Young's in Glenview.

Bear with me but if I can save one person, this will have been worth it.

Andrew voted for LTH but the realities of school night and our presence on Waukegan Road led us to Young's. Located around the corner from Fred Hots I was envisioning a Orange Garden type throwback; mediocre but edible food, pressed duck, a crispy egg roll with tiny shrimp in it. On a cold night that would have been just fine.

Alas, 'twas not to be. There were no other patrons in the parking lot and I ignored my spider sense telling me "go to Panda Express"!

The kids each ordered orange chicken and I ordered oyster sauce beef. The choices were made with the idea that they couldnt screw these up too badly, right? I'm getting ahead of myself though, on to the egg rolls. They were ok, hot and crispy, with a few micro shrimp I had hot and sour, Claire had wonton, and Andrew went with chicken noodle. The wonton soup was to be the finest thing on the menu, a mild broth with some slices of bbq pork and tender wontons. My hot and sour soup was distastefully sour and thin.

Andrews' chicken noodle soup...where do I start. Here's the recipe: Boil some water, add Campbells noodles ONLY and cook till soft. Discard water which may have inadvertently picked up some offending flavor from the noodles. Repeat with chicken pieces, making sure to drain once before refilling with tap water and holding at a hard boil for 30 minutes minimum. Recombine noodles and chicken, pour some hot water over and serve. That is the only way I can think of making a soup as flavorless as this. It's like some evil twisted perversion of the Rheinheitsgebot where the only allwable ingredients are pure water, flour and chicken meat; no fat, no salt, no "adjuncts"

Even Andrew, a child of his Swedish Grandmas' cooking at heart, couldn't eat it.

The orange chicken was acceptable light tenders in an overly sweet sauce with no taste other than cornstarch and reconstituted OJ.

The oyster beef was either one of the worst things I've ever eaten or some amazing post modernist twist on the calssic that I cannot begin to appreciate it. Perhaps the chef waved a little hand drawn picture of an oyster while thinking briny thoughts, I can tell you that's as close to oyster sauce my food ever got. What I was served was a sodden pile of beef papained to within an inch of its life, drenched in cornstarch and perhaps a touch of beef boullion and an entire onion sliced up (not on the menu description).

I told the kids I would have rather eaten at Panda Express or Taco Bell, hell, I would rather have sat at home and gnawed on the week old pita bread I forgot about on top the fridge.

I can honestly say this was the single worst meal I have had in years. The lack of respect towards the food and complete disregard for the customer leave me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Young's Chinese "Food"
1744 Waukegan Road.
Glenview

Fifteen years ago, when ex-Mrs. JiLS and I lived just down the street in the Valley Lo Towers, I regularly picked up dinner from Young's. Back then, it was always at least palatable, although I never would have served it to a guest. Just cheap, greasy wok fair at a price point consistent with our budget. Sounds like they've hit rock-bottom, now.

Long ago, it wasn't bad, but it has been unpleasant for many years.

Sorry you had that experience. I'm amazed the place stays in business, since there are so many decent to good places in that area.