Got a Yen for Chen?

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Forget about the ball dropping in New York’s Times Square or the Star in Chi-Town Rising. When it comes to celebrating the New Year, China has us all beat. The Chinese New Year 2016 celebration begins on February 8 and ends on February 22. The Chinese calendar has 12 animal signs and this year is very special since it only occurs every 60 years. This is the year of the Fire Monkey. So Nancy and I decided to join in the celebration and take in lunch at Chen’s Chinese Cuisine in Crystal Lake.

Chen’s is an average sized contemporary Asian restaurant. They have booths that line the outer walls and tables of all different sizes in the center of the dining room.

We started off the celebration with two King Egg Rolls ($1.75 each). These, of course, were free since we used the handy dandy coupon in this paper. We have never had egg rolls that can compare with these in size or taste. These are awesome and a must-have appetizer. They also have medicinal properties. This came to light when Nancy poured on the hot mustard sauce and took a bite. Her sinus cavities cleared out and her eyes welled up with tears. She exclaimed, “boy is this good” as she continued to pour on even more hot mustard sauce.

We both decided to order from the Special Lunch Menu today. Each entree is served with a spring roll and either jasmine steamed rice or fried rice. Jim and I switched roles today, when to my surprise he ordered the Shrimp with Garlic Sauce ($7.75). This was shrimp and vegetables sautéed in a hot garlic and soy sauce that had a hint of citrus. This was spicy but delicious and registered about a 5 on the “Fire Monkey Meter.”

Nancy wanted the Crispy Szechuan Beef ($7.95). This was crispy pieces of beef glazed in a hot sauce, with slivered carrots, green onions, and celery. It was mild compared to my dish and only registered about a 1 on the “Fire Monkey Meter.”

Halfway through our meal Jim tasted a forkful of my beef, and I had a forkful of his shrimp. We looked at each other, smiled, and decided to switch plates so we could have the best of both worlds. This was of course after I told Jim to eat all the stuff out of his that I don’t like. For example, the dreaded fungi, bamboo shoots, and any other unknown Chinese vegetable. I am picky…

Their lunch specials are fantastic. The food is great and the portion size was not skimpy in the least, so much so that Jim got a lunch out of it for the next day. The service was spot on, the restaurant was spotless, and I even got a good fortune in my cookie. Of course, they offer take out and delivery as well. It may take a little longer to drive there, but this is our favorite Chen’s location.

FYI: Handicap accessible and when exiting the restaurant you can only go west on Northwest Highway, so you’ll have to, as my GPS “B*#ch in the Box” says, “perform a legal u-turn when possible”.

The price of our Year of the Fire Monkey celebration for the Chinese New Year was $21.80. Don’t forget we used our coupon for the free egg rolls. And as they say in China, “Gong Hay Fat Choy” which means Happy New Year!

Jim’s take: Their egg rolls are addicting. The Garlic Shrimp was tasty and packed a punch. I honestly don’t know which I liked more, my dish or Nancy’s.

Nancy’s take: I am not a big fan of Chinese food, but I fell in love with Chen’s King Egg Rolls, especially slathered with their hot mustard sauce. My beef was crunchy on the outside but still tender on the inside. The tasty veggies made my dish, and I wish there were more.

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com

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