Editor’s Note: This is a new and hopefully informative column written by residents for residents. Our columnists are not trained or paid professionals, nor do they get complimentary meals from the restaurants they visit. They arrive unannounced and do not reveal that they will be doing a review. The criteria for evaluating each dining experience will include the following; quality, variety offered, and quantity of food vs. dollars spent, service, ambience, and desire to return. They will usually be accompanied by one or two other couples whose opinion will be included in the evaluation.
This week’s review is of Chen’s Restaurant, located at 279 N. Randall Rd. in Lake in the Hills, actually just in front of Costco. This restaurant was just recently opened and is one of two under the same management, the other located in Crystal Lake. Visiting with us were fellow N-33 neighbors Kay Winklehake, Steve and Diane Hendrickson, and Mike and Emma Burns. We were seated promptly and greeted by our server, who took our drink orders. We ordered a few appetizers, all of which were very tasty and enjoyable, including Crab Rangoon (exceptional), Spring Rolls, King Egg Rolls, and Bar-B-Que Spare Ribs.
Both Kay and Judy ordered Moo Goo Gai Pan, sliced white chicken meat with Chinese vegetables. Kay thought it could have been more seasoned, Judy thought it was just to her liking. This dish was very reasonably priced at $9.25, and there was plenty to take home. It came with very fluffy white rice. For an additional $1.50, you could upgrade any dish to pork fried rice. This was worthwhile doing.
Diane had Sweet and Sour Pork, which she said was prepared to her liking. It was a good balance of sweet and sour with pineapple and Napa cabbage mushrooms. Steve ordered Kung Pao Chicken, which is one of the dishes marked “hot and spicy.” However, Steve said it was not as exceptional as he’d hoped. Each of these dishes is priced under $10, with plenty to take home.
Emma ordered one of the two very outstanding dishes of the night: Creamy Walnut Honey Shrimp. Priced just under $13, it had a very delicate sweetness surrounding the perfectly cooked shrimp. Diane, after a taste of Emma’s dish, said she would order it next time. Mike’s Moo Shu Pork came with crepes that were thin and they fell apart once the filling was added. He ended up putting the crepes on the plate and covering them with the filling, choosing not to pick them up, and just eating them from the plate. He said the quality of the dish was good, but a bit on the salty side for his taste buds.
Finally, Sam had one of the house specialty seafood dishes called Seafood Lovers Nest. This was the other outstanding dish of the night, as it was presented in a pastry bowl and consisted of shrimp, scallops, crab, and squid stir-fried with vegetables and mushrooms in a delicious sauce. This was priced at $13.95, and there was plenty to take home
General Consensus: The first thing you notice is the friendliness of the staff as they greet you when entering. We enjoyed the excellent quality and quantity of food for the money. Chen’s offers a very large menu of reasonably priced dishes while dining in tastefully decorated surroundings, and excellent service.
Geezers Grade: B+
