Seven Treasures, Chinatown

Hi,

Seven Treasures is our go to place for Chinese soup noodles. They are cheap, reasonably well executed and a favorite of my nieces. I never had too much better until I went out west to Fabulous Noodles whose soup broth is superior.

Tonight I brought my niece to Seven Treasures at her request. She stuck to noodle soup, dumplings in oyster sauce and a side of BBQ pork. Everything she picked was a winner.

Those of us who departed from the soup noodles and related foods, received inferior food. Please note there is an open kitchen devoted to soup, which you can look at from the street. Their other menu items come from an enclosed kitchen.

The worst example from the non-soup kitchen is pictured below:



While this photo could be a good candidate for 'Guess the Restaurant,' I will simply out it now. That dish above is allegedly Sweet and Sour Pork. Look just below the quarter is a piece of green pepper which is at least 3 times larger than the quarter. The four pieces of overcooked pork dwarfs the quarter as well. The sauce was overthickened with cornstarch to the point it behaved like a gelatin aspic than a sauce.

I remember an episode of the Frugal Gourmet when he was visiting Hong Kong. He invited a haughty local food expert who advised forks and knives left the Chinese table four thousand years ago. He said it was so primitive to use a knife at the table, which is why Chinese food is (almost) always bite sized.

A waiter came by who seemed drawn to my taking pictures of their food. When he saw my quarter he began to laugh. I asked him if he prepared and ate such large pieces of food at home. He affirmed he did. I asked him if he was really Chinese, which he affirmed. I said I don't really believe you cook anything like that at home. Where he then dashed off chuckling.

I will stick to soup noodles, though it is going to be quite a while before I return again.

Seven Treasures Cantonese Cuisine
2312 South Wentworth Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
http://www.seventreasures.com
312-225-2668

Regards,

C2,

That is one eye-catching pic: very odd. I like it...though I would not want to eat the subject matter. The fry surface is unappetizing, over-fried and pockmarked.

I have had very bad luck with sweet and sour preparations -- they are frequently one-dimensional. The only time I have them, in fact, is when one of my children orders them.

Hammond

Hi Cathy,

Seven treasures is also my go to place when I'm in the mood for nothing else but a huge bowl of wonton noodle soup. The broth is always adequate, along with satisfactory wontons and the always perfectly cooked noodles. The fact that from my front door to theirs is only a five or ten minute drive doesn't hurt either.

My typical order is a bowl with extra noodles, supplemented occasionally with an order of roasted pork belly, or Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. I might even have some roasted duck from time to time. The earlier in the afternoon, the better rule seems to apply to these meats.
This afternoon, which was my third visit this week, I had my usual bowl with extra noodles and also an order of wontons with oyster sauce.

But I've also learned the hard way that anything other than the roasted and BBQ meats and noodle soups which come from that front kitchen seem to be very hit and miss.

Seven Treasures has been on my list since I was a child; it is also my very first stop whenver I return to Chicago.

I wholeheartedly agree with sticking to what they do best: braised noodles, noodle soup, bbq meats and wontons/dumplings. Whenever I introduce someone to this fave of mine I make it a point to instruct them on what to order and to essentially stay away from everything else. Anyone who neglected to heed my warnings has paid dearly.

That said, what I wouldn't give for a nice plate of braised noodles with wonton and bbq pork. *sigh*

7 Treasures = late nite rice & noodles.

it is also a part of http://www.rewardsnetwork.com

Do they serve that dish with extra quarters? Because then at least it might be more worth the price.

I feel badly for your sad experience w/ the sweet & sour pork; It looked terrible. I surmise that this poor dish came out b/c their larger Asian clientele does not often order this type of American-Style Chinese dish. The chef probably then made a half-hearted attempt to make this dish. If they can't prepare an edible version of this dish, they shouldn't even list it on the menu.

Jay K wrote:I surmise that this poor dish came out b/c their larger Asian clientele does not often order this type of American-Style Chinese dish.

hmf... 7 Treasure has lots of ABCs, Filipinos, tourists, LP yuppies, Bronzeville buppies, hipsters, scenesters (whatever-sters) dining there at all odd hours. Paraphrasing VI: they've simply lost their craft... I'm a little bit surprised the sweet and sour pork (which seems perfectly comfortable on their menu) came out looking THAT disgusting... afterall, it is a staple in Canto-American restaurants...

Aaaah yes - Seven Treasures. As mentioned above: great for noodles, bbq pork, jelly fish, guy-lan and oyster sauce, congee with ghost bones for dippin', and other canto-yummy pleasures.

However the rest of the huge menu is really gross (think "too much cornstarch") and bland...and believe me I've tried a lot of it (stay away from anything with beef, it usually looks like the green-pepper disaster pictured above).

foodgirl wrote: (stay away from anything with beef, it usually looks like the green-pepper disaster pictured above).

Foodgirl, have you ever had a good beef-based fish in a Chinese restaurant? For all the wonders of poultry and fish that emanate from the Chinese kitchen, I'm not sure I've ever had any cow that was worth a bite.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:have you ever had a good beef-based fish in a Chinese restaurant?

Salt & Pepper Spare Ribs W/ XO sauce at LTH. It's not fish, but it's a very good dish.

Friendship Chinese recently added a spicy shortrib dish that's quite addictive. But of course, Friendship isn't a real Chinese restaurant.

Wow, great topic.

I haven't had a craving for sweet and sour anything for about five years. I probably have had sweet and sour since that time, but just never had the craving, particularly after being introduced to so many other wonderful Chinese and CA dishes.

But last night it hit, like the thud of Sun Wah BBQ duck slung down off its meat hook unto the block.

I stopped a Hoang Trang (I don't know how to spell this), the new Chinese restaurant in the heart of the Argyle Vietnamese community (includes the aforementioned Sun Wah, Chui Quon Bakery and a few other Chinese holdouts).

I needed something to cut the gloppy cloying sweetness in which I was about to indulge, perhaps something healthy? A little poet to balance the warrior in me...or my craving. As I was fliiping through the menu, I came across salt and pepper tofu...holy goodness batman, salty and sweet!!

The S&S chicken was what I expected… and deserved. Sauce more like spackle and damn near the point of cristalization, huge chunks of pepper and onion (a little disappointed no tomato, an oft opt-in ingredient).

However, what I did not expect was the top notch bean curd bonanza coming my way. I was served a platter of small disks that looked like scallops, a very light breading and inside pure silky tofu that seemed to melt in my mouth. Poor man’s scallops, BULLS**T, Buddha’s mock coquilles maybe.

Gestalt is the sum greater than its parts and I now know that dynamite feeling Alfred Nobel had when he combined sodium nitrate and glycerin. Bang! The cloying sweet stickiness of sweet and sour chicken with the salty, peppery tang of salt and pepper tofu…cowabunga.

A darest not risk having this combination on a regular basis lest my bathroom scale tips not in favor of longevity…but if a craving for sweet and sour anything within the next five years occurs, I know where I am headed.

I couldn’t finish all the food but was anxious to see how the tofu survived the evening. Unfortunately, I was accosted by a table of drunks at Tank Noodle who relieved me of my doggie carton, leaving nothing by my hopes falling to the ground like a gentle hail storm.

Surprisingly enough, LTH makes a damn fine version of sweet & sour chicken and/or pork. It's as good a rendition of that genre of Jewish Suburban Chinese as there is anywhere. It's a standard order for the Chow Poodle when we go.

HI,

To complete the saga, I warmed up the remaining sweet and sour pork for lunch. I took the biggest nugget, maybe 3-4 inches long, I bit into it to find no meat through the first 2-3 inches. It was all overcook breading. When I finally hit the dried out petrified meat, it still had considerable breading sticking to it. I tossed it away because it was more like a science project gone wrong than a meal.

The item I did not picture and equally disappointing was their "Gan Chow Beef Fun (no gravy)." This is a dish of wide rice noodles with beef, bean sprouts and bok choy. I've had it several times before where it was a nice oily savory dish. This time there were no bean sprouts, the boy choy was the stalk cut in cross sections but no leaves and the beef in bigger than mouth sized pieces. This time it came with a stiff, heavily corn starched sauce which sat on the noodles like a bad toupe.

I've learned my lesson, I will stick only to the soups, dumplings and BBQ.

pd wrote:salt and pepper tofu

Sounds really good!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Those of us who departed from the soup noodles and related foods, received inferior food. Please note there is an open kitchen devoted to soup, which you can look at from the street. Their other menu items come from an enclosed kitchen.

Cathy,

I'm not sure if I've ever had anything aside from soup w/noodles, wontons and/or fresh shrimp dumplings, BBQ items and the occasional veggie at Seven Treasures, but after your post, and perfect example of Chinese/American food gone wrong, I don't think I will be soon.

Actually, that's not exactly true, I like the inexpensive BBQ on rice on occasion and have had congee and a noodle dish or two. Seven Treasures also has a decent table chili oil that goes well with soups and BBQ.

Speaking of Chinese/American staples, for some reason I've been thinking about the best example of General Tso's chicken I've had, which can be found at House of Fortune. Tender crisp fried chicken, light sauce, not overly sweet, nor overly vinegary as some examples can be, and flavor that had subtlety as opposed to beating you about the head. What I especially like about House of Fortune's General Tso's chicken is that it seems to come directly from a very hot wok with nicely caramelized bits for textural contrast.

Enjoy,
Gary

House of Fortune
2407 S. Wentworth Ave.
Chicago, IL
312-225-0880

pdaane wrote:I couldn’t finish all the food but was anxious to see how the tofu survived the evening. Unfortunately, I was accosted by a table of drunks at Tank Noodle who relieved me of my doggie carton, leaving nothing by my hopes falling to the ground like a gentle hail storm.

You should be more discerning about the company you keep.

m'th'su wrote:

pdaane wrote:I couldn’t finish all the food but was anxious to see how the tofu survived the evening. Unfortunately, I was accosted by a table of drunks at Tank Noodle who relieved me of my doggie carton, leaving nothing by my hopes falling to the ground like a gentle hail storm.

You should be more discerning about the company you keep.

Or at the very least realize that when you offer a table full of drunks a carton of Chinese take-out--they will not politely say, "No pdaane, we couldn't take your food, you enjoy it. That way we can read about how your tofu held up in the morning."

But rather, they'll snarf it up like the opportunistic oinks that they are.

pdaane wrote:However, what I did not expect was the top notch bean curd bonanza coming my way. I was served a platter of small disks that looked like scallops, a very light breading and inside pure silky tofu that seemed to melt in my mouth.

Peter,

Went to Hoang Thanh for lunch today and had Salt and Pepper Tofu, which was as good, if not better, than your description. Lovely scallop like disks of tofu, crisp outside, creamy soft inside, served on a bed, a large bed at that, of rice accompanied by a counterpoint of crunchy, slightly sweet pickled cabbage chunks all for $4.95. Including just-ok egg drop soup, tea and a fortune cookie.

Decent chili oil on the table, efficient service, comfortable chairs, and a friendly waitress made for an enjoyable lunch. Thanks for the recommendation Peter.

Enjoy,
Gary

Hoang Thanh
1129 W Argyle
Chicago, IL 60640
773-271-7328

Evil Ronnie wrote:Seven treasures is also my go to place when I'm in the mood for nothing else but a huge bowl of wonton noodle soup.

Evil,

Seems to me I have a picture a bowl of wonton noodle soup, just prior to you digging in

Seven Treasures


Me I go for noodle soup w/fresh shrimp wonton and roast duck.


I also enjoy Seven Treasures dumplings in oyster sauce, which are the same as the fresh shrimp wonton in the soup.


BBQ meats are quite good at Seven Treasures.


In particular the roast pork and chicken, love the oily ginger/scallion dipping sauce that accompanies the chicken.


Roast duck is quite good as well and I love the chili oil on each table, but, then again, I'm a sucker for chili oil.

Funny, but in looking at the Seven Treasures pictures, I seem to be getting a hankering for fresh shrimp wonton noodle soup w/roast duck.

Enjoy,
Gary

Seven Treasures
2310 S. Wentworth
Chicago, IL
312-225-2668

Gary,

Thank you for the visual illustration of exactly what Seven Treasures does right. We were unaware of their dumplings in oyster sauce until some years ago, when the people next to us ordered them. We also remarked they looked just like the soup dumplings. Since then they have been part of our standard order, which is pretty much what you order.

Regards,

The Peking pork and onion noodle soup is excellent too. That's what I usually get, along with an order of dumplings (or won ton...depending on mood), broccoli with oyster sauce and some chinese "doughnuts" /fried bread (for dunking). Also worth noting is the fact that Seven Treasures has really good hot sauce which can be purchased in bottles to take home. Some "over rice " dishes can be good as well.

Eveyone in the area knows not to order anything but noodles at Seven Treasures. I always order dumpling/wonton combo with noodle soup and a side order of roast pig. I have not tasted better noodle soups than theirs yet.

kuhdo wrote:The Peking pork and onion noodle soup is excellent too. That's what I usually get, along with an order of dumplings (or won ton...depending on mood), broccoli with oyster sauce and some chinese "doughnuts" /fried bread (for dunking). Also worth noting is the fact that Seven Treasures has really good hot sauce which can be purchased in bottles to take home. Some "over rice " dishes can be good as well.

i've always wondered what the peking style noodles are (the closely related Wonton gourmet also has them on the menu). anyone care to elaborate more, it's not ja jang mein with soup is it?

The soup and noodles are the same wonton noodles and broth as with other Seven Treasure soups. What is different is the topping. The "Peking Style" noodles come with a dollop of a (moderately spicy) bean sauce/ shredded pork/ green pepper sauce you mix into the soup. This transforms the usually mild mannered 7T soup into something much more lively. I love it and have been getting it for years. Again...really good with the Chinese fried bread ! This stuff is brown, not black and does not tast similar to the ja jaing mien I have had. I suspect it is entirely unrelated.

Yes, Seven Treasures is a destination for wonton noodles and BBQ items. The premium wonton, noodles, and broth are the items that the owner and original chef was known for. His broth was extremely flavorful and rich. The noodles had a wonderful slight shrimp flavor and a nice al dente bite to them. And the wonton had whole small shrimp that had a wonderful crunch and bit of broth when you bit into them. Now the quality has diminished and the broth seems much more watered down.

Most Seven Treasure diners avoid the food from the kitchen. It almost always disappoints. Only the those desperate for rice and sad drunks, myself included but not anymore, order from the kitchen.

From the posts, it sounds as none of you ever tasted the wonton noodles at the original restaurant on Cermak Road. Curious if any of you LTH'ers have gone back that far with ST?

David Hammond wrote:Have you ever had a good beef-based fish in a Chinese restaurant?

Actually, in China, you almost never see beef dishes. The Chinese think strong-flavored meat such as beef and lamb are for barbarians, and they're quick to say so. There are some ethnic groups within China that consume these strong meats, but they are not mainstream Han Chinese. In fact, Kentucky Fried Chicken has done better in Beijing than McDonalds for this very reason. Now, youngsters are growing up with a taste for everything from burgers to pepperoni, but anyone from 30 up has probably never eaten beef, except maybe on a dare. Pork is the accepatble meat, and, in fact, the character for home is the character for a roof with the character for a pig. Chicken and duck are also okay. But beef and lamb are for Mongolians or Tibetans. (And Mongolians view the eating of Pork as "going Chinese," and they are as contemptuous of it as the Chinese are of beef and lamb.) So Chinese cooks working with beef in the US may be working with an ingredient they don't like or aren't familiar with -- unless they are second generation and have grown accustomed to our tastes. But it's a good bet that a first-generation chef from China, unles they're from Hong Kong and accustomed to serving British clients, won't have much success turning out a great beef dish.

LTH,

Lunch at Seven Treasures, had not been in a while and today simply reinforced stick to the basics and you will have a nice meal. Noodle soup with fresh shrimp wonton, dumplings in oyster sauce, mixed BBQ plate all drizzled with the good, if not great, table chili oil.

Saw an order of sticky gooey brightly iridescent orange chicken going past, no plate envy on my part, though I felt a little sorry for the recipient

Enjoy,
Gary

HI,

One addition to their repetoire worthy of inclusion: Beef Chow Fun.

I should bring my nieces there before they leave for school. Thanks for the reminder.

Regards,