Joy Yee's

ChgoMike, Jun 19, 2008 wrote:I just ate at Joy Yee's in Evanston for lunch. They recently opened after being closed for about nine months to remodel. The MaPo Tofu lunch special was very very good. Lots of food for around $6, including a crunchy thick-skinned eggroll and not bland hot and sour soup. I have enough left over for dinner.

One thing I did NOT like are their new chairs. Hands down the most uncomfortable chairs I've even placed my behind within. I can't describe them accurately. Think thick metal bars, bent at severe angles, without padding. What were they thinking? It certainly does encourage table turn-over.

Joy Yee - Evanston - carry out recommended.

We were in Evanston the other day and I wasn't feeling too well, and just wanted some soup. Cantonese style seemed as good as any, and we hit on Joy Yee's, mainly because it was the one place I remembered as nearby. The menu seems to have grown vaster and more varied since I was last at a Joy Yee's and all around us people were tucking into what looked like large and delicious meals.

There were many styles of soup to choose from, but listening to my uneasy stomach rather than my imaginative mind, I stuck to one of the simplest: won ton. I was expecting a typical, Cantonese-American version -- a very light broth with some, fairly bland, tenuous noodle-y dumplings. What I got was a huge basin filled with rich broth, tasting of chicken, salty but not overly so, chockfull of very solid dough-wrapped meatballs (looking, as Himself described them, "like Casper the Friendly Ghost"), meaty and well seasoned. Most of it came home and it was just as good the next couple of days.

I can't really comment on the rest of the menu, except that prices are low and portions huge, but this soup certainly stood out over the more "traditional" won ton I had a couple of days later from the decent but unexciting Yu's in Buffalo Grove.

Agree with Mike about the chairs, though.

Joy Yee
Evanston, Naperville, University Village, Chinatown
http://www.joyyee.com

Yu's Kitchen
Carryout and delivery only
Buffalo Grove
http://www.yuskitchen.com

We have not been to Joy Yee's, but since you mention Yu's Kitchen, my wife and I have enjoyed the Won Ton soup at Wah Feng located east of the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club complex on Lake Cook Road in Wheeling. The won ton, while not of the dense dough variety you mention at Joy Yee's are very tasty, full of meat and plentiful. The broth is rich, not too salty and features nice amounts of pork and, I believe, Chinese cabbage. It's our favorite local carry out place for Won Ton soup. We also like their BBQ Pork Chow Mein Cantonese Style.

The place is family run and features an open kitchen so you can watch them cook while you wait for your order. It's in the strip center on the southeast corner of Lake Cook Road and Lexington.

Wah Feng
1051 E Lake Cook Rd
Wheeling, IL 60090
(847) 541-6782

saluki68 wrote:The won ton, while not of the dense dough variety you mention at Joy Yee's

Actually, the dough was not at all dense, but a thin wrapping around a firm meatball.


Thanks for the Wah Feng rec. Are they carryout only or do they have seating?

Our favorite Cantonese spot in the neighborhood is actually Wing Wah in Arlington Heights, a no-frills sit-down storefront, but they're closed on Mondays.

Wing Wah
337 E. Rand Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
(847) 259-8882

Wah Feng is really take out only. They have a few tables and chairs there, but, it's barren and I wouldn't want to eat there unless it was absolutely necessary. And, thanks for the heads up on Wing Wah. We will definitely try it.

Joy yee;s to me is ok an spot to go to if your in the area or in the mood for bubble tea. my problem with the place is the shear magnitude of the menu. I feel like they have serve every type of asian food, so everything is just ok..... atleast thats how ive felt about most things ive ordered. now that i think about it though, most of the people who seem to know what their ordering, order a soup, and thats including the waait staff.


anyway i thought id just give my 2 cents.......

They just opened a new Joy Yee's in Lakeview off Irving Park Rd. between Southport and Ashland.

Joy Yee To-Go
1465 W. Irving Park Rd.
773-281-2318

It's the same massive menu, but more focused on to-go or delivery rather than dine in. It's a small spot, with only about 5 or 6 tables that I can recall. I've already been here a handful of times with friend and without and have been happy.

From what I've tried, I do recommend their grilled cuttlefish for the seafood lovers. It's well seasoned and not at all rubbery. Basil Chicken Fried Rice is ok, it needed a bit of salt, I suppose the hoisin and chili sauce at the table would've been useful for us. The staff is friendly and quick to explain the menu or any questions you might have. Wait is also not too bad though I've never been there when it's busy. They do take a steady flow of telephone orders.



Outside my Los Angeles homeland, Joy Yee is probably the closest I can get to the Taiwanese-style fast food places I was use to in CA. I don't always have time to trek down to Chinatown so the new location is welcomed by me. Now that they've opened one a couple streets over from me, this will most likely be a place I frequent.

I "hate" Joy Yee in Chinatown, but "love" it on Irving where I can get really well-woked chow fun noodles for my little kids in about 5 minutes and grab some not-so-bad chengdu dumplings. It's all about context.

BTW one of my favorite things to get at Joy Yee is the lemongrass fried chicken wings... In fact everytime we go, I have to order them...

Joy Yee is probably the closest I can get to the Taiwanese-style fast food places I was use to in CA.

Re Taiwanese-influenced menus, have you tried Mei Shung on North Broadway?

http://www.meishungchinese.com/