Authentic fare, good value are the real deal at Wonton Gourmet
If you opt for authentic Chinese over the Americanized version, you should be satisfied at Wonton Gourmet in Des Plaines, where fast service and generous portions at bargain prices offer hard-to-beat value in a recessionary economy.
Hong Kong native Frank Ting owns the restaurant, which is located on Elmhurst Road between Oakton Street and Algonquin Road, a clever location for pulling in nearby office workers bored by ubiquitous chain-restaurant fare.
The spacious yet bare-bones interior seats 110 patrons. Round tables and an open kitchen lend a relaxed vibe to the unglamorous mauve-colored booths and wooden chairs.
A small gathering of patrons fills the room. A man tucks heartily into a bowl of soup and a large Chinese family holds court at one of the few square tables with an adjoining booth. Chinese pop music plays in the background, but otherwise the noise pitch doesn't rise above medium.
Menu items reflect a devotion to authentic Chinese fare with a sprinkling of American inventions such as crab Rangoon. Freshly made noodles take precedence among the appetizers, soups and entrees. Seven chefs bused in daily from Chinatown ensure cookery methods from the homeland.
Prices remain moderate throughout the menu. Shrimp dishes and the seafood combination chow mein land at $10.95. But a good number of dishes fall at $6.35.
Children can opt for the small-sized portions of egg fu young, chop suey or chow mein, which linger between $4.65 and $5.95.
Famished, we order the fried wontons from among six appetizers. We find them bland, even when dipped into the sweet-and-sour sauce on our table.
The pot stickers show what a difference ordering real-deal Chinese makes. Six golden brown pockets arrive and we couldn't be happier. On the outside these beauties have a crispy crust; inside, we find plump and savory pork meatballs.
Using chopsticks and a fork, I cut my two pot stickers in half and dip each side into the mélange of chili sauce and soy sauce swimming on my plate. This appetizer could easily satisfy two or three people.
Entrees range from more than 20 versions of noodle soups to shrimp, chicken, pork and beef dishes, in addition to egg fu young, chop suey or chow mein, sweet and sour dishes, chow fun noodles, braised noodles, various rice dishes, and congee, a type of rice porridge.
A plate heaped with dark green Chinese broccoli passes by. When I inquire, our waiter says it's the broccoli beef chow fun. Being an addict of both Chinese broccoli and chow fun (thick rice noodles), I request this dish to come with chicken instead of beef. Our waiter obliges without a fuss.
Once again, opting for a Chinese specialty rings in true to form. Ample layers of chicken, white gravy and broccoli sit atop crispy and soft noodles. Being one who favors fire I find it a bit mild, but doused with the chili and soy sauces I arrive in Chinese heaven.
The shrimp wonton soup could easily feed three. A flavorsome chicken broth was filled to the brim with soft, thin noodles and several shrimp-pork won tons.
We also enjoyed the Kung pao chicken, a slightly more fiery compilation of chicken, green peppers, carrots, celery and peanuts tossed with chilies and brown gravy. We found the meat in the braised noodles with duck tender and luxurious.
Unfortunately, I find the egg fu young, a mixture of eggs and bean sprouts, altogether tasteless.
Our no-nonsense Chinese waiter couldn't be more prompt, if slightly impersonal.
Fortune cookies for dessert reflect the simplicity of our meal. No frills and straight to the point.
• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
Wonton Gourmet
1405 S. Elmhurst Road, Des Plaines; (847) 427-1183; wontongourmet.com
Cuisine: Cantonese
Setting: Casual yet contemporary restaurant close to the Allstate Arena and O'Hare at the Des Plaines/Mount Prospect border
Price range: Appetizers $2.70 to $6.55; soups $5.55 to $7.70; entrees $5.95 to $10.95.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday
Accepts: Major credit cards
Also: Free parking