Rec. Cantonese around Belmont/Cumberland

OK, I admit, when it comes to Cantonese, I'm not much for "authentic". As someone once called it, we like Schaumburg Chinese.

When we moved to this area from Rogers Park we had a tough time finding anything we liked. Both my wife and I grew up eating at Mings on Sheridan Rd. with an occasional foray to Kow Kow on Devon and later Lincolnwood. We finally found a place that I considered acceptable, Golden River on Harlem. It wasn't great, but it was OK. Unfortunately they appear to have changed owners and the food has changed for the worse.

So we are back looking for something again. And we aren't having much luck. I know New Star on North Ave. is a favorite here, but I wasn't that impressed considering how expensive it was. We've tried about 5 or 6 other places in the area. Some have been awful and some have just been so-so. But nothing that I'd really call good.

I know a lot of you are in the area so I'm begging for suggestions.

Frankly, I think I miss MSG.

I feel your pain. Even though all you're looking for is well done "American" Cantonese food, mostly you find badly prepared, tasteless slop. I've posted on the same grief near me [Harlem & Higgins], too, and don't have a good answer. One poster recommended

Hoa My
8528 W. Lawrence Ave
Norridge
708-453-3950

to me and the one meal I had there was OK. Enough so that I'm willing to explore the menu some more. Heck, I'll even join you there so we can poke around together.

Giovanna

Thanks, I've tried Hoa My twice. Like you said, OK. But nothing I've tried so far tells me that going deeper into the menu will reveal any hidden gems. When on the prowl for new places I usually try to check out the lunch specials to get a good idea of what I'm looking at. But since this place was recommended here I decided to give a full meal portion a 2nd try. Unfortunately same results.

I should add a few other places in the area that I've already tried.

Taste of China
7534 W Addison St
Chicago, IL

China Express
4640 N Cumberland Ave
Chicago, IL

China Kitchen
5332 N Cumberland Ave
Chicago, IL

Chinese Kitchen
3926 25th Ave
Schiller Park, IL

Wok N Roll Express
1742 N Harlem Ave
Elmwood Park, IL


And finally
Happy Garden Chinese
7710 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL

We tried this place when we first moved here and weren't impressed. I'm going to give this one another shot I think.

You may want to try An's Ching Hua on South River Road in Des Plaines. Though I'm not a big Schaum Chinese fan, I work nearby and we'll hit it from time to time for lunch. The menu is definitely Cantonese American.

Unlike may of its competitors (I've eaten at Kow Low and thought it was awful), the food is not overwhelmed by its sauce at An's. It creates a cleaner plate and leaves your palate not feeling as though its been mugged.

The menu is pretty basic- General Tso's Chicken, Chicken w/ Broccoli, ect.

The place is very clean. The owners are always on site and very attentive to their regular customers. Lunch specials run around $5 and include eggroll and soup.

Ann's Ching Hua Chinese Rstrnt
(847) 390-9499
1992 S River Rd
Des Plaines, IL 60018

Venus in Park Ridge has quite good Schaumburg Chinese. they call it Szechuan and Mandarin, but really, it's just American Chinese food.

Venus
18 S Northwest Hwy
Park Ridge

Will, have you been to Canton Tea Garden on Devon? I'm curious how you think Ann's Ching Hua compares.

Thanks for the tips folks, and please keep them coming. I probably should have mentioned that I'm kind of looking for places close enough to deliver. I doubt either of the places mentioned would deliver this far south.

It's just amazing looking at the sheer numbers of places so close by. Something has to be at least decent. I should also mention that I really don't mind, and actually prefer Szechuan and Mandarin, but my wife doesn't like spicy foods. As long as she can find something I don't really care.

EDIT: I should also add that when I said I'm not looking for authentic, I base that on the food I had in Taipei, Hong Kong and Beijing.

I have tried Canton(though only once I must admit), BR. I find An's to be of better quality.

Midas, can you send me a PM about your experience at Happy Garden? We are specialized in Cantonese and Szechwan cuisine. We do not cook our food with lots gravy and tasteless like others in the area. Thanks, Jay.

Jay, I did send you a PM with my opinions. But this is also a public forum so I wanted to add just a little to the public knowledgebase.

According to my wife, she thinks this place has changed hands a few times since I first tried it 9 years ago when we moved to the neighborhood. The first time I tried it I wasn't impressed. But I was comparing to places I've been going to for 20 years. I should have tried again later after realizing that nothing in the area was going to compare.

So I tried it again about 2 weeks ago. It definetly wasn't flavorless or swimming in sauce. I found it though a little too salty. And as someone that tends to like salty foods that says a lot. But at least there was some real flavor.

I will be trying it again soon and exploring a little more. I hate to judge any place based on one dish off the menu and that's all I've had. Usually my wife and I both get different lunch specials to judge a place, but this time, for some reason, she wasn't getting anything.

I'll post again after I try it another time.

Midas, thanks for your comment. We took over the business at February of 2004. For those of you who was here before that, please come again I am sure you will be surprise. Please send me a PM and let me know how it goes next time.