Best Chinese in Downtown - Lao Beijing?

[scoopG]

I've searched the Chicago board and it seems Lao Beijing, Phoenix, and Opera are mentioned the most in the past few months for good Chinese in downtown Chicago. A friend is traveling there next month and needs to arrange a Chinese meal for a small group that is not familiar with the Chinese scene in Chicago. And it has to be in the downtown area. Anyone here familiar with the good Chinese offerings of Manhattan and Flushing? This is what she is very familiar with and would like to experience in Chicago if possible.

Lao Beijing's menu looked the most appealing to me.

Phoenix ("classical Chinese" as per their website) seems to be striving for the "jack of all trades" in Chinese offerings. Dim Sum everyday but definite American-Chinese fare like Crab Rangoon and Sweet and Sour Pork to go along with northern (Peking Duck) and southern (Kong Pao Chicken) dishes.

Opera serves "Chinese with modern presentations." That could be code for "somewhat Chinese in small portions on large plates at big prices." Not sure. I am at a remote site here and could not look at their menu for some reason. Thanks!

[nsxtasy]

There are a couple of new reports here, and the picture they paint isn't pretty:

The Sad Story of Lao Bejing - www.chow.com/topics/825028

[nsxtasy]

Opera has closed.

[scoopG]

Thanks all for your help - I will pass them them along and ask her to report back!

[Chicago Wine Geek]

Heading off to Double Li with work friends in about 15 minutes for my first visit. I'll report back.

[homereker]

well... geek? what do you have to say? still waiting for that report

[Chicago Wine Geek]

So sorry for the late report. Double Li was good. But then we went to Lao Beijing. I've eaten there twice now and both meals were outstanding! The crispy shrimp is the best shrimp entree I've ever had, ever. It is a must order. But really, everything we had was great. Pork with garlic sauce, tea smoked duck, Mapo tofu, and the hot pots were fantastic.

-----
Lao Beijing
2138 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

[huiray]

...and, scoopG, what happened in the end with your friend?

[mountsac]

Of the three you mentioned, Lao Beijing is my favorite.

Lao Beijing serves Northern Chinese and Manchurian (Dong-Bei) cuisine. Most of the waitresses there are from that part of China (ex. Shengyang) - ask the waitress for recs of Dong-Bei dishes (ex. the sour-cabbage casserole).

Phoenix is a classic Cantonese restaurant - the type of cuisine that dominates the chinatowns across the US. Their lunch dim-sum is my favorite of the genre in Chicago.

Opera is Americanized Chinese food. Nothing like the restaurants you'd find in Flushing. It's trendy and some like their food. But if you are looking for authentic Chinese, I'd go with one of the former two.

Although, as someone has mentioned above, if you are open to spicy food, try Lao Sichuan or Double Li for an authentic, spicy Sichuan fare!

[jbw]

Here's a bit of an off-the-wall suggestion. What has been said above about Chinese dining in Chicago is quite accurate. But if you find yourself near North near the Gold Coast (still downtown more or less) and Shanghai Terrace is a bit too expensive for your group, and you don't want to shlep down to Chinatown, let me recommend Le Colonial, which is not Chinese but French-Vietnamese, and IMO a good choice for small group dinners where an Asian cuisine and a restaurant (rather than storefront) ambience is desired. Check it out here:

http://www.lecolonialchicago.com/

[tiffeecanoe]

I have to agree nsxtasy. Double Li is a newer favorite of mine. We got a bit burnt out on all the three Lao restaurants. Plus, they appear to have changed there once amazing veggie dumplings. I've been less than impressed with their dumpling offerings in general. I love dumplings, I live for anything wrapped in dough to be quite honest. ;)

Opera is pretty good. A bit overpriced for what you get. If you want that type of restaurant you may want to try Dragonfly on Randolph St. I like Dragonfly a little bit more than Opera. But I'd definitely go into Chinatown to Double Li over both. Lao Sze Chaun usually has a wait, which is how we started ending up at Lao Beijing. Lao Shanghai is VERY small inside, but foodwise on the same level as the other two. The eggplant dishes are very good at all three.

Chi Cafe is another one worth considering. We've been heading there a lot lately. Skip Joy Yees no matter how much anyone talks it up. ;)

[nsxtasy]

First, you should understand the geography. Here's an overview. The center of downtown Chicago is called "the Loop", which is the commercial and historical downtown, with tall office buildings. The surrounding neighborhoods are sometimes considered part of "downtown Chicago" as well; clockwise starting from the south, these neighborhoods include the South Loop, West Loop, River North, and Streeterville (the area around the border of River North and Streeterville is often referred to as "Michigan Avenue"). Chicago has a vibrant Chinatown located three miles south of the Loop, centered at Cermak (22nd Street) and Wentworth; it is generally not considered to be "downtown Chicago" although it is not far. Lao Beijing, as well as its sister restaurants Lao Sze Chuan and Lao Shanghai, and Phoenix are all located in Chinatown. Opera is in the South Loop, roughly halfway between Chinatown and the Loop.

I am not laying this out to pick apart your terminology, but rather, to make sure you understand where everything is. Although most Chicagoans do not consider Chinatown part of "downtown Chicago", its proximity (as well as having most of the best Chinese restaurants in the city) means that it is suitable for your query.

I have not been to Lao Beijing, but I have been to Lao Sze Chuan. I like Lao Sze Chuan a lot; I like Double Li, another restaurant in Chinatown, even better, for the food and especially its higher level of service. Both offer authentic Szechuan cuisine in casual surroundings. Phoenix specializes in Cantonese cuisine.

Opera is part of a restaurant group that has interesting contemporary twists on ethnic foods, but the cuisine is less authentic, and your words "somewhat Chinese" are appropriate for that reason (although the words about portion sizes and prices are not).

Opera's dinner menu is at www.opera-chicago.com/ClientFiles/Opera/Menus/OperaDinnerMenu-2010-02-17.pdf I believe many mobile devices have trouble reading .pdf files, so you'll want to check it out on a computer. If you cannot locate a restaurant's own website, you can find menus for many Chicago restaurants on the website http://chicago.menupages.com

If you are looking for a luxury Chinese dining experience, I recommend Shanghai Terrace, located in the Peninsula hotel just off Michigan Avenue (a mile north of the Loop). It's expensive but very good, and appropriate if you're looking for an upscale place.