Bingo Tea Malaysian Cafe - Argyle Street

Mod Note: Because the first two posts of this thread are so detailed, they were split off from the Best Thing You've Eaten [Lately] thread --Thanks, The Moderators

Khao man gai/ Hainanese chicken at Bingo Tea on Argyle. And roti canai. I was somewhat surprised to find that these 2 Malaysian staples immediately raced to the top of my list for foods that are sort of like a pastrami on rye and matzoh ball soup for SE Asia. I’m a KMG nut and I have a hard time passing it up whether I’m on Lincoln getting a mom’s home cooking version at PNA, in a Hollywood Blvd. diner, or at a food truck in Seattle or Portland. The main event, yet usually the weakest link, is the chicken fat rice. Not here. Every component of the dish was tops at Bingo, but the rice was far and away the best I’ve had.

The roti, particularly the flatbread itself, was also exemplary.

I haven’t yet tried the “cheese tea” that is Bingo’s cornerstone offering. I’m glad Sula covered Bingo in the Reader because I wouldn’t have quickly stepped into what looks like another highly packaged bubble tea spot. It’s that for sure, which is fine. But the food is hardly an afterthought. My hope is that they didn’t just bring in a ringer Malay cook for the opening.

1130 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 878-3333

Jeff, thanks for the Bingo Tea recommendation. The Argyle location doesn't even populate (at least for me) in maps apps yet but is a bright, inviting, and well-attended space on a few visits in the past week, and the menu looks permanent to me, including laksa and other specialties.

The roti canai patched up a Penang (Chinatown)-sized gap in my heart (or at least arteries) with its buttery flakiness, good heat in the curry, bone-in chicken pieces, and al dente root veg. This was right on to me. They also have a lemongrass-heavy Malaysian satay that tastes like real coal grilling with a funky peanut sauce and chunky salad - actually really reminiscent of the Family House.

(thanks to fellow mods for remedying my thread-creation laziness)