By: Almerah Alkhatib, Loyola Senior
With many Thai restaurant options to choose from in the City of Chicago, Ben’s Noodles and Rice located in Edgewater just steps away from the Bryn Mawr Red Line, has proven to be the best Thai food hands down.
As soon as I walked in I could smell the food being made and it made me even more hungry and ready to order. The staff immediately greeted and welcomed me into their cozy atmosphere. Due to COVID they are currently not allowing indoor dining; however, when they did the ambience was very intimate and comfy.
I chose to order a noodle dish, Pad Woonsen. This dish is made up of stir-fried bean thread noodles, fried egg, and mix of fresh vegetables. Due to a dietary restriction I have, I asked if they could substitute rice noodles instead of bean thread noodles, and they were very willing to make such accommodations for me, with no extra charge.
For an appetizer, I usually order the crispy and super flavorful crab rangoons which contain crab meat, celery, carrots, and cream cheese deep fried in a wonton wrapper. I also their deliciously stuffed basil rolls, which consist of grounded up chicken and basil leaves in a fried wonton wrapper.
The menu is very reasonably priced for their portions. The appetizers that I ordered are the perfect size to rid your hunger while waiting for the entree, and the Pad Woonsen noodle dish was only $10 and was more than enough for me to enjoy for dinner that evening and lunch the next day.
Besides being able to accommodate certain dishes, Ben’s does offer different meat options for almost all of their dishes, many vegan and vegetarian options, and lunch combo specials for those looking for a lighter meal.
I am always satisfied when I order from this gem of a restaurant. Ben’s offers excellent service including but not limited to the front staff, very polite employees taking phone orders, and timing of the food which never takes more than twenty minutes, delicious food that’s always freshly made to each order, and the low prices.
I have been a customer of Ben’s Noodles and Rice for more than 10 years and have never gotten tired of it. I would give Ben’s a 5 out of 5 and will definitely be returning for the 10,000th time.
