New Asia, Homestyle Vietnamese in Lincoln Square

New Asia is a one-of-a-kind Vietnamese restaurant that has ample charm, amazing food, and a dedication to authentic cuisine that spells out GNR to me. Though the menu has many of the familiar dishes, New Asia’s style stands out from the Argyle-street standards, serving what I can only characterize as extra rich and hearty “comfort food.”.

New Asia gets their live chickens and rabbits from the adjacent live poultry shop, making their “walking chicken” Goi Ga the most unique and delicious versions I’ve had. They use an entire fresh chicken with a flavor and texture (chewy yet moist) that you don’t find with factory farmed birds, and it is usually served with the gizzards, livers and sometimes even trung non - the chicken’s underdeveloped eggs. Another favorite of mine is the minimally spiced, but extremely rich Oxtail Pho which has become my go-to hangover and cold cure. The list of great dishes doesn’t stop here, as you can see from these quotes from the main thread:

“Best Vietnamese food I have eaten and the rabbit was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten anywhere. Sourcing the rabbit from Aden per the referenced article, explains the quality of the rabbit.” - budrichard

“I truly enjoyed each and every dish: salt & pepper smelt, ribs in clay pot, goi ga, Rau Muong Xao Chao stir fried tong choy, oxtail pho, beef with mustard greens. The standouts for me being Rau Muong Xao Chao stir fried tong choy, Goi Ga (that chicken was amazing)” - sweet willie

“I tried the pho ga the other day and I'd say it was one of the best versions in town - definitely better than Tank's. It came down to the broth which had a very nice flavor and just enough surface fat to coat the lips.” - BR

“The service was of the quality you'd receive at a restaurant an order of magnitude more expensive” ... “When laikom inquired about what tea they use they told us and then brought out packets for each of us to have.” - fropones

“This was probably my favorite rendition I've had of the dish and its most striking feature was that it contained at least one entire chicken, skin and bones intact, hacked into chomp-able pieces. The flavor of the meat was the star of the show and amazing how with all the nasty bits, it had such a clean flavor.” … “ rich meatiness, a full bodied broth with little adornment. We hardly added any garnish, its effect was so pure.” - Jefe

“That Goi Ga really stole the show. I thought it was a unique and wonderful rendition of the dish, probably the best I've ever had..” - RAB

“Four of us enjoyed our first meal at New Asia last night very much. The food was excellent, and the service was warm and efficient despite limited English.” - EvA

“Deep flavored rich silky broth, plentiful belly filling rice noodle, crunchy counterpoint of fresh veg and lime, 1/2-inch cut ox tail providing easy gnawing access to long simmered flesh, soft cartilage and marrow filled nooks and crannies. - Terrific bowl of pho” - G Wiv

“Even though I didn't like the beloved Goi Ga, count me a fan!” - G Wiv

Main Thread

Publicity

New Asia Restaurant
2705 W Lawrence Avenue
(773) 728-2406

How is it that a place like Redhot Ranch gets a ton of replies in a matter of minutes, but none for New Asia days later? I like hot dogs, but I'm not going out of my way for this or that one.

But I will go out of my way to visit New Asia. Sprouting up in Chicago's tiny second-tier little Vietnam on west Lawrence, this might be our best Vietnamese (along with Nha Hang). I grew up eating at 888, and while it still has its charms and holds a dear place in my heart, places like New Asia have set the standard - a precipitously high one - for caringly made, almost homestyle but maybe better, Vietnamese noodle soups, salads, and stir-fries. The menu here is refreshingly short, proving again the old adage that more is not better, and reminding us that places that focus and specialize on certain dishes are often the better for it. And who else sources their poultry (and possibly rabbit) at the halal live butcher next door?

Pho, goi ga, that sour tamarind seafood soup, and maybe some stir fried hare. Show me better Vietnamese food in Chicago.

While I'm not as enthusiastic about New Asia as some, I strongly support this nomination. It's definitely the best Vietnamese food in the neighborhood and it scratches the itch for me when I don't feel like driving all the way to Argyle. Yes, yes, yes for GNR.

I've only visited twice but am due for a return--maybe today! Definitely a GNR!

We've been a few times and continue to find the food delicious, especially the Goi Ga. Yes to GNR!

Habibi wrote:How is it that a place like Redhot Ranch gets a ton of replies in a matter of minutes, but none for New Asia days later? I like hot dogs, but I'm not going out of my way for this or that one.

I think there's room for both, but I agree New Asia derives more love. I think it's dishes are challenging for some who don't like offal and chewy bits, but I wish people would give it a shot. The rabbit on the bone and the oxtail pho are dishes I wish I had around the corner from me. A definite GNR.

mbh wrote:A definite GNR.

New Asia, GNR, Yes!

Just posted some New Asia love in the main thread

New Asia, count me a Fan!

Perhaps since I've centered my meals here around their pristine goi ga, I've found that New Asia serves the cleanest Asian food I think I've ever eaten in a restaurant. Vietnamese always has an emphasis on fresh, but with the freshly slaughtered poultry (and rabbit) from next door and always vibrant (so green) shrubbery in their dishes, their cooking sparkles like the morning dew on a late spring morning.

I've liked many of the things I've tried at New Asia, but I think this place deserves a GNR on the strength of its Goi Ga alone. It's a simple dish that I've had many times in many Vietnamese joints. It's just a lightly-dressed chicken and cabbage salad; but for me, there's something about this Goi Ga that makes it special and crave-worthy.

Great find and great nomination. Thanks, laikom.

--Rich

As I posted on the main thread, I didn't care for the food I had here and do not support this nomination.

Thinking about Nha Hang, a truly deserving GNR that's also in the Vietnamese category, New Asia seems like a distant also-ran. At Nha Hang, the dishes are vibrant. Flavors pop and satsify. You can't wait to dig in. You can't wait to order more items. The folks who run the place are incredibly friendly and are always welcoming. I can't say any of the same about New Asia. It's not even close to being in the same league -- the GNR league, that is.

=R=

I've had plenty of great meals at New Asia and it's definitely in the top tier of Vietnamese places in my book. GNR yes

New Asia opened me up to a novel and, in my limited experience, distinctive take on Vietnamese cuisine. I can think of nothing more satisfying than diving into a giant bowl of rich oxtail pho to cure a gnarly hangover. If only they were open late - maybe it could prevent the problem! New Asia's version of beef and mustard greens is also second to none. I have had many, many great meals at New Asia, and I support its nomination as a GNR!