This review is posted a day or so after we actually ate here.
We did dine in at 5 PM on Sunday, 12/31/2023, which was New Year's Eve. It was mild to moderately busy when we arrived and jam packed when we departed around 7 PM.
We've been coming here since 1978 and a combination of nostalgia and access to authentic cuisine has brought me back in the years since. This is my first time dining inside here since the last business remodel in the past year or so, as I usually do takeout.
The interior is lovely and fresh appearing. Parking is sufficient for the size of the restaurant and easy access on Shelbyville Road near the Mall and the interstate.
It seems the takeout orders rival or even outnumber the orders in the sit down portion of this establishment, so I'm happy the business is thriving. I am hopeful it will inspire the owners to improve the quality of some of the menu items we sampled to maintain customer loyalty.
We enjoy visiting the dim sum restaurants in Chicago's Chinatown, so this is wonderful to have authentic cuisine closer to home when a craving hits.
The egg roll we had during this visit was stuffed with what appears to be a finely chopped slaw mix and was noticeably bland, crunchy cabbage. The interior crunch tending toward raw veggies was surprising because the outer wrapper was fried too long, so I suppose the oil was too hot. Disappointed.
We ordered duck feet (12 pieces) $5 and the seasoning was delicious -- savory, aromatic, and spicy. Preparation was top notch. This is a keeper.
We ordered from the house specialties menu with sizzling subgum, $16, which is beef, shrimp, and chicken cooked with mixed vegetables on a hot plate and opted for fried rice. Second entree was Hunan duck $14 with roasted pieces of battered duck with vegetables in a spicy Hunan sauce, also with an option of fried rice.
We both commented that the fried rice was unlike any we have had in the past. It appeared to be steamed white rice with perhaps turmeric or similar orangish tint used for color to mimic the appearance of fried rice.
The entrees and rice were all bland. The duck was primarily batter in proportion to the meat ratio.
My pot of hot tea also left an impression that this is no longer authentic Asian cuisine being served. It was fairly dark and seemed to have been steeped too long irregardless of the type of tea -- English? Not oolong!
We ordered carry out of fresh string beans with pork $13 which I will say is some of the best I have ever had. The red pepper flakes and the final texture of the green beans was perfect. We ordered pork and shrimp dumplings 4 pieces $4.50 which were tasty. An order of General Tso's chicken $13 was bland and included onions, carrots, and zucchini. Even with several whole red cayenne peppers, it was still mild. Finally, stir fried flat rice noodle with egg and shrimp $14 featured perfectly cooked shrimp, but I did not personally care for the congealed texture of the noodles and sauce, although it reminded me of dumplings.
Service was excellent. Our waitress was dealing with a full house and she was pleasant and efficient.
I plan to return for the green beans and will try a few more items from the spicy menu to decide if this restaurant will be a keeper. I also plan to inquire about the fried rice version being served before I order it again. I do not want to have to drive to Chicago, so I'm hopeful. read more