Happy Chef

Lincolnwood, United States

3.4

17 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 847-677-9130
Address:
3900 Touhy Ave, Lincolnwood, IL, 60712
b/t East Prairie Rd & Crawford Ave
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.5 miHoward & Crawford
0.6 miLincolnwood Town Center
0.7 miHoward & St. Louis EB
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Today

Today –
Local time (Lincolnwood) 10:40 AM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Chinese food (especially the fried rice), lunch and dinner specials, big portions, and special requests regarding ingredients*.

*Customers should note that pricing may change depending on extra ingredients in their order.

History

Established in 2005.

Happy Chef is a small mom and pop restaurant that offers Chinese/​Cantonese cuisine in huge portions for a reasonable price. Open 7 days a week, customers can enjoy the convenience of having Chinese cuisine.

We mostly have pickup and delivery orders but dining in is also a viable option. We are well-​located on Touhy Ave. and the closest intersection is Touhy Ave. and Crawford Ave.

Meet the Business Owner

Wan R.

Business Owner

Wanjie (Wan pronounced like «Juan») is the head chef of Happy Chef Chinese restaurant located in Lincolnwood, IL.

When he immigrated to the United States in 1988, he started working at several Chinese restaurants in order to make a living and grew to love the restaurant business. He finally succeeded in 2005 opening his first restaurant, Happy Chef, having 17 years of experience under the his belt. Although the space is small and casual, he felt very accomplished knowing how hard it is for immigrants to achieve their dreams without knowing English. He is a father of three who works hard (7 days a week) in order to provide for his family.

**Please do not call the chef/​owner, Wan, for favors that include asking for the delivery guy to drive you to get cell phone store to fix your device. We advise these customers to take public transportation or a taxi to meet their daily needs. As mentioned in our history section, we are a small Chinese take-​out/​delivery restaurant.

Vicinity

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17 reviews of Happy Chef

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Place rating: 1
Lincolnwood, IL
I went in there to order food for dinner. I paid $ 36.30 for 2 people (there was plenty ordered for leftovers, on purpose). When I got home I was missing 3 items I had ordered (fried rice, Mongolian Beef, and egg foo young). When I called, I explained it all. I asked them to deliver it and their reply was they’re too busy. He told me I was talking too much and hung up on me. I won’t be patronizing that place.
Place rating: 4
Skokie, IL
I really like the food. The meat is excellent, very tender and there are vegetables aplenty! The veggies are fresh and not overcooked. The hot/​sour soup is really good as is the Mongolian Beef, Yu Shan Vegetables and Egg Foo Young. We have been trying to find good Chinese food in our neighborhood since our beloved Chung King Lo closed and I think the eagle has landed!
Place rating: 4
Lincolnwood, IL
Fast efficient and good food at a good price. I lived one block from KowKow for eight years but I’ve always preferred Happy Chef. Have them on my speed dial.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Stop by to pickup lunch after a long day of shopping. The owner was very nice. The portion size was large. we ordered 2 dishes and it feed 3 people and still had left overs. The food was very flavorful. I will go back again if I’m in the area.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Huge portions, great storage containers for your leftovers which you will definitely have and generous freebies like spring rolls and cookies. Great hidden gem, the wife and I love the food and the value
Place rating: 4
Skokie, IL
I’m extremely particular with my Chinese food, and I’m telling you this place is good. Their meals are extremely cheap considering the amount of food you get! The only issue I had, was that it was pick up only. I’m not sure if they let you sit in the there now (it’s been a while), but before you weren’t allowed to eat in there.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I just received a call from Happy Chef and they acknowledged that I was given the wrong thing. I was given a credit for my next order. I am extremely pleased with the way my complaint was handled, kudos to them for the excellent customer service.
Place rating: 4
Lincolnwood, IL
Decided to give this place a second chance. It was a bitterly cold and snowy day and after working all day I wasn’t in the mood to go food shopping or drive down to my normal Chinese take out place. Out of desperation I gave this place another try. I was pleasantly suprized. I orderd wonton. Soup which was very tasty as well as combo fried rice. This was also good, the meat was very tender and there was a good amount of each type (shrimp, beef, chicken,). It was also a very generous portion, I was eating it for at least 3 days after. My only complaint was that the rice was a bit bland when I did not eat it with a piece of meat. But I just added my own so no biggie’
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Like many have mentioned. This place gives you a bang for your buck. Lunch specials give more than enough food.
The crab rangoon is not bad actually. Typically, it’s straight up cream cheese, but I tasted some crab and veggies in mine. The place seems to be run by two elderly friends — kudos to them for making some above average crab rangoon.
As for the food itself, you can tell it’s been catered to American tastes. The flavors aren’t as strong/​lack the spices of authentic Chinese. Had the shrimp w/​lobster sauce and beef curry lunch specials. But I understand, most of their clientele probably prefer this kind of cooking. There are a variety of dishes that are friendly to all – those that are used to authentic and those that are new to Chinese cuisine.
I am a supporter of mom and pop businesses. Sure, customer service could use some work. But hey! You try growing up elsewhere and running a restaurant in the States. It’s not easy. Could the owners smile more yes? But let’s be real here, we eat out for the food not for the service.
Food-​wise, this place does ok! And give them credit for having a nice clean storefront with a dining area that is relatively new and a tasteful amount of decorations. Menus are also in English for everyone’s convenience and come with helpful descriptions.
Place rating: 5
Lincolnwood, IL
Tasty cheap and quick. If eating in ask for paper plates or bring your own.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I’ve been a regular here for a few years now. I didn’t realize they had a 2.5 star average. I feel that it’s undeserved. It’s cheap chinese food, but it’s not *bad* and each «lunch special» is enough food for two days and they cost ~$ 5. And they’ll have it ready in 10 minutes. That’s awesome.
I have «dined in» twice and was impressed both times. They do a good job of presentation. I do recommend asking for «extra spicy» no matter what you order.
Once they raised their prices and I looked so taken aback that they gave me the old price. So, I’m a fan.
Place rating: 2
Lincolnwood, IL
If you are hungry and in the Lincolnwood area… you are feeling like crappy to average chinese food… then this is the place. It is about average on size/​portions. I usually get Crab rangoon and a lunch special which usually is general tso or orange chicken.
This place is okay for the price.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
aaaaand to top it off I got sick for the next 4 days, thanks Happy Chef, thanks…
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I tried Happy Chef for a week day lunch. They have a very generous lunch menu, and everything on there is around $ 5 with tax. I dined in, and was pleasantly surprised by the high stacked plate of food that was brought out, steaming hot. I highly recommend this place for a good lunch.
Place rating: 2
Palos Park, IL
Once again, this is your typical storefront Chinese restaurant. It is so common that I drive by here several times weekly and have never noticed it here.
Once again, you get huge portions at a reasonable price. My beef and broccoli tasted well… err…, umm… pretty much like hundreds of beef and broccolis that i have had in the past. Nothing really made it stand out to me.
My biggest complaint was the guy behind the counter was probably the most unfriendly guy I have dealt with in a long time in the service industry. He was just very rude and if I don’t have to deal with him again in my life the better for me. So guess what? he won’t have to deal with me again.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Welp, you can’t be the price, and now that Tsang is gone (another take-​out joint right down the street that was so awesome you wouldn’t even believe) there’s not much else in the area.
It’s only average food, and you get like 10 times more rice and veggies than you do meat. They need to increase the meat portions and spice up their flavoring a bit. It’s like the Dave Matthews Band of Chinese take-​out: decent enough to make you want to stick with it for a bit at a time, but overall so middle-​of-​the-​road as to be bad.
The people who run it seem really nice and humble, so give ‘em your business. Maybe one day they and their General Tso’s will rise to greatness.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Lunch combo’s are $ 3.75 — $ 5.75. Typical; entrée, chicken fried rice and an eggroll. If you stop in, it takes 15 – 20 minutes for prep, they make it all fresh. They can handle special requests. Its a typical fast Chinese food stop. The restaurant has a few tables with chairs for dine-​in, though most opt for take-​out service. Cheap, fairly decent Chinese food.