'Little' Three Happiness LTH Dinner 10/5/11

LTH,

'Little' Three Happiness, the first GNR nominee and inspiration for LTHForum, is up for renewal of GNR status. My appreciation for 'L'TH has not faded one tiny shrimp head in the decades I have been going or 6-years since the original GNR nomination.

On October 5th at 7pm I would like to share my 'L'TH love with a group of 12. This will be a set dinner of 'L'TH favorites, a highlight reel if you will. Cost will be in the low to mid 20's, including tax and tip. 'L'TH will allow us byob without corkage fee.

G Wiv
Steve Z

10/5/11
7PM

'Little' Three Happiness
209 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
312-842-1964

im in for one please.

Im in for two.

Two of us.

Please add Boudrealicious and me to the list.

As long as I've been on this board, I've yet to have a true feast at LTH. I'd love to be part of it. If there is room. I'd like to come with a +1.

Fine.

Swell.

Dandy.

Terrific.

Go ahead and schedule it for the one day I'll be in the hospital having knee surgery.

Thanks a lot, pal. (I'll miss it...but am sure you'll all have a fantatic time. Wish I could join you.)

In for one.

I'll have to retract my +1. I'll still be able to make it, but Teresa will be busy that night. Please change my RSVP to just me! Thanks, looking forward to the feast!

I don't suppose you could do this again at some point in the future, when you're ready for a return visit. I've always wanted to go to LTH -- and most especially with a skilled "guide" like Gary. But I'm booked on the 5th.

If there is still a spot left, I would love to go. Have had a few nice meals there, but would love to see what I have really been missing.

Count me in. Just one seat.

please do count me in (just one person) if you've an extra spot (or possibly add me to the waitlist) -- thanks in advance!

Well, it looks like we're into wait list territory, as we've passed the 12 person reservation number. I'm sure G Wiv will update this thread with the "official" list, but by my count, everyone responding after GAF is on the wait list.

10/5/11
7PM
'Little' Three Happiness
209 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
312-842-1964

12 people Attending:
G Wiv
Steve Z
Jimswside
Octarine
Octarine guest
nr706
nr706 guest
Boudrealicious
petite_gourmande
laikom
GAF
Glennpan

Wait list:
Bruthsmirnoff
ymas

Technically, I shouldn't be wait listed -- though I will have to wait to visit the restaurant. I'm simply dreaming of doing this next time you plan a dinner at LTH, but am not available for this go-round.

Don't know if that helps the next person on the wait list.

I hope you have a splendid time and I look forward to tales of the meal.

This upcoming feast has been informing my dining plans for several days now. e.g. Sat night we had China Chef instead of Sun Wah - we went old school there, cashew chicken, pork fried rice, hot and sour soup, and egg rolls.

I think I'm going to have to try the egg foo young at lth, it's been mentioned before and Fifille has never had this particular dish!

Looking forward to crispy chow fun and shrimp toast!

MsWiv has a cold and is opting out. Glennpan is next in line, please contact.

G Wiv wrote:10/5/11
7PM
'Little' Three Happiness
209 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
312-842-1964

12 people Attending:
G Wiv
Steve Z
Jimswside
Octarine
Octarine guest
nr706
nr706 guest
Boudrealicious
petite_gourmande
laikom
GAF
Glennpan

Wait list:
Bruthsmirnoff
ymas

Made a fresh batch of G Wiv chili oil for tonight, everything goes better with chili oil, even 'L'TH

G Wiv wrote:Made a fresh batch of G Wiv chili oil for tonight, everything goes better with chili oil, even 'L'TH

care to share tonights menu?

jimswside wrote:care to share tonights menu?

Pretty much a highlight reel of 'L'TH favorites with the addition of egg fu yung for Fifille.

Shrimp Toast
Pot Stickers
Salt & Pepper Shrimp, shell/head on, extra jalapeno
"Sweet and Sour Spareribs" sauce on side

Szechuan String Beans
Clams Evil Ronnie Style w/black bean sauce, light sauce, extra jalapeno
Crisp pan fried rice noodle w/roast duck, BBQ pork and mixed veg (no baby corn)
Whole Crispy skin chicken with shrimp cracker, cilantro, dredging salt and lemon
Beef short rib w/XO sauce Dry style, like salt and pepper ribs, not in black bean sauce.
ong choy w/fuyee w/jalapeno
shrimp egg fu yung with light gravy
snails black bean sauce/jalapeno

Might I suggest subbing BBQ pork for the shrimp in the EFY, unless Filfile has specifically requested shrimp. I've found that the BBQ pork EFY is their best "flavor".

stevez wrote:Might I suggest subbing BBQ pork for the shrimp in the EFY

Done

Was in fantastic company tonight for LTH dinner, and it was even better than my first LTH dinner a year or so back. Everything were right on, but two stand out dishes for me were (in order of preference):

1. Clams Evil Ronnie Style served on a bed of crispy pan friend egg noodles Perfect! The sauce was thick enough without being goopy to cling to the clams, and just enough to flavor the nest of crispiness underneath. Dash of Gary's chili oil was the crowning touch.
P.S. - Hate it when the clams are not cooked at the properly, and the clams exudes natural liquor diluting the sauce to make a somewhat watery mess. Not sure if this is due to cooking temperature, freshness of the clams, technique....but I find that the natural liquor does not mix well with the sauce after the fact, and adds a touch of unpleasant bitterness to the dish.

2. Szechuan String Beans - Just the right level of doneness with bits of salty pork sprinkles.

For dessert, the fried sesame balls were great, too. Light airy puffs of fragrant crispness with a smear of sweet bean paste in the center.

Solid LTH material.

Somehow I missed this post until now.

I'm really sorry I wasn't there. I could have used the laughter today.

I suspect it was a great time.

Sounds like a good time was had by all! Sorry I had to work.

petite_gourmande,

" Hate it when the clams are not cooked at the properly, and the clams exudes natural liquor diluting the sauce to make a somewhat watery mess. Not sure if this is due to cooking temperature, freshness of the clams, technique....but I find that the natural liquor does not mix well with the sauce after the fact, and adds a touch of unpleasant bitterness to the dish."

Techinque, sloppy for sure, if the sauce turns watery. A properly made black bean sauce with clams is as good as it gets for me. Clams that don't release a good amount of liquid are not worth eating.

Gary, did the dry stir fried blue crabs fall off of your go to list? Those crab shells full of roe just might be my all time favorite LTH dish.

Evil Ronnie

I, too, enjoyed the dinner very much and thought that LTH was as strong as ever. The only misses for me were the potstickers--they're a bit heavier style than I like--and the on choy which was a bit overcooked and a touch too sweet. But everything else was on. My favorites--the shrimp toast was its usually insanely guilty goodness; salt and pepper shrimp were crunchy and flavorful; beans with pork were well-cooked--enough to be slightly carmelized without turning into shoe leather; clams--perfect!; pan fried noodles with BBQ and Duck, nicely balanced, good crispy edges, not too much sauce; whole crispy skin chicken with shrimp cracker was juicy and delicious dipped gently into the salt mix; gorgeous fresh fruit with coconut pudding/jello and fried sesame balls--a perfect close.

Thanks to Gary for organizing and great seeing everyone. I'd say renewal is well-deserved!

My last two meals here have been subpar (for LTH) meaning decent, not wonderful. A couple wks ago on a table w/ 7-8 dishes, two were very good and up to normal standards. The others, just adequate. The worst offender was evil style clams served w/o the crispy noodles (although a discussion about them @ length w/the owner @ the time of ordering was quite clear) but worse yet, the clams were past their prime. Very much so. It was remarked upon by my guests and left virtually untouched. As the resident menu bully I'd chosen the restaurant and the dishes for our late nite meal (11 pm or so). My guests were polite but unimpressed as the barely picked @ plates testified to.

While I've had many excellent meals here, unfortunately these last two were not among them. I'm on the fence as to renewal preferring the legend over the most recent product, but pushed, I'd say yes for the reason stated. In spite of my most recent meals, I'm sentimental.

Before last night, I had been to LTH a few times, and had good meals, but never really understood the love that they receive on this board. Now I get it!

Like pretty much any place, what you order as the restaurant can really determine your opinion of the place. So I was excited when I saw GWiv's menu and realized that I had previously tried only one of the dishes on tap for the evening.

This was terrific comfort food! The Clams Evil Ronnie Style was something I may not have ordered before, but will again as it was the dish of the evening for me. The S&P shrimp and the pan fried rice noodle were the other standouts of the evening to me. But EVERYTHING was very good, and many of the dishes were augmented nicely by the GWiv chili oil.

I now get it. When I think of GNRs I think of the small mom and pop shop that combines great food, reasonable prices, and a passion for what they do. LTH was chosen for this sites namesake for a reason. It may not even be my favorite restaurant in Chinatown, but I enthusiastically support its renewal as a GNR.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Sounds like a good time was had by all! Sorry I had to work.

petite_gourmande,

" Hate it when the clams are not cooked at the properly, and the clams exudes natural liquor diluting the sauce to make a somewhat watery mess. Not sure if this is due to cooking temperature, freshness of the clams, technique....but I find that the natural liquor does not mix well with the sauce after the fact, and adds a touch of unpleasant bitterness to the dish."

Techinque, sloppy for sure, if the sauce turns watery. A properly made black bean sauce with clams is as good as it gets for me. Clams that don't release a good amount of liquid are not worth eating.

Gary, did the dry stir fried blue crabs fall off of your go to list? Those crab shells full of roe just might be my all time favorite LTH dish.

Evil Ronnie

We're sorry you missed dinner, too. I may get to meet you one of these days.

I agree, it is a matter of technique, undercooking allows the clams to exude liquor after the fact, but overcooking dries it out, renders it chewy and shrinks down to nothing. Of course, if it's not fresh, there is no natural liquor to speak of, which is not desirable either. If only I can execute as well as understanding the logistics.

Ohh, how did roe laden blue crabs crawl off the menu? Another favorite.

I hope LTH reads some of the comments about inconsistency, because at their best, it's pretty damn good and shoo-in for GNR.