Restaurant

Ezankaya

Name: Ezankaya
Address: 1320 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL, 60660, US
Telephone: (872) 361-8636
Price range: value

Thai•Rogers Park•value

Ezankaya is one of the best thai restaurants in Chicago for dinner, especially if you want a strong option in Rogers Park.

Editorial review•Dec 9, 2025

The name is the concept: Ezankaya splices Isaan — Thailand's fire-driven northeastern region, home of som tum, grilled meats, and herb-forward heat — with izakaya, the Japanese framework for communal eating and easy drinking. The result, at 1320 W Devon Ave in Rogers Park, is a BYOB room where Thai street food and handcrafted sushi share the same menu without either one apologizing for the other. Devon Avenue already runs one of Chicago's most genuinely international stretches, and Ezankaya fits the block's ethos: ambitious in concept, unbothered by category, and priced for the neighborhood. This is a spot for people who want real regional cooking — not Americanized Thai — and who understand that BYOB plus a $1 price point is an invitation to go deep. The menu's gravitational center is Isaan-style cooking: the Khao Soi, a northern Thai coconut curry noodle dish with layered aromatics, is among the dishes diners and reviewers consistently call out. The Som Tum (papaya salad) follows the Isaan tradition of pounded green papaya with fish sauce, lime, and chili heat — a benchmark dish for any kitchen claiming northeastern Thai authenticity. The Ping Yang skewers are charcoal-grilled in the street-food tradition, and the Hat Yai Fried Chicken — named for a southern Thai city famous for its fried chicken style — draws its own dedicated following according to verified reviews. Crying Tiger steak rounds out the grill program. For dessert, everything is made in-house: the coconut custard and mango sticky rice are the kitchen's own, not sourced. The room itself, per multiple reviewers, leans into the dual identity visually — Japanese sakura imagery woven into an Isaan-inflected space that reads as genuinely considered rather than decorative. The move here is to lean hard into the Isaan side of the menu rather than defaulting to familiar Thai-American dishes like Pad Thai — the kitchen's reputation is built on the regional stuff. Because it's BYOB, bring something that can handle chili heat: a cold lager or an off-dry Riesling. The restaurant takes reservations via Resy and OpenTable; given the size of the room, booking ahead is the practical call, especially on weekends. Start with the Som Tum and a skewer order, and plan on the Khao Soi as your anchor dish.

Carlos Mendez, Food & Drink Editor

Methodology•Chicago guides•Editorial team

dinner

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Taste ID

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Rating (Google) 9.4

365 reviews

Chicago

At a glance

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9.4

Rating

Based on 365 reviews

Best used for

dinner

Price and pace

Good value

Neighborhood

Rogers Park · 1320 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, USA

Price

Good value

Google rating

9.4 from 365 reviews

Phone

(872) 361-8636

What to order

Signature dishes at Ezankaya

Khao Soi

Som Tum (Papaya Salad)

Ping Yang (Thai Grilled Skewers)

Hat Yai Fried Chicken

Crying Tiger Steak

Why go

What makes Ezankaya worth the move

Ezankaya is a reliable thai choice in Rogers Park in Chicago when you want something that tends to land well. Khao Soi and Som Tum (Papaya Salad) also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 365 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.4 from 365 Google reviews

Best used for

dinner

Style

Thai in Rogers Park

Spend

Good value

Best for

dinner

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.4 from 365 reviews

Price point: value

Popular dishes: Khao Soi, Som Tum (Papaya Salad), Ping Yang (Thai Grilled Skewers)

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Carlos Mendez for Ezankaya

Google snapshot

9.4 from 365 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Carlos Mendez

Dhanteraz Indian Fusion occupies the former Savannah Supper Club space on West Roscoe Street, and the transformation matters: what was once a supper club is now one of Roscoe Village's most talked-about Indian kitchens, a BYOB spot where…

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Quick details

Visit Website Directions

Address: 1320 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
Phone: (872) 361-8636
Price: value
TastyPals score: Coming soon
Google rating: 9.4 (365 reviews)
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: Rogers Park

Restaurants in Rogers Park

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Ezankaya serve?

Ezankaya is a Thai restaurant located in Rogers Park, Chicago. The name is the concept: Ezankaya splices Isaan — Thailand's fire-driven northeastern region, home of som tum, grilled meats, and herb-forward heat — with izakaya, the Japanese framework for communal eating and easy drinking.

What is Ezankaya best for?

Ezankaya is best for dinner. Ezankaya is a reliable thai choice in Rogers Park in Chicago when you want something that tends to land well. Khao Soi and Som Tum (Papaya Salad) also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 365 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Ezankaya?

Ezankaya is in the Good value price range (value). Google rating: 9.4 from 365 reviews

What should I order at Ezankaya?

Start with Khao Soi, Som Tum (Papaya Salad), Ping Yang (Thai Grilled Skewers) and Hat Yai Fried Chicken. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Ezankaya worth visiting?

Ezankaya holds a 9.4 Google rating from 365 reviews. Ezankaya is a reliable thai choice in Rogers Park in Chicago when you want something that tends to land well. Khao Soi and Som Tum (Papaya Salad) also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 365 Google reviews.

Where is Ezankaya located?

Ezankaya is located at 1320 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, USA. Directions are available via Google Maps.

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