Chinatown Dining Tour - [Past Event]

Chinatown Chamber of Commerce wrote:Chinatown Dining Tour
Wednesday, March 25
5:30PM to 9:00PM

Event Notice
REGISTER ONLINE

CHECK-IN AT:
New Three Happiness
2130 S. Wentworth Ave.

Come to Chinatown and taste delicious samples from over 20 restaurants & bakeries! Explore and experience the cultural delights of eclectic Asian cuisine and culture. Come for the chance to discover your new favorite dining spot in Chinatown!


Participating restaurants:
Three Happiness | Cafe Hoang | Cantonesia
Chiu Quon Bakery | Connie’s Pizza | Double Li
Evergreen | Gourmet Food Inc. | Great Wall
Hing Kee | House of Fortune | Ichiban Café
Joy Yee’s Noodle Shop | Ken Kee | King Wah Catering
Lao Beijing | Lao Shanghai | Lao Sze Chuan
Lee Wing Wah | Mayflower | Maxim Bakery
New Three Happiness | Phoenix
Saint Anna Bakery & Café | Spring World
Tai Ho Yee | Wing Chan BBQ |Won Kow

Come down early as food is served on a first-come, first-served basis!

SEE THE TOUR MAP


A Glimpse of Another World
Come and experience the culture and community we call Chinatown! Visit popular landmarks such as the Nine Dragon Wall and the Chinatown Sq. Mosaic, revel in authentic Chinese / Asian cuisine from over 60 restaurants, and be tempted by the neighborhood's unique and fascinating stores.

With the lowest parking in the City of Chicago, downtown buses stopping in the heart of Chinatown and the Cermak/Chinatown El red line in Chinatown, getting here is easy and convenient! Come and enjoy a fun-packed and exciting day out in Chicago's Chinatown.

Isn't it time you gave your family a glimpse of another world?

Please visit our Chamber member businesses for additional parking validations / discounts at the Chinatown Parking Lots.

This sounds like it could make for a nice evening.

Is this an annual event? And, if so, can anyone report on past years?

RAB and I have been thinking about going, but the weather report is currently calling for rain. Of course, this event won't be nearly as much fun if it's in the 40's and pouring. I figured we'd wait a few days to see if the weather is likely to improve before buying tickets.

Is anyone planning to go? If so, we'd be all for meeting up with a small group to stroll around Chinatown and enjoy the samples. We had a blast last fall at the Pilsen dining tour, and thought this one might be as fun.

Ronna

I'll be there. I already mapped it out.

I'm planning to go with my wife and our daughter...sounds perfect for a 4 year old. All the eating, none of the sitting still generally required for dinner.

I just signed up for it. Totally am looking forward to trying the different types of Chinese cuisine.

Well yesterday was interesting, that's for sure. A few hits and a lot of misses. I realized I can't swallow a dumpling. Good to know. Why does the filling always taste sour?

Chiu Quon Bakery: they just serve you a little bag to go, and I've yet to dig in. I liked the bakery case: top shelf - mango cake. Bottom shelf - chicken feet.

Double Li: WOW that was interesting. The item was called Black Pepper and Garlic with Beef, and they don't lie. All I could taste was pepper and garlic. The garlic was barely chopped and they used a heavy hand with the pepper. The coating was so crisp and pungent that I tasted no beef. But I have to say it was addictive.

Evergreen: awful, awful bbq pork. Pork should not taste like sugar.

House of Fortune: the Szechwan green beans were okay, but I could have done without the chicken. Again, it was sugary sweet, and tasted nothing like chicken.

Ichiban Cafe: one piece of California roll. Not bad, but tasted like every other California roll.

(Little) Three Happiness: now I know what you folks dig about this place! They don't mess around. They gave me enough food for a lunch - 1 crab rangoon, 2 sweet & sour chicken, half an egg roll, 1 potsticker, and a mess o' combo fried rice. Mmmm tasty.

At Maxim Bakery, I had a delicious coconut custard bun and left with a moon cake. Oh, I miss Moon Cakes so. I had a friend that would make them for me all the time so I bought one for memory's sake. The pork bun was okay but ice cold, the almond cookie was okay, and they had plates upon plates of little crispy sesame dealies, which were also okay.

Mayflower: 1 shrimp and 1 pork dumpling. Made me want to cry. I don't think there was anything wrong with either, it was just me and my newfound dislike of dumplings. They had the best presentation though: tea instead of water, and the dumplings arrived in a little bamboo steamer.

Three Happiness: I think both these items came from King Wah Catering. I cut an egg foo young in half (at least I think that's what it was) and had a side of bbq pork and rice. The pork was not bad, but it was ice cold and the foo was just not my cup of tea. (Pun intended.)

Won Kow: there was beef wrapped in a rice roll, beef wrapped in pastry, another pork dumpling that looked and tasted exactly like the one at Mayflower, and a sesame ball. I liked the beef pastry, which was flaky, crispy, and just a little greasy. But the sesame ball - oh boy. I could have eaten another dozen. It wasn't anything like I was expecting. When I cut into it, it flattened out. It was a gooey, sugary delight with a crunchy sesame coating. I hope I can find these up north. The manager was so nice and went around to every table to see how everything was and answer questions.

There was one more place I went but I can't remember, and I'll update this when it comes to me.
I was so pissed that I only got to 11 places and I got there so late that I missed Saint Anna's Bakery and their chocolate mousse cake. Did anyone get there?

Pie Lady wrote:At Maxim Bakery, I had a delicious coconut custard bun and left with a moon cake. Oh, I miss Moon Cakes so. I had a friend that would make them for me all the time so I bought one for memory's sake. The pork bun was okay but ice cold, the almond cookie was okay, and they had plates upon plates of little crispy sesame dealies, which were also okay.

Great report. I have a major soft spot for Maxim and its wizened, abacus-wielding proprietrix, who was a character (along with aschie30) in my lost novella.

I ended up not making it yesterday because I was feeling under the weather, but my wife and daughter went. They had a good time in general, except at Maxim's. This was their last stop of the evening (I think she said around 8pm.) Maxim's let them in the door and let them spend time looking at the cases to see what they wanted, then when they gave their order were informed that Maxim's was closed and they couldn't have anything. There was someone behind the counter while they were looking, so it would have been easy enough for them to speak up earlier to say they were closed. As any 4 year old would do when promised cookies, allowed to pick out cookies, then refused cookies, this caused my daughter to start crying. At which point they were told to leave because Maxim's was closed. Maxim's is generally my go-to Chinatown bakery, but after that I think I'll find another place.

Santander wrote:Great report. I have a major soft spot for Maxim and its wizened, abacus-wielding proprietrix, who was a character (along with aschie30) in my lost novella.

She was pretty cool. An abacus! It made me wish I bought more just so I could watch her add. There were guys in the back playing mahjongg too, that was fun to watch, even though I had no idea what they were doing.

I'd have liked to read that novella. I like stories.

eli wrote:IAs any 4 year old would do when promised cookies, allowed to pick out cookies, then refused cookies, this caused my daughter to start crying. At which point they were told to leave because Maxim's was closed. Maxim's is generally my go-to Chinatown bakery, but after that I think I'll find another place.

That's awful! I hope she eventually got her cookies.

Pie Lady wrote:
I'd have liked to read that novella. I like stories.

Please direct this desire to Germuska - it's still lurking somewhere in cyberspace after being exiled during the first failed merge. I personally think Joe has this post and everything else missing in some Matrix-like environment accessible through an Apple II in his basement.

This was a great tour I only managed 8 of the places.
This is a great concept as some of the places I would never step into.
Here is a major breakdown:
Chiu Quon Bakery- very delicious egg custards the fried sesame balls were just ok
Hing Kee- was well organized lovely smelt fish cooked to perfection, Hong Kong style deep fried dough was delicious but I should of brought my own custard sauce to go along with it the one they served tasted like it came out of a bucket. The summer rolls were good and so was the crispy asian chicken.
Ken Kee- the beef rib was good, but the rest was just a greasy cold mess. I know that they were serving samples but at least the food could have been served warm.
Lao Beijing-the best of the lot. A sublime Peking Duck served with delicous accoutrements of plum sauce, julienned cucumbers and pancake.
Lao Shanghai- had wonderful fish fillets that they left in a warmer thank goodness and Xiao Long Bao, which are meat dumplings.
Lao She Chuan- had delicous food but quite disorganized. The string beans with spicy black bean sauce and three chili chicken were delicious along with the chili cabbage. On my way out I saw an eggplant dish that I drooled over as an eggplant fanatic I almost joined complete strangers at the table, it looked that good.
Phoenix-was a dissapointment, very greasy food was served. The Shumai which is usually steamed was covered in fat. I usually have had much better fare over there.
Maxim Bakery- closed the doors way too early when they saw more people coming which I found very rude to close the doors in peoples faces, especially when they were told how many people to expect.
In all this was a great experience that opened my eyes to other restaurants and dishes.
Thanks to Cathy for letting me know about this.

We went on this and had a fantastic time!

Loved Hing Kee, Lai Sze Chuan, Cafe Hoang, Double Li... we only managed 8 out of the 25 restaurants tho...