On an episode of WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" a couple years ago, host Bob Sirott used his closing monologue to discuss "the best egg roll in Chicago". Before the words came out, I knew right away what he would say because I, too, had eaten the best egg roll around and I knew that there was no disputing where it could be found: Kow Kow.
Yes, the best egg roll in Chicago is in Lincolnwood.
I am not saying this because I grew up with this egg roll and I want to wax nostalgic (I place little value in culinary nostalgia). I don't like egg rolls. They're greasy, tasteless, and generally full of over-cooked mush. But the egg roll at Kow Kow is an entirely different beat. The wrapper is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. The filling has big chunks of flavor: noticeable hunks of pork and bok choy. It completely lacks the peanut butter binder that's so common in this style of egg roll, a flavor which I feel clashes with the filling (I don't like the idea of a fried peanut butter, pork, and veggie sandwich).
Kow Kow is not authentic Chinese food. It's "time warp", Ameri-Chinese food, circa 1958. It's a chop suey palace that's been serving it the exact same way for decades. Sometime in the mid-eighties, the Kow Kow that I remember moved from Devon Ave to Lincolnwood, where it resides today, still run by the same family. (I don't think their list of cocktails has changed in 50 years either).
Dinner at Kow Kow is all about the dishes that you couldn't (or shouldn't) order in an authentic Chinese restaurant: sweet and sour chicken, Hong Kong steak, egg foo yung, and chop suey by the bowl-full. And those big, crispy, tasty egg rolls.
Check out the egg roll at Kow Kow Restaurant, 6755 N. Cicero Ave (at Pratt), Lincolnwood, IL 60712, 847-677-7717, big parking lot, full bar. Get some pork fried rice while you're at it.
Tags: chinese lincolnwood Post a comment
