Sweet Cafe Chicago

Chicago’s Chinatown is undoubtedly one of the best places in the city for Chinese food. The ethnic community is one of the 77 total neighborhoods in the city that contribute to Chicago’s diversity. There are continuous new additions to the current 150+ businesses in Chinatown, and it can be overwhelming to decide where to go for food.

Countless options provided by online food guides will point you to the most popular restaurants; however, one of the newer eateries in Chinatown has not made any of these lists — yet it is arguably the best spot for fresh, affordable dim sum.

Sweet Cafe is my new favorite spot in Chinatown that serves homemade food from the Canton province of China. The cafe opened in September 2023 and is owned and run by Sophia and Karen Chem, two sisters from Southeast China.

From sweet egg custard buns to savory BBQ pork buns — to classic plates of noodles and soups, Sweet Cafe has all of your Chinese food favorites at a greater value than more frequented restaurants in Chinatown.

My favorite orders are any of their dim sum, but specifically, the egg custard and BBQ buns!