Sun Wah, 2009 Edition
A classic Chinese barbecue joint gets a new look
Photo: Ronnie Kaplan
For 22 years, Chicago meat cognoscenti have headed to one place for Chinese barbecue: Argyle Street's Sun Wah. There, chef Eric Cheng was whole-roasting pigs long before they became ubiquitous, and lining his front window with rows of roast duck.
He's recently passed the torch on to his children, who moved the restaurant around the corner last month into a new space that's twice the size.
The dining room now has 200 seats, but specials will stay posted in true Sun Wah fashion: on disposable plates tacked to the wall. Some off-menu items, like the exemplary Duck Egg Foo Yung, will be out in the open. But Mike's Fried Chicken (impossibly juicy chicken that's roasted then fried whole; pictured) is still only available to those in the know. (Call ahead and they'll have it ready when you arrive.)
The three-course Beijing duck (roast duck served Peking-style) they started serving last year is still on the menu. And the soup section has ballooned: Look for aromatic soups like duck with winter melon and ginseng, and soupy rice casseroles with dried meats.
There will be a $20 to $25 reservation-only prix-fixe once a week. The menu isn't set yet, but owner Kelly Cheng promises to put "a bonanza of food in front of you."
Sun Wah Bar-B-Q Restaurant, 5041 N. Broadway Ave.; 773-769-1254
