pbz wrote:Can someone recommend a noodle soup that is mild in taste (not spicy)?

Santander wrote:Dan Dan noodle bowl should be great for you (ask for it with extra broth, and extra pork, if you like).

Uh... Santander... did you misread pbz's post, or are you intentionally trying to abuse him/her?!?

stevez wrote:Katy's is closed on Wednesday.

This has been a public service announcement.

Ha! We drove out there a few Wednesdays ago and made the same discovery. Ended up enjoying a nice lunch buffet at the Oak Brook outpost of India House. Nothing could really ease the disappointment of a closed Katy's though.

India House
2809 Butterfield Rd,
Oak Brook, IL
630.472.1500

I found myself in the Western Suburbs today and, thanks to my GPS, discovered that I was actually within a short drive of Katy's at lunch time. Fortune was smiling. I had a great dish of stir fry noodles with dry chili. It was as good as ever.

Katy's Stir Fry Noodles with Dry Chili


The real news of the day is that Katy's is now displaying their GNR Certificate on the front door right next to Steve Dolinsky, a reprint of a Time-Out article and a page from a newspaper. Finally, LTH has taken its rightful place next to all those who came after us.

Katy's GNR Certificate On Display


I mentioned how happy I was to see this to Mr. Red Shirt (who, based on my last few visits, might now qualify to be called Mr. Brown Shirt). He smiled and laughed his usual delightful laugh, as I got the distinct feeling that he had no idea what I had just said to him. In any event, the GNR is now proudly flying at Katy's.

Uh... Santander... did you misread pbz's post, or are you intentionally trying to abuse him/her?!?

Just saw this, Dom; it gave me a laugh. I personally find the Dan Dan full of flavor, but mild on the spice scale (and they can obviously broth-it-up, my recommendation, since I believe they add the chili paste to the pork).

That said, I also told a 6 year-old last night at LSC that the Three Chili Chicken was "mild, just like chicken nuggets," and got a punch on the arm after he had to drink two glasses of water and white rice to combat one bite. Perhaps my sensitivity to spice is waning as my appreciation for other flavor components is waxing.

Santander wrote:

Uh... Santander... did you misread pbz's post, or are you intentionally trying to abuse him/her?!?

Just saw this, Dom; it gave me a laugh. I personally find the Dan Dan full of flavor, but mild on the spice scale (and they can obviously broth-it-up, my recommendation, since I believe they add the chili paste to the pork).

That said, I also told a 6 year-old last night at LSC that the Three Chili Chicken was "mild, just like chicken nuggets," and got a punch on the arm after he had to drink two glasses of water and white rice to combat one bite. Perhaps my sensitivity to spice is waning as my appreciation for other flavor components is waxing.

If it makes you feel any better, I have the same problem... things that don't register on my scale frequently blow my wife out.

But being that pbz found the beef noodle soup way too spicy, I'm thinking the Dan Dan Noodle is probably not going to help much

I just went to Katy's on monday. Wow..... I'm going back today. And it's not a short trip for me (~30 miles each way). The worst part about it is that they give you so much food, you're too full to try anymore of the other stuff. What a shame...a good shame.

I'm going to attempt to get as many different things as possible today.

h37s3m wrote: The worst part about it is that they give you so much food, you're too full to try anymore of the other stuff. What a shame...a good shame.

I'm going to attempt to get as many different things as possible today.

This is why LTH'ers often go to restaurants in groups. As someone who is fortunate enough to work within 15 minutes of Katy's, I have often made a quick run over to help out some fellow LTH'er who was in need of companionship so as to not look like a total hog in ordering 7 dishes for one person.

Okay, maybe I was not going to help, and maybe the others were not really ashamed to over-order, but you get my drift. Sadly, I am busy and eating in today.

Public service announcement: Katy's is closed on Wednesdays (I also forget this once every few months, so perhaps if I repeat it enough times it will sink in - Wednesday is such a queer day to close).

I'm sitting at my desk staring holes through the clock in an onion pancake induced trance. Katy's mise en place stir fry station in the back is great to watch while they cook up my meal.

dicksond wrote:Public service announcement: Katy's is closed on Wednesdays (I also forget this once every few months, so perhaps if I repeat it enough times it will sink in - Wednesday is such a queer day to close).

Not really, since I believe Wednesday is the slowest day of the restaurant week.

Jay K wrote:

dicksond wrote:Public service announcement: Katy's is closed on Wednesdays (I also forget this once every few months, so perhaps if I repeat it enough times it will sink in - Wednesday is such a queer day to close).

Not really, since I believe Wednesday is the slowest day of the restaurant week.

OTOH, Katy's is the only restaurant I know of that is closed on Wednesdays. In any event, I'm just happy I've never made the long drive from my house to Katy's on a Wednesday, without thinking about it first.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Katy's is the only restaurant I know of that is closed on Wednesdays.

Tank Noodle is also closed on Wednesdays. (Found out the hard way )

tapler wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Katy's is the only restaurant I know of that is closed on Wednesdays.

Tank Noodle is also closed on Wednesdays. (Found out the hard way )

D'OH! I knew that!

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:In any event, I'm just happy I've never made the long drive from my house to Katy's on a Wednesday, without thinking about it first.

=R=

Hey! I resemble that remark (sadly, more than once). At least there is Taco Grill as a close-by consolation prize.

tapler wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Katy's is the only restaurant I know of that is closed on Wednesdays.

Tank Noodle is also closed on Wednesdays. (Found out the hard way )

Okay, but what's the explanation for Sun Wah and Pho Xua being closed on Thursdays? That I don't get.

katy's also doesn't have high chairs, so if you have little kids, bring your own.

Traveled here from Kentucky for the weekend and loved it! The owner wanted to know how I found the place, and I told him it was the Internet forum. He laughed and said (in Chinese) "those people come in all the time and take pictures of everything! Now it makes sense." I also asked him why he was located so far from downtown, and he said that he liked the suburbs and suburban clientele better. Anyways, thanks for the tip, guys!

I was there yesterday as well (about 2 PM, and with apologies to dicksond - a last-minute decision with family in tow), and it was flying higher than ever. Pickles were crisper, dan dan noodles were more rich and piquant, pot stickers were seared and golden on the outside and moist and balanced within, stir-fried noodles with dry chili were sweetly complex, with (finally) perfectly cooked chicken and no krab. The latter, I usually request, but they usually forget. I love a place where $24 feeds six people (or three people for two meals).

Mr. Red Shirt was Mr. Black T-Shirt yesterday, and looked just as comfortable. Katy was charming as ever, and deftly poured half of the dan dan bowl into a takeout container with a smile on her face and nary a dribble. Magnificent.

stevez wrote:In any event, the GNR is now proudly flying at Katy's.

I was happy to see the GNR displayed at Katy's as well. Not sure if I was happier to see the GNR or dive into a plate of Shredded Pork stir-fried with pancake, but it was close.

Katy's Dumpling House


Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

stevez wrote:In any event, the GNR is now proudly flying at Katy's.

I was happy to see the GNR displayed at Katy's as well. Not sure if I was happier to see the GNR or dive into a plate of Shredded Pork stir-fried with pancake, but it was close.

Katy's Dumpling House


Enjoy,
Gary

It looks like they have their stevez on display, too!

=R=

I'm finally going to go to Katy's Dumplings next week. I've been thinking about the Dan Dan and/or tendon soups. I'd like to get opinion on the spicy hot factor. I recently went to Khan's BBQ, and the chicken boti was too spicy for my system. How do the soups compare to the chicken on the spice factor? Thanks! And yes...I know they are closed on Weds!

razbry wrote:I'm finally going to go to Katy's Dumplings next week. I've been thinking about the Dan Dan and/or tendon soups. I'd like to get opinion on the spicy hot factor. I recently went to Khan's BBQ, and the chicken boti was too spicy for my system. How do the soups compare to the chicken on the spice factor? Thanks! And yes...I know they are closed on Weds!

The chicken boti barely registers on my spice scale, and I find the dan dan noodles to be very spicy.

Whoa, really? What about the rest of the favorites...stir fried shrimp/noodles, shredded pork stir fried with pancake, spicy noodles with dry chilis and spicy cold noodles?

razbry wrote:Whoa, really? What about the rest of the favorites...stir fried shrimp/noodles, shredded pork stir fried with pancake, spicy noodles with dry chilis and spicy cold noodles?

pork with pancake is not at all spicy, neither are the dumplings. I'm sure any stir fry can me made "not spicy" since they are prepared to order. The broth-based items are a different story.

My favorite dish there is the cold szechuan noodles, and they're reasonably spicy, (moderate to me)--essentially noodles covered in szechuan chili oil with some pork and cucumber. If you've ever been to Lao Sze Chuan and had the spicy cabbage on the table, I'd say it's about that spicy.

Thank you! Lao Sze Chuan...maybe someday! I am out in the sticks!

razbry wrote:Thank you! Lao Sze Chuan...maybe someday! I am out in the sticks!

There is a Lao Sze Chuan about 1 mile West of Katie's on Ogden.

Lao Sze Chuan
1331 Ogden Ave
Downers Grove, IL
630-663-0303

I finally made it to Katy's. Really enjoyed it. I kept thinking, how good could these noodles be? A noodle is a noodle. I got the spicy shrimp with noodles, and those noodles just slithered down so easy. My sister had the shredded port pancake thing. That was really good as well. They let us try the pickles in the refrigerator. I was glad for that curtesy, as I really didn't like the taste of them. And, I got a bag of dumplings to take home. Have tried them yet. Anyway, what an wonderful find by the LTH Forum! Thanks!

Thanks LTH, now I have to drive 22 miles to get these craveable noodles. I ordered just about one of everything that has been mentioned. Why oh why isn't there anything like these noodles in Chinatown? At first I didn't understand the sign that said "no retail or wholesale" now I get it. Next time I go, I have to order two of everything so I can bring it home.

They do need to get that Krab out of those spicy noodles.

nicinchic wrote:
They do need to get that Krab out of those spicy noodles.

You can order it with no Krab. I always do.

You can order it with no Krab. I always do.

What Steve said.

I had some Szechwan Noodle Soup for lunch today. The warmth of the broth and heat of the peppers helped warm me up on a cool, rainy afternoon. I love the rich, spicy broth. I ate at my desk at work and my shirt tells the tale of eating my noodles a little too quickly and aggressively. I still have enough left over for lunch tomorrow so I'll try to be more careful.