China Chef
5920 Lincoln Ave, Morton Grove, IL, 60053
China Chef Menu
-
Popular Items
Healthy Meal suggestions for China Chef
-
Popular Items
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
5920 Lincoln Ave
Morton Grove, IL, 60053 - Phone (847) 967-6050
- Website https://www.chinachef.org
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Sara R.
I have tried a handful of different items from China Chef, but there are a few things that I really love. They are; the Mongolian chicken, crab rangoon, vegetable egg roll, and beef or vegetable fried rice. I love getting the lunch special (generous size entree with rice), which is available Monday - Saturday until 3:00pm.
(4)Lora D.
I had a wonderful business lunch at China Chef just yesterday! I asked for an adjustment to my Beef Chop Suey with the addition of my favorite Black Mushrooms and was not met with resistance like another reviewer claims. I was served my meal the way I wanted it. Egg drop soup was delicious and the fried rice was very good. I recommend the lunch special as the plate was heaping! A very large portion. Everyone in our party was satisfied including the person who wasn't really sold on Chinese food for lunch. As someone pointed out, he cleaned his plate. I will be back for sure.
(3)Lyn A.
Egg rolls and Mongolian beef were delicious. Potstickers were ok, nothing amazing. BBQ pork fried rice was decent. I will definitely be back.
(4)Aimee M.
My friend lives close by and has always had family parties here including her rehearsal dinner. The food has always been good and plentiful. It's been a while since my friend had an event here so I was glad I was in the area one day and ordered take out. The menu is Chinese (mostly the old-school take-out kind of options) and Filipino fare. The Ho Do Tai soup is light but so full of flavor. I love that the veggies (chinese cabbage and mushrooms) are super fresh and not overcooked and there was nice bits of pork and shrimp. The Camaron Rebosado (Fried shrimp) is tasty but could use a bit longer to drain some of the oil off after frying. These are nice sized shrimp, battered and crispy fried. My other favorite is the BBQ Fried Rice--a little on the greasy side, great flavor and full of bits of bbq pork. My take out order was ready in exactly the time they quoted which was nice. The space is certainly dated, nothing really special stands out except maybe the giant fish tank. The parking lot is small and cramped...you're better off parking on the street. Old school Chinese take out is one of my favorite kinds of comfort foods and it's pretty good here.
(3)Noor H.
Um..... I have no idea what happened to this place. My family has lived less than a mile from here for over ten years but have only eaten here once or twice. We ordered from China Chef today for the first time in several years and it was beyond disappointing. *The chicken chow mein was slippery, slimy, and gross. *The kung pao shrimp was loaded with vegetables and maybe 5 pieces of shrimp total. *They didn't give us any fortune cookies!!!! The only reason I gave two stars was for the superb crab rangoon. But everything else we ordered was just plain bad.
(2)Susan S.
Forgot about this place. Used to come with my parents and siblings . Huge portions pretty good food. Great customer service , hard to find not on a main road. Parking is small and cramped. In addition to Chinese they also have Filipino food. Go hungry roll away full
(3)Dan S.
I have been coming to China Chef as long as I can remember. This is my go to place when I want a good sit down enjoyable and reasonably priced Chinese food. Their egg rolls are my favorite and all their dishes are tasty, come in "healthy" portions and are priced right. My favorite dishes have always been their Mongolian beef, General Tao's chicken and any of the sweet and sour dishes. Those paired with the combo fried rice...man, I'm getting hungry. The other nice thing is lunch or dinner comes with complementary tea as well as sugar cookie and fortune cookie for desert.
(5)Peter B.
Wish there was a lower star rating, this place has good food but the service is terrible and be warned they will include gratuity on party of 5 also no refills on drinks be carful they have no problem charging you. Tried to speak to manager and was also rude treating us like children and not compromising one bit! Enjoy my review thanks
(1)Nancy D.
The food is ok. The orange chicken was good but I didn't like the white rice. It's not expensive but I wish the food quality was better. The inside needs a make over as well. Will try again some time in the future.
(3)Mike M.
My family has been ordering food here for as long as I can remember. We used to live pretty far from China Chef, so it was always a treat whenever we got their food. These days, we usually just order for take out and it's our go to place whenever we have dinner at my sister's place. All I can say is that the value is great for the quality and quantity of food you get. We can easily have food for days for a fraction of the price of going out to a sit down restaurant. Their menu is a combination of Cantonese and Filipino food. Ho Do Tai Soup - I don't think I've seen this soup at any other restaurant I've been to. It's a pretty simple soup with just shrimp, some veggies and a light broth, but it's so delicious. The Filipino in me loves to pour that salty broth all over some white rice. Mongolian Beef - Usually at Chinese take out places, the mongolian beef dish is half onions and not too much meat. Nope, not here. They don't mess around. Literally it is all beef. They might throw a green onion on top but that's just for show. The beef has the perfect amount of caramelization on the outside and the sauce was slightly thick with a nice bold flavor. Hands down the best mongolian beef I've ever had anywhere. On their menu they list it as spicy, but it's not at all. Camaron Rebosado - This is the dish that made me love this place ever since I was a kid. It's basically a Filipino version of fried shrimp. There's just something about that batter they use that makes it so crispy and delicious. It's a little on the greasy side but it's sooo good. We always get extra of the sweet and sour type sauce comes with it. Lumpia Shanghai - This is one of their more average items. Filipino eggrolls are one of my favorite foods, but I think my family makes much better lumpia than the ones they have here. Dungeness Crab - I'm not a big seafood fan, but my mom and sister love this dish. It's a huge crab that has an insane amount of meat in it. It's covered in some sort of oyster sauce. Chicken Lo Mein - Usually when we get Lo mein at a Chinese place, the noodles are the main focus and the meat is just filler. I don't know what it is, but I love the chicken that they put in their lo mein. It's seriously entree quality chicken that they throw in here. It's tender, juicy, and has that Chinese velvet texture on the outside. For me this is more of a chicken dish with some noodles on the side haha. Chicken Fried Rice - Maybe I'm not like most people, but I'm not a fan when there's a ton of filler items in my fried rice, like sprouts all over the place. Like the mongolian beef, China Chef keeps it simple and their chicken fried rice is mostly meat and rice with minimal veggies, just the way I like it. Overall, China Chef is one of the places I crave when I'm hungry and just want some quality Chinese/Filipino takeout. It's totally worth the drive. Shout out to Dolan, one of our favorite servers at China Chef!
(5)Agustin S.
Fried rice did not had a good color or taste. My green peppers and steak was okay but did not like the sticker on my Green pepper makes me think they don't wash their vegetables. The only good thing service is fast.
(2)Phil S.
Last night we went to China Chef for a dinner hosted by my wife's co-worker in honor of his new 2 month old grandson. The food at China Chef is decent. APPETIZER Fried chicken w/crispy fried chicken skin, calamari & chicharon. SOUP - Ho To Tay - Chicken broth, Chicken, Bok Choy . This was pretty tasty 3.5 stars MAIN COURSES Fried Rice - some meat & vegetables added in 3.0 Stars Mongolian Beef over white styrofoam noodles - Very average nothing too special 2 stars SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN w/green peppers & pineapple - Usually I'm not a huge fan of Sweet & Sour, but This was pretty good 4.0 stars Seafood dish - shrimp, squid & vegetables Pancit Guisado - ehh bland and not much taste 1.5 stars Steamed White Fish w/ginger, onions, cilantro w/boiling hot oil & soy sauce - this was excellent 5.0 stars Overall the food was a little above average with good company. This made for an enjoyable evening.
(3)Riya A.
This place is a good Chinese restaurant. The fried rice is good and they give free tea! The crab Rangoon's are a bit too bready for me. The tea is really good considering the fact that it's free and gives you a nice satisfaction after and while your eating your meal. I'm gonna have to give this place 3 stars the reason being.... I care about costumer service a lot and this place is mediocre when it comes to that and the place feels a bit outdated to me. But still a solid place to grab a bite.
(3)Pam D.
We come here quite often. Last night I brought home some pancit. It was really good. We still always order the potstickers. Just love them. I guess you could call us regulars. The menu is quite extensive. Some things are great, some are so-so. It's always an adventure.
(4)Amanda S.
Very good Chinese food. 10/10 would recommend. Order the Mongolian beef, it's the best.
(5)Jimmy J.
Hadn't been here in over 10 years. Why? Bad service. Dry owners. Decided to give it another shot. Despite the millions the Fongs have made in Mortong Grove since late 70s, the bathroom is pathetic and restaurant interior has changed little. We love Chinese but have a child with a peanut allergy so it can be a struggle. When I ordered egg rolls and bbq pork as appetizers, I asked server if there are any peanuts or peanut oil used because the kid (and I pointed at my boy) had allergy. He emphatically said no peanut, no peanut. Egg roll comes. Boy eats egg rolls, and turns red. I yell for the owner and server. I ask is there peanut in this?? SERVER: NO PEANUT, NO PEANUT. just some peanut butter in egg roll mix! This is a true story. We got up and walked....gave the kid benadryl in car and monitored at home. All is well. Safe to say we won't be returning. Hard to find well run Chinese restaurant with good service and great food.
(1)Melissa M.
Love the Filipino-Chinese menu items. We always go here whenever we are in Morton Grove. Our favorites are pancit guisado, crispy fried chicken and camaron rebosado. The food comes out fast, always fresh and delicious. The servers are friendly and have known for years.
(5)Robert G.
My family held a get-together here. I have some wholly justified paranoia about family get-togethers at far-flung restaurants, especially when they involve buffets. But China Chef was quite good. I didn't come close to keeping track of the items that passed my table, so I'll pick the two that stood out. Phoenix's Nest can be a novelty dish; at it's worst it could be stir fry served in a hash brown. Here, it was good stir fry, served inside a firm basket of woven dried noodles (or those crunchy toppings that you can put on top of salads at Sweet Tomatoes... I have completely forgotten their actual name). Then there was the soft shell crab. This was yummy. I'm not sure if you're supposed to eat the shell (given that the *whole thing* was breaded and fried, I suspect the answer is yes) but the breading was crunchy and crispy, and the crab tasted reasonably fresh. It was one of my favorite dishes here. In general everything that I had was cooked well and tasted good. When it comes to family get-togethers, that's really all I could ask for. :-D
(4)Naye Y.
Wish I could get consistently good food, but it's just not the case. I had great food here, once. But I expect quality food each and every time. My last experience had the WORST fried rice I have ever had; rice was not fried, or fully cooked. Service is equally blah. Ordered delivery, they took my address AND phone down incorrectly. The only info you need to offer good delivery, and it was collected poorly. Will not be returning.
(2)Ewa B.
My favorite Chinese food place around the area! Always fresh, accurate with orders, friendly service, delicious food. Significant difference between this place and China Chef or any other small Chinese restaurant. Love coming here!
(5)Brian N.
ugh. Service was okay, but food was exceptionally bland. Two appetizers, and two dinners, all four were just bleh. Felt sorry for the fish in the tank at the entrance, feeding off the bottom of their tank. But then i figured their meal was better than ours was.
(2)Elliott K.
The Food is Great !!! Reasonable prices great special's .. food is always fresh. I eat there 2 to 3 times a week . Delivery is real fast and friendly . ;-)
(5)A N.
I love this place there Chinese food is so good! But lately I feel like the food taste alittle bit different like it's not fully cooked all the way I'm not sure what it is but I've been ordering from here for many years and I never had that problem there orange chicken and shrimp rice is delicious!
(5)Anil T.
I have been going for over 10 years, mostly take out, the food is pretty good, especially the Mongolian beef, and the crab Rangoon, but over the years, the food portions have become smaller while the price increased, the quality of the food has gone down a little, but overall it's pretty good when you compare it to the rest of the fast food Chinese restaurants whose beef taste rubbery and bland.
(3)Lisa A.
Being of the Asian persuasion, I may be pickier than most and can give it an okay rating. The nice thing is the food is the same as it was 20 years ago when I used to come here. In particular, the food had good flavor but each dish had some discrepancy about it that was missing just a little something. First, we had the sizzling rice soup, good and flavorful but not enough of the sizzling rice. There is enough soup for 4 people but only 2 small cakes of sizzling rice, so I did without. Second, the Ma-Po Tofu had good flavor but the tofu was not diced but served in chunks so not all the tofu got all the flavor. (I admit this might be really picky) Third, the Shrimp Egg Fu Young was too greasy and you could see the oil separate from the gravy which made it unappetizing. Fourth and finally, the Moo Shu Chicken had decent flavor but the pancakes used were flour tortillas instead of rice flour pancakes and the chunks of chicken were so big that you couldn't wrap the food into the tortillas without make a mess. I would go back, but likely order different entrees, maybe Shrimp with Walnuts or Mongolian Beef which is harder to make bad or insufficient.
(3)Rebecca K.
I absolutely love the food at this restaurant, I would come here much more often if it weren't for the terrible customer service. The owners have obviously no idea how to give any good service. They were rude, they cut me off when I was ordering, they did not come back to refill drinks. Even when I order on the phone, they are incredibly rude. If it weren't for the food, I would never come back.
(1)Mrs P.
By far the best Chinese food ever! They have amazing sweet and sour sauce that is made in house I believe. Can't get enough of it. As well there Mongolian beef is to die for. I try to come here at least once a month.
(5)Maria R.
Friendly family like environment. Servers are friendly and the food is great. Love the Mongolian beef, crispy fried chicken and pancit guisado. Bubble shakes are good. Fresh fruit and fresh tapioca.
(5)Joel M.
I had my doubts reading some of these reviews but I went and I was glad. We ordered and got our food within minutes. It tasted great. I am going back for sure.
(5)Seth D.
China Chef continues to be the best Chinese restaurant I have ever eaten at. The mongolian beef is still the best. Thank you for keeping this consistent China Chef. I'd also like to say that in my last review I mentioned China Chef could improve their Honey Walnut Shrimp... guess what? They have! China Chef now makes delicious honey walnut shrimp. Thank you for listening to your customers China Chef! The service at China Chef is always fantastic too. Why only 4 stars then? China Chef is so close to 5 stars. Where they drop the ball is in their chicken. Whether it's chicken in the sizzling rice soup or a chicken dish like sesame chicken, I never feel it's fresh. I always am nervous to try it. I always think I'm going to taste something chewy in mouth. The times I do have the chicken, sometimes it's a bit dry or I feel like it was bought frozen. In any case, please continue to support the best chinese restaurant of all time.
(4)Tian Y.
Run of the mill Americanized Chinese food... plus a small twist with some Filipino-Cantonese dishes on the menu. The decor immediately reminded me of a Chinese buffet, just that style of booths and tabletops, so it doesn't look fancy, but it's bright and quaint despite its size. We tried the chun hua and I forgot what it was called in English, but the mini meat spring rolls. Didn't look anything like picture in the menu, but I guess it tasted good (though we were starving). Salt and pepper squid. It's a surprisingly hard dish to nail despite how it's on the menu of every Chinese restaurant. Their seasoning was a little underwhelming and it wasn't that crispy, but texture was spot on. Pancit guisado was really good though. A lot of cornstarch in that thick sticky sauce, but the flavors were light and delicate, and those are words rarely used to describe Americanized Chinese food. I had a positive impression of the place! Food tasted good, and nothing was too greasy. The best part was that I wasn't downing bottles of water for the rest of the night due to ridiculous salt content like I do after most Chinese food *coughjoyyeecough*. Service was attentive and polite, especially for a Chinese restaurant. So it's not enough to be worth the 20+ minute drive out, but I'm really intrigued by this place. I'd come back and try some of their non-typical dishes if it's a small detour.
(4)K K.
China Chef is one of the better Chinese Food Restaurants around but is still far from authentic for the most part. Having said that there are some authentic items on the menu of you know what you are looking for. I have had many things here. Most are good. 3.5 stars.
(3)Saeed A.
The server was rude and the food was bland. I won't waste any of my time describing the terrible service and the mediocre food they serve at this establishment.
(1)AJ M.
Came here for lunch special to go. I got the Szechuan chicken with beans. It was was supposed to come with BBQ pork fried rice but the rice just seemed like regular fried rice. For $6.95 the portion was fair, although other spots include an app or soup, at least give me a fortune cookie which they did not! The food lacked flavor but seemed to have extra msg. This food is the type of food u take home and slather with siracha sauce to add spice and flavor to taste good! No more lunches here!
(2)JW W.
It's a good place to sit down for lunch special! 6.00 gets u a good lunch! The reason it doesn't get 4 or 5 stars is because the take out it iffy! Sometimes u get nasty food.And u can't complain cause it seems like they just don't care!! And NEVER send back food at a place like this u never know what they do! U may get sick later!!
(3)Charmaine J.
The Mongolian beef is good. The waiter we had was horrible and an ultimate magician who hid our $10 and overcharge it on our credit card. he thought we wouldn't notice and when we told him, he had the nerve to tell us don't argue! The mngr or whoever it was said she was going to check the camera and tried to be nice about it. Gave us a $10 gift certificate which frankly doesn't do us any good. I told her there's no way I'm coming back and have no use for that. When I said that she tried giving back the cash. We just walked away..you just lost our business.
(1)Gerry T.
We had the Family dinner for 5 which includes lumpia shanghai, Ho do tai soup, fried chicken, shrimp rebosado ( head on shrimp- try sucking on the heads for the tasty juice and morsels), Mongolian beef and pancit guisado. We've been going to China Chef since the late 80s. Great job on consistency and for having an extensive Filipino menu section. However, it's time for you guys to remodel inside and out. Also, thank you for always having the Pinoy newspapers, how convenient.
(4)Tim J.
The best Chinese food in the area! Their crab rangoons, pot stickers, Mongolian beef, Mongolian chicken, and the china chef fried rice!!! = amazing!!!
(5)Natasha R.
I have worked near China Chef for a few years now and I've ate their food whenever someone from the office ordered for takeout or delivery. Delivery has always been on time and accurate and the price/quailty of the lunch specials are a great deal! A couple weeks ago, we decided to dine in for lunch instead and I am so happy we did. First off, it's the biggest Chinese restaurant I've been to. There are a couple of dining rooms, a bar, and a bunch of cute aquariums that make this place incredibly cozy. They have different catering options, so I am guessing this place hosts a lot of private parties given the size and its popularity. The best part of China Chef is their selection of smoothies/bubble tea's! I have been to nearly all the bubble tea places in the area and this has one of the best I've tasted. They use real fruit and their tapioca balls taste great :) For the size and price, it's def a steal. We even came back just for their smoothies a week ago - try the mango/banana... sooo good! I've had their Mongolian Beef lunch special which is also on par with the best I've tasted. When dining in, they give you soup along with the meat, which is one thing you miss out when you order for delivery. They also serve you free hot tea which is ready for you at the table before you even sit down. Service was excellent and I was incredibly pleased with our experience at China Chef. I don't have that much time during my lunch break, but we were in and out within 40 minutes! I will def come back here next time I am craving some delicious Chinese!
(5)George J.
Yup, this is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. I've been coming here with the family for many, many years and the one thing I love about this place is that they're consistent. After all these years they still have the greatest egg rolls of all time, I've eaten some great Chinese food in a few different states and nothing compares to China Chef. A few of our family favorites here are the mongolian beef, kung pao chicken, satay beef, the orange chicken and i'll tell you again the EGG ROLLS!! The inside is not very exciting and its kind of gloomy that's the only negative thing I can say about this place. I love it!
(4)Lulu R.
I am mad at myself for just finding out about this place. Like many Filipino Americans, we like Chinese places for family dinners, not sure why we always end up doing Chinese, but we just do. it was my brother's birthday dinner outing and I was running late. I had a little bit of a background earlier that week from my mother. she tells me that they make some Filipino dishes and all their food is great. Apparently her and my pops have eaten there several times that month. I knew it was going to be good if the critical Chinese food connoisseur parents approved. like I stated earlier, I was running late. I was delighted to find out that the food was already ordered and brought to the table. Crispy chicken with prawn chips was juicy and tender. Friend shrimp and meat egg rolls were out of this world! Mongolian beef-you had me at hello. It was probably the best I have ever had (that's a bold statement). Pancit canton (Filipino dish) was cooked to my standard and was spectacular. Fried rice was good. usually Chinese places over salt the food and I am glad to know that they didn't do that. The decor is a bit dated but the food quality makes up for that. There is a lot of seating for all sized groups because they have two different rooms. The service was exceptional and lots of parking. Pricing is reasonable. So the parents and I now share the same love for this place. China Chef, you just made me a life long customer!
(4)Julia M.
This place is the best Chinese place ever. I've been going here for years and am never disappointed. Their egg rolls, Mongolian Beef, Cashew Chicken, and Potstickers are all favorites and highly recommended. Always friendly, fast service, and their restaurant is great to dine in as well. Go China Chef!
(5)Melanie V.
[Sunday afternoon convo] Me: Dad, I'm starving! Where are we eating after this? Dad: I dunno.....Do you want Chinese food? Me: (shrugs) I guess.....Where do you want to go? Dad: (pauses) China Chef? OMG! As soon as my Dad suggested going to China Chef, my face definitely lit up. It has been, literally, 4 years since I've been here last, so the prospect of indulging in that Ho Do Tai soup was so very exciting. The place has gotten a face life, with newer looking tables, decorations and a paint job. The walls are a warmer, more inviting color, so that was refreshing to see. The restaurant also got new menus, so they weren't the run down pieces of paper that I was used to. The menu items, however, didn't change. I saw the list of favorites that basically graced my childhood - Camaron Rebasdo (fried shrimp), Lumpia (Filipino style eggrolls), Pancit Bihon (different than my mom's, but good) and, of course, the Ho Do Tai soup. There is something in the soup that makes it so addictive. It's pretty simple - bok choy, mushrooms, pork, but it's the flavorful broth that really sets this soup apart from anything I've ever had. Yum! As for the other items (pancit, camaron rebasado and fried chicken), they were as delish as I remember them...and brought back all these hilarious memories of childhood. (Hint: Use the sweet and sour sauce on the table with the Camaron Rebasado. Oh, and their hot sauce/oil is reallllly good with the fried chicken.)
(4)Michael L.
TERRIBLE service!! NO accountability! Liars! Came here for Mother's Day to pick up some carry out for a family party, I came in half an hour like they said and the food wasn't ready.. Ok, it's busy today, they tell me 10-15 minutes longer. So sure, I'll wait a little longer. 20 minutes go by, I ask for an update and they tell me they're working on it and that my food is almost ready 10-15 minutes more, great!... Now another 25 minutes go by and I'm becoming a little impatient, I ask for ANOTHER update and they tell me 10-15 minutes longer?!?! Ok, what's really going on here?! I then ask if they've even started on my food and they tell me, NO!!! AND I was NOT the only one that was fed the, "we're working on your food 10-15 minutes longer" line. I've been here more than a handful of times before and this is NOT the first time having an issue with them, yet I continue to return giving them chances. The last time I had an issue, carry out again, I ordered egg foo young and instead got chard foo young. When I got home I called letting them know that 3 of the 4 egg foo youngs in my order were more than half burnt and not edible. The guy on the phone argued with me for a bit, yelling at me and insisting that my food was NOT burnt. I wasn't able to make it all the way back to prove that the dish was burnt and they were not willing to let me come back another day for a free repacement. Clearly they never make mistakes. Rather than being full, I was left with a "bad taste" and felt I got chard too much! They get 0 stars for this experience and continued terrible customer service. Not having to go to Chinatown and getting decent Chinese food, 3 stars. Their pancit guisado, mongolian beef and the vegetable egg rolls are not too bad. Please don't set expectations that you can't meet and make things worse by lying!! I mean what kind of restaurant is better at serving "lines" than serving food?
(2)Phill C.
I've been eating here ever since I was a youngin, as many family meals were had here growing up. My dad was good friends with the late owner Art, who was the nicest and friendliest guy. The friendliness definitely continues on with the current staff. This is my favorite place for monogolian beef and pancit guisado. Yes, not only do they serve great Cantonese dishes, but they also have a Filipino menu. I've had my fair share of pancit guisado, but China Chef still makes my favorite. Thin and soft rice noodles (ramen like noodes) are combined with pork, shrimp, veggies, and light sauce... a bit different but really good. A delicious dish and I could eat it as part of a meal or on its own. You see that squeeze bottle full of orange sauce on the table? Their homemade sweet & sour sauce is thick and flavorful... probably my favorite sweet & sour sauce anywhere. I actually haven't been here for many years, but after having dinner here a few days ago, my favorites are still good. Service was great, with ice water and hot tea flowing. Plus the menu items aren't pricey at all. A great value for some good Cantonese/f\Filipino dishes.
(5)Pri P.
This is now my favorite Chinese/Cantonese restaurant in the area. We have ordered from other places in Morton Grove and have not liked anything. Food here was very good. They have the best Egg Rolls, Chicken curry, and fried rice. They have a good selection of items. The quantity was good and food was delicious.
(5)Liz A.
Really happy with this place! I tried it for the first time, and I loved it. All the food tasted made to order and came out nice and hot. The egg rolls, mongolian chicken and sesame chicken were all delicious. The servings are very large, and I was very happy with the quality of each entree. I would recommend either of those two entrees; they both were well-prepared and worth the price. The egg rolls were a nice thick size, and tasted fresh like they had just been prepared for our order. The only thing I tried that was not a huge success was the egg drop soup-- a little bland, but nothing to stop me from returning.
(5)Faye B.
Grew up with this being a former resident of Skokie. Filipino/Cantonese cuisine which gives you more options than your standard Chinese restaurant. I do enjoy their Chinese foods though. One of my mom's favorites is there steamed pike. Sadly last time we went there they ran out and we had it with flounder instead. Not exactly the same. We tried their duck and it was also just ok. The ho do tai was good and the shrimp foo young was filling. Their combo rice is solid!
(4)Rita K.
I have never had greasy Chinese food before..with that said it is OK, convenient, and affordable
(3)Luckia A.
Love this place, great food, fast delivery!! Do it!
(5)Kevin P.
Do NOT order from here on Christmas Eve. Ever. We ordered at 630 and we were told they were busy but it would be ready at 8. No problem. Got there at 8, paid for the food, and waited an entire HOUR before it was ready. It was 9:20 before we sat down to eat. I get it that it's your busiest night of the year, but in the 15 years we've been ordering Chinese from various places on Christmas Eve we've never had to wait even close to this long. A "sorry but we're very busy and have stopped taking orders" would have been much appreciated.
(1)Sara P.
Delicious fresh Chinese food. They make sesame chicken exactly how I like it, and all their portions are really big. Tons of leftovers. Will definitely order again.
(4)Rick R.
I've been going here since I was a small kid and when they were in their previous location on Dempster. Sad to say that it's just not the same and food and service have gone down hill. This place needs a restaurant rescue!!
(2)Billy D.
Awesome
(5)Chatzy F.
It is good for beef dishes. My husband loves it beef dishes too. Great lunch specials!
(4)Allen B.
Everyone has a particular place that they order their chinese food from, in my case it would be China Chef. China Chef has been around for years. I remember my entire family would go here to eat on Sunday nights, not this location but the location before they moved to this space. I'm not big on chinese food and it's quite rare that I crave it, however, whenever that time comes along China Chef has always had mine and my family's back. Pancit Guisado, combination fried rice, shrimp w/lobster sauce, lumpia shanghaI!?!?!? What's up lumpia shanghai???!! Come here often??? China Chef...you is delishuz girl.
(4)April P.
Our area doesn't exactly boast some quality Chinese places. So yes, the 20 minute drive to China chef is worth the drive for some Walnut shrimp, shrimp fried rice and some mango bubble tea. Walnut shrimp were plump juicy shrimp, encased in the mystery sauce that's just as good as the mystery sauce In and Out does on their burgers. How do they create these concotions? (LIGHTBULB ABOVE). Well, as I just learned, there is an actual chef position called a Saucier, one who creates sauces. Shaking my head , waking myself up from being sidetracked...So the walnut shrimp. Plump, thickly breaded, sauce just right. Shrimp fried rice was good, mango bubble tea decent. We only ordered out, so I can't comment on the service there. However, it was nice that they placed our order in a take out box. Prevents card spillage. Nice touch.
(4)Susan C.
Although, I already reviewed China Chef, I just HAD to tell everyone what happened tonight. As we were served, a new father hijacked the booth directly across from us and changed his baby's diaper directly on the seat. Staff acted oblivious and later an unsuspecting family was seated there. Should I call the health department? Why didn't the dad take the child to the restroom? Will NOT be returning ~ health code violation!
(2)Amanda C.
Did not enjoy the food here. The place is nice inside and the waiter was your usual nice chinese guy. I ordered lo mein and it was over greasy and had a charred flavor to it from them burning up the onions. The flavor was not even lo mein. I make better at home. Every one else seemed to enjoy their food but this review is all about me. I will not be returning food was just blah.
(2)Darin C.
I LOVE this place simply because none of the dishes contain MSG and it tastes delicious! I have lived in the Morton Grove area forever, and this is my go-to place. Simply delicious. I have yet to taste a dish that I did not like.
(5)Andrew H.
We have ordered delivery and dined in. Parents live in Evanston and love this place. Always good, fresh and tasty. We have had family dinners and love the large tables with the lazy susan tray. I love the orange beef but eat it there only as it doesn't travel well for delivery. All the appetizers are tasty. I like the Shanghai Lumpia. Parking is good, wait staff polite, friendly and attentive. I tried some of the Philipino dishes on the menu and what I ordered was good. Portions are big and you will have leftovers. We will always return. BIG PEOPLE: The bamboo framed chairs in the right side of the restaurant are not so comfortable or sturdy. In the left side there are relatively sturdy steel framed chairs an I recommend sitting there. Forget the booths.
(4)Mike W.
Phenomenal food! Great egg rolls, Mongolian Beef, and Curry Chicken (which is hard to come by). We made the trip in -9 degree weather last night for some take out and was worth the trip! Check them out.....you won't be disappointed
(5)George V.
We decided to swing by the china chef after driving by it for years heading to the train station. I figured why not, might find a hidden gem in this place. Wellllll, no. While the food is certainly serviceable, and even on the good side of average, it's pretty dang uninspired for Chinese food. The real problem I have with their food is the spice, or more specifically the lack OF spice. Since I had never been to china chef before, I decided to order their mongolian beef since it was a) marked as the house specialty (so THEY think it's good) and b) was also marked HOT. The wife decided to order the sesame chicken, which was also marked hot. I will grant that there is a lot of leeway in the hot moniker; as what's hot to me may not be hot to you. I'm not the type of person who can scarf down multiple jalepaenos and not think twice, but I do *enjoy* hot foods (as long as I know beforehand!). For reference, with hot chicken wings, at three wings my tongue is uncomfortable, at six I'm really hurting, and at nine I'm going to physically run and/or jump over somebody to get to a glass of water. As a minimum baseline, I'd better at least THINK about taking a drink of water after I eat a reasonable portion of whatever food to qualify as hot. With that frame of reference, China Chef food IS NOT HOT. It's not even luke warm! I ate half a large order of mongolian beef (I was *hungry*), and not once did my tongue signal even a moment of heat-related discomfort. Their mongolian beef has approximately as much spice heat as eating a ham sandwich! I then tried the wife's sesame chicken (also a supposedly hot dish) and had exactly the same reaction -- there simply was NO (spice) heat in the dish. Keep in mind that I did enjoy the actual flavor of both dishes; the mongolian beef did taste good and so did the sesame chicken, so it wasn't a complete flame out. But if you're going to stick a hot warning on a dish, you have to have *some* heat in there, not zero! Additionally, there were no vegetables whatsoever served with the dishes. Mongolian beef? Lots of cow (which is good) but zero veggies. Nearly the same thing with the sesame chicken; all white meat (which is good) accompanied by one lone small stalk of broccoli. If you want veggies I guess you have to order two entrees and mix-and-match. So would I eat here again? I guess if I'm running late coming home on the train and need to grab something it'd work. But it certainly isn't good enough to bother coming here intentionally.
(3)Jacqui M.
You know a Chinese place is good when most of the people eating there are Asian families who have been coming for years! Growing up, this was the ONLY place my family would go to eat out, and my parents still make it out there every few months. We'd drive all the way out from Waukegan. I remember the owner coming out to chat with my parents every time. My parents would order a bunch of different dishes, but the only ones I would eat were the fried rice and pancit guisado. As I got older, I also started eating the Mongolian Beef. The other day, I came back for the first in probably over 10 years, and it's still as good as I remember. The Mongolian Beef is the best I've had, and the pancit guisado is something you can't find at any other Chinese restaurant (trust me, I've looked) because it's actually a Filipino-Cantonese dish. This time around I tried their lumpia Shanghai, which was good but being Filipino, my mom's lumpia will always be better than anything you get at a restaurant. :) I brought my husband and friends here and hyped it up big time, and was so happy when they agreed this is some of the best Chinese food around. My friends even came back the next day for take out!
(5)Cherryl R.
Like other fellow Yelpers have described, the customer service is horrible. Although I have been patronizing this restaurant in the past, over the last year it has certainly declined in flavor and customer service. The portions have become smaller and have been lacking in fresh taste. I recently dined here and my server was rude and unaccommodating. I am Asian myself and it was difficult to communicate with both the servers and management. I was charged for a dessert that I didn't order so I had asked for the receipt to be adjusted and the server argued with me saying it was ordered. Finally, he came back with a "different" receipt but the dessert order was still there. To avoid anymore conflict, I just paid for it. In a rush to vacate the restaurant, I signed the customer copy vs the merchant copy receipt. The waiter threw the merchant copy down onto the table and said that I needed to sign the Merchant copy. The whole dining experience was uncomfortable and awkward and will not be returning.
(1)Stephen M.
My family and I have eaten here for years. The food is really good here, but the service is atrocious. We ordered food ahead of time to be picked up at 6:00 pm for Christmas Eve. I got there on time and noticed a lot of people waiting in line to get a table and also waiting to pick up their food to go. They told me to wait a few minutes for my food to get ready and the whole thing took 40 minutes. I asked where my food was every 10 minutes and the only response I got was 'A few more min'. 40 minutes later, I finally had it and asked for a refund. Instead of getting one, the lady decides to go back to the kitchen and check on my food. I chased after another gentleman who works there and gave him an ultimatum--I wanted my money back and I'm not going to repeat myself again. I got my money back, but I hope that this doesn't happen again or they're going to lose customers. They will not cook the food you ordered ahead of time unless you paid for it. That's why there were so many people waiting in line last night. What kind of a reputable business are you running?
(1)Janis T.
2years ago rating would've been better. Had to throw out shrimp dish; it smelled so bad. When I sensed the odor, it was too late. I later got sick. When I called china chef, the man went back to the kitchen and called me back and admitted there were some bad shrimp. I couldn't believe his honesty. I have been going to china chef for approx. 25 years. It has slipped terribly in the past few years. My very last order was incorrect. When I called, the lady manager started screaming at me....I left it alone and began to eat the beef dish....I WAS SOOO GREASY!!!...unfortunately my china chef has turned into a typical low level greasy mess. I will never return.
(1)Sarah W.
I love China Chef! Best Egg Rolls and the sauce they serve with it is AMAZING! If you want something extraordinary let me recommend the Pancit off of the Filipino menu! Service is nice and the restaurant is very large.
(4)Daniel H.
Man, I was not even prepared for this. I just randomly happened to be in this area and hungry. The trusty old mobile informed me that there was a chinese place not far from where I was so I ventured a try. Really I was already wincing just hoping it wasn't some greasy soggy mess/buffet kind of thing. Food: The menu is pretty diverse and has a huge Filipino section (Filipino owned?). Next time I'll try some of the items on that list. Anyway, avoiding the tedium of scrutinizing every single item I had, suffice it to say that the food comes out fresh, well seasoned, and not oily. The pot stickers also come with vinegar instead of garlic soy sauce, and I dig the variety. The only flaw was that the egg drop soup was luke warm and a little too yolky. Service: Chinese Realism is the best word to describe it: nonchalant directness without any effusiveness. They substituted an item in one of the dishes with little hassle so they're fine by me. Ambiance: standard Chinese food decor - slightly on the cold side, big booths and vinyl everywhere. No complaints. I would definitely make a trip come back.
(4)Dean S.
My family has been going here for as long as I can remember. As a child, we came here Sundays after church so very many times. Mr. Fong (the original owner) used to walk around table to table greeting everyone and asking everyone how their meals were. Thinking back to those days, I would have given it a 5/5. Always busy, always courteous, and the best Filipino-Cantonese menu in the area. These days, it just isn't the same, but it's still a good meal and for me, is full of nostalgia. The decor is still the same, so the place's starting to show its age a bit. There's plenty of room to sit, I remember there often being a long wait because it was so busy, but the last time I visited there were many empty tables. I feel the food is not as excellent as I remember it being. It can sometimes be hit-or-miss, but usually it is very good. We had a large party, so we ordered the "Dinner-for-seven" meal which was plenty of food and included won-ton soup and 5 or 6 different filipino-cantonese dishes. Love their fried rice, mongolian beef, pancit guisado, shrimp with lobster sauce, and pretty much most everything is very good. I noticed that they were also advertising new bubble tea drinks -- do not get one here. My mom got one and it was very bland and watery. And, as always, at the end of every meal comes the check with some almond and fortune cookies. Yum. Service was good, but often our waiter would not be in our area or he seemed a little tired/annoyed to be serving us all. I remember them being very nice and talkative before, now it just feels like everyone resents their job. Overall, I think I might be a little jaded about this place, but I still enjoy it immensely. Get the pancit guisado!
(4)Cynthia E.
This was what my husband and I would call Gringo food- more geared to the American palate than authentic. Egg rolls tasted of peanut butter, the lumpia were sad, the egg drop soup had noodles in it and so much cornstarch the spoon would stand up in it. The Kung Pao shrimp was pretty tasty but not spicy at all and was half peanuts, the Egg Foo Yong was terribly overcooked and bland. And the fried rice was soaked with oil and soy sauce, no vegetables at all. It made me want to open a Chinese restaurant in Morton Grove.
(2)Joyce C.
A couple weeks back I was craving egg rolls. I wanted the fat kind with the full on cabbage and pork and shrimp and I remembered that these egg rolls are similar to Kow Kow's in Lincolnwood. So we stopped in for the first time in years, and I see they made some improvements to the inside (new coat of paint?). We ordered the house special fried rice and the Peking Pork. The entrees came out really quickly, while we were still eating our egg roll. The fried rice was really dark (lots of soy sauce) and really greasy. (When we packed the food, the rice slid off the plate right into the box, without any assistance from me whatsoever.) The Peking Pork was breaded pork in a red sauce with sauteed onions. That was also super greasy. I will not be getting either of those dishes again. Next time I think we'll stick with the favorites, i.e. the mongolian beef and the pansit guisado. The lunch specials here from what I can remember are generous portioned and reasonably priced. I'll probably come back, but not very often. It'll do the job if you are in the mood for Chinese or Filipino food.
(3)Gina P.
Within walking distance from work, this is a hard place not to love. They're always really friendly and I've never had to wait for a table. I'm a huge fan of Chinese food and have been looking for a place that has Szechuan String Beans that I actually love- and this place has it! I will admit that the Szechuan chicken & string beans is really the only thing I get there but when you find something you love it's hard to venture away. The meal deals are pretty nice, you get soup, rice and an entree generally under $8, if you add $1 you can get egg rolls or Crab Rangoon with your meal. Most of the time I'll just do without, because I generally end up taking half of my food back to work with me. This is a good spot for fast, tasty and nicely priced take out. AND they have bubble tea, nothing better than ending a good meal with an Avocado smoothing & tapioca!
(4)Allie S.
Anyone who doesn't like China Chef is an idiot. This is the BEST CHINESE FOOD EVER!!!!!!! I have been getting China Chef for about 20 years and have never found a place better. Not in China town or elsewhere in Chicago. Always get the amazing egg rolls and Chicken Sub Gum. Fried rice is so good that its ever better cold the next day. I will one day have China Chef cater my wedding its so good.
(5)Ali L.
My family & I have been ordering Chinese food from China Chef since I first knew what Chinese food was (I'm 26, if it matters). I totally agree that China Chef might not be as esteemed if there were more Chinese restaurants in the area, but it's one of those places that I am in love with because I feel like the restaurant has seen me grow up. I'm a city gal now, and I still love coming home to the parentals and ordering China Chef. All in all, it IS good food. Morton Grove might suck, but this place is pretty good Best. Egg rolls. Ever. And don't sleep on the sesame chicken appetizer- it's like sesame chicken fingers, with alllll the grease you didn't want to ask for but secretly love. You're welcome.
(4)Adrian J.
Competition is a good thing. China Chef is a perfect example. It's the only game in town and it shows. I had heard good things about this place and decided to try it out on a Friday night. When I came in, I noticed that their menu catered heavily to Filipino/Canto cuisine. I was excited of course because I'm fan of both cuisines. I ordered a Won Ton BBQ pork soup, pancit guisado and a Mongolian beef. The soup came out after 10 minutes and the won tons were over cooked and fell apart as soon as you tried to pick them up. There weren't too many pieces of BBQ pork or won tons in the entire soup either. The main dishes took another 20 minutes to come out. Now I've been to many different Chinese places and I never had to wait that long for main dishes. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and hoped the food would make up for it. A side note: the napkins on our table straight up smelled like gasoline. I wish I was making this up but we had to ask for new ones. The pancit and the Mongolian beef were nothing to rave about. The pancit was very greasy (even for a Chinese restaurant catering to Americans) and the Mongolian beef was not much better. All in all these were relatively basic dishes that took a very long time to come out. The service was close to being sub-par with our waiter taking an extra 15 minutes after we finished eating to come to our table to wrap up our food. Not impressed at all. So what does competition have to do with China Chef? China Chef would not survive even one day in Chinatown. There's too many restaurants offering better food at even better prices. But Chinatown is not even close to Morton Grove, you might say. Exactly why China Chef is still open and relatively packed throughout the week. If you're willing to drive, you should know, there are other options.
(2)Stacy S.
I personally LOVE China Chef, but this may be because I've been going here with my family since I was a baby, which leaves me a little biased. But 23 years later, I keep coming back. This may sound extreme, but if someone asked me to pick one restaurant in the Chicagoland area to have my last meal. It would be here. Part of it is the nostalgia and tradition, but part of it is really the quality of the food. All you need is some Lumpia Shanghai (always crispy and tasty). Pancit Guisado (yummy). Ho do Tai Soup (hits the spot). Combination Fried Rice (classic), and a kiddie cocktail (can't go wrong here, even if you are over 21), and you will find yourself eating a DELICIOUS Filipino-Cantonese meal. I've come here for birthdays and other celebrations, and I've never been disappointed. Keep in mind you have to come here hungry. I always go home with a food coma.
(5)Pastor Andy G.
I thought I'd finally found a Chinese Restaurant that doesn't use MSG...they don't put any additional in, but they do have it in the soy sauce. For clarifications, I asked if it's just in the packets that we take home, or in the stuff they use when cooking the food? She said the MSG is in the soy sauce that they use in making the food. ugh...almost. Still looking for an MSG-free Chinese Restaurant outside of Chicago (I know a few in Chicago, but too far to drive when hungry).
(2)Tracy L.
favorites: chicken with a side of vinegar, mongolian beef, pancit guisado. ADDICTED. we always go to the place for catering events at our school, and went here once with a large group for a banquet. They handle large groups pretty well, you're in a separate room, and they bring out the food pretty fast =] man, now i'm craving it.
(4)Marix B.
China Chef was the very first restaurant I've dined in when I was literally, in it's truest sense...a FOB...like 3hours off the plane...so I guess FOP..:) That was some 20+/- years ago. As I recall my FOB taste buds were just so confused and not yet honed to welcoming new tastes in my palate, as overwhelmed and confused to what this new world I've set my feet in is about to bring into my life, so everything was new and China Chef did not really create excitement for me also the fact that I've got nothing to compare it with at that time. China Chef became a regular go-to place for me...it was near home and became so familiar so I guess that's the reason why I never raved about China Chef then. Until I moved to Cali, it's when each time I visit Chicago that I developed this craving coming back to China Chef. Today was one of those glorious days that I'm back here, fitting in my hectic schedule trying to meet everyone I needed to see...FAMILY DINNER! I was secretly wishing it would be at China Chef, until I got my prayers answered when my aunt told me it is in fact China Chef...the place to be!! I was so happy!! We got in and I see the same staff serving...felt like old times. China Chef already have a set-up menu for family meal and this is what we ordered: Special No.1 for 8 to 10 Ho Do Tai Soup- served in a huge bowl but served by your server in your individual cups...service deluxe!! This is the most delicious Ho Do Tai i've tasted! Fried crispy chicken(whole)- was juicy and I always pair it with their special sweet and sour sauce in their very own dispenser...sweet and tangy, not spicy!! My fave!! Fried chicken skin-- hmm did I miss this one from our table? Fried calamari ring- not salty...subtle flavor Pancit guisado-- is the noodle where you can lose the noodle from all the trimmings-veggies, sauce and meat...delicious! Crab w/ Lobster Sauce...superb!! Steamed whole fish...yummy!! Mongolian beef-- has subtle taste of salt, sweet, sour and spicy nestled in it's crunchy ricesticks I'm not a fan of the food below, so I won't be able to tell you how these tasted not until tomorrow from my to-go box..:) Sweet & sour pork.. Chinese Broccoli w/ oyster sauce Triple sea Crispy whole shrimp Combo fried rice was $134.95 Now $119.95 China Chef's taste never fail me, then and now for twenty years!! What can I say...food I love with the people I love...perfection!!
(5)Jennifer B.
Im pretty picky about my chinese. But this place is pretty great. I came in w/ a coupon for spend 25$ and get 2 egg rolls free. Well apparently this was only good for take out. BUT the waiter was nice enough to take care of it just this time, which was very nice of him. The staff was very attentive, and i always had a full glass of water, a BIG plus in my book. egg rolls: AMAZING! LOTS of cabbage and LOTS of meat...mmmmmmmm. pot stickers: awesome and you get 10 of them for like 5$! Beef chop suey: Great! And you get a fortune cookie AND an almond cookie...I LOVE ALMOND COOKIES! I'll DEF. be back soon.
(5)Rick M.
I ordered the Szechuan Beef with Green Beans. It was heavenly! The green beans were crunchy and had the perfect wok burn marks. The overall flavor was smokey sweet with a hint of sesame oil. The beef was tender and juicy and packed with flavor. The rice had the perfect wok taste as well. Thank you, I have become a regular lunchtime customer!
(5)Feisty E.
Real deal Filipino-Cantonese place (which I like way more than Mandarin or Szechwan eats). The family that owns it has been around forever. Two words: orange chicken.... Seriously, I won't eat it elsewhere. It is addictive, the portion is huge, the breading is thin, it's all white meat, the sauce is sheer joy. Give it a shot, you will be glad. I've seen people here rave about Panda Express orange chicken... well, imagine something about 10 times better. Our other favorites are Mongolian beef (tender and not too salty), tender beef chow/mushrooms and Pancit Guisado (a wonderful blend of crispy noodles, pork, mushroom, and peapods. I've also had a variety of Moo-Shus there, some soups, all very good, and some common shrimp dishes. Yummy. Separate mentioning goes to their eggrolls - crispy, golden, giant and full of pork/shrimp/vegetable goodness. My second favorite, the said orange chicken being first. Good PuPu platter; great shrimp toast. Menu is vast, and has numerous things I have never heard of, but would probably make for a great conversation if I ever get the nerve. Reasonably priced alcoholic drinks, can't go wrong with a Tsing Tao or a Mai Tai with your meal. China Chef is a plain brown brick suburban building with a simple décor, but it is clean and it is large. If you're doing a sit-down, never a wait, even lunch-time. Moderately busy, many get take outs. What is remarkable, is that over the last 8 years at least, the prices remain unchanged. Dinner portions are a bit more, but the amount is gargantuan, especially amounts of meat in every dish. We're still puzzled as to how it's done... I can't make this for the same amount of money. Service, non-nonsense and friendly. If you're nice, you may get some free almond cookies instead of the fortune ones. Speaking of fortune cookies... Every time I open mine from China Chef, it's more of an insult, or a wise crack. Everyone else's would be like: "You will amount to greatness in career", and mine will be crap like "Wisdom is rarely found in youth" or "He who see faults in others, knows no own". Uhmm... Really?? It's all good though, I'm getting used to it. Go try the Orange Chicken.
(5)JR A.
IMHO China Chef has one of THE best Mongolian Beef in the city. Its kind of expensive, so I suggest going during lunch and trying their lunch special. Egg rolls are delicious too and I think they have their own home made sweet n sour sauce. Not the typical sauce in a packet. I used to LOVE their fried rice. It would be the best tasting and most flavorful fried rice I've ever tasted.. until I ordered a party platter about a month ago for a birthday party. I'm not sure if it was a new cook, or just a one time offense. but the amount of oil in the rice was unbearable. Everyone in the party thought so and was kind of put off by how much oil there was. I will still go and buy their lunch specials since they're fairly cheap (compared to main dishes) I just hope to never encounter that oily fried rice again. If I come back and the fried rice is back to normal, you can expect my ratings to go up! PS Credit Card for take outs must be $10 or above.
(3)Luke S.
This is my new weakness! I'm working in Morton Grove for the next six months and this place scares me! Last week I carried out twice. The food is so affordable and fresh. Their egg rolls might be the best I've ever had, watch out Chins and Far East! I've also had the Pad Seguiado and it was different, but delicious. I'm meeting my grandparents for dinner after work :-) I hope they like it!
(5)Mary A.
After seeing this come up on Yelp as highest rated in our area, we had to try it. Ordered delivery from this place tonight. Delivery came in a decent time (30 min) and it was delicious! We ordered sweet and sour chicken (great, the chicken was all white meat and breaded, tasted fresh, not too greasy), chicken in garlic brown sauce (seriously I could drink this chicken and sauce combination), and beef chow fun (my boyfriend said the best chow fun noodles he's ever had, and the beef was tender and tasty). Everything was hot and fresh. You can tell its made with love. BEST Chinese food we've found so far since moving to Skokie (which they will deliver to!) Another plus: the cutest old Chinese man delivering it to me and thanking me a million times. Love it. Will definitely be ordering from them again.
(5)Renee M.
China Chef has the best food in the area. Have eaten here for more than 45 years and still love it just as much as the first time we ate there.
(5)anne a.
Been coming to China Chef for a long time:). Love their lunch specials, good food, affordable price:).I love their sweet and sour sauce!! I have never had a problem with their services. Great place to host your party here as well.
(4)Demetrio P.
Been to China Chef several times, and overall it's hit-or-miss as to how the food will come out. A couple times the food came out good, tasty, chicken was crispy, and overall enjoyable. Then a couple other times the food came out sloppy, soggy, slopped together, and not enjoyable. I've tried their mongolian beef, fried chicken, fired smelt, fried rice, etc...overall, okay...on the good days. Hopefully one day they'll be consistent and serve good food 365 days of the year. Overall, okay food, okay service, reasonable prices. Probably 2.5 Stars, but I'll round it up to 3. P.S. - This place is good for parties or groups, as they can accommodate a large get together.
(3)Helen A.
Love China Chef. Have been picking up from here and eating in for years. They have been a bit inconsistent over the years (thus the 4 stars), but I forgive them because now they deliver! I know an egg roll doesn't sound so exciting, I never order them elsewhere cus I'm always disappointed, but these ARE exceptionally delicious and I can never skip them when placing my order. Also, the house sweet and sour sauce is the best anywhere!
(4)Nikki C.
Art and Joy's love and recipes have been feeding my family for decades. and whenever my parents have a special moment to celebrate and just don't have the time or energy to cook themselves, China Chef has always been the place to supply the tasty goodness we like to share with special friends and family. Its never been upscale or fine dining, but it is like going to grandma's kitchen and finding the same love and tasty treats to remind you of good family moments.
(4)Jonathan C.
I've been eating here since I was lie 5 or 6. Mongolian beef (and Mongolian Chicken) are standards. The Sesamae chicken, Moo shu anything, orange chicken, lemon chicken, and so forth are all great. General Tsao's chicken needs to be spicier, so remember to ask and they'll do it up for you like that. Based on another person's review I tried the Ho do tai soup. Its damn good
(5)Nurseiam G.
This is my favorite all time Chinese Resto....They have the best food- Mongolian Beef is the best!!! I also like there Prito Galina (Whole Fried Chicken) which is not breaded. They have the best Sweet & Sour Sauce i have ever tasted. Also excellent is the Pancit Guisado- not your typical Pancit noodle recipe but still works. 5 STARS all the way!!!
(5)Jp N.
I have been going to China Chef since they were located on Harlem and Dempster. The food is still awesome, however, since ART passed away, the service and the cleanliness has gotten bad. Since moving to Deerfield, we simply pick up from there and never dine in. Like I said, the food is good, but the place and sevice has gone down hill.
(4)Aidan F.
Amazing lunch deal. Was delivered a pot of tea, cup of soup, shrimp lo mein and pork fried rice for $5.45, and that's after tax. the shrimp were surprisingly good; not tough or over-cooked which happens all too often. the meal was delivered hot and quickly. The tea was quite tasty and piping hot, exactly what you need coming from an office. Overall, this place is a great deal for lunch. They get you in and out, but with no rush from the staff. I'd love to go back and spend some more time for dinner, which I bet is even better. Word to the wise: Minimum $8.00 on a credit card. Lunch specials fall under that by a few bucks.
(4)Lina J.
I have to say this place is awesome!!!! I really missed this place when I moved away. There's no place like it!!
(5)Kent B.
China Chef is a nice lunch place. The restaurant is fairly large and the parking lot is average in size. There is a large lunch menu with prices ranging from about $4.50 to $6.00. Lunch usually includes soup, entree, rice and a cookie for dessert. A pot of Chinese tea is offered to every table. I've never had a bad meal and service is good.
(4)Samantha S.
Best Mangolian Beef in the world!!!!!
(5)Victoria h.
I have eaten food from China Chef once. I will update my review next time I order. Husband and I ordered Sesame chicken to go. The place we usually order from seemed to have closed. I ordered the food after I got to the restaurant. They brought out the food in less than 10 minutes. The chicken wasn't very good. There was absolutely no extra sauce. When we took all the chicken out, there was water at the bottom of the box. Not a little bit a water, a lot of it. I'm guessing it's from the broccoli that was on the bottom. The chicken was absolutely nothing special and I would never order it again. However, I will give it one more try and update my review. I miss my Mandarin Village (in Skokie).
(2)Franklin F.
It's all good.. dishes are great. been here for my parents anniversary and we're probably goin there today again for this anniversary..they a huge fan of China Chef
(4)penny S.
One of the best Chinese Delivery anywhere close to skokie not salty not greasy fast service just what you need ...... When i want chinese its the only place i order from .......Mongolian Beef and steak with peppers mm so good
(5)Anne Marie J.
My family has been dining here for as long as I can remember. Whenever we have a family gathering (which is at least once a month), the extended family knows to expect combination fried rice, egg rolls, mongolian beef, and pansit guisado from China Chef. We recently dined in for a lunch party and not too much has changed, except the pansit guisado tastes...icky. I don't know what's changed about it but it's almost slimey. GROSS! The mongolian beef is tender and everyone loves it. The lumpia (Filipino eggrolls) are always a crowd pleaser but my fave dish is the combination fried rice. Lots of flavor, lots of meat, perfect!
(4)Justin G.
When you first walk in to China Chef, you see enormous fish in their aquariums. These are decorative, and not for eating. I only bring this up because when I first started coming to China Chef, these were regular sized gold fish. They're now leviathans of massive bulk. Essentially, what I'm trying to say is that I've been coming here a long time. I admit, it's not as good as food my Lola used to make me when I was but a lass. But it is very good. The eggrolls are considerably better than most Chinese places I've eaten. The entrees are of a very large size (my sister got what was approximately a boatload [no, really, it was shaped like a boat] of food last time) and are quite tasty. And what I like best about the food is that it tastes pretty authentic. It's not the Friendship Chinese blandmobile rolling through your table. It's not pseudo-Asian fusion meets Southwest concept in a crazy new way. It's Chinese and Filipino food, and it tastes like Chinese and Filipino food. Which is what it's supposed to taste like. The building itself is unassuming. A little brick building with a parking lot. But the inside has a number of real pieces of Chinese history. Not Ming Dynasty vases or anything, but the kind of thing you'd have seen growing up in America in an Asian household. I like the staff, a lot. They're very patient and understanding. They're willing to accommodate substitutions and special requests. They're very good with large groups of people, not getting frustrated with the slow ordering process and questions and problems that usually come with it. In all honesty, I want to give this place five stars, but I don't know if I can. It's a great place to go for a good, solid meal. But I'm never going to rave about it the way I do about Kuma's. I'm never going to drive the hour+ to get there through rush hour traffic. But I will be going back, and I will enjoy it, and wonder why I don't eat there more often.
(4)A. T.
Always a good place if you have a serious Chinese food craving. It's easiest to do take-out. However, when I've dined in for lunch before, my service was prompt, and everything was perfect. Dining in during the dinner rush, though, is of course going to be crazy. My personal favorites are the Szechuan Beef, Mongolian Beef, Orange Chicken, and Hot and Sour Soup. I also adore their almond cookies.
(4)David P.
The Mongolian Beef is supurb but everything else is just OK.
(3)Marcel M.
I used to come here every Sunday with the family. They bend over backwards for one dish my dad would always get. It was the dungeness crab. The chef would actually drive to a nearby place to buy a live crab. Who knows if they were making this up, but as a kid, I was awed by their customer service. The owner was this friendly guy, Art Fong, that would come by the table, crack a joke or two, and walk away. Art passed away, but his wife still runs the business. When I grew up and worked around the area, I would stop in for lunch. Some of their Chinese dishes held up a bit to the ones in Chinatown. The one I ordered the most was Beef Chow Fun (order it extra crispy). Nowadays, I don't live by the area, but I do drop in for their Pancit Guisado. Good stuff! I've never had Pancit Guisado at a famiy party or anywhere else, but I love it here. Shrimp, mushrooms, and ramen noodles... hehe. Damn good.
(4)kathleen m.
We have been struggling to find a good Chinese restaurant since moving to the Northwest Side. It's a bit of a drive, but China Chef is now our go-to place. The egg rolls are reason enough to go to China Chef: quite possibly the best I have had in Chicago. The main dishes are all reliable and I am never disappointed with my order. The service is efficient and friendly. There is ample parking in the lot and on the street.
(4)Jan L.
Per my friend's mom's request, this is her favorite Chinese restaurant in Morton Grove! :-) The place was amazingly crowded during dinner. Majority of the diners were non-Chinese -- so I was a little worried when I sat down. I was starving 'cause this was my first meal after landing in Chicago, so you'd think I'd enjoy the meal more. Large portion, food was ok (sorry, I'm critical), service was "a little lacking" until I started speaking Cantonese to our waiter. :-) The shrimp with lobster sauce was the best dishes out of the four that we ordered. Mongolian beef was on a "sweeter side" (but then again -- that's why folks love them!). Pancit (noodles) was a little bland and salt & pepper calamari was "ok". :-) Lots ot left-overs. Will most likely be back here 'cause it IS one of my good friend's mom's favorite afterall ... can't say "no" to Mom! :-)
(3)Sly S.
This place has gone DOWNHILL! I first started going here in the late 80's because I loved their Mongolian beef and Curry Chicken, Yes, the appetizers are still good, but the sauce in the Curry Chicken is now bland and thick as Elmers glue. Most of their sauces are EXTREMELY gooey and awful to even look at. The Mongolian beef is now chewy like a sneaker, and the portion is considerably smaller. There are better places in Skokie for chinese food. Stay away from this place!
(1)Laura F.
Great place to bring the kids! They also help out the local school with a luncheon for the 2nd graders every year. Nice and attentive staff and my son loves to watch the giant fish swim in the tank. The food, it's just as good as the friendly waiters. We like anything with shrimp, and the kids love the appetizers, their spicey meals are good too. I'll be mentioning YELP! to get the free two eggrolls next time we go.
(5)M G.
China Chef is one of the restaurants I have been going to for a long time. The dishes are authentic to what Chinese-Filipino food should be. Almost every dish is very good. Their sweet and sour pork is what it should be-- crispy, not what other Chinese places do where they overcoat a small piece of pork into the batter to make it bigger and drown it with sauce which makes the pork so soggy. Eggrolls are also good along with their soups. Their pancit guisado and Filipino dishes are a must try. Priced very reasonable. If I can't take a drive going to Chinatown, this is the next best thing.
(4)Sam M.
I'll start off my saying the food was actually quite good, so then why the two star rating? The customer service was terrible. We have ordered from here often, and this time had family in town so we placed a large order (over $100). The order was repeated back to us correctly, however, when we received the order, there were many mistakes. Instead of egg rolls, we were given four orders of egg fu young. No crab rangoon as ordered, and we were given a mongolian chicken instead of beef as ordered. When we called to let them know of the errors, they said they repeated the order back to us so it was our fault. After much convincing, they agreed to deliver the egg rolls and crab rangoon for a delivery fee as long as we returned the extra egg foo young. Now we didn't need the egg foo young, but what are they going to do with returned food? They certainly can't serve it again, but I am suspicious that they would!!! Why else would they want it back?!? I have worked in restaurants for years, and the one rule we all know is the customer is always right. Why loose our business over a few egg rolls and an order of crab rangoon on a $100 plus order? I guess my advice is always check your order before paying, you never know what you'll get!!
(2)Adele S.
We came on a night wehn there was a communion party and it was jam packed and a bit sloppy...dare I say dirty? But the food was still just as I remember it. I never had a problem with it being too greasy, I thought it was better than most. We usually have mongolian beef and hot & sour soup, chicken almond ding, boring stuff. But tasty! The egg rolls are pretty good, and they put chopped ginger in the sweet and sour sauce. If I'm in Skokie visiting the mom, we go here for dinner. I've never tried the pancit guisado, though I have been yearning for it for nearly 25 years, when someone's aunt made it for a potluck in the art dept at Niles West. I think I'll have to try it. We love the giant carp in the fish tank, fun to watch...I keep thinking "gefilte fish" every time we see them. (Once, we went here with my mom and I not only had to heimlich my kid twice, but an old lady threw up in her plate...talk about entertainment!!!)
(4)Deb D.
This is always the place we go to for Chinese food. Most of the food is pretty good and some of it very good. We love the all meat egg rolls (Filipino), fried rice and hot and sour soup. Mongolian beef is good and the China Chef egg rolls are great (especially with their homemade sweet and sour sauce.) The food is occasionally inconsistent and then the quality suffers (overcooked meat egg rolls, too much oil in some dishes.) Still, this is our go-to place in the neighborhood. They have also started to deliver which makes it even better!
(3)