Dine-In Chinese

We are going to Chicago for a fun get-of-town weekend this coming weekend. There are no good dine-in Chinese restaurants where I live - hoping to find a place in Chicago. We will be staying in Schaumburg. Can anyone recommend (if there are any) good dine-in Chinese restaurants within a half an hour of Schaumburg? (Not looking for a PF Chang's, like them but been too many times.)

Thanks for any help. --

Chuckie wrote: (Not looking for a PF Chang's, like them but been too many times.)

Thanks for any help. --

You are going to the wrong place to get away from PF Changs and thier ilk IMHO.

If you're willing to make the trek, you could try Lao Sze Chuan's Palatine outpost. I've only been to the Chicago and Westmont locations, but maybe LAZ can vouch for it.

gleam wrote:If you're willing to make the trek, you could try Lao Sze Chuan's Palatine outpost. I've only been to the Chicago and Westmont locations, but maybe LAZ can vouch for it.

I can vouch for Lao Sze Chuan in Palatine. The same wonderful food as in the other two locations. If you're adventurous try a hot-pot or a whole fish in chili sauce with tofu. It's where we eat real Chinese as preparation for our end of the month trip to China.

Schaumburg actually has a couple of pretty good Chinese restaurants. Most of my Hong Kong friends, when they move into the Chicagoland area, start out in Schaumburg... why?? Beats me...

Anyways, Chinese foodwise... I remember Wok N Roll as having good Chinese food. Just like Chinatown... and they have dim sum there on the weekends. I know the name may be a turn off, but if you can get past the name, it is surprisingly good.

Another place I remember is Hong Kong Cafe. Not really a restaurant restaurant, but like a local Hong Kong restaurant: congee, noodles, rice dishes, etc.

I think those are the 2 places my friends brought me to when they lived in the area. Beats driving into the city..

Hong Kong Cafe
1608 W Algonquin Road
847-397-8208

Wok N Roll
1017 N Roselle Road (actually in Hoffman Estates)
847-885-0888

Lao Sze Chuan (a.k.a. "Szechuan House" as the english sign says in the Palatine strip mall) is quite good. It's the closest you'll get to a Chinatown style restaurant near Schaumburg.

That said, the ambiance at Szechuan House is a little lacking (partially what I meant by "Chinatown style"?). I think it's great for lunch, but for a nice dinner, I would go to Yu's Mandarin on Golf Road right in Schaumburg. There are a few mentions of Yu's elsewhere on LTHForum

Yu's Mandarin
200 E Golf
Schaumburg

847-882-5340

MJ

I've been to Wok n Roll fairly recently and they do have decent dim sum from a menu. Everything came out hot and fresh. Banana leaf rice, deep fried taro balls, shrimp dumplings, etc. Only negative was sketchy to no service. It was difficulty to get anyone's attention. Maybe server was having a bad day.

Not too far down Golf road is Yu's Mandarin. A bit nicer setting and maybe larger menu selection, but no dim sum. Yu's makes a lot of their own noodels in house. Can only speak to one visit which was decent. Fresh Noodles with a rich dark brown beef gravy. http://www.yusrestaurant.com/

Thanks all for the pointers. Yu's sounds great & I am a big noodle fan.

Besides Yu's, the plans for our get-out-of-town weekend include:
Lunch at Frontera Grill
Movie: March of the Penguins (if playing)
Shopping at IKEA
Dinner at D&J Bistro (Thanks for the recs on that too.)
Maybe Bretzel's on our trip downtown
Visit new park in downtown area
Lou Malnati's pizza
Worship on Sunday at Willow Creek

I've enjoyed reading about places like Alinea on this board but way too out of my price range!

Thanks again. --

I have been going to Yu's for 18 years now I have to say that even between my trips to some of the better places in Chinatown, I still crave certain dishes at Yu's.
Highly recommend the noodle dishes (I usually always get an order of Peking Noodles for the table), Dragon & the Phoenix, and Szechuan Beef.
They also serve my favorite hot & sour soup as well and a very tasty fried potsticker.
Good luck and enjoy!
Jamie

I don't know that Bretzel's is really worth a stop if you're making the most of a Chicago visit. You'd be practically around the corner there from pretty decent Thai, and a much nicer room for eating in, at Siam Rice. It looks like you're not getting any other Thai on the trip, and Siam Rice would at least give you a taste.

I'm sure you'll still find March of the Penguins playing. It was pretty packed when we went last weekend and I gather it's doing very well everyone. Phenomenal photography though the narration gets a little cloyingly anthromoporphic at times.

Unfortunuately, I have no experience whatsoever with Thai food. Some day I need to go with someone who knows the cuisine to help me find things I might like. I grew up in small towns in the Midwest - I am the most culinarily curious in my family but there are many things I have not tried yet in my restaurant travels. I appreciate all the tips!

You might argue that some of the newer places are more innovative and have fancy menus, but Chin's has an extensive menu and is my old standby for Jar Chong Chow Mein which, as far as I know, is unique to them:

Chin's
10 E. Miner
Arlington Heights
http://members.aol.com/clients333/chins/pages/home.htm

gleam wrote:If you're willing to make the trek, you could try Lao Sze Chuan's Palatine outpost. I've only been to the Chicago and Westmont locations, but maybe LAZ can vouch for it.

I have had many excellent meals at the Palatine location. It is the best Chinese in the northwest suburbs, although quite different from Cantonese, if that's what one craves.

I like Yu's, although I haven't been there for some time; the handmade noodles were always tops, and sometimes they give noodle-making demos. For dim sum, Jockey Wok 'n' Roll is a good option. (This started out as the Jockey Club, named after a Hong Kong establishment where the chef/owner once worked; unfortunately, few suburbanites had heard of it, so the owner decided he need a more explicit name.)

Another good northwest suburban spot is Yummy Gourmet for Hong Kong-style dishes such as curry pockets and gingery Shanghai-style dumplings in broth, called "Shanghai wontons" (be sure to check the carryout menu which lists options not on the regular menu, and ask about what they might have that's special).

Lao Sze Chuan/Szechuan House
847/991-0888
www.laoszechuan.com
Palatine Plaza
321 E. Northwest Highway
(between Hicks & Buffalo Grove roads)
Palatine IL 60067

Yu's Mandarin
847/882-5340
Copley Center
200 E. Golf Road
Schaumburg, IL 60195

Jockey Wok 'n' Rolls Cafe
847/885-0888
1017 N. Roselle Road
(between Golf & Higgins)
Hoffman Estates, IL 60194

Yummy Gourmet Restaurant
847/253-0319
Prospect Crossing Shopping Center
1255 N. Rand Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60004

CrazyC wrote:Another place I remember is Hong Kong Cafe. Not really a restaurant restaurant, but like a local Hong Kong restaurant: congee, noodles, rice dishes, etc.

Hong Kong Cafe
1608 W Algonquin Road
847-397-8208

Tried this place for the first time Sunday afternoon. Had short ribs in a black pepper sauce and seafood chow mein. Everything was delicious, and the assortment of congee and soups in the menu will bring us back next weekend. Especially since they've got 2 big TV's with the Bears game on.