minutes of Tai San, which after visiting today, I now recognize. Edible, not memorable. Service was a bit slow. Waited ten minutes for anyone to acknowledge us after being seated. Started off with some Egg Drop Soup, which was extremely hot, but fair. Ordered the "Lunch Special" Shrimp Broccoli with Chicken Fried Rice from the Chinese menu (they offer Chinese, Japanese, & Thai) and the Shrimp Tempura Roll from the Japanese. Prices were all reasonable ($5.99) for the Shrimp Vegetable Lunch. Once served, realized our lunch today was going to be.... "ehhh". The chicken fried rice was dry and flavorless. My shrimp broccoli was extremely hot (fresh out of the micro), and also had very little going for it in the flavor department. I ordered my dish spicy as well, which the apparently forgot to mention to the chef. My wife's entree, Cashew Shrimp, had a little bit more going for it, but the same dry rice, and average taste seemed to be the theme with our meals. Towards the end of our lunch we finally received our Shrimp Roll. 5 pieces. Noticed right away the lack of shrimp and overabundance of celery. Ehhhhh. The flavor matched its boring appearance. Lack of flavor, lack of shrimp, and the shrimp tail being left on and hidden inside one of the rolls, drove the dish straight into the ground. Luckily, some chile oil rescued what could be saved from our lunch. Long story short, go somewhere else. Unless you're in a pinch, low on funds, or don't have wheels drive, spend your time and money elsewhere.
(2)Laura K.
After having three cavities filled at a nearby dentist, I was craving some some warm soup. Since Tai San was just across the parking lot, I decided to give it a try. After scanning the HUGE menu, I went with a dinner special of Thai ginger with tofu, hot and sour soup, an eggroll and fried rice. It was definitely enough food for two good-sized meals, which justified the $9.95 price tag. They asked me how hot I wanted the Thai ginger, and I told them VERY hot. Well, they delivered! It was so hot that I had tears in my eyes, which is just how I like it. I really appreciated how fresh everything was. The veggies used in my Thai ginger, as well as in my eggroll, were delicious. Unfortunately, the fried rice was just kind of meh (I spiced it up with some of my Thai ginger) and the hot and sour soup wasn't hot at all. It also had chicken in it, which seemed kind of random. I'm used to it just including veggies. Oh, and I don't want this to come across the wrong way...but I love that they had a woman who was fluent in English working the register. Many times, I've had communication difficulties at Chinese places. Overall, it was a good meal. I'd like to go back and try other items on the seemingly endless menu.
(4)Maura S.
Seriously...never had bad food from here...ever
(5)Ben T.
I'm shocked and surprised to read the disparaging reviews here about my favorite suburban Chinese/Thai restaurant. I love the technicolor pad thai; it has been my favorite item since first dining here years ago! Say what you will about my palette or taste - I love it. Their delivery area is seemingly endless and the prices are good for the amount of food you get. You can also order take-out at the register and it is ready in 15 minutes. The menu is large and has grown to incorporate Japanese, which I unfortunately have not made the effort to try. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Thai San and wish them only success. They had me the first time I dined-in and heard piano renditions of contemporary billboard hits playing softly as background music... I can only hope that is still the music of choice.
(5)Howard L.
This is place is ok for a hibachi meal, but nothing particularly exceptional. They also offer Thai and Chinese, but the menu looked a little more fast foodish to us. The hibachi meal was accompanied with a nice, watered down hot mustard/soy sauce which went well with the steak, and which I haven't encountered at other Asian restaurants. Strip mall location with convenient parking.
(3)Stef F.
So, while this isn't the greatest Japanese style food I've ever had, it was decent. One thing that was awesome-- they had $3 Mai Tai's which were well worth every penny. And I didn't get a headache from them, which means the alcohol used was A-OK. But I got the Garlic Shrimp and I thought it was pretty gross actually. I've never had such bad shrimp before. While the rest of the food seemed "typical" and was pretty good, I doubt I would rush back to this place again. One nice thing, they gave us $10 off our bill because we had spent over a certain amount--but our bill was still $70. So, in my opinion, for the money there are certainly other, much better Japanese places to go to.
(3)Jennifer T.
Updated 5/2/09 Not sure what has happened to this place between my last review when I gave it a 4 stars to current but the quality of food at this place have DEFINITELY went down. The last time I was there, we ordered a Thai Sour soup and it was the worse thing I've ever seen presented for almost $6. It was basically water, with raw humongous pieces of veggies floating on top. The mushrooms looked like it just came out of packaging the length of your thumb. The tomatoes were cut just as big. I can't believe how they would expect to charge a premium for this soup. Plus, it tasted nothing like Thai soup; in fact, it tasted like they just dumped seasoning and mixed it in for 5 minutes and served. So we asked the waitress if the soup was suppose to taste like this, and when she said "yes!", we sent it back. She wasn't nice about it or seem apologetic at all. My other dish was the Pad-See Eww and the noodles came out black and burnt. As first I thought it's OK if it's just a few burnt strands but half of my dish was burnt. They also put the same white mushrooms like the ones from my soup into this noodle dish (whoever heard of mushrooms in your pad see eww?). But while the noodles were burnt, the mushroom was raw. So final score: it was a mistake and this place will never have my patronage again. Why? Because both the food's quality have come down to a bare minimum and that their service isn't really up to par for the price that they charge. I would have given it 2 stars but the indifferent and ill-mannered customer service just didn't leave me with a good taste in my mouth, literally. ======== The sushi maki seems alright but nothing too special or set apart from the ones you get in a box at a grocery store. Their Thai dish are not too bad, particularly the Pad See Ew. Their Thai curry dishes is alright too but could use more flavor and coconut intensity. I was a little disappointed in the bubble tea because it didn't taste like they used fresh fruits but powder instead. The bubble themselves were too soft and not chewy. But the bubble tea is a pretty cheap (under $3) so in that sense, you can't expect Joy Yee's standards.
(1)Matt B.
Above-average Chinese take-out makes this place my go-to in the DuPage County area. I have tried pretty much every Chinese food place in three counties, this is still my favorite. - Good cuts of meat used for beef dishes, which I appreciate. - Crab rangoon is delicious. (Someone said it tasted sweet? I have never noticed that.) - Good hot & sour soup for sick days - Kung Pao is very good, and recently seems to have gotten spicier (or I've gotten wussier) - BBQ pork appetizer is tasty, although sweet Owners are very nice people. Sushi is average, and I'm not a fan of Thai food, so I can't comment on that. But I'm happy to give these people my business, as I have yet to be dissatisfied with an experience dining in, taking out, or getting delivery.
(4)Jeff L.
I have been going to Tai San since it opened. The Orange chicken never fails. My new favorite is red curry chicken (or shrimp, chicken, beef combo). Everything is good and always fresh. Smoothies are amazing - recommend the mango strawberry. Their lunch specials are great. Ton of food for a great price. The sushi is good, but I have not tried the hibachi yet - it always looks and smells amazing when other people order it.
(4)Monica V.
For the record, there is one place that I love more than Tai San and that's Bamboo Garden in Tinley Park, but that can be kind of a drive... Tai San Chef was introduced to me by my co-workers. Now, I work in an area that has not one, but TWO Asian restaurants within walking distance, however, I noticed that the girls always ordered from the place that was a few minutes away. When I finally tried them, I was impressed! Over the past few months, I've ordered Curry Fried Rice, Thai Spring Rolls, Red Curry Vegetables and Tofu, and Spicy Pineapple Fried Rice and they've all been delicious! Did I mention fresh fruit smoothies?? Yes, I like to order mine without sweetener (actual phone conversation: "No sweetener?" "Right, I don't want any sugar or sweetener added.") I love that he verified it with me while I placed my order! That's another great point, I've never had an order messed up, and I'm notorious for having special requests and substitutions. They get major points in my book for being open Mondays, which is a notoriously bad day to have a craving for Asian food (most places are closed.) Anytime I'm at work or placing an order to take some food home after work on Mondays, I'll be calling Tai San Chef for sure.
(4)Willy W.
The food was mehh... Not the best I had. What can I say? It's not 'real' Chinese food. Maybe I just chose the wrong stuff from the menu. Maybe I"ll give this place another try. Haven't tried the Thai food so I can't comment on that. (Maybe I"ll try that next time) I tried the sushi. The rice is hard, and the sushi falls apart easily. The would have really wanted to possibly give this place 3 stars..But I just couldn't. The reason is because of their service. There's this waiter that is rude. It just seems like he hates his job, & does't really give a crap. So next time I'll ask for the waitress instead. Btw, The manager there is pretty nice & friendly.
(2)Vany L.
I love this place! My favorite is Pad Thai with Chicken. or Shrimp or Tofu...they have lunch specials from Monday-Saturday and it is so inexpensive. They have sushi bar and it is fresh and good! Really a great little place.
(5)Peter G.
What a disappointment. My guess is that this place is owned by Chinese or Koreans. Sushi sucks just falls apart and fish is not that great. For the love of god stay away from the Pad Thai. It comes technicolor orange from that disgusting canned sauce and rubber noodles. You can make WAY better at home and I don't care who you are. So once you get rid of the Thai and Japanese what you're left with is mediocre at best Chinese. Crab Rangoon if filled with disgustingly sweet filling probably frozen. I've tried this place three separate times hoping that I'm wrong. The best thing I've had is the red curry. It's really mongolian beef with a little coconut milk. Not even red in color but not bad tasting. Best Thai in Western Burbs in Bambu Thai in Elmhurst. Thai O'Choa in Darien is pretty good too. I know you'll try it anyway hoping that I'm wrong but you'll see.
(2)Gina L.
Excellent. We had hibachi and everything was great! Our new favorite hibachi, plus the sushi rocked!
(4)M W.
I am a sucker for good Chinese food. When Tai San Chef opened a few years back, I was skeptical because I had yet to find a Chinese restaurant that was up to par in my area. Upon trying their food the first time, I was thrilled. I like my Kung Pao Chicken not warm, but hot, and they made it HOT per my request! Their beef and mushroom, Mongolian chicken, and Hunan chicken are all excellent, with lots of flavor. The veggies they use are very fresh; too often, Chinese restaurants use mushy, bland veggies, but that has never happened to me at this place. I also love their egg rolls--they are never greasy or soggy. The egg drop soup is good, but my favorite soup is sizzling rice soup. It's delicious. The staff have always been friendly when I've dined there. For takeout, they have never once messed up my orders, even when I made substitutions or had a special request. Their smoothies are also awesome. I can't speak for sushi or the Thai food as I'm not a fan, but we have tried the Hibachi and everything we ordered was very good. We recently moved to the far NW suburbs, and I miss my Tai San Chef!! Whenever I am back in the area, I get some takeout so I can relive the glory that is Tai San Chef. :o)
(5)Anthony S.
This place is just okay. Their food in general seems a bit too greasy or just not very flavorful to me. Their Pad Thai is doused in a sweet and sour type of sauce that is just absolute overkill. Their thai curries are too watery and lack flavor. I once ordered one of their lunch specials for takeout, which included the entree along with fried rice and an eggroll and the bag was literally dripping with grease by the time I got it back to my office. One thing I will mention, the service is really quick. Whenever I've gone in to eat the food was out to me within 10 mins or less, also they serve you hot tea which is pretty good. Hold on to your plates though, the wait staff is more than eager to take it away from you even with food still left on the plate. I probably wouldn't go to this place if it wasn't so convenient with regard to where I work and the time I have to fit in lunch. P.S. BEWARE OF GARLIC, apparently going for a good run doesn't get rid of the stench from this place, I had to eat a bag of parsley for dinner.
(2)Jeff G.
The best Chinese food in the burbs. We just had dinner tonight and brought home the leftovers. Delicious Sesame Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken! The Crab Rangoons and Potstickers are great! My friends say the Sushi is good and they have Japanese Hibachi grills.
(5)Don N.
Great place for Chinese, Japanese and Thai. You can order from any menu regardless of the area of the restaurant you sit. Food is very good quality and variety is unique in our area.
(4)Ryan I.
Tried their sushi, signature rolls are great, regular rolls are ok, I would come back again. Price is decent.
(4)Steven M.
I have never seen this before in my life. One cook and one waitress at lunch time in a full service restaurant? Four people at our table including one child. My friend got his sweet and sour soup right away. 5 minutes later I got my won ton soup. 5 minutes later, 2 more soups and 4 egg rolls. 2 minutes later a beef and broccoli a chicken satay and sweet and sour chicken? My friend who got his soup first was served his general tao's chicken after we had finished eating. And don't think about a refill. That would have thrown a wrench into the operation. TG there were only 3 tables to serve. Everyone got one thing to hold them over. Again. All these 2 star or less reviews are my friends suggestions. CLICK!
(2)Andie W.
Another good and clean restaurant serving Asian food in the suburbs, I'm impressed. Good quality food with good reasonable prices. Lunch and dinner specials come with your choice of soup, egg drop or hot and sour soup, an eggroll, AND chicken fried rice.....wow! The sushi was actually not too bad either, I'm so excited that there's now a good sushi restaurant around this sushi-less area, it's been a long time await. They also have one of the friendliest staff, our waiter was very attentive, and catered to our every need! I'm sure to come back, I think I'll be a regular! Overall: Cleanliness: A Food: B+ Prices: A Service: A --------------------- Grade: A
(4)Cindy B.
Tai San Chef offers Japanese, Chinese and Thai all under roof. The food is always fresh, including their sushi. Service is always good. If anyone is in the area likes Asian food, hibachi and/or sushi Tai San Chef is highly recommended!
(4)Meagan L.
I actually liked this place. However, the three stars was for slow service. Another star could be been achieved if there was another hibachi chef, however on a thursday there was only one and we had to wait for him to finish with the other table. The food was pretty good and the show was good, but they just need more staff to provide better service.
(3)Danielle P.
Absolute best Chinese food I've eaten. We try to go there at least once or twice a month. The shrimp fried rice is full of shrimp, not just one or two.Their orange chicken is actually white meat and not just fried bits and fat. You much get a smoothie too, too delicous to pass up. Very quick carry out and friendly staff at the front door.
(4)Kimberly R.
GREAT food! Excellent pad thai, smoothies, and egg rolls. Their homemade sweet and sour sauce is the best I've ever tasted. It's to die for!!! They also have Chinese, Japanese, and hibachi grills. I'm hooked on this place and have gotten several of my friends hooked as well. I would definitely recommend this place!
(5)Mike D.
Having lived in the area my entire life, this place is a welcome treat! Great food, great service, and great sushi! Even the hibachi is pretty good! I would recommend this place hands down! Their Pad Thai is awesome. It may not be to some peoples liking, but I certainly like it!
(5)Jan L.
Japanese, Thai and Chinese food in one location?! That's great especially in a small town of Darien! :-) I'm definitely a fan of the Teppanyaki! Chef Saito Lee is one amazing entertainer! The sushi roll was delightful! Orange chicken was "average" and the "crazy noodles" was just a little too crazy for me. :-)
(4)Maria S.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service and of course the sushi rolls were AWESOME! and very affordable!
(4)Karl B.
I'm very surprised by all of the conflicting reviews here. This place is really good. Had the Shrimp Pod See Ew and it was awesome. I'm not going to lie this place could be up to par w/ my fav. place for Chinese food in the burbs, Chi Tung. The only thing I noticed that was right from the other reviews was that the noodles were kind of burnt however not completely and honestly the food still tasted very good. I can also confirm that they use real fruit in their smoothies. I know this because they made it for me when I came to pick up my order. I will definitely be coming back and trying other things because Darien is a heck of a lot closer than Evergreen Park (Chi Tung) and Chinatown. One other thing, the prices are good here (similar to most mom and pop chinatown establishments where the prices are low). In addition to Chinese they also serve Japanese, Thai, and Sushi making it a one stop shop!
(5)Leia H.
I've had some HORRIBLE experiences trying to find decent Chinese food in the area since moving here 9 months ago. This is the first, and only place that has had food I'd not only eat again, but actually enjoy. Everything we've tried off the Chinese menu has been good. The sushi & thai isn't great, but definitely okay.
(4)Tennelle W.
Me and my family went to this restaurant yesterday and at first we were very excited about our first time going there but as we were seated and the waiter came to take our order he was very rude, wasn't helpful and didn't seem like he wanted to be at work, so I was not happy with him at all. After trying to get him to help us with our orders and help us learn about the food choices, I had enough with his attitude and went to retrieved a manager because I was about to gather my family and leave, but after I spoke to the manager he swiftly disciplined the waiter sent him away and personally took care of me and my family for the rest of our meal. The Hibachi chief was amazing, prepared our food perfectly and my family was very happy with him I also had sushi the Chilled Shrimp Tempura rolls and California rolls and they were very good and fulfilling. At the end of our meal the manager brought our check and I was over charged for two sodas but it was okay the manager made my family happy and gave my children some little gifts that put a smile on their faces. I left a good tip that I hope the Hibachi chief received, I hope that the next time we visit we get better service from a better waiter because first impressions are everything and I will never forget that one. I do suggest this restaurant to others because the food portions are large and the price is right, I just wanted to share my experience. Enjoy
(4)Fred H.
Not sure what kind of food you want - Chinese, Thai, hibachi grill? You may want to try this place. It serves reasonable Asian food in the Darien area. Our family likes the hibachi grill. The show is fun for guests. The portions are bigger than Benihana's and the prices are similar. In the Chinese section the deep fried tofu is good. The Chinese food is not as good as some of the best in Chinatown, but it is hard to beat in its neighborhood.
(4)Pri P.
Finally! A decent asian restaurant in the suburbs. The Hunan chicken and red curry were both good, however the curry was little creamier than I would have liked. The only reason I didn't give this place a 5 was bc during our entire meal the owner and a patron were discussing how the prices they have are too low and they should increase them. Well to be fair, it was more the patron trying to convince the owner the prices were too low. It was very distracting and I thought disrespectful to the other customers. As for the prices, they are good. I wouldn't say a steal, but certainly not way under priced. Some other asian places are probably cheaper, but Tai San is my fav to date. And one of the reasons is bc of the prices, don't change them!
(4)missmonster m.
Aw man. After loving this place for months i got an order of sushi that smelled of old fish and tasted really weird. Gross enough to put me off my weekly take out orders. Sorry, Tai San but i don't want another round of the trots.
(2)Jeff V.
I started coming here when it first opened. When it first opened the quality of food was great! Didn't have any complaints. As almost with any small business though as the business picked up and they were doing well and expanding to a hibachi area. The quality of good became average and prices went up. I gotta say the owner knows my family and if he takes the order he does add a few cups of chili paste. Cause we like spicy food. That attention to detail on customers is what I am talking about customer service. I wish the rest of his staff was that great :P. Well maybe I am asking for to much..but a guy can always dream. The times I went there the customer service was great! The good like I said was average nowadays. The owner has a location in Chinatown in Chicago. So he knows what customer service is! If you eat in I have experienced longer then usual wait times. I can say it's really a hit or miss if you eat in. Tai San has grown as its customer base. If it could go back to its roots of quality and not quantity then it could be better!
(3)K J.
WOW! I have to say this place really impressed me! I live in the city and make it out to the Darien area to go to Hollywood Bar and Filmworks about a few times a month. Yesterday I had a taste for sushi and decided to do a search of sushi spots in the area, found this place, and checked it out. Four of us went to dinner, my friend ordered the panang chicken, which was so good, I kept eating off her plate. I ordered the spicy lobster roll and added spicy mayo, must say this is my new favorite roll of all time. we also ordered the philly roll which was so fresh, it melted in your mouth. The sushi chef was running a bit slow on his first night, but the managers more than made up for it offering extra rolls and a ten dollar coupon. I have hit tons of Chicago sushi restaurants up, and I have to say the price and quality of this place will have me coming back again and again. Check it out.
(5)Bill M.
Have been there several times, LOVE THE FOOD. Tried some sushi, was good too. I have just started to try sushi so I'm no expert. They have expanded the business to include a sushi bar, sit down restaurant and Hibachi Grill.
(5)M J.
Great Chinese AND Thai food. You'd think a restaurant that serves two types of cuisine may be lacking, but both are very good here. We recently moved from the city and were pining for chinese and thai food and found both at one place! Highly recommended.
(5)