Minyoli

So glad to see a Taiwanese place open up in Andersonville! I went here without a reservation with a friend on a Thursday. We waited about 15 minutes to sit at the bar, which was lovely. The bartender was super friendly, and we chatted a little about growing up Taiwanese.We ordered Apple Sidras and the beef noodle soup, half tendon of course. Broth had great flavor, and noodles had some bounce, though they weren't as thick and chewy as some I've had. The yansuji (fried chicken) was tender and juicy and came with fried basil (yum!). The tart plum powder on the outside was slightly sweet and an unexpected addition, but I wasn't mad at it.When the bartender heard it was my friend's birthday, they comped our ice cream which was so kind - I can't wait to bring my family and friends here. What a stylish and delicious addition to the neighborhood!

Being Taiwanese and growing up eating Taiwanese food I was so incredibly excited to hear about the opening of Minyoli. Finally a Taiwanese place in Chicago up north! Parking was convenient, however, it is mostly paid parking around the area. The surrounding streets on a Friday night were very lively and Minyoli keeps their windows open, kind of giving the street food vibe in Taiwan.The staff were great, we had reserved a table a few weeks back so we immediately got seated. The waiter had recommended the Oolong Milk Tea and he was right, it was delicious but definitely on the pricey end of $7. We also order apple sidra from the can which is always a hit! My friends and I wanted to try a bit of everything on the menu so we ordered the following: Luwei (phoenix bean firm tofu, kombu, and sliced beef shank), Taiwanese fried chicken, Cucumber Salad, Niuroumian (Beef noodle soup), Braised Beef Zhajiangmian, Lu Rou Fan and house-made ice cream (black sesame, passion fruit sorbet and pineapple coconut). I was disheartened as each dish I tried was inauthentic, starting from the Luwei which is such a staple, the bean curd was flavorless and beef shank was lacking. The kombu was made well though! The Taiwanese fried chicken was where I was most disappointed, there seemed to have been plum powder added and the chicken was no longer savory but instead incredibly sweet. The Beef noodle soup and Zhajiangmian flavors were so unexpected, I wasn't expecting it to taste as authentic as in Taiwan but at least along the right path. The dishes that I did enjoy were the cucumber salad, lu rou fan and homemade ice cream. If there's a change in the food authenticity I'd love to try it out again.

I came to Minyoli with very high expectations, maybe too high. I lived in Taiwan for 6 years and speak the language, I was married there and my kids are half Taiwanese (Chinese). I've had countless (hundreds or maybe thousands) of roadside stand meals in Taipei......Noodles, Stinky Tofu, Pigs Feet....you name it. When I read the concept for this new restaurant I was very excited. Real Taiwanese cuisine is extremely difficult to find in the states (outside of certain neighborhoods in L.A.), Minyoli was a place I couldn't wait to come to fruition.I went last night with a friend who had never been to Taiwan and wasn't familiar with the cuisine. Bottom line, we were both disappointed.We ordered a combination of fried appetizers to share, both of us ordered noodle soups, and I ordered a PiDan Tofu (Century Egg and Tofu). The fried appetizers were overly salted and bland. They lacked a sauce or flavor element to give them some excitement or pop. The PiDan Tofu was not prepared in a traditional manner (little sliced cubes of tofu with egg that was thin slivers. It should have been an entire tofu mound with large pieces of egg and shaved pork and heavy soy sauce). It was also boring and not tangy and pungent as it should be. The noodles were just okay...the broth was basic (not spicy and soothing) and the noodles were just fair..........decent consistency, albeit a little soft. The beef tendon I ordered with the noodles was way too soft and had no flavor at all. All in all, the meal was very weak and forgettable. But what really upset me the most, it was inauthentic......none of these dishes (or the noodles) would pass muster in Taiwan. They would be looked at with disbelief, and sent back to the kitchen. The service was very good (an early problem I read about online), servers were friendly and quick and everyone there was nice. Didn't save the night....I think this place needs a complete redo, either liven up the food with untypical Taiwan flavoring elements.....or tighten up everything and get it authentic (maybe the chef needs to go back to Taipei or Tainan and spend some time at the roadside stalls).:(

I love Taiwan, I love Taiwanese food, and I was irrationally excited that this place was opening in my neighborhood. Alas...Taiwanese beef noodle soup is legendary. It is one of only, like, 2 or 3 ways I even eat beef anymore. Here, they utterly ruined it by making it taste kind of miso-ey and vinegary. Honestly I don't even know what was going on in the broth. But whatever it was was not that slow-simmered umami it's supposed to be. Too bad because the meat and tendon were really tender and good.I also tried the tallow noodles, which have a great flavor actually, but ultimately it's a bowl of fatty noodles. Whither the vegetables to cut the grease?The cucumber salad is more spicy than refreshing, and you want something refreshing with how oily everything is. I am not complaining about oily, that is absolutely true to Taiwanese food, but you need something to cut it. In Taiwan you can just go get some delicious cheap tropical fruit from the nearest vendor. Here, you can't, and their fruit teas/sodas aren't even made with real fruit.The best part about our meal was the lightly, carefully fried appetizers - fish cake, mushroom, and sweet potato. In contrast to the rest of it, this was not oily at all, just lightly crispy with a thin shattering bite and a light dusting of salt.

I tried the Red Raised Beef Noodle Soup with beef and tendon. We also shared:Luwei/braised&chilled starters - phoenix bean firm tofu, kombu, sliced beef shankAnd Fried Snacks - Taiwanese fried chicken, fishcakeReview by a Taiwanese American: Broth and beef were very good. Tendons need to be cooked longer. I'm all for fresh noodles but these noodles were not the correct type to use in this national dish. The texture tasted like Italian pasta. Of the starters, fishcake was the most flavorful. Kombu was fine. Sliced beef shank was bland and dry. Popcorn Chicken was dry and some pieces cold.No issues with service. Good amount of tables for small to medium size groups. Starters are reasonably priced but the noodles are very overpriced. $15 for Ganban noodles and $19 for beef noodle soup pre-tax&tip.

I'm Taiwanese, so was super excited for this restaurant to open. My cousin and I tried the 牛肉麵 (beef noodle soup) and were disappointed with the broth and noodles. We were also surprised by how sweet the popcorn chicken was - the flavor didn't match what we'd expected. While it was an OK experience, can't say we were super impressed.

They offer noodle dishes that have broth and noodle dishes that have sauce. I ordered the spicy tallow, which was one of the noodles mixed with sauce. It said it was going to be spicy, but it was not spicy at all. Overall, the dish was lacking in flavor. I did think the portion size was good. It was the right amount of food - didn't feel overwhelmed by a large dish, and it didn't leave me hungry after. Lastly, the server recommended a Taiwanese apple soda I really enjoyed.

So thrilled to see another Taiwanese restaurant open in Chicago! Authentic Taiwanese food is so hard to find anywhere in America, and this place truly delivers. The service was fantastic--very attentive and helpful in explaining the menu. We decided to try the Luwei and the fried snacks trio platter, and both were outstanding. The Luwei was perfectly braised with rich flavors. The highlight was the shank and tendons!The popcorn chicken in the fried snack trio was seasoned with plum powder, a rare find and a staple of Taiwanese night markets. Tasting it brought back fond memories of home!This restaurant is a gem and a must-visit for anyone craving authentic Taiwanese night market foods

Excellent spot. We ordered one of every appetizer and loved everything. Vibrant flavors and sauces! The service was attentive and helpful. Our wait staff talked us through the menu and made great suggestions for entrees. Highly recommend.

We had the best time at Minyoli. In a sea of middling restaurants on Clark, this place really stands out. We were seated at the bar, and the bartender/server was the kindest. She had us try their sichuan peppercorn infused gin and their Taiwanese scotch on the house, and walked us through the whole menu. You can tell this place is a labour of love. I'm still *dreaming* of the shallot oil infused shaoxing wine cocktail--savoury in the best way. The beef noodle soup was also so good, as was the sorghum ice cream. Can't wait to go back, highly recommend trying it out!