Driving north of the city through Lincolnwood we used our trusty iPhone to locate a suitable spot to satisfy our hunger pangs.  Being in the mood for Chinese we were directed to a tried-and-true neighborhood spot – Kow Kow Restaurant – on the corner of Pratt and Cicero.  The original Kow Kow opened in 1949 on Devon as a Chinese take-out joint and then moved to the Cicero location in the 80s. It is still family owned and operated by the original proprietor’s son.

True to the reviews we found ourselves in a large dinning area filled with entire families, grandparents, parents and kids, sitting down for a Sunday dinner.  The menu is beyond extensive, covering Chinese and American dishes, which at first glance seamed odd.  The starting page consisted of entrees like burgers, steaks and fried fish.  Not typical Chinese menu options.

We opted to stick with Chinese and go for the economical dinner for two for $18.00 which included tea, won ton soup, egg rolls, spare ribs, choice of fried rice or Egg Foo Young, choice of entrée with rice, almond cookies and ice cream.

Service was fast and friendly, obviously use to catering to large dinner crowds.  Dishes came out to the table in a steady progression.  The egg rolls were definitely a highlight and were filled with cabbage and big chunks of shrimp in a thick, flaky shell.  The beef fried rice, which could easily have fed six people, was well seasoned and again, not greasy in anyway.  For the entrée we choose the Kung Pao Chicken.  It also was an enormous portion, light brown sauce and a good amount of hot peppers to give it a kick. 

Although delicious we commented on how the Kung Pao was very different from the same dish we’ve had in other restaurants.  We asked our waiter why that would be and he happily explained that we were in a Cantonese style restaurant and that the Kung Pao was served Canton style.  He commented that we were probably more familiar with Mandarin or Szechwan style Kung Pao and upon further debate he was right.  Which lead to a discussion about the different types of Chinese food and what characteristics distinguish each region.  How do you know what type you are eating and how to order?

After a very elementary look at this expansive cuisine I’ve come up with a few simples rules of thumb for myself loosely based on four regions: north, south, east and west.  Mandarin style (north) is probably the most familiar and dishes rely more on wheat than on rice.  Moo Shu Pork eaten with pancakes would be common to the region.  It seems that Cantonese style (south) lends itself to sauces that are light and starchy, maybe even a little bland for my particular taste.  Traditional dishes would include sweet and sour chicken and Hoisin beef. Dim Sum is also traditionally Cantonese.  This seams to be in direct contrast to Szechwan style (west), which uses a lot of garlic and Szechwan peppercorns to create that hot, smoky flavor found in Kung Pao Chicken and Ma Po Tofu.  Hunan style is similar to Szechwan in that is uses the same peppercorns for spicy dishes.  Orange beef is a classic to Hunan style.  Finally, there is Shanghai style (east), which I think is hard to find in Chicago.  I’ve only had it in one place so far, Lao Shanghai in Chinatown, where you’ll find Xio Long Bao or soup dumplings.  Not to be confused with dumpling soup, these dumplings are filled with a rich soup broth that pops in your mouth. 

Again, most Chinese restaurants no matter what region they are from carry all of these dishes and Kow Kow Restaurant is no exception.  If you live in the neighborhood chances are you’ve already been here or have been going for years.  If you find yourself on the north side like we did it is worth checking out for some good Cantonese style food. 

www.kowkowrestaurant.com

6755 N Cicero Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
(847) 677-7717