Is There a Chinese restaurant that is Consistent? [moved]

This is the question I'm posing. Evil Ronnie and I have been to so many Chinese restaurants in the Chicago metro area where we have a good meal once, think we've discovered a good place and the next time it's almost as if we're at a different restaurant! We've gone to many posted at LTH, recommendations from friends, etc. I do understand, being that ER is a professional chef, that it depends who's in the kitchen that particular visit, but surely there has to be a place that is more consistent than others.

I'd like to know where that is or is it a fantasy expectation??

P.F. Chang's is very consistent, but I doubt that's what you want to eat. Sometimes there has to be a little adventure involved to get goaod food.

Yup, I think stevez is right, especially when you're talking about lower-end places (I don't know that we really have "gourmet" Chinese here - we've got "upscale and overpriced," but nothing seems to reach the level of "you get what you pay for.")

I don't even know that there is a Chinese restaurant that I'd even suggest was more reliable than others, though there are ones that are more misses than hits that are pretty well documented as such on this board.

Not Chinese - but is consistency a reason why people shell out the big bucks for Arun's? Even Frontera?

LTH,

I think Donna is expressing her frustration with a meal last night at Spring World, where we had eaten a few weeks ago and everything we ordered was stellar. Last night's version was lackluster, compounded by the fact that the place was packed, our table was matchbox size, and not even large enough for the teapot once our four dishes were served. Seems like I was getting bumped constantly by servers and customers, not to mention getting water spilled on my jacket. In addition, the waitress brought a different noodle dish than we ordered.

So while the meal was pretty good, it wasn't perfection like our experience a few weeks ago.

MHays, they were lined up outside Frontera last night. Maybe they are consistent.

This happens quite often for me and my husband, but it's not just isolated to Chinese restaurants. Sometimes, we speculate that we liked it more in our memory vs. real life. I have been traveling to Toronto every 1-2 years for almost 20 years now. There are a few favorite Chinese restaurants that we often try to hit. They do not have that variance in between visits.

We've been going to Evergreen forever. We go a few times a year. Mainly for their seafood and fishes. If someone comes with who doesn't enjoy fish/seafood we point them to beef dishes.

I'd call them rock steady consistent based on going every few months for years.

Evergreen Restaurant
2411 South Wentworth Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616-2201
(312) 225-8898

Many references in this thread:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=29807

We adore Sun Wah & Moon Palace.

I don't think I've had bad food ever at Sun Wah and they tend to be a bit more creative, those cabbage rolls were amazing earlier this year.

The Lovely Donna wrote:This is the question I'm posing. Evil Ronnie and I have been to so many Chinese restaurants in the Chicago metro area where we have a good meal once, think we've discovered a good place and the next time it's almost as if we're at a different restaurant! We've gone to many posted at LTH, recommendations from friends, etc. I do understand, being that ER is a professional chef, that it depends who's in the kitchen that particular visit, but surely there has to be a place that is more consistent than others.

I'd like to know where that is or is it a fantasy expectation??

If you think Chinese food is inconsistent, then you don't even wanna know about the state of Indian food affairs.

Mr. KajmacJohnson and I have had to ditch a few Chinese over the years because they usually turn into something that is not as good as before. we have been regulars at places where the food was great and then became mysteriously unappetizing on the next visit. Most recently we had to ditch the last Chinese place we were regulars at because the food had next to no taste and my husband swears that when I asked for hot tea they got it from the Starbucks next door and put it in their own cups.

I have had much better luck with Thai places being more consistent. One of our favorites is Cozy Noodles.

Cozy Noodles
3456 North Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657-1614
(773) 327-0100

KajmacJohnson wrote:Mr. KajmacJohnson and I have had to ditch a few Chinese over the years because they usually turn into something that is not as good as before.

I'm seeing a scene from Good Fellas right now.

I think you are funny like a clown.

HA!

The Lovely Donna wrote:This is the question I'm posing. Evil Ronnie and I have been to so many Chinese restaurants in the Chicago metro area where we have a good meal once, think we've discovered a good place and the next time it's almost as if we're at a different restaurant! We've gone to many posted at LTH, recommendations from friends, etc. I do understand, being that ER is a professional chef, that it depends who's in the kitchen that particular visit, but surely there has to be a place that is more consistent than others.

I'd like to know where that is or is it a fantasy expectation??

This place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lake_Restaurant

Each of its 300 chefs prepares one dish. This way there's no variation in the preparation:

And, yes, it's a bit of a hike, but with 5,000 seats, you won't have a long wait once you get there.

kenji wrote:

KajmacJohnson wrote:Mr. KajmacJohnson and I have had to ditch a few Chinese over the years because they usually turn into something that is not as good as before.

I'm seeing a scene from Good Fellas right now.

I think you are funny like a clown.

HA!

Actually, an incident over bathroom use at one of the restaurants one time could have served as a good scene straight out of Seinfeld.