Old Fashioned Fried Rice

Any one have any good recs on "old fashioned fried rice"? Looking for western burbs or Loop area. I am so sick of the bland and tasteless fried rice of Panda Express which is in my building so I am kind of stuck with it in the cold weather. I think the kind I am thinking of is Cantonese style.

Seems like many years ago the fried rice was tastier. But since I have moved away from the north side, I am stuck with Chinese in the Western burbs mostly and have never found any that is the bomb.

Here's a very recent thread on the subject.

Thanks. I am looking for the old school fried rice, that is dark in color has bean sprouts and the usual veggies, meat and a little egg and some green onions. I spent most of my college years eating fried rice of this sort in Chicago back in the late sixties and early seventies.....now it seems to have dissapeared, or at least its hard to find. Most of the restarants are long lost in memory or closed. Seemed like almost every Chinese restarant had it. Now its Thai this or that or some other kind of Chinese cooking.

You'd probably be very happy with the fried rice served at China Chefin Morton Grove. They do all of the old standard "Jewish American Suburban Chinese Food" very well. Great egg rolls, too.

China Chef
5920 W. Lincoln Ave.
Morton Grove, IL
847-967-6050

That's quite a hike for me. I used to live up there down the block from Poochies. Maybe that's what I was eating for so many years Jewish chinese food. LOL I guess I just thought that was the regular kind. I thought it was Cantonese. I just wish I could find a place like that in the loop or western burbs.

One of my (few) favorite lunch places in the Oak Park area is New Star on North Ave. I tend to stick with the old fashioned dishes, and think the fried rice is yummy. Nice place, good food, good service. Across from Dominick's.

New Star
7444 W. North
Elmwood Park
708-453-8242
www.newstarrestaurant.com

chef d'sprit wrote:One of my (few) favorite lunch places in the Oak Park area is New Star on North Ave. I tend to stick with the old fashioned dishes, and think the fried rice is yummy. Nice place, good food, good service. Across from Dominick's.

New Star
7444 W. North
Elmwood Park
708-453-8242
http://www.newstarrestaurant.com

We've avoided New Star for, no kidding, decades. No good reason to do so, just have. Then last night, we wanted to watch a movie instead of cook, so we ordered in. Chicken chow mein, beef with green beans, some veg and a fried rice. Was knocked out. Cantonese food is so simple, but it's easy to do poorly, and so frequently is. Even The fried rice was fresh tasting, no old oil taint, grains of rice distinct and not clumped together.

New Star. Count me a fan.

I got so sick and tired of mediocre fried rice that I began making it on my own, often with whatever meats and vegetables I have sitting in the fridge that are on the verge of expiration. Kenji's recipe, as is usually the case, is a solid resource. But sometimes just a little garlic and sesame seed is enough for me (oh, almost always eggs too!). It was Thai Dang of Hai Sous who convinced me how perfect such simplicity could be.

I just make sure to have some cooked, cold and at least a day old white rice in the fridge. But I've found that by making it at home, I can get the nice charred bits I find missing in 90% of restaurant orders. And fried rice to me is right up there with pizza, fries and Asian noodle dishes as my favorite comfort foods.

+1 I also use Kenji's recipe and it always comes out amazing and better than almost all fried rice that I have had in Chicago