Weekend in Coachella Valley

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Exploring the deserts of Palm Springs and Indio

We went to a wedding late last year in the Palm Springs area. Aside from weddings this stretch of dessert in Southern California is also known as a retirement haven and sometimes a party destination (Coachella Festival). We ended up flying into LA and stayed there for a night so we then spent two nights in the Coachella Valley area. As far as food was concerned it wasn't all that exciting. I was hoping to get to a popular spot called Rooster and The Pig but time wasn't on my side. That said I was still able to check a handful of spots out. We ended up seeing quite a few of the towns in the region other than just Palm Springs. The whole area reminded me of South Florida minus the water. As always the best place to look for food in a resort heavy region like this is wherever the people working at all the hotels, golf courses, and resorts are eating. In this case there's a strong presence of people from the state of Mexicali in Mexico. If you go to a Mexican restaurant in Coachella Valley they're likely to serve a popular dish called Chiles Gueritos Rellenos De Camaron. Get them.

Palm Springs, CA

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 Tyler's Burgers (Palm Springs)

This popular burger spot was maybe the only place within Palm Springs I wanted to try save for the previously mentioned Rooster and The Pig. Palm Springs is by no means a culinary destination. But Tyler's serves a destination worthy cheeseburger. Tyler's opened in an old building but it looks and feels very new. It's an adobe tucked in between two patios. Inside isn't all that big. They opened in the mid 90's hoping to recreate the burger experience of the owners youth. Back when Tyler was a lad there were no short cuts in making a great burger and there are none here. People line up for these excellent no frills Southern California style hamburgers. I was able to get seated outside right away and decided to pass on the famous potato salad everyone else was eating. The burger was probably about a 1/3 lb of fresh beef ordered with American cheese with all the fixings. Super satisfying.

Cheeseburger at Tyler's Burgers

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 Wexler's Deli (Palm Springs)

Next stop in Palm Springs was a popular LA transplant. Wexler's is doing the Southern Cali deli inside a hip hotel on the main strip. The restaurant is right next to the pool so nothing but Southern California vibes to be found here. Well those and deli favorites such as this tasty lox platter that was perfect the morning after the wedding. Just be ready for resort type prices. You can do much worse.

Lox Platter at Wexler's Deli

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 Shield's Date Garden (Indio)

As always I made sure to see if there were any unique regional eats in the region. It just so happens to be the area where more than 90% of America's dates are grown. You can find quite a few date farms dotting the barren highways of the Coachella Valley. One of the most famous is Shield's Date Garden in Indio. The company was founded in 1924 so they've been a part of the area for a long, long time. We stopped into the cafe where you can buy all sorts of date related products be it boxes of dates or bbq sauce and all that other crap popular at gift shops on fruit farms. We were there for their famous date shakes. They serve these at lots of spots in the Valley as it was created by a local farmer back when. We walked in to two employees scooping date ice cream into cups which are whipped up in one of the many milkshake machines. Obviously they sell lots of these. It tasted like peanut butter.

a peek inside the Date Cafe 

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 Arriola's Tortilleria (Indio)

I found this spot browsing the restaurants in town. I could tell from the pictures and reviews that it was my type of place. Super popular with the longtime locals. Arriola's is a tortilla factory that also has some hot foods to takeout. Lots of locals like their nachos which are made with fresh fried chips, red enchilada sauce, and melted nacho cheese. The way they make them so that each chip is tossed in both cheese and sauce looked appealing. But so did their other specialty consisting of homemade pork tamales with the same red sauce and cheese and chile Colorado (stewed beef with red chile).

Tamale Boat at Arriola's Tortilleria

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 Burger Box (Indio)

I found Burger Box at the bottom of the yelp barrel. It looked and sounded like a classic drive-in surviving on it's last legs. I guess it's on a stretch of road that used to be extremely popular for car travel in the same way Route 66 was. These days there wasn't much over there except for some train tracks, factories, and motels. Burger Box has been a part of the valley since 1954. I had a call to make between having a double cheeseburger or the popular pastrami sandwich. But it wasn't that hard considering I had a burger earlier that day. I opted for the pastrami which is chopped up and griddled on the flattop and served on a long roll with melted cheese. Classic Southern Cali style peppers on the side. I also tried a green chile pork burrito that was more like an egg roll which was cool considering it was less than $2. Also deserving of a mention are their fried spuds which are no doubt fried in beef tallow. They were excellent bc of that. The prices are ridiculous with the meal coming out to $8. It's a true relic from the past. I'll be sure to try the burger if there's ever a next time.

Pastrami, Burrito, and Fries at the Burger Box 

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Raspados Kio's (Indio)

Because of the presence of people with ties to Mexicali in the area you can find lots of Raspados shops around town. I read Raspados Kio's was the original and still the very best. Raspados for those who didn't know is a Mexican shaved ice treat. While popular throughout Mexico they say Mexicali is the raspados capitol. I got to chat with one half of the ownership in the wife who was so very nice. She suggested I try their house special raspado which she said they created. It's called the Coco Nunez and it was shaved ice with shredded coconut, walnuts and oats mixed in. I wasn't sure at first but after that first bite I understood why it was the most popular as she told me it was. Awesome.

Coco Nunez at Raspados Kio's

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See ya next time @chibbqking

l'Aventino Forno Romano

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

I'm currently contributing some freelance stuff over at the Chicago Magazine website. My first piece was about a little food trail one can take and indulge in many different Latin American empanadas. My most recent addition came via a look into Chicago's first fledged pinseria in Streeterville.

Recently Opened in Streeterville 

I tend to stay away from Streeterville but l'Aventino Forno Romano caught my eye as it's specializing in a very regional Italian dish. Albeit a very new regional dish, especially by Roman standards.

Suppli at l'Aventino Forno Romano

Pinsa is basically pizza but you can learn all about this Roman specialty by clicking the link to my story over at Chicago Magazine which you can find HERE. Then after that you check this Fooditor story for a little more of an in-depth interview with the mind behind l'Aventino Forno Romano.

Pinsa at l'Aventino Forno Romano

l'Aventino Forno Romano
355 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 964-5112
Website

Chef's Special Cocktail Bar

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

One of the years most anticipated restaurant openings arrived this week. Chef's Special is the second project from the team behind Giant on Armitage. Chef's Special's location in an old Cuban restaurant on Western is right on the edge of Bucktown with Logan Square across the street. So even though it's in a weird space for restaurants it's going to attract lots of people from both 'hoods as well as everywhere else. The Giant team had been slowly rolling out Chef's Special menu items on the Giant menu which got lots of people excited. Not to mention the press (e.g Eater) has been all over it.

Newly Opened in Bucktown 

Chef's Special is a vision from a team of about six Giant alums including it's head chef Jason Vincent. They wanted to make a spot dedicated to the Chinese food they ate growing up in Cleveland and elsewhere in the Midwest. You know the old school American-Chinese type restaurants that are becoming more and more rare. The spots with a faintly damp smell from the old furniture and maybe a fish tank sometimes still in use. The places where the previous generation became familiar with Chinese food, or should I say Chinese food cooked for American palates. When you first walk in to Chef's Special it feels more like a hip Caribbean themed bar somewhere in Miami or Montreal. They decided to stay away from what some might see as cultural appropriation. Plus there is no Chinese grandma to sit in the corner and peel peapods while the grand kids play in and out of a dining booth.

a peek inside 

The center of the restaurant is a wrap around bar that they kept intact from the previous tenant. This is a cocktail bar after all and if you're curious about those I only tried the Chef's Special #1 and I liked it a whole lot. I'll return with booze being the main draw sometime soon. They will serve some food until 1am and they also have a nice happy hour where you can pair drinks with snacks. The menu is broken down into about 5 or 6 categories with maybe the same amount of dishes in each one. It's a nice sized menu for a spot like this. Then again there's plenty of repeats in the form of options like Kung Pao chicken, pork, and shrimp. Most of the American-Chinese classics are featured but I was disappointed they don't give a go to any of the many regional American-Chinese favorites. I'm still waiting for a hip spot like this to offer a St. Paul sandwich alongside an Old Fashioned etc.

Egg Rolls at Chef's Special 

I'd had the egg rolls at Giant before as they tested a few of the recipes there. I remember liking them plus I wanted to make sure we tried the Holy Trinity of egg rolls, fried rice, and potstickers on our first visit. I'm not positive but I think they may have missed the chance to mimic Chicago's most regional American-Chinese dish in an egg roll with peanut butter. I'm not sure if they use it in their egg rolls or not but I didn't detect any. What I did catch was nice fully intact shrimps with tons of good flavor paired with pork and cabbage. For those that prefer their egg rolls be on the greasy side these were definitely there. They held about as much liquid as a well made soup dumpling. I was very glad to see they come two per order ($7). Make sure to make use of their homemade condiment jars including a nose clearing hot mustard. We got the shrimp fried rice but they offer all the standards. I liked this dish too. Decent wok hei and lots of the same delicious shrimp they used in the egg rolls. My one complaint would be to lose the peas but that's me personally. They're too white American.

Shrimp Fried Rice 

What I liked about the menu was it's not trying to be anything other than American-Chinese food. It's very traditional in terms of those flavors they tried to mimic. If you're a false believer in MSG being a bad thing stay away bc they use it here and that's a good thing. There's none of that "clean" Chinese crap here. There's also no truffle oil on the potstickers or uni in the egg rolls. These are chef driven interpretations of the flavors pretty much everyone in the country knows. That's obvious in the potstickers which I wasn't expecting to be so traditional. The underside of the fried dumplings was really well browned. I would've preferred the sauce below them on the side but the classic pairing of pork and cabbage with what I read were housemade dumpling skins was on point. Impressive indeed.

Potstickers at Chef's Special Cocktail Bar 

Sticking with the American-Chinese classics I got us an order of sweet and sour pork. Our waiter Anthony was terrific and he sold me on this when he assured me they do it nice and crispy and not too sweet. I really like the actually traditional Cantonese version of this dish but this was made in the American way with equally sized yellow bell peppers, onion, and pineapple. The pork was indeed crispy and not all that sweet but still it's going to lean sweet as that's what the Americans wanted when this dish became popular in the States. I was a little worried because it came out Panda Express fast after we ordered it but it was nice and hot and came with some of the most fragrant white rice I've had in a long time. I love rice but it's usually an after thought as far as it's quality. This was different. Super fluffy and none too clumpy. I also appreciated the fact they refilled the bowl.

Sweet and Sour Pork 

The one part of the menu that will allow the kitchen team to showcase some of their own recipes is titled "Chef's Specials". There were a few dishes that caught my eye such as stir fried pork belly and clams or oxtail and scallop chow fun. There's also some Sichuan favorites scattered throughout the menu including these Dan Dan Noodles from the chefs specials. This dish is basically made a million ways in not just the States but China too. This version skewed more towards the traditional numbing Sichuan flavors than many others around town. It had very good heat due to lots of peppercorns combined with chewy noodles, ground pork, peanuts and chili oil. At $10 it was a pretty good deal too. I would be very happy with all the food if it came from an American-Chinese type spot. That said the bill will be bigger than your average Chinese takeout and the portions wont be quite as large. Still though all this plus two cocktails was $75 without tip. Plus we had leftover noodles. Thumbs up.

Dan Dan Noodles at Chef's Special Cocktail Bar

Chef's Special Cocktail Bar
2165 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 666-5143
Website

Mom & Dad's Deli

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Sub Sandwiches in Clearing

While no restaurant is unknown in the era of the internet, some places remain relatively unknown. One such spot in Chicago is Mom & Dad's Deli out by Midway airport. Ok it's on the Southside so you figure lots of people wouldn't have a clue it existed but if you live or work out near Midway you most likely know Mom and Dad. They're the older Korean couple behind this classic sandwich shop.

Locals Favorite in Clearing 

Chicagoan's old enough to remember the 'Streets and San Mans' guide to food dives in Chicago will appreciate a place like this. That's bc the majority of their clientele seems to be the Streets and San man type. Whether you work for the city or at the airport or you just live down the block this is your spot. It's a time honored deli ran by two engaging owners. Sandwiches are made to order with items like roast beef made in-house. The homemade soups are popular too. Personally I'll judge a sub sandwich shop in Chicago by their Italian. Mom and Dad make a fine version that includes sliced pickles which I'm not opposed to. Judging by the care put into the Italian which was put together perfectly I'm guessing any sandwich they make will hit the spot if that's what you like. I'd say we need more Mom & Dad's Deli's but then it wouldn't be such a gem of a spot. The opposite of a Subway.

Italian Sub at Mom & Dad's Deli 

Mom & Dad's Deli
6345 S Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 767-3354

Menya Goku

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Spicy Ramen in Lincoln Square

Chicago's ramen boom took a bit of a break during the first half of 2019. Then it came roaring back toward the back end of the year. There's been a handful of ramen shops to open in the Chicagoland area the last four months or so. As per usual most of them feature tonkotsu though one spot in particular stands out when browsing through them all. Menya Goku opened right at the start of the new year. This after a soft opening at the end of December. It's location is on Montrose across the street from Welles Park two doors down from Taqueria El Asadero. We visited on opening night.

 Newly Opened in the Ravenswood area 

Menya Goku is the latest project from the Wasabi Ramen team. Aside from their original Logan Square location they also run Ramen Takeya in Fulton Market. At Takeya they specialize in chicken paitan ramen instead of the pork broth tonkotsu that dominates the American ramen scene. Goku is offering two different bowls neither of which are Tonkotsu ramen. They're serving a shoyu ramen and also a Tantanmen. More on those in a minute. The menu is small and the space is tight too. There was a small line of people waiting to get in on opening night and I've driven by a couple times since then and seen it full. No to-go orders as far as ramen as the neighborhood is coming to learn. They do however have a small list of izakaya type appetizers including a plate of Nagoya Pirikara wings. Fried wings are big in the Japanese city of Nagoya and these are made in the popular style there.

  Nagoya Pirikara Chicken Wings 

The wings were good but they're not why we showed up opening night. Menya Goku has just two options of ramen on the menu and one of them is a spicy Tantanmen style. I'd heard the shoyu (soy sauce) is really good too but the tantanmen was what really caught my eye. Tan Tan is the Japanese take on Sichuan style Dan Dan noodles. It's tough to pick one but a good bowl of Dan Dan is hard to top as far as my favorite Asian noodle dish goes. I also like ramen and so Tantanmen is appealing to me. I tried the Hiroshima style brothless version of Dan Dan while in Osaka and didn't love them as much as I thought I would. So while a big bowl of broth isn't typical in a bowl dan dan noodles the heat in Tantanmen is. That comes from the Sichuan peppercorns that leave your mouth feeling a bit numb. Manya Goku seems to use quite a few in their pork based broth served with ramen noodles and ground pork with bok choy, green onion, bamboo, sesame paste. Ok so this is a pork broth based ramen but it's not your typical bowl of tonkotsu. In fact it's my new favorite ramen in the city.

Tan Tan Men at Menya Goku 

Menya Goku
2207 W Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
No Phone Number Listed

Especialidad de la Casa Pt. 9

-Eating like a Mayan King in the Windy City

It's time for another of 'Specialty of the House'. The ongoing series where house special dishes at Mexican restaurants are featured. Today's five is one of the best handfuls yet. It's a nice mix of old and new as a few of these spots have been around for a little while and a couple of them are very new.

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 Antojitos Pozoleria Martha

Little Village

This spot must've opened in the last year or so. The space used to be a occupied by a birriera specialist. Now it's a spot where you can get red, green, or white pozole with either chicken or pork. You don't have to wait for the weekend either as they serve their house specialty seven days a week. I recently tried the red with pork which were little costillas (ribs) bone-in and all. I liked that touch especially since the meat fell right off the bones. This delicious bowl was exactly what I was hoping for. They have a large menu with plenty of other options. A couple of young locals were eating stacked pancakes. Also worth mentioning is their terrific gratis red molcajete salsa served warm.

Red Pork Pozole at Antojitos Pozole Martha 

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 Kiki D's

New City

You may have mistaken this unassuming spot as a factory building of some sorts. Kiki D's sits on Ashland surrounded by factories on one side and the Swap-O-Rama flea market across the street. Once you realize it's a restaurant it seems as though it may be a BBQ spot as they advertise ribs, wings and even go as far as saying they're a BBQ house. That said it seems like most families are here on the weekend for their carnitas and the wkd special chile rellenos. Both are popular options before or after a day of browsing the flea market for a bargain. Though it's hard to beat the deals at Kiki D's. I liked the light batter on the chile relleno and the whole beans / rice served on the side.

Chile Relleno Plate Special at Kiki D's 

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 Tacos & Salsas

Marquette Park

One of the city’s best taco trucks has gone full brick and mortar. You can now find Tacos & Salsas full time on 63rd street west of Kedzie. Glad to see they set up a DIY spot for their excellent salsa bar. Cochinita Pibil and Suadero tacos surrounded by selections from said salsa bar seen below. 

Tacos and Salsas at Tacos & Salsas 

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Restaurant Y Tamaleria La Bendicion

Cragin

It’s possible the best Mexican tamales in Chicago are made at this Salvadoran owned restaurant on Cicero. But don’t take my word for it. Consider the fact they open at 5a and usually sell out by early afternoon seven days a week. They’re best if you get there early so they’re super fresh. So slick and full of masa flavor. Plus the fillings are always moist and full of pork or chicken. They make the traditional Mexican style as well as Oaxacan tamales. I like their traditional recipe. I eat these a few times a month since first trying them this past summer. The Papusas are also close to perfect.

Papusas and Tamales at La Bendicion

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 Tacos El Tio

West Humboldt Park

Birria de Res is the hottest thing going out in LA. It hasn’t caught on here in the same way but if you’ve been following me on Instagram (@chibbqking) you know I’m a big, big fan of this weekend only version served at Tacos el Tio on Chicago’s westside. Known for their tacos al pastor I first noticed a bunch of people sipping a soup with a deep red hue a few years ago. Eventually I asked and was given some consommé con carne as they call it. I was served a steaming hot bowl of shredded beef in spicy broth and I've been hooked ever since. I come here anywhere from 3-5 times a month. I suggest mixing in some of my favorite salsa in the city along with some lime juice. The salsa is a spicy avocado blend that goes great on anything. They sell it too so I buy some anytime I'm riding by.

Consommé con carne at Tacos el Tio (Available Sat/Sun only)

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Previous Posts from this Series 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 1

Especialidad de la Casa Part 2

Especialidad de la Casa Part 3

Especialidad de la Casa Part 4

Especialidad de la Casa Part 5 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 6 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 7 

Especialidad de la Casa Part 8

Tostini

-Grubbing in Chicago  

Turkish and Polish Rogers Park

One of last years biggest trends in Chicago restaurant openings was Turkish food. One spot that snuck in last minute was Tostini. Located on a rather quiet block in Rogers Park is this new Turkish/Polish hybrid sandwich shop. I stopped in mid-December and was greeted by a friendly lady working the register and the food. She's the Polish part of the restaurant and so are her homemade soups. The Turkish part is her partner and also the classic Turkish breakfast dishes they offer.

Newly Opened in Rogers Park 

Aside from classic polish soups and traditional Turkish breakfast they also offer what they call Tostini sandwiches. These are where the fusion of Polish and Turkish flavors take place. Particularly in the Kofte and Potato Tostini. Kofte are Turkish meatballs made of beef that typically come more flattened than the traditional Italian meatball. They also add cheese before it's all loaded into a sliced Middle Eastern flatbread and pressed. After it's heated through and toasted they add cabbage salad and a sauce similar to ketchup/mayo. It's a unique sandwich and a tasty one at that. I'm not sure if these are traditional anywhere within Turkey or they're just a creation of the couple behind Tostini. The other interesting tidbit I got from their menu is a complete Turkish breakfast they do for around $15 per person with a day's heads up given. Smaller breakfast plates like sujuk and eggs are available all day with no notice needed. They also sell gelato and baked pastries. Thumbs up for the tomato soup.

Kofte and Potato Tostini 

Tostini
1622 W Morse Ave
Chicago, IL 60626
tostini@yahoo.com

The Churro Waffle

-Grubbing in Chicago  

Mexican-American Diner Food in Irving Park

I actually ate the food in today's post a while ago. We checked out the Churro Waffle back in October of 2018. It was relatively new back then and they seemed to be doing well judging by a decent wait time on our visit. Then they had a fire. A really bad one that prevented them from reopening up until just a month or two ago. I wasn't sure they would ever make it back as it took more than a year to clean it all up and open again. So I'm happy to report this family owned Mexican cafe is back at it.

Locals Favorite in Irving Park

The Churro Waffle sits in a strip mall on Irving Park not far from Horner Park. That's where we went while waiting for a table back in the Fall of 2018. This place got popular fast so it kind of set them off track as far as being able to handle the crowd and all that. Though from what I've heard they used that time as a learning experience and things are now running smoothly on the regular. The Churro Waffle boasts a smallish menu by diner standards. But they still have most all the classics as far as American diner food goes. They also have a few Mexican favorites such as chilaquiles, skirt steak and eggs, and a breakfast burrito. The chilaquiles are really well done. They offer them green or red with your choice of meat including carne asada or carnitas. My wife is more of a chilaquiles fan than I am though we both agreed this is one of our favorite versions in town. The chips stayed crisp.

Carnitas Chilaquiles at The Churro Waffle

I couldn't visit the Churro Waffle and not try their namesake churro waffle. I figured if they're going to put it front and center they must be pretty confident in it's deliciousness. Usually I'm more of a savory person when it comes to breakfast preferences but a churro waffle sounded like something I would enjoy. I did. They take churro mix and press it into waffle form. Cinnamon, sugar, caramel sauce, sea salt caramel ice cream round it all out. I'm very happy they're back bc I wanted this dish multiple times after they had to close down. Open for both breakfast and lunch from 7a to 3p daily.

Churro Waffle at The Churro Waffle 

The Churro Waffle
2845 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 942-7757
Website

CJ's Chicken

-Grubbing in Chicago  

Fried Chicken on Western 

I had plans to try CJ's Chicken I just wasn't in a rush. Then my friend texted me how good it was and told me I have to stop by next time I was near there. Considering I live right off Western and use it over the highway to go south I'm near CJ's regularly. It sits on Western at Jackson in the old Felony Frank's space. The building has hosted a couple other tenants since the closing of Felony Franks but they didn't last long. They were your typical South / West side fast food shacks. But CJ's is different.

Newly Opened in Tri-Taylor area

Fried Chicken might not be unique to the area but you can tell CJ's goes that extra step to stand out. When you see the prices on their menu you may feel guilty you're getting food this good for so cheap. The chicken is fried fresh to order so best to call it in as it's a mostly takeout biz. They season the fries with a delicious rub that makes them that much better. Little things like pickles and a full pickled jalapeno included with your fried chicken stand out. The chicken has that crunch that lots of time Harold's does not. It's a fact that most fried chicken is good but it's also true that some of it is better than others and CJ's is the best in the area by far. My two piece wings with seasoned fries and both hot and mild sauce on the side pictured below was a steal of a meal at under $5. I'll be back.

Two Piece Wing at CJ's Fried Chicken 

CJ's Chicken
229 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60612
(773) 219-0606

Lao Peng You

-Grubbing in Chicago

Noodles and Dumplings in Ukrainian Village 

Chicago is finally starting to see the next wave of Asian restaurants that will shape the city. Most of these spots are being opened by the children of immigrants many of whom grew up in their parents and grandparents kitchens both public and private. This is reflective of both NYC and LA some five to ten years ago. The sky is the limit as far as what the city and it's hungry diners will embrace. These openings tend to attract people from all over with a special knack for social media that their parents didn't have access to. So it's not surprising to find a place like Lao Peng You in Ukrainian Village.

Newly Opened in Ukrainian Village

Lao Peng You means "old friend" and you can say that the food being served here is an old friend of the two brothers who run the place. They're making the recipes their grandma made for them. Both noodles and dumplings are the focus of a small but well curated menu. The dough for both noodles and dumplings is made fresh daily. The brothers learned this from their grandma and are combining that knowledge with what they learned from working in different Chicago kitchens this last decade. I visited opening week so there were a few kinks being worked out but none of them need to be mentioned bc they've had plenty of time to get everything straight. The restaurant which sits across the street from Mariano's on Chicago avenue is small. So you may find yourself waiting for a table especially if there's more than two of you. There's only two tables for groups larger than three.

Beef and Green Onion Dumplings in Spicy Sour Soup at Lao Peng You

I'm happy to report the dumplings are very good. I really enjoyed them anyway. Maybe partly bc it's just nice being able to get handmade dumplings this far from the suburbs and or Chinatown. The brothers didn't want to open around Chinatown for fear of stepping on what others are already doing. But the truth is Chicago sorely lacks dumpling specialists and places like NYC prove you can never have enough dumpling options. I'm a big fan of beef dumplings when done right and I think they nailed them here. They had just the right amount of green onion which goes great with beef and the wrappers were really smooth and just right in terms of thickness. The soup itself was a nice compliment to the dumplings and when slurped together they were basically soup dumplings.

Xi'an Bing (lamb cumin bread)

We also tried an order of the cumin lamb bread which they call Xi'an Bing. The menu here leans toward Northern Chinese flavors but this dish has roots in Xi'an. Lao Peng You's lamb and bread baked snack was a little different from the "burgers" served at other Xi'an specialty spots in that the lamb was cooked into the bread. It wasn't a pocket per se. Interesting. I had high hopes for the beef noodle soup and they weren't quite reached. Again I'm not complaining in that where else can you get beef noodle soup made with hand stretched noodles on the Northside? My biggest complaint was there just wasn't much beef. What was there was nice and tender however. The house noodles lost some of their chew over time as they always do. A little deeper beef flavor from the broth was needed. Basically what I'm saying is I liked the dumplings more than the noodles. That said I will be back for both of them at some point. Sometimes you just don't want to schlep 30 mins to Chinatown.

Beef Noodle Soup at Lao Peng You

Lao Peng You
2020 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(872) 206-8624
Website