Chinese Homestyle Dinner at Grand Palace - 6/22

It has been a while since I organized a dinner, so here goes!

Where: Grand Palace, 225 W 26th St, Chicago 60616
When: Wednesday, June 22 at 7 pm

Let's start at 10 seats. If more people are interested, we can do a max of 20 people. This gives us more room around the table.

What will we be eating? See here

Cost: If we are going more towards seafood, around 30-35, else it should be between 25-30. If you feel strongly either way, please let me know.

Edited to correct the day...

Count me in. And I prefer lots of seafood on the menu.

Hi,

I will be in Hinsdale giving a talk. I won't be there, though I know it will be really good food.

Those who attend, CrazyC always has the pulse on fine Chinese food. I always let her order and have never been disappointed.

Regards,

I'm in.

CC--June 22nd is a Wed. If the 22nd is the correct date, I'm in--if you meant Tuesday the 21st, I'll have to catch the next one!

Thanks for planning!!

Your descriptions had me salivating, I'm in. I'm fine with whatever dishes you pick. As Boudreulicious asked Tuesday or Wednesday?

Me, too, if Wednesday but not Tuesday, please.

Sorry! Updated to reflect the right day... Wednesday!

CrazyC wrote:Sorry! Updated to reflect the right day... Wednesday!

Xcellent--count me in!

Thanks for organizing. I'm always for good home cooking. Please count me in.

I'd like to join you (and I'm pro-seafood).
Thanks...

would like to join you

We have our table of ten!!

lemoneater
Bruthsmirnoff
boudreaulicious
mbh
happy_stomach
petite_gourmande
thai_obsessed
Jazzfood
CrazyC + 1

If it's not too late/full, I would love to come +1.
thanks!
matt

I'm not going to be able to make it, sorry.

Just got off the phone with the restaurant! She is going to make sure that we have the softshell crab and the scallops for dinner on Wed. And since she will be shopping for the seafood on Wed morning, she will pick up anything she feels would be good that day.

It is also BYOB... So free to make a bottle or two!

Who's coming
lemoneater
Bruthsmirnoff
boudreaulicious
mbh
happy_stomach
petite_gourmande
thai_obsessed
CrazyC + 2
laikom + 1

Can we add one more?

Was just about to ask the same question Ann--you beat me to it!! I have a friend (he has a handle but hasn't posted yet!!) who attends a lot of LTH events and would like to join us if it's not too late...

boudreaulicious, Ann - Sure! More the merrier! I am calling her tomorrow afternoon to give her a total headcount.

Who's coming
lemoneater
Bruthsmirnoff
boudreaulicious + 1
mbh
happy_stomach
petite_gourmande
thai_obsessed
CrazyC + 2
laikom + 1
Ann Fisher

Total: 14

Excellent--REALLY looking forward to this Thanks for organizing CC!!

Dinner is shaping up to be pretty good:

Full Menu:

Soft shell crab with salted egg yolk (8 crabs)
Steamed scallops on the half shell with garlic and vermicelli (6 whole scallops = 12 half shells)
Boiled conch slices with soy dipping sauce (4 lbs)
Ginger scallion stir fried lobsters (3 lobsters)
Egg tofu with mushrooms (2 orders)
Steamed egg custard with minced pork (1 large)
Peking pork chops (1 large)
Steamed pork belly with shrimp paste
Sauteed potato leaves with fermented tofu/fu yuu
Sauteed potato leaves with garlic
Sauteed pea shoots with garlic
Red braised catfish
Braised lamb with tofu skins
Salt baked chicken (1 whole chicken)

(I think that's it?!)

Total with a 20% tip was $30.50 per person. There was 14 in our party. There was a slight misplacing of money, so some people contributed a few dollars more before we found the misplaced cash, but we left it in anyways.

Large parties (over 10) should call ahead. Their largest table could not accommodate all our us, so they had a custom made tabletop ready for us. If there is something you REALLY REALLY want to have, call them a day in advanced to arrange it. The conch, soft shell crab, scallops and lobsters were specially picked up for us this morning. I wanted to add a steamed fish dish, but they did not have one available. Especially during the weekdays, since they don't stock anything expensive if they don't think they will sell it!

charlotte, thank you for sharing this gem with us. Dinner was delicious!

As long as I have lived in Chicago, I don't think that I have ventured that far down Wentworth to have found this place.

Of all the dishes we ordered, my favorites were classic/home cooking dishes:
- Steamed egg custard with ground pork
- Fried soft shell crabs with salted duck egg yolks
- Salt baked chicken with ginger/scallion sauce

These seem so simple and pedestrian, but not easy to do well.

Have you tried to saute the snow pea sprout at home? Mine always come out too tough or too mushy, instead of the bright green tender with a bit of fresh crispness. Granted it doesn't speak to my culinary skill, but you know what I mean.

Can't wait to go back and try other things.

I would also add the catfish and the pork belly to the list of dishes that I enjoyed. Just a great dinner at a place that's way way off the radar.

I was so nervous about dinner tonight! I was hoping everyone would like this place as much as I do! It looks like I am subconsciously not taking photos of the soft shell crab, so I have to keep going back for more!

The entire restaurant was staring at our table because they had never seen this many non Asian people in the restaurant before. A table of elderly gentlemen were very concerned and was wondering if we liked the food. I assured them that we did and they were so proud!

I had thought I picked a slow day for this dinner, but they were completely packed when we left. And people were waiting for our table! It was around 9pm and they close at 10pm! Needless to say they obviously do not need any help from LTHForum to fill the place. This said, I wanted to make sure that everyone keeps a few things in mind:

1.) If you are impatient, this is not the place for you
2.) If you think EVERYBODY should speak English well (after all this IS America), this is not the place for you
3.) If you want servers to wait on you hand and foot, this is not the place for you
4.) If you want water/forks/napkins/whatever in your hands 30 seconds after you ask for them... this is not the place for you
5.) If you are not a trusting type (or think you are but really all you want is orange/sesame/General Tso's chicken), then this is not the place for you.

Everyone saw it first hand tonight. There is only 1 server working the entire restaurant, and 1 bus lady/food schlepper. And there is only 2 chefs in the kitchen. If your response is "Well then they should hire more people!" or "But I am giving them business!" or "With service like that, they will go out of business!", then this is not the place for you.

I am not trying to be mean/rude/b*tchy, but I just want to keep expectations in check...

What a great dinner! Thanks for hosting CrazyC. I thought the service was fine (but maybe that's because you were helping).
My favorites were the soft shell crab, the lobster and the chicken. I can totally see the appeal of the Peking pork chops though.

Great dinner, thanks for organizing. What a value, and i love the literal "mom and pop" aspect of the place. Reminded me a lot of my trip to china, just about every small place we ate at was just like that. My favorites were the egg custard and the stinky pork belly, and of course the great company! Thanks!

Wonderful dinner! Wonderful evening! What a friendly place! What fabulous food! Did anyone mention that even with tip, and even with all the crab and lobster (my favorite, I'm not emmbarassed to admit it) we could ever eat, it came to $30 each! Wait, I see Charlotte did. Anyway, I also loved the salt-baked chicken, the peapod shoots, the conch, and the pork chop ("like sweet and sour pork," Charlotte told us, "only so much better.")
A few photos







Thanks so much, Charlotte!


p.s. Humbly linking my recipe for millionaire chicken which has a sauce very similar to the salt-baked chicken we had last night.

That looks so good. I am surprised they actually had lobster on the menu.