Over the years, Frank and I have gone to many restaurants and have many more to let you know about. Why go back to one that we already write and spoke about? The answer is simple. Menus change and sometimes ownership changes. In Morton Grove, there are many dining spots that have been around since last century ( a little joke), but when it comes to Chinese food, the standout has always been China Chef. They have recently brought on a new ownership while retaining the majority of the staff and have made some additions to their huge menu. I also think they have one of the best egg rolls around ( not quite the Pekin House, but very close).
Jane , Cary, Frank and I were there on what was the start of the “ice age” weekend. The dining room was not as crowded as normal, but the carry-outs and deliveries were going wild. We skipped having a cocktail and instead enjoyed some wonderful hot tea as we pondered over the menu. The difficult part of ordering at China Chef is the size of the menu and the variety of choices. FYI- the menu includes Cantonese, Mandarin and Filipino selections. We did select one of the Filipino items and vowed to return for an ALL Filipino meal including the smaller egg rolls. Since all of us are on diets, we decided to go easy.
The egg rolls were delicious and that was our only appetizer. My suggestion would be the China Chef Appetizer plate including 2 egg rolls, 4 ribs, 4 satay beef, 4 fried shrimp and 4 crab rangoon. That is the best bargain ever! None of us were in the mood for soup, but the selection and choices offered are amazing there are 17 different soups offered. We did have their China Chef Fried Rice, a perfect combination of brown rice with shrimp, veggies, beef and pork. This could be a meal. Four of us shared an order and Frank ( as usual) took the leftovers home to his waiting family members.
The Moo Shu Beef was perfect and the pancakes just crispy enough to allow us to roll and enjoy. Of course the menu includes over a dozen combinations of Chop Suey and /or Chow Mein ( we skipped) and a number of .poultry dishes as well as beef and pork, veggies and of course fish. I would venture to say one could dine at China Chef every day for a month and never eat the same thing twice ( except for the egg roll, which you might want every time). The Walnut Shrimp order was amazing. The shrimp were truly jumbo and the sauce was not overpowering. Frank even remarked that they were the juiciest he had ever had.
We did order one item from the Filipino-Cantonese Dishes. Pancit Guisado- Cantonese noodles, shrimp, tenderloin pork and Chinese vegetables. A treat that all of us loved. Our server. Fay, who has been at China Chef for a decade made sure that our tea ( and water) was always there and that each of us had all we needed. We took a pass on their amazing almond cookies ( again, we are all on some type of weight loss program) but as expected did enjoy our fortune cookies. Each of us had a nice message, but of greater importance, we had a wonderful dinner ( with enough food for other or the next day) and the menu prices are quite affordable, so one can feed a family of 4 without breaking the bank. Today, that is a miracle, so I guess one might say, having China Chef available for almost 50 years now is a blessing for us all.
China Chef is located at 5920 N. Lincoln Avenue in Morton Grove. They have plenty of parking, and they do have a private room for parties…