Go 4 Food in Chinatown $2.50 noodle special..changes monthly

I had dinner there this past Friday and it was really delicious. Everything was fresh and tasty. I noticed they had a special for the month and it is Hong Kong style noodles. It is regular $4.95 and on special for $2.50. During the week, before 5 PM, and dine in only. You get to choose 3 things to put in there (various meats, tofu, curry squid, etc), choice of noodles, and some veggies. I got tripe, beef brisket, and fried pork chop. Came to $2.79 including tax + tip.

For dinner the prices are typically $1 more than the other Chinese restaurants. They also charge you .50 for each bowl of rice. They do have a lunch special that is around $6 and comes with and entree, rice, appetizer, and drink. The owner was laid off and use to be a chemical engineer. He decided to open a restaurant. I think it opened late 2009. I would go back again.

Go 4 Food
212 W 23rd St
Chicago, IL 60616
312-842-8688

http://www.go4foodusa.com/G4F-v3.0/G4F/Home.aspx
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chicag ... ajaxpipe=1



Let me know if anybody is interested in meeting up here for lunch some time.

Looks like an H.R. Giger painting.

Habibi wrote:Looks like an H.R. Giger painting.

To me it simply looks delicious.

nice pic of that Hong Kong Noodle dish.

This place has been on my short list of places to try, so perhaps tomorrow night before WSP. Plus I hear its BYOB.

I forgot to mention the special is before 5. So, get there before then, otherwise it is $4.95. It is BYOB.

Hi,

I have gone twice to Go4Food over the last six weeks. My first visit was at the initiative of Louisa Chu. We went there seeking Chinese comfort food, not the holy grail of authentic, more the stuff you might eat in Hong Kong.

Our meal began with a complimentary bowl of lotus root soup.


Aug 21 2010 Lotus root soup by cal222, on Flickr

We were there at dinner, though the food we wanted was on their lunch menu. We began with a few familiar dishes. First was minced beef with peas over rice. This arrived in a style we expected.


Aug 21 2010 Minced beef with peas by cal222, on Flickr

I am fond of the shrimp and peas suspended in a clear cornstarch thickened sauce over rice. What we expected and what we received was different, though still good.


Aug 21 2010 Egg and shrimp by cal222, on Flickr

A shrimp omelet was not something I would have order, though I loved how this came together. The yellow pool on the edge is egg yolk. I don't know if this was by design or by accident, I love the runny egg yolk.

We had hoped to order shrimp with preserved egg. We then learned we had a dining companion allergic to shrimp. We could not exclude him from more than one dish. Instead, we ordered tofu in this same preserved egg. The tofu was tender and custard-like under its shell of preserved egg. It is one dish I have thought about often since my first visit.


Aug 21 2010 Tofu with preserved egg by cal222, on Flickr

We also ordered Beef chow fun, another default order whenever found on a menu. This compared favorably to other versions enjoyed in restaurants.


Aug 21 2010 Beef chow fun by cal222, on Flickr

Off the dinner menu, we ordered Hundred flavored beef. While it was not my favorite dish, everyone else was quite happy with it.


Aug 21 2010 Hundred flavor beef by cal222, on Flickr

Dessert was a warm tapioca soup with fruit:


Aug 21 2010 Dessert soup by cal222, on Flickr

Our dinner for four was $12 each.

However at lunch last weekend with CrazyC, we enjoyed another aspect of this restaurant's personality. We were a party of ten people who agreed in advance to pay no more than $20 per person, then CrazyC negotiated a memorable menu.

The first dish to arrive were Oysters topped with cellophane noodles and garlic. My friend Mom2 was so enchanted, she ate her first oyster at the tender age of 88.


Food4You - Oysters with Garlic Noodle topping by agashi, on Flickr


Food4You - Oysters with Garlic Noodle topping by agashi, on Flickr

Next came razor clams, which was a first for me:


Food4You - Razor clams by agashi, on Flickr

Everyone had heard how much I loved their tofu with preserved egg. There was a double order to work our way through this time.

We ordered two "French" dishes. One was French style beef tenderloin.


Food4You - French style Beef Tenderloin by agashi, on Flickr

We also had deep fried silver fish, which one could eat like French fries.


Food4You - Deep fried Silverfish by agashi, on Flickr

We reprised the minced beef with peas, though CrazyC had it delivered with a raw egg. She quickly mixed it in after this picture.


Food4You - Minced Beef with Egg over Rice by agashi, on Flickr

When someone spied Hong Kong style noodles on a chalkboard, CrazyC said she would order the good stuff: E-Fu noodles.


Food4You - E-fu noodles by agashi, on Flickr

We also had quails, too.

I asked CrazyC how she would describe this place. She said it was a similar to Hong Kong seafood restaurants.

This restaurant made a good impression with my friend Helen, too. She returned the very same day to celebrate her son's birthday. With the exception of the beef tenderloin, she ordered practically the same menu from lunch. Her husband is from Hong Kong who is very particular on where he dines in Chinatown, he liked it, too.

I'm contemplating another visit soon. Maybe I will hit them for breakfast to see what else they have to offer. If you check on their website, they have an assortment of menus.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Off the dinner menu, we ordered Hundred flavored beef. While it was not my favorite dish, everyone else was quite happy with it.

Were you able to taste all hundred flavors? I'd hate to think a place was offering something like this on its menu and then delivering a sub-standard 70 or less flavor version.

stevez wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Off the dinner menu, we ordered Hundred flavored beef. While it was not my favorite dish, everyone else was quite happy with it.

Were you able to taste all hundred flavors? I'd hate to think a place was offering something like this on its menu and then delivering a sub-standard 70 or less flavor version.

Hi,

When we ordered this, the owner very earnestly explained it wasn't really one hundred flavors. The complexity of the flavors evoked one hundred flavors.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

stevez wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Off the dinner menu, we ordered Hundred flavored beef. While it was not my favorite dish, everyone else was quite happy with it.

Were you able to taste all hundred flavors? I'd hate to think a place was offering something like this on its menu and then delivering a sub-standard 70 or less flavor version.

Hi,

When we ordered this, the owner very earnestly explained it wasn't really one hundred flavors. The complexity of the flavors evoked one hundred flavors.

Regards,

Do you know how many flavors there actually were? I'm thinking about planning a dinner there and I want to be sure I don't get short changed or disappoint my guests.

Steve,

I hope you will get to the bottom of this issue and report back.

I already have a date set to return soon. I like this place.

Regards,

I stopped by for dinner after seeing the photo of the s&p silver fish above, one of our family’s favorite dish and not easy to find on most menus. Made it there right before 5, so the lunch and afternoon tea menus were still available, as well as dinner choices. It was perfect timing to order off all 3 menus for varieties and economy.

All in all, I look forward to returning for fresh seafood offerings. Thanks to all for introducing me to this place.

Starting with my favorite dish, steamed oysters with garlic black bean sauce, which were cooked perfectly to the right level of doneness, and seasoned just right without overwhelming the fresh plump oysters.

“Big and little” duo of steamed oysters with garlic black bean sauce:



Center shot of the plumper of the duo, perfect bite:



My next favorite dish was another duo of steamed scallops on the half shell with garlic and cellophane noodles. They were steamed to perfect level of doneness, but I was so busy admiring it that it was slightly overcooked by the time I cut into it. The garlic slightly overwhelmed the delicate scallop, but the garlic was so delicious, I would order it again and again.

Whole scallops on the half shell with the roe and all:



Close up shot of one with bright orange roe:



Why is this roe so pale? I asked the owner, and she wasn’t sure, but her theory is that the orange one is female and this pale one is male.



S&P Silver fish, huge heaping dinner portion, perfectly battered to crunchy crispiness. Not too salty nor under seasoned as is the case with this dish at times. The dish was somewhat mild, but enough zing to satisfy.



S&P pork chop from the lunch menu was just okay for me. The meat was tenderized to point of no taste, but with a gummy texture. However, the price to portion ratio is a good deal. Was hoping this is a good version of S&P spareribs.



Beef with bitter melon from the lunch menu was very decent.



Beef chow fun, an old standard on every Chinatown outing. I liked the texture, nice and thick. Barely any wok chi though, but the flavor and texture made up for it somewhat.

I love this place. Small, clean with a knowledgeable, hospitable owner. He's the one who suggested the off the menu Tofu with Preserved Egg. Instead of the shrimp I'd originally asked for the preserved egg crust on their Chinese fried chicken wings - after seeing them delivered to another table - but he suggested the tofu - done agedashi style. Cathy, I've been craving that dish too.

petite_gourmande - so awesome they have scallops with roe. Yep, coral roe female; white, male. Scallops are hermaphrodites changing throughout their lives so it depends when you catch them.

Louisa Chu wrote:petite_gourmande - so awesome they have scallops with roe. Yep, coral roe female; white, male. Scallops are hermaphrodites changing throughout their lives so it depends when you catch them.

Louisa - Thank you for the nugget of knowledge. I did a cursory google before posing the question, and couldn't find an answer. That's how they are sold in Europe most of the time, especially when in season on the pier in Deauville/Trouville (I always mix them up).

P.S. By the way, Jazzfood shared your list of Paris eats with me, and what a comprehensive list. Unfortunately, I was there the first couple weeks of August, so most on the list were closed. Finally hit the jackpot at La Cagouille, very nice casual seafood spot. Thank you!

petite_gourmande wrote:

Louisa Chu wrote:petite_gourmande - so awesome they have scallops with roe. Yep, coral roe female; white, male. Scallops are hermaphrodites changing throughout their lives so it depends when you catch them.

Louisa - Thank you for the nugget of knowledge. I did a cursory google before posing the question, and couldn't find an answer. That's how they are sold in Europe most of the time, especially when in season on the pier in Deauville/Trouville (I always mix them up).

P.S. By the way, Jazzfood shared your list of Paris eats with me, and what a comprehensive list. Unfortunately, I was there the first couple weeks of August, so most on the list were closed. Finally hit the jackpot at La Cagouille, very nice casual seafood spot. Thank you!

The scallops looks awesome. Try the fresh steam lobster or crab topped with cellophane noodles and garlic as well. It brings out the best of seafood.

Got a surprise invite to go to dinner @ Go 4 Food Friday night(was planning on coming into Chicago and go up to Argye to work on a menu for an upcoming party @ Pho Xua, but dinner i Chinatown is a trump card.).

Go 4 Food impressed, I had wanted to get here since the inital reports of this place, glad I finally made it.

5 adults(3 LTHr's), and the Shaymeister allowed for some good ordering power. Love the BYOB, enjoyed some Jim Beam before arriving, then Bud's for the meal, I believe some wine was consumed by others. Friendly service, and a nice space.

Items ordered: Fried smelts, salted egg yolk shrimp, salted egg yolk chicken wings, beef chow fun, steamed lobster with cantonese noodles, 1/2 order razor clams, manilla clams in black bean sauce, some monster steamed oysters, and ong choy with garlic.

My favorites were the egg yolks shrimp, and wings. Also I thought the clams in the spicy black bean sauce was great. Surprise of the night was the ong choy, really good for a veggie dish. The razor clams were intersting, a little gritty though. Beef chow fun had no wok char to the noodles, but the beef was great and ahad alot of flavor. Oysters were ok for me, everyone else loved them. The lobster was just ok, kind of tough and lacking any flavor other than garlic. Smelts really didnt do anything for me, probably my least favorite dish.

Overall Go 4 Food is a place I will definitely return.

I had a lovely dinner here the other night.. I was dining with one other person so, our menu selections were limited.. As, we sat, we watched plate after plate of delicious looking offerings come by us.

What we did order was very good.. Starting with the corn and crab soup.. It was starchy soup with what looked to be hominey mixed with small pieces of King Crab.. Served with white pepper and Red Vinegar, these two offerings brought the dish to another level... Also being the Vinegar and White Pepper are two of my favorite things, this dish was made for tastes.

We then moved on to Giant Clam with XO Sauce. These clams were huge.. Sliced and refilled back into the shell, there was 5 or 6 bites for each clam.. The sauce was spicy and flavorful.. Lots of fresh scallion.. It was a wonderful version..

Pan Fried Noodles.. The owner or manager was incredibly helpful.. To the point where he was fawning over us.. He wanted to make sure we were happy with our table, he wanted to make sure we understood the menu, basic philosophy behind Cantonese Food.. The New Yorker in me became skeptical but, he was just a genuine nice guy.. I didnt care what kind of protein was in the noodle, he said, I will surprise us with the selection.. The beef wsa super tender, the noodles fried and dressed well..

Lastly, we ordered the fried shrimp.. The shrimp were fried in some batter.. The menu said egg yolk batter.. They were good, i much prefer salt baked to this but, it was a nice and welcomed variation to a dish I often order..

Overall, it was a very good meal.. I was expecting less just because of the name and being that it was my first visit to Chicago's Chinatown.. Would like to go back, perhaps a group outing is in order.. They have large circular tables and lazy susan's.. Coming back to Chicago in Jan 8,9,10.. Anyone interested?

Easily the best Chinese I've had in Chicago in 25 years. We started with the steamed oysters with cellophane noodles and garlic - wonderful. Potstickers - just OK - wrapping is too thick. Then steamed whole Dungeness crab with garlic sauce - messy but wonderful. Eggplant with garlic sauce (yes, we may have overdone it with the garlic, but everthing was really terrific), and French style beef - very tender and tasty, hint of sweetness. Terrific, helpful service; simple, small, CLEAN restaurant. More than fair portions and prices.

Louisa Chu wrote:I love this place. Small, clean with a knowledgeable, hospitable owner.

Agreed, first blush I'm a little in love myself, though I'd add comfortable seating, bright clear flavors and re-emphasis hospitable owners. Was nearby on business and went spur of the moment, didn't remember the exact address, just that Go 4 Food was south of Cermak, so started on 22nd pl until I saw the sign on 23rd st.



Good vibe, nothing overt, smiling faces, enticing aromas, tables overloaded with food, that indefinable something that says this is the Place.

Go 4 Food's menu is torture for the solo diner filled with delicious temptation, not to mention wall board specials that include fresh from the tank Singapore-style chilli crab. Not wanting to tackle chili crab solo and in the mood for crispy noodle, though when am I not, and seafood I went with Fish Fillet w/XO sauce on a bed of crisp pan fried noodles.

Fish fillet w/XO sauce



Perfectly crisp noodles, meaty moist fish, bit of heat and xo sauce fish funk complimented by tender crisp peppers, including rings of jalapeno and, importantly, not over sauced. I loved this dish.

Pan fried noodles nicely crispy



I feel like I am burying the lead as I'm willing to go out on a limb and declare Go 4 Food's Hot and Sour soup best in Chicagoland. Noticeable heat, thick rich without succumbing to corn starch gummy, layers of flavor, black vinegar, dried seafood, multiple mushroom and the kicker, pieces of fresh shrimp and squid. Served volcanically hot, zip, rich, complex, I added a little chili oil, but its a winner on its own.

Hot & Sour Soup. (Picture does not do justice to top Chicagoland H & S soup)



My enjoyable meal was capped with gratis, as were other diners, Japanese pumpkin and tapioca dessert soup. Tasty, though I am convinced one has to grow up eating Chinese dessert soups for full appreciation.

Had the good fortune to meet LTHForum lurkers at the next table, their kids reminded me of VitalInformation's at that age, willing to try anything and not thinking it unusual in the least for mom and dad to order deep fried silverfish, razor clams or Tofu with preserved egg.

Go 4 Food, count me a fan.

Enjoy,
Gary

Go 4 Food
212 W 23rd St
Chicago, IL 60616
312-842-8688

G Wiv wrote:Go 4 Food's menu is torture for the solo diner filled with delicious temptation, not to mention wall board specials that include fresh from the tank Singapore-style chilli crab.

BTW for any true Singapore style chili crab fans, the chili crab here is not (in my opinion) true Singapore style. Crab pieces were heavily floured and fried, resulting in a slightly "gummy" coating. The sauce was not smooth, instead studded with chunky pieces of onions and peppers. Also not spicy and tomato-saucy enough.


Go 4 Food - Singapore Chili Crab by agashi, on Flickr


Chili Crab from Singapore by agashi, on Flickr

If they had not listed it as Singapore Chili Crab, then the dish would have been fine...

Edited to include photos

Hi,

CrazyC is recollecting the one disappointing meal we had there. It was Sunday noon, which may indicate a different set of cooks in the kitchen. Not only that, there were no oysters that we were just dying to have.

Regards,

G Wiv wrote:

Perfectly crisp noodles, meaty moist fish, bit of heat and xo sauce fish funk complimented by tender crisp peppers, including rings of jalapeno and, importantly, not over sauced. I loved this dish.

It's all about the green peppers for you, isn't it?

-Dan

dansch wrote:It's all about the green peppers for you, isn't it?

I do seem to have an ~unhealthy~ fixation with green peppers.

G Wiv wrote:

dansch wrote:It's all about the green peppers for you, isn't it?

I do seem to have an ~unhealthy~ fixation with green peppers.

Broccoli's not good enough for you?!

This place has moved up to the very top of my "must try" list. Thanks all, for the posts and pics.

=R=

Really amazing lunch here today. Steamed scallop- fresh as can be, heavy hand with the minced garlic and garnished with a great tangle of aromatics- scallion, ginger, cilantro. Shrimp with preserved egg- fresh, shell & head on, crisp and very rich batter, in my estimation could have perhaps used a little fresh chili to cut the richness but otherwise nearly perfect. Garlicky baby bok choy was devoured. Best dish was the "braised quail" which turned out to (happily) be a platter of halved, fried little birdies. Perfectly crisp, juicy as all get out, salty, with a nice star anise note, best quail I've ever had. Very responsive service, modern yet comfortable space, I'm singing high praises after first visit!

A couple more data points on this excellent restaurant. Last Friday I was looking forward to a night of drinking following a long drive to the city (hehe), so my sister graciously carried out a couple items from Go 4 Food that really hit the spot.

First was the tofu in preserved egg, mentioned upthread. It's already been discussed so I won't harp on it, but it was very tasty and reminded me of Filipino itlog na maalat (salted duck eggs).

She also brought me the Cantonese fried rice, which was mixed with Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. I imagine many would be put off by the fishiness of dried shrimp, but the combination of this with the licorice flavor of the Chinese sausage worked very well.

I definitely need to stop in and explore their range-y menu.

mike

Winner Winner, Japanese Tofu Dinner



XO Oyster, Ginger Scallion Oyster



As mentioned upthread, one of the best hot and sour soups in Chicagoland.



There are three separate and distinct menus at Go 4 Food, Lunch, Dinner and Snack, different items, different prices.

I need to get to Go 4 Food with a group to really explore the menu.

Was talking about Go 4 Food with a friend this afternoon and realized I never posted about a recent meal with a few LTHers.

Highlights.

Crispy Silver Fish



Steamed Scallops



Japanese Egg Tofu



Quail



Potstickers, made moments earlier



Pea Shoot Tips

So what I need to do to nominate a restaurant again? This one in particular?

The pics posted here speak for themselves. A small cozy neighborhood joint, clean and modern, but with the quality of food you find in hidden Chinatown gems that locals frequent. BYOB to boot.

Kind of a no brainer to me. If you don't believe, go check it out. Or we can organize a dinner to confirm, just let me know.

After several visits, I still stand by my favorites:
Steamed oysters in black bean sauce - MUST if available
S&P Silver Fish, or anything
Scallops - Medium sized ones were better than the large ones that I tried
Quail - Delicious even though the MSG was kind of evident

Need to be more adventurous and try others on the menu, but it's impossible to bypass my favorites. Getting so wussy nowadays.

I made my first visit to Go 4 Food the other day and was very pleased with everything we tried.



Without a doubt the best hot and sour soup I've had in a long time. Usually I'm reaching for the vinegar, pepper or chili oil. Not with this version. The little chunks of perfectly cooked shrimp are very appealing.



Many tastes and textures in this scallop dish. I really like the addition of the cellophane noodles.



This tofu with preserved egg was the result of a miscommunication but was a terrific dish and one I'd certainly order again.



Our shrimp omelet was similar to the one pictured in an earlier post but I think this one had more veggies added. Again the shrimp were perfectly cooked.

Based on a single visit, Go 4 Food has jumped to near the top of my list of Chinatown favorites.

Go 4 Food
212 W 23rd St
Chicago
312-842-8688

I went this week for a hot-and-sour-only ambush and was mightily pleased. For the vegetable/fish stock version, this was right on, with remarkably deep and nutty sesame oil, white pepper, generous mushrooms, fresh and meaty shrimp, squid, and scallops, the whole thing smelling like toasted rice and a clean sea. Rather than the usual diaphanous shreds of whole beaten egg, my large order had several nests of perfectly poached egg white. If I can fault anything it would be that the balance was light on the vinegar / sour, but that could have been rectified to taste had I eaten in. I can't name it my absolute favorite since I have a personal preference for the pork stock / pork blood version, and am mid-perpetual-roundup of that style, with a separate Irving G. Thalberg award to Lao Beijing for most consistently elevating Tony's vegetarian "special" (added peanuts, chili oil, and cilantro) rendition. But for seafood hot and sour, I haven't had better recently.