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OPERA
The Top List of Best Chinese Restaurants - Chicago, IL
Confucius once said, “Eating is the utmost important thing in life.”
by Diane Bobis
Confucius once said, “Eating is the utmost important thing in life.” He did not eat meat that was not properly cut or food that was served without its proper sauce. In the tradition of the famous Chinese master, these top Chicago restaurants all strive for exemplary status. So take a gastronomical tour of China’s many great cuisines – there is righteousness to be found in Chinatown, Bucktown, or right around the corner. And when you break open that crunchy folded cookie, read this: “Your days will be filled with good food and good fortune.”
OPERA
1301 S. Wabash, 60605, 312-461-0161
Sunday – Thursday, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Friday – Saturday, 5:00 pm to Midnight.
*Between June 1 and August 31, open for dinner at 6:00 pm daily.
This South Loop hot spot provides an absolutely gorgeous experience for the senses. Everything is colorful here, from the wait staff and clientele to the funky trademark acid-décor by restaurateur/interior designer Jerry Kleiner (Marche, Red Light, Carnivale). True brilliance comes from the exhibition kitchen of renowned Executive Chef Paul Wildermuth, where traditional Chinese dishes are spiced up with modern presentations that surprise and delight. Specialty entrees include the Cantonese Whole Red Snapper, a two-pound fish steamed in light soy, Shao Xing wine, ginger, bamboo, lotus root, scallions and Chinese black mushrooms. When plated, it’s drizzled with smoking hot roasted sesame oil. On Sundays and Tuesdays, Opera offers a three-course prix-fixe dinner – choose any appetizer or salad, entrée and dessert for $25.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $35-40.
CHENS CHINESE, SUSHI AND SAKE LOUNGE
3506 N. Clark St., 60657, 773-549-9100
Sunday – Thursday, 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Friday – Saturday, 4:00 pm to Midnight.
Sleek, simple and totally hip, this Wrigleyville favorite never fails to surprise. Right off the bat, Chef Bin Zhou’s menu offers an exotic array of Chinese specialties (Lemon Chicken, Glazed Orange Beef), as well as premium Japanese sushi, sashimi and hot plates. All are prepared with unexpected twists, especially the Black Mushroom Duck, a Shanghai-style delicacy slow roasted in soy sauce, sugar, wine and ginger. The drink list is just as eclectic, with an unabridged selection of sake, wine, single malt scotch, beer, and classic or fruity martinis. Can’t choose? Go with the Frozen Banana martini (vodka, triple sec, banana liqueur and fresh banana). The best surprise at Chens arrives with the bill. You’ll be amazed that a place so sophisticated and upscale could offer such reasonable prices.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $20-$30.
EMPEROR'S CHOICE
2238 S. Wentworth Ave., 60616, 312-225-8800
Monday – Saturday, 11:45 am to Midnight. Sunday, 11:45 am to 11:00 pm.
A great choice for late-night meals, this Chinatown mainstay offers one of the most extensive and authentic menus in the neighborhood. But no worries – a kind, attentive waitstaff makes the long list of Cantonese specialties easy to navigate, even for non-Chinese speakers. The small, elegant storefront is known for such standards as Chop Suey, Egg Foo Young, and General’s Chicken, as well as inventive house specialties like the Emperor’s Steak (broiled porterhouse served on a bed of seasoned vegetables and topped with spicy house sauce). More adventurous diners should peruse the “Village Specials” menu, a section that warns it “May Need An Acquired Taste.” Choices here include Serpent Soup, Ostrich with Leeks, and Sea Cucumber, Fish Lips and Black Mushroom. For group or family dining, several prix-fixe dining options are also offered.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $20-$30.
SHANGHAI TERRACE
108 E. Superior St., 60611, 312-573-6744
Monday – Saturday
Lunch: 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Dinner: 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Located inside the posh Peninsula hotel, this upscale pan-Asian restaurant showcases Shanghainese and Cantonese delicacies in an elegant 1930s supper club atmosphere. Attention to detail is apparent everywhere, from the exceptional service (your tea cup will never go empty) to the multiple textures and flavors layered into each dish. Don’t miss the Peking Duck Salad with lotus leaf, sweet rice and sausage for an appetizer. And please save room for dessert. There are some exquisite choices to sample here, like Szechwan Roasted Pineapple with star anise won ton soup and coconut jasmine rice, or Sake Marinated Fruits with mango foam, sesame tuile (cookie), and champagne-ginger sorbet. In warmer months, request seating on the outdoor terrace. Four floors above Michigan Avenue, it boasts beautiful views of the Hancock building and terrace garden. With some dim sum and a cocktail, this is a little piece of Zen in the heart of a bustling city.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $50-$60.
BEN PAO
52 W. Illinois St., 60610, 312-222-1888
Lunch: Monday – Thursday, 11:30 am to 4:00 pm Friday, 11:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Dinner: Monday – Thursday, 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Friday, 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Saturday, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Sunday, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
A member of the Lettuce Entertain You family, Ben Pao (“fireworks”) packs quite a punch with an elegantly trendy atmosphere and an imaginative menu that blends China’s four great cuisines: Mongolian, Cantonese, Shanghai and Szechwan. Specialties of the house include the famous Black Peppered Sea Scallops and the very spicy Seven-Flavor Beef, a wok-fried creation with lemongrass, peanuts, chiles, Thai basil and jalapeno peppers. For a more unique take on Chinese dining, make reservations in the new Hot Pot Café (open Thursday through Saturday evenings). Here, parties of four to eight share Wei-lu, a style of communal dining that dates back to 400 A.D. Mongolia. Seated around a hot pot of boiling broth, you’ll leisurely cook your own meats, seafood and vegetables and top them off with scallions, cilantro and dipping sauces of your own choosing. So sit back, sip on a Sake Sangria or Kaffir Lime Margarita, and enjoy.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $25-$35.
JOY YEE'S NOODLES
2159 S. China Place, 60616, 312-328-0001
Daily, 11:00 am to 10:30 pm.
Additional location:
1335 S. Halsted, 60607, 312-997-2128
Monday – Thursday, 11:30 am to 10:30 pm. Friday – Saturday, 11:30 am to 11:00 pm. Sunday, 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
This cheery little dining room in Chinatown serves up a fusion of dishes and styles from all over Asia to please a wide variety of tastes. Your pocketbook will also leave a little fuller, as most dishes are priced at $10 or under. While diners can choose from dozens of appetizers and entrees, the custom made soups are the real attraction here. Simply look over the long list of broths, noodles, meats and vegetables and concoct a soup suited to your personal taste. Joy Yee’s also offers a never-ending list of Taiwanese-style bubble teas and Fresh Fruit Freezes in exotic flavors rarely seen in Chicago. If you don’t know what jackfruit or durian tastes like, this is one delicious way to find out.
Reservations are accepted.
The average cost per person for dinner is $10-$20.
DRAGONFLY MANDARIN / FLYBAR
832 W. Randolph St., 60607, 312-787-7600
Daily, 11:00 am to 2:00 am.
This trendy restaurant/lounge is a popular after-work hangout for young professionals in the Market District. Dramatic in décor, plush red velvet sways throughout, creating an almost movie-set atmosphere for sipping swanky Asian-inspired cocktails. Play the part with a signature martini of raspberry sake and amaretto, or a lychee martini with sweet, aromatic lychee juice. The high-end menu features an authentic mix of Szechwan, Hunan and Mandarin cuisines, as well as several upscale seafood specialties. The chef recommends the Fruits of the Sea, a combination of scallops, king prawns, lobster tail and crabmeat with vegetables, artfully nestled in a shredded potato nest. After 10:00 pm, tables are cleared, lights are dimmed and Dragonfly flutters away to a trendy dance club called Flybar. While the full menu is still offered, expect a DJ, dancing and smoking throughout.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $30-$40.
GOLDEN BUDHA CHINESE STEAKHOUSE
312 W. Randolph St., 60606, 312-609-0000
Daily, 11:30 am to 10:00 pm.
Located in Chicago’s theatre district, this sky-lit atrium restaurant mixes classic Chinese dishes with sizzling steakhouse specialties – it’s the perfect balance of yin and yang. On the traditional side, you’ll find your favorite offerings from Szechwan, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hunan cuisines (think Egg Drop Soup, Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Shrimp). And then there’s Marci’s Special Jumbo Egg Roll, arguably the best in Chicago. Filled with shrimp, fish and vegetables, it’s big enough to be shared by two. On the steakhouse side, prime cuts of Rib-Eye, New York Strip and T-Bone are grilled over an open fire and presented with special sauces, fresh vegetables and wasabi potato pancakes. Need more convincing? Owner Alfred Hsu and staff once catered an entire dinner buffet at the Ritz-Carlton for former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $20-$30.
HAI YEN
1055 W. Argyle, 60640, 773-561-4077
Monday – Thursday, 10:30 am to 10:00 pm. Friday, 10:30 am to 10:30 pm. Saturday, 9:30 am to 10:30 pm. Sunday, 9:30 am to 10:00 pm. Closed on Wednesdays.
Named for an Asian expression meaning “good food, good life,” Hai Yen offers both Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese cuisines in a contemporary, but welcoming setting of dark woods, white linens and glowing sconces. Though the expansive menu of appetizers, noodles, rice dishes and meat and seafood offerings may be a little intimidating for first-timers, owner Hien Ngo and staff are always eager to help. Ask for recommendations and dining here becomes a total sensory experience. Many dishes are cooked over open flames right at your table, and others arrive with a variety of dipping sauces and garnishes to tickle your palate every which way. Specialties include the Lotus Root Salad and the famous Bo La Lot (marinated ground beef wrapped in Hawaiian leaf and grilled). Regulars also favor the refreshing and unexpected selection of beverages like Avocado and Guabanana Shakes or Bubble Tea Lattes flavored with plum, coconut or mocha.
Reservations are recommended.
The average cost per person for dinner is $20-$25.
LEE'S CHOP SUEY
2415 W. Diversey Ave., 60647, 773-342-7050
Tuesday – Friday, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Saturday, Noon to 9:00 pm. Sunday, 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Chicago’s Chinese food lovers might not let you in on this, but Lee’s is one of the city’s most delicious and best-kept secrets. Located near the intersection of Diversey, Elston and Western, this neighborhood spot has been serving and delivering Cantonese specialties for more than 20 years – long before the area transformed into trendy Bucktown. Probably not much has changed at Lee’s over the years. There is no fancy décor to speak of, just a few hanging lanterns and some dimly lit booths. But when you dinner arrives (and it will arrive quickly), your taste buds will be absolutely delighted and impressed nonetheless. Regulars rave about the not-too-spicy King Pao Chicken and the perfectly crisp egg rolls with peanuts. Do they deserve the honor of best egg roll in Chicago? You decide.
Reservations are not accepted.
The average cost per person for dinner is $10-$20.
For holiday hours, please call restaurants for more detailed information.
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