My Quest for Chicken Chow Mein

I wanted good "old fashioned" stick to your ribs chicken chow mein so last night we ordered take out from LTH. I remember ccm as being gloppy (in a good way) cut small, water chestnuts and crunchy chow mein noodles to smother the top. What I got was big pieces of chicken and bok choy on thin wheat noodles. I seriously don't know if they gave us the wrong dish or that's their interpretation. It was not what I was looking for. I have to look at the menu the next time we eat in. Anyway, where can I find the good comfort version I seek?

Two words: Kow Kow

The Lovely Donna wrote:I wanted good "old fashioned" stick to your ribs chicken chow mein so last night we ordered take out from LTH. I remember ccm as being gloppy (in a good way) cut small, water chestnuts and crunchy chow mein noodles to smother the top. What I got was big pieces of chicken and bok choy on thin wheat noodles. I seriously don't know if they gave us the wrong dish or that's their interpretation. It was not what I was looking for. I have to look at the menu the next time we eat in. Anyway, where can I find the good comfort version I seek?

What you want is Chinese-American chicken chow mein. What you got from LTH was Cantonese chicken chow mein. I second Steve's rec for Kow Kow.

Thank you both!

Kow Kow, home of tasty Chinese American standards.

Lunch menu portion of Chicken Chow Mein, $5 including tea, won ton soup, almond and fortune cookie. Crisp chow mein noodles are barely visible under mound of chicken, sprouts, mushrooms, water chestnuts and celery.

Chicken Chow Mein, $5 lunch special



Won ton soup and additional chow mein noodles for discretionary garnishing



Don't forget an egg roll, quite possibly best in the city

Kow Kow Egg Roll



Kow Kow
6755 N Cicero
Lincolnwood, IL 60646
847-677-7717

Now that Kow Kow is gone do you have any other recommendations? I have a chicken chow mein craving! Is there anywhere on the north side that has anything close to the Kow Kow version?

Haven't been there in awhile, but when I worked in the vicinity I remember the chicken chow mein off the lunch menu at China Chef in Morton Grove as being quite nice, a perfect Chinese-American mélange.

Key has to be--in my eyes--that the crispness of the celery & water chestnuts are offset by the clear/opaque sauce and the gedempte-ness of the bean sprouts & the moist chicken, again offset by the crunchy chow mein noodles. Very interesting tactile experience, and a great, mild one-of-a-kind taste.

China Chef
5920 Lincoln Ave.
Morton Grove, IL
(847) 967-6050
http://www.chinachef.org

+1 on China Chef. Also, check out House of Wah Sun on Lincoln as a Kow Kow substitute.

House of Wah Sun
4319 N. Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60618
773-477-0800

Thanks for the recommendations. I haven't been to China Chef in years! and I never tried House of Wah Sun. I'll let you know how it goes!