Chinatown Restaurants
Visiting Chinatown on a cold, rainy day in March is never too inviting. However, after visiting Moon Palace restaurant, you might just forget about the weather. Chinatown is located at Cermak or one stop past the Roosevelt stop on the southbound Red line EL.
Just right off the Red line, one of the main restaurants, Moon Palace, doesn’t have a traditional ethnic appearance, but the food definitely hits the spot.
Located at 216 W. Cermak, the outside of the restaurant doesn’t have a “unique” feeling, all except for the big hanging sign that reads, “Moon Palace.” It was after several recommendations from family members and friends that convinced me to check out the place with my boyfriend.
My boyfriend and I went around six p.m., and surprisingly, there was no one there except for one other couple. The restaurant itself is not too big, and has a more formal appearance to it. After being seated promptly, we were given hot Green tea while we checked out the old black and white photographs of Chinatown hanging on the walls. After deciding upon an appetizer and our main courses, the restaurant was beginning to fill up. For our appetizer, we ordered the steamed dumplings, which can come in a full or half order. A half order consists of approximately eight dumplings, served with various traditional sauces, (soy, etc.) I didn’t particularly care for them, and either did my boyfriend. For our main courses, I had the cashew chicken that consisted of cashews, small pieces of chicken, chunks of pineapple and an array of other vegetables. It was excellent. My boyfriend, who had one of their more popular dishes, the spicy orange chicken, did not care for the dish.
As the tables began to fill up with familiar faces, our presence and service was no longer appreciated. After only being visited by the waitress once, to take our order, it was evident she wanted to mingle with the regulars. Although annoyed by the service, we decided to still stay a little longer while I asked another worker for a drink. I decided to try the Pina colada, which was served to me in a small coconut glass. I found the glass entertaining, and the drink wasn’t too bad either. In addition to the Pina Colada, one of their more poplar drinks I overheard is the “Zombie.”
After finishing our meals, we were ready to go back home, however, our waitress, once again, was blind to our attempted shouts. We finally were able to grab her attention once I stood up and tapped her on the arm. Not happy with the service, we left a small tip. Overall, if you can ignore the poor service, Moon Palace has a large variety of traditional and non-traditional Chinese cuisines that defiantly should not be passed up.
Info:
Moon Palace
W. Cermak Rd.
Chicago, IL
Location: Chinatown
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Average cost: $20 per person
Phone: (312) 842-2390
Directions: Red line to Cermak/Chinatown
Recommended:Yes