jimswside wrote:Dang thread... got me totally craving eggrolls the last few weeks...

I feel you.
I found one right around the corner from Wing Wah on Harlem.
N-Joy Chop Suey. From Wing Wah, cross the tracks just to the south, and turn left on that very first street. It's on the corner. Total shack. Looks like it belongs somewhere in uptown under the el tracks in bewteen a no-name dollar store, and a no-name 99c store. I grabbed a szechwan beef lunch special which had really not much going for it except the pork fried rice and the egg roll which both made up for the lifeless szechwan beef. The egg roll and the fried rice threw me back to simpler times when fried rice and egg rolls were actually things to look forward to when going out for Chinese food. Wing Wah used to be my "spot" for a decent egg roll in the area. Njoy has taken the lead now. I wouldn't count on Njoy for any sort of entree, but I'll start trying some of their stuff now that I know they have a competent egg roll, and PFR.

Chinese food in that general vicinity is pretty poor. Katy's OP is really the only game in town for a pretty wide area.

seebee wrote:

jimswside wrote:Dang thread... got me totally craving eggrolls the last few weeks...

I feel you.
I found one right around the corner from Wing Wah on Harlem.
N-Joy Chop Suey. From Wing Wah, cross the tracks just to the south, and turn left on that very first street. It's on the corner. Total shack. Looks like it belongs somewhere in uptown under the el tracks in bewteen a no-name dollar store, and a no-name 99c store. I grabbed a szechwan beef lunch special which had really not much going for it except the pork fried rice and the egg roll which both made up for the lifeless szechwan beef. The egg roll and the fried rice threw me back to simpler times when fried rice and egg rolls were actually things to look forward to when going out for Chinese food. Wing Wah used to be my "spot" for a decent egg roll in the area. Njoy has taken the lead now. I wouldn't count on Njoy for any sort of entree, but I'll start trying some of their stuff now that I know they have a competent egg roll, and PFR.

Chinese food in that general vicinity is pretty poor. Katy's OP is really the only game in town for a pretty wide area.

I had 2 more I added this am but something happened to the post... lol.

I have a place on my list called N Joy II over in Berwyn - wondering if they are the same folks..

BR wrote:I absolutely love this type of egg roll, but my very favorite version incorporates bbq pork, and if you want to be completely satisfied, make your own -- not that difficult. Monica Eng provided a fantastic recipe in the Tribune last year and I've made it a few times, including for one of the Montrose Beach bbqs (the luau).

When I make them, I get my bbq pork from Hon Kee on Argyle and dice it (making sure not to eat to much of the pork as I go along). I incorporate shiitakes and a little sesame oil, and I poach the shrimp in a mixture of soy, rice wine vinegar and water. For the cabbage, I use some ordinary green cabbage but also mix in some Napa for its more unique flavor. As for how they stack up to Pigmon's highest rated ones, you'll have to ask the bbq attendees, but I think they're pretty fantastic.

I've caught the craving and will be giving these a go Sunday. Love the idea of using bbq pork from Hon Kee.

Anyone have a mustard rec?

Allright - give this another try - Was back at it yesterday - south of the I55. Both better than yesterday. First stop was Gim Bow - Over in Justice, Il.



Tucked in the corner of a strip mall I pass all the time enroute to Peppos, Spicy Thai Lao & Franks. Right at 79th & Roberts. - Also spied a cheese steak place in the mall that ill be hitting - Sal's:



This was a good egg roll, not overstuffed, but fresh ingredients, shrimp, pork and a touch of peanut butter.





Shrimp fried rice was also pretty good here.

Gim Bow
8019 W. 79th Street
Justice, IL.
708-458-0966

Next up is probably my favorite of the 4 I have done in the last 2 days. Ing's Palace over in Burbank.





Man I liked this eggroll, crisp as hell. Lots of pork and greazy in a good way...



Thing exploded when I tried to get in half. didnt care.. snarfed it in about a minute. I didnt detect any peanut butter but liked it anyways.



Ing's Palace
8900 S. Harlem
Burbank, IL.

708-598-5555

I hate you all as I sit in the airport at STL for the rest of the day and hopefully not all evening

Just kidding--Jim, that last egg roll looks incredible--I'll meet you there any time--it's only about 20 mins from my client.

AlekH wrote:

BR wrote:I absolutely love this type of egg roll, but my very favorite version incorporates bbq pork, and if you want to be completely satisfied, make your own -- not that difficult. Monica Eng provided a fantastic recipe in the Tribune last year and I've made it a few times, including for one of the Montrose Beach bbqs (the luau).

When I make them, I get my bbq pork from Hon Kee on Argyle and dice it (making sure not to eat to much of the pork as I go along). I incorporate shiitakes and a little sesame oil, and I poach the shrimp in a mixture of soy, rice wine vinegar and water. For the cabbage, I use some ordinary green cabbage but also mix in some Napa for its more unique flavor. As for how they stack up to Pigmon's highest rated ones, you'll have to ask the bbq attendees, but I think they're pretty fantastic.

I've caught the craving and will be giving these a go Sunday. Love the idea of using bbq pork from Hon Kee.

Anyone have a mustard rec?

I didn't think the one I brought to the picnic induced enough tears . . . still trying to find one that does!

BR wrote:

AlekH wrote:

BR wrote:I absolutely love this type of egg roll, but my very favorite version incorporates bbq pork, and if you want to be completely satisfied, make your own -- not that difficult. Monica Eng provided a fantastic recipe in the Tribune last year and I've made it a few times, including for one of the Montrose Beach bbqs (the luau).

When I make them, I get my bbq pork from Hon Kee on Argyle and dice it (making sure not to eat to much of the pork as I go along). I incorporate shiitakes and a little sesame oil, and I poach the shrimp in a mixture of soy, rice wine vinegar and water. For the cabbage, I use some ordinary green cabbage but also mix in some Napa for its more unique flavor. As for how they stack up to Pigmon's highest rated ones, you'll have to ask the bbq attendees, but I think they're pretty fantastic.

I've caught the craving and will be giving these a go Sunday. Love the idea of using bbq pork from Hon Kee.

Anyone have a mustard rec?

I didn't think the one I brought to the picnic induced enough tears . . . still trying to find one that does!

I remember those egg rolls well. They were flippin' awesome. I will see if i can dig up a picture, if i took one.

On the mustard, have one piece of advice (as illegal as it may be!). I used to buy "hot dressing oil" from Joong Boo which is just pure mustard oil, but in the past few years I have not been able to find it. If you can get your hands on some, a small drop is all it would take to bring any mustard sauce up to an intense level. I still have an old bottle that I use from time to time for recipes. It's potent stuff. If you can find it locally, let me know where. The bottle in the link above is the one I would find at korean groceries. Otherwise, it seems this would work.

laikom wrote:On the mustard, have one piece of advice (as illegal as it may be!). I used to buy "hot dressing oil" from Joong Boo which is just pure mustard oil, but in the past few years I have not been able to find it. If you can get your hands on some, a small drop is all it would take to bring any mustard sauce up to an intense level. I still have an old bottle that I use from time to time for recipes. It's potent stuff. If you can find it locally, let me know where

Laikom,

Is this what you mean? I think it's common in some pickles in northern India.
http://store.patelbros.com/swad-mustard-seed-oil/

Yiou should be able to find it on Devon.

deesher wrote:

laikom wrote:On the mustard, have one piece of advice (as illegal as it may be!). I used to buy "hot dressing oil" from Joong Boo which is just pure mustard oil, but in the past few years I have not been able to find it. If you can get your hands on some, a small drop is all it would take to bring any mustard sauce up to an intense level. I still have an old bottle that I use from time to time for recipes. It's potent stuff. If you can find it locally, let me know where

Laikom,

Is this what you mean? I think it's common in some pickles in northern India.
http://store.patelbros.com/swad-mustard-seed-oil/

Yiou should be able to find it on Devon.

This might even be closer to what you are looking for. "Recommended for external use only" http://store.patelbros.com/ktc-mustard-oil/

The 2nd one looks better, the "flavored" label in the first one makes it sound less potent. The "for external use only" is the legal label they have to put on it in order to get away with selling the legit stuff.

jimswside wrote:I have a place on my list called N Joy II over in Berwyn - wondering if they are the same folks..

Yup, same joint. Webbed it up, full name is NJoy II Chop Suey.

stevez wrote:

deesher wrote:

laikom wrote:On the mustard, have one piece of advice (as illegal as it may be!). I used to buy "hot dressing oil" from Joong Boo which is just pure mustard oil, but in the past few years I have not been able to find it. If you can get your hands on some, a small drop is all it would take to bring any mustard sauce up to an intense level. I still have an old bottle that I use from time to time for recipes. It's potent stuff. If you can find it locally, let me know where. The bottle in the link above is the one I would find at korean groceries. Otherwise, it seems this would work.

Is this what you mean? I think it's common in some pickles in northern India.
http://store.patelbros.com/swad-mustard-seed-oil/

Yiou should be able to find it on Devon.

This might even be closer to what you are looking for. "Recommended for external use only" http://store.patelbros.com/ktc-mustard-oil/

laikom wrote:The 2nd one looks better, the "flavored" label in the first one makes it sound less potent. The "for external use only" is the legal label they have to put on it in order to get away with selling the legit stuff.

Save yourself some trouble trying to use KTC or Swad mustard oil to amp up your Chinese-style hot mustard. It won't work. This type of oil, pressed from mustard seeds, is completely different from the distillate (sometimes called volatile or essential mustard oil) that laikom bought at Joong Boo. The distillate is mostly allyl isothiocyanate, a small sulfur-containing molecule responsible for the pungent flavor of mustard, horseradish and wasabi. It's often used as a food additive (nothing illegal about it) and appears in many "extra strong" prepared mustards. You should be able to make your Chinese mustard as zippy as you want using this stuff (if you can find it). The pressed oil, like other cooking oils, is composed mostly of triglycerides—three long fatty acid carbon chains bound to a glycerol backbone. Chemically, the two "oils" are about as different as can be. Pressed mustard oil can also contain a lot (20 to 40%) of erucic acid, a type of free fatty acid shown to cause heart problems in animals. Thus the "for external use only" warning. Erucic acid doesn't seem to be terribly harmful—canola oil is permitted to contain up to 2%—so occasional use is probably not worth worrying about.

Just to be sure, I grabbed my bottle of KTC mustard oil and tasted a spoonful straight. As I remembered, it has a faint mustard flavor and only the slightest heat. Its flavor would be completely lost in Chinese-style hot mustard. I wonder if it might be worthwhile to fry the filling in mustard oil. Or even deep fry the whole egg rolls in the stuff, if a bigger dose of erucic acid doesn't faze you. Who knows?

Da Beef wrote:The best egg roll I've ever had came from the least likely of both towns and locations. If you're ever riding thru Momence, Illinois you have to stop at Annie's Eggrolls and let me know if they really were as good as I remember or if I was just loving the fact this old Asian lady was hand rolling egg rolls to order inside an old drive-in along the Dixie Highway.

I haven't tried any of the egg rolls mentioned in the original post (honestly, I hadn't even heard of most of the places) but I've eaten at Annie's. Unexpectedly came across the place a couple years ago while taking the slow route back from downstate and recognized it from your post.







Fresh and hot, cheap and tasty. How can you complain? Still…my problem with these egg rolls (as well as so many others, perhaps most) is the monotony of the filling. Cabbage and pork and not a whole lot more. I understand that when you charge a dollar per egg roll (as Annie does) it's not feasible to stuff them with BBQ pork, shrimp and shiitakes but I always like to see a little more complexity in the stuffing, if only a few shreds of carrot.

I think the first egg rolls I enjoyed as a kid had BBQ pork so, like BR, I consider it an important ingredient. I remember reading Monica Eng's article a couple years ago that BR links to above. I also remember liking the egg rolls at House of Eng, likely made from the same recipe. Another old recipe, originally from Gourmet magazine in 1946, sounds even better to me. That's the kind of egg roll—stuffed with char siu, shrimp, little or no cabbage or peanut butter but plenty of other ingredients—I always hope to find.

Rene G wrote:Fresh and hot, cheap and tasty. How can you complain? Still…my problem with these egg rolls (as well as so many others, perhaps most) is the monotony of the filling. Cabbage and pork and not a whole lot more. I understand that when you charge a dollar per egg roll (as Annie does) it's not feasible to stuff them with BBQ pork, shrimp and shiitakes but I always like to see a little more complexity in the stuffing, if only a few shreds of carrot.

I think the first egg rolls I enjoyed as a kid had BBQ pork so, like BR, I consider it an important ingredient. I remember reading Monica Eng's article a couple years ago that BR links to above. I also remember liking the egg rolls at House of Eng, likely made from the same recipe. Another old recipe, originally from Gourmet magazine in 1946, sounds even better to me. That's the kind of egg roll—stuffed with char siu, shrimp, little or no cabbage or peanut butter but plenty of other ingredients—I always hope to find.

I am always annoyed by the cabbage-heavy egg rolls that lack flavor. But in the Eng recipe, I think the balance of flavors is excellent. That being said, I go a little heavier on some of the other ingredients (particularly the bbq pork, shrimp and some shiitakes) and I add in savoy cabbage because it is just so much more flavorful.

All that being said, I think the cabbage fills another important function in that it results in a smooth, denser filling (which I prefer) . . . it just helps bring it all together texturally. Unfortunately, many lesser Chinese restaurants go heavy on the cheap cabbage and light on the pricier ingredients. But I wouldn't blame the cabbage as much as the chef/restaurant.

Rene G, thanks for the note about the mustard oils. I am glad I didn't waste my time buying some, or worse, someone else buying it and being really confused. I was introduced to the Korean stuff while working in a kitchen with Korean staff. They would add a drop or two to spicy soups to amp it up. They really enjoyed laughing at me coughing from the fumes. I can't imagine you taking a spoonful of the stuff straight, it is so insanely potent that the breathing fumes coming off a hot bowl of soup is what I'd guess mustard gas would feel like.

laikom wrote:Rene G, thanks for the note about the mustard oils. I am glad I didn't waste my time buying some, or worse, someone else buying it and being really confused. I was introduced to the Korean stuff while working in a kitchen with Korean staff. They would add a drop or two to spicy soups to amp it up. They really enjoyed laughing at me coughing from the fumes. I can't imagine you taking a spoonful of the stuff straight, it is so insanely potent that the breathing fumes coming off a hot bowl of soup is what I'd guess mustard gas would feel like.

This should work better. Good thing it's "on sale":

http://www.purearomaoils.com/mustard-essential-oil.html

Let me know if you'd like to split some.

deesher wrote:

laikom wrote:Rene G, thanks for the note about the mustard oils. I am glad I didn't waste my time buying some, or worse, someone else buying it and being really confused. I was introduced to the Korean stuff while working in a kitchen with Korean staff. They would add a drop or two to spicy soups to amp it up. They really enjoyed laughing at me coughing from the fumes. I can't imagine you taking a spoonful of the stuff straight, it is so insanely potent that the breathing fumes coming off a hot bowl of soup is what I'd guess mustard gas would feel like.

This should work better. Good thing it's "on sale":

http://www.purearomaoils.com/mustard-essential-oil.html

Let me know if you'd like to split some.

Haha, I think I'll keep an eye out at the other korean stores around town.

AlekH wrote:Anyone have a mustard rec?

Colman's Dry Powder Mustard was the historic mustard in Chinese-American restaurants:
http://colmansusa.com/dry-mustard-powder/

If you want hotter, try The Spice House Yellow Mustard Powder, Hot:
http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/hot ... er#content

(Source: I grew up working in my family's Chinese-American chop suey restaurants, making these classic egg rolls. And I've been researching egg rolls and their condiments for years. )

Rene G wrote:This type of oil, pressed from mustard seeds, is completely different from the distillate (sometimes called volatile or essential mustard oil) that laikom bought at Joong Boo. The distillate is mostly allyl isothiocyanate, a small sulfur-containing molecule responsible for the pungent flavor of mustard, horseradish and wasabi. It's often used as a food additive (nothing illegal about it) and appears in many "extra strong" prepared mustards. You should be able to make your Chinese mustard as zippy as you want using this stuff (if you can find it). The pressed oil, like other cooking oils, is composed mostly of triglycerides—three long fatty acid carbon chains bound to a glycerol backbone. Chemically, the two "oils" are about as different as can be. Pressed mustard oil can also contain a lot (20 to 40%) of erucic acid, a type of free fatty acid shown to cause heart problems in animals. Thus the "for external use only" warning. Erucic acid doesn't seem to be terribly harmful—canola oil is permitted to contain up to 2%—so occasional use is probably not worth worrying about.

YEAH SCIENCE!

Rene G wrote:I also remember liking the egg rolls at House of Eng, likely made from the same recipe.

Different recipes. I asked Fanny Go myself in Cantonese the next time she made her egg rolls, for Lunar New Year 2013. Monica (my Chewing the Fat co-host ) wrote:

"Many restaurants," Go explains through a translator, "used only cabbage for the filling because they wanted to keep costs down." But Fanny and Tom Go added plenty of rich barbecued pork, shredded chicken, chunks of boiled shrimp, chopped green onions and other touches to their version.

See Fanny mixing filling here:

Louisa Chu wrote:(Source: I grew up working in my family's Chinese-American chop suey restaurants, making these classic egg rolls. And I've been researching egg rolls and their condiments for years. )

Louisa -

1) A few of my favorite egg roll makers around such as Lee's Chop Suey & Palace Cantonese in Morton Grove have told me that after making their fillings, they will let the entire mixture sit overnight. I assume they are doing this to brine it (often times with salt, chicken bouillon, and other spices), resulting in an egg roll filling with a softer, pastier profile compared to many other egg rolls I've tried around town that seem to have a crisper, fresher cabbage texture to them.
Do you know if this overnight brining technique is common or do you think that most egg roll makers make their mixture and then immediately begin to assemble them?

2) Do you think that most old school Chinese-American chop suey joints utilize peanut butter in their egg roll recipes?

3) Is the use of peanut butter something that is done nationally or is this a regional variant?

Thanks.

BR, thanks for the inspiration posting that recipe from the Trib- I swung by Hong Kee today for some pork (near my house) and whipped up a batch of egg rolls this afternoon- holy cow, were they good! I added in some shrimp and some sesame oil as well. Easy as could be, and they were a big hit with the game-watchers in the house looking for a post Bears treat. I get the feeling these will become a favorite snack moving forward.

Without seeing it mentioned on this thread, I actually also made some dipping mustard from Colemans Dry to go with them- this is the way my mother did it back in the 70s. Funny to see this was more than just one of my moms home cooking tricks....

BR wrote:I am always annoyed by the cabbage-heavy egg rolls that lack flavor. But in the Eng recipe, I think the balance of flavors is excellent. That being said, I go a little heavier on some of the other ingredients (particularly the bbq pork, shrimp and some shiitakes) and I add in savoy cabbage because it is just so much more flavorful.

All that being said, I think the cabbage fills another important function in that it results in a smooth, denser filling (which I prefer) . . . it just helps bring it all together texturally. Unfortunately, many lesser Chinese restaurants go heavy on the cheap cabbage and light on the pricier ingredients. But I wouldn't blame the cabbage as much as the chef/restaurant.

I don't disagree. I have no problem with judicious use of cabbage or even peanut butter, but if either ingredient dominates I generally don't care for the egg rolls. Some vegetable matter is important, whether cabbage, celery, bean sprouts or, better yet, a mixture. Restraint and balance are key.

laikom wrote:Rene G, thanks for the note about the mustard oils. I am glad I didn't waste my time buying some, or worse, someone else buying it and being really confused. I was introduced to the Korean stuff while working in a kitchen with Korean staff. They would add a drop or two to spicy soups to amp it up. They really enjoyed laughing at me coughing from the fumes. I can't imagine you taking a spoonful of the stuff straight, it is so insanely potent that the breathing fumes coming off a hot bowl of soup is what I'd guess mustard gas would feel like.

You're very welcome. I've had the killer Korean stuff (came with noodles) and for years I didn't understand why it was so different from the oil I bought on Devon to make vindaloo etc. The labeling can be extremely confusing.

Louisa Chu wrote:YEAH SCIENCE!

Be thankful I didn't show the structures!

Louisa Chu wrote:

Rene G wrote:I also remember liking the egg rolls at House of Eng, likely made from the same recipe.

Different recipes. I asked Fanny Go myself in Cantonese the next time she made her egg rolls, for Lunar New Year 2013. Monica (my Chewing the Fat co-host ) wrote:

"Many restaurants," Go explains through a translator, "used only cabbage for the filling because they wanted to keep costs down." But Fanny and Tom Go added plenty of rich barbecued pork, shredded chicken, chunks of boiled shrimp, chopped green onions and other touches to their version.

Any idea how the basic recipe (without "extras") in Monica's article compares to what was served at House of Eng? Mainly I'm curious if the ones I enjoyed in the mid-to-late 1970s contained char siu and/or peanut butter. I don't remember them very clearly but I do recall enjoying them.

That filling you show Fanny mixing looks absolutely fantastic, very luxurious, and pretty close to my ideal (if anything, maybe it could use a little more cabbage...and I never say that!).

Here's a House of Eng South postcard in case anyone might enjoy seeing the place. It opened in the penthouse of the Del Prado Hotel in Hyde Park in 1967 and closed in 1987 (the original House of Eng on Walton opened in the 1940s).



"The operation includes a key club, Forbidden City, with pretty, scantily clad oriental girls as waitresses."

PIGMON wrote:2) Do you think that most old school Chinese-American chop suey joints utilize peanut butter in their egg roll recipes?

3) Is the use of peanut butter something that is done nationally or is this a regional variant?

I was going to ask pretty much the same questions about the PBER. I also wonder about the batter-dipped fritter-style egg roll (like those served at Kow Kow). Has anyone seen those outside Chicago (or outside the Midwest)?

PIGMON wrote:1) A few of my favorite egg roll makers around such as Lee's Chop Suey & Palace Cantonese in Morton Grove have told me that after making their fillings, they will let the entire mixture sit overnight. I assume they are doing this to brine it (often times with salt, chicken bouillon, and other spices), resulting in an egg roll filling with a softer, pastier profile compared to many other egg rolls I've tried around town that seem to have a crisper, fresher cabbage texture to them.
Do you know if this overnight brining technique is common or do you think that most egg roll makers make their mixture and then immediately begin to assemble them?

I wonder why Lee's and Palace actually lets the filling sit overnight. Taste or texture or timing? I think you've partially answered your own questions here: It's not uncommon to let the filling sit overnight. But I think it's impossible to talk about "most egg roll makers". As Jennifer 8. Lee wrote in The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, "There are more Chinese restaurants in America than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendys combined." She claimed 40,000 in 2008. My late uncle Eric Hugh's restaurant Chinese Pagoda near Belmont and Central served egg rolls with a softer filling, but didn't let it sit overnight. My cousins Irene and Pauline Yau's restaurant Chinatown Cafe on Wentworth served egg rolls with a crunchier filling, but they let the cabbage only sit overnight pressed in an industrial vise.

PIGMON wrote:3) Is the use of peanut butter something that is done nationally or is this a regional variant?

Nationally, and even internationally, if you include Canada. Other cousins' owned a restaurant in Ontario where they used peanut butter too.

Rene G wrote:Any idea how the basic recipe (without "extras") in Monica's article compares to what was served at House of Eng? Mainly I'm curious if the ones I enjoyed in the mid-to-late 1970s contained char siu and/or peanut butter.

Similar but more cabbage. Monica said Fanny's egg rolls were close in flavor to House of Eng's. BTW we talked to her Aunt Joanie, who owned HOE, but she did not have recipes, nor would she share details about the key club.

Rene G wrote:I also wonder about the batter-dipped fritter-style egg roll (like those served at Kow Kow). Has anyone seen those outside Chicago (or outside the Midwest)?

Yes. Nom Wah in New York, open since 1920, has the most famous batter-dipped egg roll, that they call "The Original" Egg Roll on their menu:
https://nomwah.com/menu/

Here's the House of Eng space when we visited last December:

If I'm remembering correctly, the batter dipped egg roll served at Kow Kow is a relatively recent addition. I remember non - battered egg rolls being served there when I was a kid; similar to those still being served at Mee Mah (owned by members of the same family).

Louisa Chu wrote:

PIGMON wrote:1) A few of my favorite egg roll makers around such as Lee's Chop Suey & Palace Cantonese in Morton Grove have told me that after making their fillings, they will let the entire mixture sit overnight. I assume they are doing this to brine it (often times with salt, chicken bouillon, and other spices), resulting in an egg roll filling with a softer, pastier profile compared to many other egg rolls I've tried around town that seem to have a crisper, fresher cabbage texture to them.
Do you know if this overnight brining technique is common or do you think that most egg roll makers make their mixture and then immediately begin to assemble them?

I wonder why Lee's and Palace actually lets the filling sit overnight. Taste or texture or timing? I think you've partially answered your own questions here: It's not uncommon to let the filling sit overnight. But I think it's impossible to talk about "most egg roll makers". As Jennifer 8. Lee wrote in The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, "There are more Chinese restaurants in America than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendys combined." She claimed 40,000 in 2008. My late uncle Eric Hugh's restaurant Chinese Pagoda near Belmont and Central served egg rolls with a softer filling, but didn't let it sit overnight. My cousins Irene and Pauline Yau's restaurant Chinatown Cafe on Wentworth served egg rolls with a crunchier filling, but they let the cabbage only sit overnight pressed in an industrial vise.

In the recipe Monica Eng shared, one of the instructions is to blanch the shredded cabbage. Obviously, shredded cabbage blanches very quickly, so I would think the length of blanching time is the greatest variable in how crisp the filling is. And you really need to be careful with the savoy or napa cabbage because it really doesn't need blanching -- it's much softer than your typical green cabbage.

As for resting the mixture overnight, the only thing I might adjust if I was going to do this is the amount of green onion. I would think that in its raw state, the filling would take on too much green onion flavor if allowed to sit overnight.

Hit 1 on Friday - good and 2 on Sat. - meh..



Golden Chef over on Harlem Ave - 84th @ Harlem - Burbank - right down the street from Ings(Jen Id definitely meet over there for some eggrolls, etc.).

One of my favorites of the (7) different ones i had last week - Tumeric in the filling - this egg roll worked





Golden Chef
7156 W. 84th
Burbank, IL.

708-598-5555

Saturday - Shay and Vangie came with for a couple - jetted to a spot I heard about in Bolingbrook - bad...(not even gonna mention name, etc) and a place in Berwyn - the sister restaurant of a spot mentioned upthread N Joy -.

N Joy II Chop Suey


This egg roll looked promising, but there was just no flavor there - gotta try their other local.





N Joy II Chop Suey
7140 Windsor
Berwyn, IL.

708-484-5310

Got a couple on the list for lunch today - hopefully I can cover the ground and improve on Saturdays results.

In the greater Des Plaines area, House of Szechwan has the best egg rolls in the opinion of Mrs Willie & I. (one of these days I'll make it work so I can post a photo)
http://houseofszechwan.com/ (NE corner of Mount Prospect & NW Hwy)

On a side note, on Sundays they have a Chinese/Filipino buffet from Noon-3pm which I've been wanting to try.

Had Hong Min down in Palos recommended or at least tossed out as an option for egg rolls in the SW burbs by some folks.

Down on 111th just west of Roberts -



Solid egg roll all around - one of the few where I almost chowed the 2nd one.


didnt detect any peanut butter - but I liked this egg roll quite a bit - one of the top 5 I have had this past 5 days or so.



Hong Min
8048 W. 111th Street
Palos Hills, IL.

708-599-8488

Louisa Chu wrote:

PIGMON wrote:3) Is the use of peanut butter something that is done nationally or is this a regional variant?

Nationally, and even internationally, if you include Canada. Other cousins' owned a restaurant in Ontario where they used peanut butter too.

Oh, Canada. I guess now is as good a time as ever to talk some Canadian-Chinese without derailing the original topic too much. I love seeking out the regional American-Chinese treats like a St. Paul sandwich (STL), War Sue Gai (Detroit + Columbus), and Springfield (MO) style cashew chicken and of course a peanut butter laced egg roll amongst others. Anyway in Canada they have many of the same stuff made in the States plus their own signature dishes found regionally. It's said that even the most desolate towns that have no McDonalds, Pizza Pizza's etc have at least one Chinese restaurant. One day I'll try Calgary style ginger beef but a couple summers back I made it into a famous longtime spot in Sarnia, Canada on my way back into the states.


Tang's China House founded in 1969


As we enter


Over the Years


Dining Room

Anyway I was there for sweet & sour chicken balls, yes I still laugh when I say that. Aside from the Calgary style fried ginger beef and a few other regional dishes the main points of Canadian-Chinese are very similar to American-Chinese, they just do things a little bit differently as far as presentation. The S&S Chicken balls here were no different than most American recipes though they were properly fried thus better than many renditions I've tried. Egg roll was loaded with peanut butter but I noticed that it was wrapped differently just like it was at another Canadian-Chinese takeout spot that I tried near Niagara Falls. A little google search reveals that most spots in Canada make them as seen below, that's about the only difference in egg rolls north of the border.


Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls Lunch Special with a Canadian Egg Roll

Tang's China House
165 Cromwell St
Sarnia, ON N7T 3X4, Canada
+1 519-336-2200

alright - one last one before I take a break for a couple days(i need a Freddy) - 9 different egg rolls in 6 days.. been a long, long while since a thread on LTH got me out and on the search - kudos.

Westmont/Downers has a few options I have read about(Ive got a couple left in this area and a couple east of here still to go) - did 1 yesterday - Hong Kong Carryout:



Ordered 1 order (2 pieces) of their Hong Kong Egg Roll - received and paid for 2 orders (4 pcs) when I picked up. All good. These are just outside my top 3(Ings is my fav of the past few days).




just a solid eggroll - not greasy - fresh filling - crunchy -


Hong Kong Carryout
4951 Fairview
Downers Grove, IL.

630-969-2950

Sweet Willie wrote:In the greater Des Plaines area, House of Szechwan has the best egg rolls in the opinion of Mrs Willie & I. (one of these days I'll make it work so I can post a photo)
http://houseofszechwan.com/ (NE corner of Mount Prospect & NW Hwy)

On a side note, on Sundays they have a Chinese/Filipino buffet from Noon-3pm which I've been wanting to try.

Never tried the buffet and only went once, but the Beef Kaldereta was so bad that it's discouraged me from coming back. That being said, I've heard their Chinese menu is pretty decent. Interested to hear if the other Filipino dishes fare any better!