Emperor's Choice

The other reviews were true, this is the best Chinese food you’ll ever have. It all tasted so fresh and homemade. Definitely somewhere I’ll return when I’m back in Chicago

The food was subpar. It's unfortunate that there's a lot of competition next door to Emporer's Choice, yet they are ok with skimping on quality. The pork was inedible, they clearly used cheap dogchew cuts of gristle. When the food arrived, I immediately was able to tell that it wasn't the most appetizing. Also, the crispy tofu was too watery in the centre and overly salty..and this is coming from someone who loves savoury dishes, but anything that's too salty is a turn-off.

The food was good. We got the crispy roast duck it is amazing. There were some things we wanted and it wasn't on the menu. There's both choices of authentic Chinese dish and other more western Chinese dish.

This is hands down my family's favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago. Their wonton and Chinese vegetable soup is incredible. Their dumplings and potstickers are delicious . Their main dishes are top quality too. They have all the staples you'd expect, from Sesame Chicken to Sweet and Sour Chicken, with lots of solid beef and pork dishes as well. Some of our favorites include chicken with Chinese vegetables (the chicken was tender enough to melt in your mouth) and the curry Chicken, which you can get at any spice level, including mild enough for even the most spice-averse among us. The service is also excellent. They're friendly, they frequently refill waters or tea without needing to be asked. The atmosphere fits in well with Chinatown and is just so welcoming overall. It's always such a treat to come here. I literally take my parents here every time I come to visit. May they remain a staple of Chicago's Chinatown for many years to come!

The food was tasty and the portions were good. The staff were also very friendly and helpful to guide me through the Chinatown public parking validation. (eg. 10 dollars off the total)

First time here and it was great. We had the chicken Lo Mein and Salt & Pepper Tofu. Both dishes were flavorful and ample sized. The service was fast and friendly. Thumbs up.

Came here because of the reviews and I was not disappointed. I’m used to really good Chinese food when I lived in N.Y., Philly and L.A. now that I live in Houston, it’s very hard to find decent Chinese food. While visiting Chicago I was impressed. The food here was excellent as was the service. Ordered the pork fried rice, chicken Lo main, beef egg fu young and the emperors special. Next time I come I think I will order the chicken fried rice as that seems to be more popular in Chicago. Highly recommended.

This was the best chinese food I have ever had. I would recommend the wonton soup and the pork belly. It was rather amazing. The staff was very attentive and quick. The end of the meal was concluded with the most delightful almond cookies and fortune cookies.

Great family owned restaurant! Consistently great food and service every time we go! (Which is a lot) In an area with lots of Asian restaurants, this one stands out! Love them!

Excellent place. It can get full at peak hours. But I was lucky and got a table. Crispy pekin duck was perfect. Even white roce was delicious. Sia bao pork buns were also great. I was very happy with food flavor, portions and choices. Service was flawless. All over a great experience. Menu is extensive. Many plates are family style sharing.

Very disappointed. Been coming here for years. Ordered the walnut shrimp. The sauce was squirted on as if it were premade. Egg rolls were small. Fried rice was meh. Not sure what has changed.

So good. So fast. I love authentic Chinese. Was visiting Chicago from Detroit and the place we tried prior to this was WAY too busy. I had the seaweed soup, Bean Sprout Stew w whole roasted garlic, and pan fried pot stickers. I substituted the Sprouts for Chinese Broccoli as they were out of sprouts. The broth was so flavorful and the pork albeit looking suspicious, was GOOD. I legitimately felt nourished after this meal and intend to return on my next trip to China town!

Emperor's Choice has been my go-to Chinese Food Restaurant for well over 20 years (maybe 30?... I can't remember). This is as close as it gets to old school Chinese Food! Everything is delicious, but the food could be served hotter. They do need to fix that. It's still great, though. If you are looking for traditional Family-Style Dining with excellent Chicago Chinatown dishes, this is your place! I have too many favorites here, so try it all!

On the main drag in China Town...a great place to go to. The dishes were prepared great. Great portions at good prices. Staff were friendly and swift with service. Great looking little place inside.

I was really excited to come here but Unfortunately,they had hair in my food. I probably won't be returning.

SOOOOOO GOID.. jumbo shrimp egg foo young. With xtra thick gravy DELISH Egg rolls yummm . WONTON SOUP- ask for xtra scallions and med spicy broth. Addictive. AND SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST.. that spicy octupus/ calamari.. the best I've ever had besides one I ate in Hong Kong. TRY IT. You will love it. Med priced- to lil higher because I like MY WAY. ENJOYYYYYYY.

Definitely a good choice to grab lunch here when you're in Chicago's Chinatown! I didn't want to spend too much time waiting for food so I decided to order from their lunch specials. It was multiple option to order from. My lunch included a choice of soup, which I picked the Egg flower soup, a huge Egg roll, a plate of Beef Broccoli and Fried Rice. Food was very fresh, and tasty! Especially the beef, which was very tender and flavorful! I really loved the Egg roll too. The cabbage was very finely chopped and the meat was flavorful in it. Waitress was very nice and attentive. She refilled my coke in a timely manner, and checked on me often if I needed anything . The restaurant was fairly busy during lunchtime. They have big tables and smaller ones for individual guests like me, dining alone. Their bathroom was very clean, but no toilet seat covers in the wall dispenser.

New update: Decided to try them again six months later after saying I wouldn't order again. Well I should have followed my own advice. Called the restaurant to complain because and was told the cook made mistakes and that he was very sorry for the way the food was cooked. I wasn't offered a refund just a free dish if I returned on Wednesday (because they are closed on Tuesday) $67.44 in the garbage. I don't know what has happened with this restaurant but the food quality has gone down, and they have the never to barely give hot mustard or sweet and sour sauce with the order. Selling old dry food is not a very good thing to do. Management doesn't try to help because they want to keep your money regardless of complaints. Emperor's fried rice- very dry, chicken was old and hard, no beef added whatsoever. Potstickers- pan fried way too long was very hard to eat. Hot pepper beef- greasy and slimy. I didn't even eat the dish I couldn't get past how slimy the sauce was . Egg rolls- dry and tasteless Salt and pepper shrimp- toooo salty.

Everything was authentically well-cooked and plentiful! Service was excellent. This was my first time in China Town and I'll definitely be back.

This was top tier food for us. Even from Austin where the food is super diverse & this was top two easily for all of us. We got emperors spicy chicken, general tso's, & beef n broccoli. All amazing choices. The atmosphere feels homey and you can tell they enjoy what they do! 10/10

We order the Spicy Chow fun from here a few times a month. This time we opened the container and it was maybe 50% full. For $19 a dish, we were shocked at how little food we got when normally the container is overflowing. Sad to say the least.

Food was very good, service was quick, and staff were attentive to our needs. They gave us a pretty big bowl of rice, which was soft and hot. The rice can make or break your meal, so it's always a pleasant surprise to get good rice! The place is a bit cramped when it's crowded, and the noise level can get pretty loud. However, it makes for a great destination in terms of family dining.

I am a Chicago native and our Chinatown is definitely one of our big city landmarks. I love coming to Chinatown and this restaurant is currently my absolute favorite! As a family, we used to patronize China and Chiam as well as Won Kow restaurants in the past which unfortunately are all now closed. So glad I discovered this restaurant by trying them several years ago. I highly recommend coming here! Everything is delicious and served hot! Hubby and I's favorite dishes are their crispy Egg Rolls, delicious Hong Kong Steak and their Shrimp Fried Rice. The fortune and almond cookies are always fresh when given at the end of the meal. Staff is friendly and helpful but I must give a special shout out. On one of our visits there, Joey was our server and we are officially now hooked - she is now our favorite! Very fun personality, sweet and makes the experience a special one! She makes the best Pina Colada around, I guarantee so get one! Ask for her when you visit. We will continue to gladly patronize this restaurant. If you don't have the time to do a sit down, please order take out and enjoy. A+++!!!

A Chinatown staple. Lots of food, lots of choices. I ordered the blue Hawaiian, and it was blue. Not sure how they got it so blue because it was just rum. I forgot how strong the drinks are in Chinatown and I appreciate this so much.

Great authentic Chinese with big menu. Good service. I'd go back again for dinner and tea.

Right in the heart of Chinatown Chicago. Easy walking distance from McCormick area or a quick Uber/lyft ride. The Service friendly and prompt. The space is small has about 10 tables that vary in size of 2 to 10. Hands down get the egg rolls - filled with good stuff. The Asian hot mustard isn't too hot...so if you are wanting the nose burn euphoria then ask for extra spicy mustard. Entree - General Tso Chicken extra spicy and didn't disappoint. The servicing can easily feed to hungry adults. Emperor spicy chow fun - huge portion size. The noodles are thick and somewhat pan fried. They soft but have a crust outside. Filled with shrimp, chicken and beef. Really good but my recommendation would be to get this dish with just shrimp. Overall super good food.

Four of us got great service on Christmas Day 2022. We were seated at a roomy table in a small dining room. All ordered cocktails which took a few minutes. For appetizers we had spicy kimchi, the BBQ Pork, crab rangoon and something else. As a group we had a variety of entrees and soups, all very good.

We liked the food at this restaurant so much we went a 2nd time in our 1 week in Chicago. The wait staff was quick, pleasant, and accommodating. We highly recommend- their English is a little lacking, but we got a kick out of the "forg legs with fired rice". LOL!

Great food and even better service. Food came out fast and correct. Would recommend this place for families with kids.

The food tasted really good - my one complaint is that the portions are a little small, at least the dishes we ordered. But I'm really impressed with the taste and quality of cooking. The food itself was definitely worth trying if you're looking for a good meal in Chinatown, and want parking validation for the Chinatown lot!

A dependable and excellent eating house especially for fish and seafood. Low grease quotient. Good hospitality. High quality ingredients make for superior enjoyment. Standouts include steamed fish in black bean sauce, fresh steamed oysters in black bean sauce, beef chow fun, crispy chicken, Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce. Very good version of Moo Shu pork or Moo Shoo chicken. They have gluten free options. Get in there.

After seeing the great reviews we gave this place a chance and it did not disappoint ! Sooo good and service was amazing! A must try when in china town!

Ordered takeout The crabmeat rangoons are HUGE and delicious The portions were generous Everything we ordered was very tasty and of good quality. White meat chicken! No greasy flavor Would return!

Had read reviews on another well known restaurant in the area and the wait was 1-1/2 hours to get a table. We crossed the street and came here- AWESOME CHOICE!! Spent the past week in Chinatown and hands down this is the best restaurant PERIOD!! Service is great! Traditional Chinese Family style service and meals! This is my new favorite Chinese restaurant from Chicago to Seattle!! Have the clams they are the BEST!!

My family has been eating here since they opened and they have great seafood, Peking duck, and a variety of Chinese dishes to satisfy any Chinese food lover. We always get great service, cocktails, wine, and beer to go along with our food.

Good and inexpensive food. Large portion. Convenient location near the Chinatown Arch.

I asked for spicy shrimp fried rice and they put jalapeños on top of the shrimp and called it spicy, no seasoning or anything It wasn't spicy and I was over charged

My plate was dirty. I vomited. The rest of my siblings were eating family style without any problems. The fortune cookies and almond cookies were fresh. I see the staff reuse place settings because they look clean and the customer changed their mind. After COVID-19, its practice should be outdated.

I went on a Friday night and there was plenty of seating available. That's not to say that you shouldn't dine at this restaurant. It's a hidden low key restaurant. The egg rolls were tasty and came out very hot and fresh. I ordered a blue Hawaiian, it was priced reasonably at $9.50, and had its worth of alcohol in it. Just know that the emperors beef is on the sweeter side. The meat itself is very tender. The kung pao chicken is by far my favorite in the city. The meat is such good quality. The Cantonese pan fried noodles are crunchy so it's not for everyone. The shrimp is so big and juicy. They also boxed our leftovers for us, which I've usually only seen at high end restaurants. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Very clean restaurant in the heart of Chicago's Chinatown. Only ordered a small lunch...hot & sour soup and potstickers. Both were lovely and the service was great. Nice spot to go if you're in the area.

I should have known by the very small handful of people eating here on a busy friday this spot would be hit or miss...And it was...More miss than hit. Let's talk about the good stuff...Pot stickers were fat and greasy but tasty and the Cantonese noodles were good as well...The fortune/almond cookies given at the end of meal was fantastic. Now the bad...The spare Ribs were dried out and with a terrible BBQ sauce flavor and nuked in a microwave...The Sweet and sour chicken is giant fried KFC nuggets with sweet sauce poured over the top...Beef ried rice was greasy with fake tasting salty beef and the chicken pieces on the Cantonese noodles was rubbery. There are way too many great to good Chinese spots to eat at in Chinatown to waste time here....I wont be back. On a side note...The staff is nice and pleasant.

Always consistent food! Friendly staff. We had the eggplant with minced pork, delicious! Crab Rangoon delicious! Scallion pancake very tasty! Mongolian beef and Orange peel beef great!

Food was delicious and service was fast! Egg rolls, chicken dumplings, orange peel chicken and Singapore noodles were outstanding.

My Chinatown go-to. Good food, pleasant service, comfortable, clean setting - always reliable and great egg rolls!

Loved this restaurant and they always fit us in without reservations. Overall really good and authentic Chinese food.

Came in on a busy Friday night. Food and service was excellent. Beef and Chinese broccoli was succulent and siu mai dumpling was worth the wait. I will be coming back.

We were visiting Chicago and happened into China Town, which was not planned. So we looked for a place to eat here on Yelp and while the places we had hoped to go were not available. We randomly picked this restaurant and while it wasn't terrible, it wasn't great either. The first thing I said to my other half when we walked in was; the staff were the only asian folks in the place. Not a good sign if you want authentic, non-white-washed asian food. Unfortunately that is how it turned out. I will add the staff were very friendly and attentive and the food came out quick so service is probably the best part of this place and the only reason I am giving it three instead of two stars. We ordered fried rice, and two chicken dishes. They were ok but certianly nothing to right home about. Spice was next to none in the one I ordered and the rice was kind of gray in color. If you are happening through china town, might be worth checking out other places first.

Food is great. Service is also on point been going here for years in person and delivery. IT

Simply the best! I dont know authentic vs not authentic. But this place is DELICIOUS! I chose this for my birthday meal and everything was wonderful!

Pleasant find in Chinatown! We were hoping to get hot pot somewhere but the wait was ridiculous and we stumbled upon this Chinese restaurant. Service was amazing both foodwise and at the bar! The kitchen was closing in 30 min but they graciously seated us and the food was quite timely. Authentic Chinese food and also has the quintessential staples of American Chinese food. We ordered a number things to share family style. My favorite dish was the salt and pepper calamari which was delicious. The scallion pancake was also solid. I always order pork belly which was decent here - it was tender and nicely marinated but a little on the oily side. You definitely get a LOT of food for the price so come hungry. Fried rice and chinese broccoli were also good. Also had strong delicious cocktails so if you like pina coladas recommend ordering. Had an awesome time here and will be back!

Came with my friend Greg for lunch today. The duck was delicious and so was the sweet & sour soup. The egg roll were delicious and service was great too!

Came in again this week this time to celebrate a bday. We had a group of 28 ppl with 3 tables. Restaurant was sectioned in the back with kids and teen table, plus 2 adult tables. The menu was ridiculously lobster cantonese with longevity noodles, steam bass, mandarin chicken, egg rollls, abalone in brown sauce, roasted squab, oysters with fermented black bean but the highlight of the evening was an entire baby roast pig. Unfortunately I was not able to get a picture of it before they cut to pieces but it was delicious. Plus we requested a bottle of Woodford reserve as the bourbon would pair well with the cuisine and menu for tonight, by the end of the night we had an empty bottle and they were asking me for more.. but bday boy had a great time and everyone enjoyed the food. While this food tonight is NOT the regular menu. The American Chinese food they have is amazing too as we had to order egg rolls, crab rangoon and mandarin chicken and the kids and myself LOVED IT. We love the staff, extremely attentive and dedicated to making sure our party was a successful event.

Salt and Pepper chicken, hands down the best I've ever had. Excellent house soy sauce.

This place is great!!!! The service is good. We had Mongolian beef, Lo main noodles and chicken with broccoli. We also had chicken dumplings and crabragon for appetizers. It was all wonderful. When we comeback to China town we will be coming back for sure!!!!

Some of the best Chinese food we've ever had - Flavorful, well cooked, good portions and the service is great! We got the moo shu pork and spicy salt and pepper chicken. Definitely will come again!

An alright restaurant in Chinatown, but only if you are looking for Americanized instead of traditional Chinese food. Prices are alright, but there's cheaper and better options that serve authentic Cantonese dishes nearby. Here are some thoughts on some dishes: Hot and sour soup: Strong pepper flavor but really lacks any complexity. Egg roll: Crispy and good flavor. Sweet and sour shrimp: Crispy batter, but both the shrimp and batter lacked seasoning and the sauce wasn't that good. Scallop with vegetables: Wasn't good but wasn't bad. The quality of the scallops could've been better and the sauce was very generic. Dry cantonese beef chow fun: The chow fun was very fresh but the noodles lacked wok hay and the beef wasn't of the best quality. Steamed mince pork cake: Once again, the quality of the meat wasn't the best and lacked "bounce". The salted fish completely dominated over any other flavors in the dish. Overall, hard to recommend since there's lots of other great options nearby with better ingredients, flavors, and techniques. But not a bad option if you want a nice looking restaurant with very Americanized flavors.

The best quality and best tasting Chinese food I've ever ever tasted. My friend and I both got cantonese pan fried noodles with beef and vegetables. It was delicious! We also got egg rolls and also the tastiest and everything was hot, fresh and delicious and reasonable! I will definitely go back and delicious almond cookies and fortune cookies. I tasted my friend's hot and sour soup and that was delicious. My friend has been going there for 30 years!!! What a positive and wonderful experience!