Apr 24, 2023 - Food and Drink

Bite Club: Vietnamese meatball brunch at Uptown's Danang Kitchen

Monica Eng

Photo of a pan of meatballs on a table. — Xiu mai skillet at Danang Kitchen features egg, Vietnamese sausage and pork meatballs filled with quail eggs. Also pictured: a side order of bone marrow and fusion mini cakes. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios

Chicago overflows with tempting brunch options, but the Vietnamese midday treats we saw on Instagram from Uptown's Danang Kitchen reeled us in right away.

The bites: It was hard to choose between the xoi man sticky rice ($15) or the bone marrow skillet ($27), so we zeroed in on the xiu mai meatball skillet ($14) instead.

The verdict: These fatty pork meatballs simmered in tomato sauce delighted us with a surprise hard-cooked quail egg inside.

Gilding the lily are slices of pork loaf, a fried egg and hot French bread to sop it all up.
Wash it all down with Danang's rich custard iced coffee ($8).

What's more: We also loved the mini banh xeo that here are called "fusion mini cakes" ($18) — topped with fresh shrimp and caviar and served with fresh herbs, lettuce and dipping sauce.

The bottom line: Danang Kitchen isn't the cheapest brunch option, but the staff puts extra care into their dishes; the food looks great on Instagram, too.

Plus, like a lot of places on Argyle these days, they offer pretty outdoor tables in former parking spots.

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Bite Club: Vietnamese meatball brunch at Uptown's Danang Kitchen

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