Restaurant Review: Silk Mandarin

If you’re one of the countless casualties of food ennui whose typical line-up at a Chinese restaurant consists of Wonton Soup, egg rolls and shrimp fried rice - fear not, for change has come. No more not ordering something because you don’t know what it’s called. No more being afraid of trying something new. I’m not suggesting going as far as Andrew Zimmer on the Food Network, after all fried cockroaches and goat lungs are not for everyone, but there is something to be said about breaking routine when dining out.

Chinese cuisine is as rich in layers and tradition as the 5000-year-old culture itself. The gastronomy of China is actually divided into as many as 16 different styles of cooking which vary by geographic region. The layered inventiveness is a quintessential element of Chinese cooking first witnessed in the infamous Confucian Mansion Banquets made for the royal family of China. These were not just fancy dinners. These feasts were comprised of 198 courses, requiring more than 400 separate table settings and which took a full two days to consume.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Silk Mandarin Restaurant in Vernon Hills, chef/owner, Chu Bou Jiunn, has unveiled his new artistic vision: the Silk Pot Sticker. A pot sticker is a pot sticker is a pot sticker, you say? Wrong. Fried on one side and steamed on the other, these are layered in taste and workmanship.

“I am hoping that I can start with the pot stickers and eventually work my way up to the 198 courses,” said Chu. In beef, chicken, pork, seafood or vegetable varieties; with cheese or without, the Silk Pot Stickers are easily a meal in and of itself, and definitely worth a closer look (5/$5.25; 10/$8.95; 15/$11.95).

To continue to expand your palate, why not try a 1000-year-old egg? Ok, it’s not really 1000 years old, more like 100 days which it spent fermenting in cement until the yolk becomes bluish-black in color and the white turns to brown jell-o for a taste that is very rich, if slightly pungent, and a favorite chaser to drinks for the Chinese ($4.95).

Here is something you may not automatically think of when considering appetizers: shredded jellyfish salad. Chef Chu promises all the stingers are cut off before serving. Really good but very chewy ($6.95).

For lunch, try the Dan Dan Noodles with spinach and ground pork for a true representation of China’s simple “street” food (6.95). In fact, Silk Mandarin’s wide variety of hand-made noodle dishes offer a smorgasbord of unique flavor. The Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup is a wonderful example with an abundance of shrimp, scallops, mussels, squid and the added delight of a sea cucumber; it is rich and hearty in either the spicy or the non-spicy varieties ($9.95). 

And what else can follow this line-up but duck tongues? This is not your average orange chicken. The tongues are boiled first, then stir fried with mandarin hot pepper, green and red bell peppers for a truly unique dish ($19.95).

Andrew Zimmerman, eat your heart out! Oh, wait, nevermind…