Adam G
Google
I like to ride bikes up to Evanston sometimes to enjoy the lakefront and the quiet atmosphere of the town. Evanston has a number of decent restaurants, better prices than the city, and people seem friendlier. It also makes for a pleasant bike ride heading north from Andersonville.
About a month ago, one one such ride, my friend Allison and I were craving Chinese food. We spotted Hunan Spring and Peppercorn Kitchen on the map and initially stopped at Hunan since it was closer.
After seeing the front of the building, with its sun-faded smoothie poster and strip mall-style “Hunan Spring” sign, we decided Peppercorn would likely be more upscale. We continued into downtown for a meal that cost over $60. It was excellent, though pricey.
This past weekend, we were in Evanston again, and I had a craving for pork kidney. We went to Peppercorn, only to discover they were out. I thought, "Why not try Hunan? It will probably be cheaper anyway." We planned to take our food to go and eat in the square to save on tipping.
We rode over to Hunan. I was not particularly excited, but when we arrived, we found a quiet, well-appointed, modern, and clean Chinese restaurant. Our food came out in about five minutes. For two entrees and an appetizer, we spent $47.08, including tax and tip.
I ordered the shrimp with lobster sauce combination, which came with fried rice and an egg roll. My friend ordered the sweet and sour chicken.
We split a crab rangoon appetizer.
The food was piping hot, plentiful, and on the table in five minutes, though it tasted fairly average for standard American Chinese cuisine.
The crab rangoon was just as expected. They didn’t stand tall on the plate and looked a little misshapen. The filling had a seafood-esque flavor, sweet and salty, with a creamy, cheesy texture. The shells were crispy. This dish is hard to mess up.
The egg rolls were hot and crispy but bland, with little to no meat inside. Perhaps they were vegetarian egg rolls.
The fried rice was average and not greasy at all. It might have benefitted from a bit more oil. The flavor was also lacking. There was no wok hei or seared quality to the rice.
I wondered if it needed salt or maybe MSG. I mixed in some sauce from my shrimp dish along with a splash of soy sauce, which helped bring out the flavor. Still, I would prefer the seasoning to be cooked into the dish rather than added cold afterward. The rice had no meat and few fresh vegetables, but that is understandable at this price point.
The sweet and sour chicken had a thick bread coating, but it was well made and not greasy. The sauce was the usual blend of vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice, and red coloring. It was decent, although it could have been thickened slightly for a more syrupy texture.
The shrimp with lobster sauce was thick and flavorful, with bits of egg. The shrimp were moist and tender without being overcooked. Most were well cleaned, although I noticed one that still had part of the mud vein.
The Bad:
I did not like that the receipt was not itemized. I prefer to tip based on the cost of the food alone, not the food plus tax. It also raises questions about whether the charges match the menu prices. After reviewing the restaurant’s website, I noticed the prices there differ from what we were charged in person.
I also had to get up and ask for hot mustard packets.
There were a few small imperfections in the food, as noted above. For those, I would deduct half a star for food and half a star for service.
The Good:
The friendly staff, quiet setting, clean and modern furniture, and fresh food made this an excellent spot for a Sunday meal with a friend. I especially want to highlight how not-greasy everything was.
This is a "Good Chinese Restaurant." It is not fancy, nor is it low-quality fast food. It is simply a pleasant place to enjoy a tasty, reasonably priced meal.
