In the Dec. 15 issue of Sun Day, Diane Farina was a bit critical of a survey of Chinese food that listed the Gourmet House as the winner but did not mention the Plum Garden which was her favorite.
I read the article with interest, as my wife and I had never heard of the Plum Garden but were familiar with most of the other Chinese restaurants.
Being somewhat new to the area and loving Chinese food, we are always interested in trying new places.
So we checked out the Plum Garden with neighbors who used to live in Crystal Lake, and we were given a good report.
We have subsequently been there twice and found the Plum Garden to be a very decent Chinese restaurant with good food, nice atmosphere, and a friendly staff. They have lots of options for lunch, but maybe a bit more expensive than the Gourmet House and twice the distance from Sun City, Huntley, as it is in McHenry.
As far as Chen’s and Lily Garden, I don’t believe either one is in the same league as Plum Garden or Gourmet House.
I would recommend both with the understanding it takes twice as long to get to Plum Garden, and unless you know the area, it is not as easy to find.
Doug Dunlap
Sun City
