LTHForum.com

Just curious...how often do you go to Sun Wah if you are walking distance? I am not in the area, but if I was I would be there at least 1 a week. I would save a ton on groceries!

I heartily support a renewal of the GNR award for Sun Wah. Delicious food—check, wonderful people—check, neighborhood location worth traveling to for those of us who can’t walk—check. The special events for LTH that the Chengs have done have been terrific. Most of my friends I’ve brought to Sun Wah are converts. One friend who lives in Denver mentions Sun Wah wistfully every time I speak with him.

I have made about 4 visits to Sun Wah in the last year, the most recent being a couple of weeks ago after the Green City Market "Snout to Tail" event. Sun wah was as good as every previous visit, the pork, and duck were excellent, as were the stir fried crab, and noodle dish we had. Service was friendly and helpfull as always, and also a great bargain $$ wise with alot of leftovers.

Sun Wah is a GNR for sure.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Yesterday, I decided while eating lunch at Sun Wah, that if I was able to choose my last meal on earth it would be a Peking Duck frum Sun Wah. Accompanied by an order of BBQ Pork, Spare Ribs, Chicken and stir fried crabs I would anticpate a smooth transition to heaven.

More on Sun Wah here and here and here and here

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No guts, no glory.
http://www.chicagonow.com/quips-travails-braised-oxtails
http://quipstravailsandbraisedoxtails.blogspot.com/

LTHForum,

As the original nominator of Sun Wah for an LTHforum GNR I'd like to lend my support for renewal. A successful GNR candidate in 2007 in the intervening two years Sun Wah has woven itself into the very fabric of LTHForum as the scene of lunches, dinners, events, both impromptu and planned, and the site of the 2008 GNR Awards Dinner.

They have added interesting and delicious menu items, Beijing Duck for example, introduced LTHers to Hakka Style New Year's Dinner and participated in our community.

Sun Wah for GNR renewal, yes please, now pass the duck.

Enjoy,
GAry

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Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

This place is up for renewal of its GNR. Please post your comments here until 10/10/11.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

(emphasis mine)
A two year old quote, no less accurate today than it was then.

I lived two blocks away from Sun Wah when they closed up the old Argyle storefront and moved to their swanky new digs on Broadway (only one block from my house!). Like everyone else, I mourned the loss of the styrofoam plates with specials written on them, and feared that the food quality and/or atmosphere would suffer. Though they definitely experienced some temporary growing pains, Sun Wah is just as fantastic as it ever was. The food is great, Cheng family are friendly as ever, and the prices are still extremely reasonable.

I'm a huge fan and personally count Sun Wah as a GNR among GNRs.

-Dan

Sun Wah is another wonderful addition to my life thanks to LTH...the only bad thing I can say about them is that now that I've introduced my non-LTH friends, they NEVER want to go anywhere else

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

I heartily support renewal for Sun Wah. With as many Chinese restaurants as we have in Chicago, there's nowhere else in town that does what Sun Wah does, and they do it consistently. Yes, they had a few growing pains when they moved into the larger space but those seem like they are very much in the rear-view mirror.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Sun Wah is the very definition on a GNR to me ... and it wins the hearts of everyone I bring there. Again please!

I have to say that I'm on the fence about Sun Wah. My last dinner there, billed as a special event, was quite disappointing. Overall, I might order more narrowly than at some other GNR's (Spoon, for instance.) Comparing the cuisine here to that of other favorite GNR's may not be fair, and I do think Kelly does an excellent job, so I'm withholding judgement for now. . .

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Man : I can't understand how a poet like you can eat that stuff.
T. S. Eliot: Ah, but you're not a poet.

Another place where there's @ least a dozen dishes I love. The fact that they go out of their way to introduce new items to the curious (Mr Cheng's Hakka tofu casserole, lotus root w/house cured bacon) cements them in my book.

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"In pursuit of joys untasted"
from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata

Easily a renewal for me. The new space made a great place even better. Definitely a spot I pull out for visitors from out of town to show off the best of Chicago (the duck, obviously, in particular).

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-Josh

An amuse bouche at breakfast is called a Bloody Mary - Scott Manlin

Josephine, I think I understand your ambivalence re: the special meals. My every day meals there with whatever selection of the dozen or more dishes that I find amazing wow me more than the big dinners that may have entrees I don't care for.

Sun Wah is a destination spot, always top on my list of where to go when I'm in the area and has always met or exceeded my expectations. I recommend it unreservedly.

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I used to think the brain was the most important part of the body. Then I realized who was telling me that.

My sister is flying in from San Diego for another duck dinner at Sun Wah. 'nuf sad.

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Chicago Craft Beer Week!

I agree with everything said above - definite renewal for me.

Love the big name stars at Sun Wah, but the simple joy of fish fillet w/Chinese broccoli on crisp noodle and shrimp dumpling soup w/noodle and roast duck have been companions for decades. House chili oil, always a favorite, recently got a scoville boost, Mr. Cheng switched peppers, and more addictive than ever.

Add in the charming Cheng's and its an easy choice for GNR renewal.

Sun Wah BBQ, count me a fan!

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Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

This is a Great Neighborhood Restaurant. Great food, environs, and service. I did my birthday party there this year and Kelly saw to it that the meat eaters had just as many delightful offerings as those of us sucking down our longevity noodles in celebration of the new year.

Most of my guest had not been before and one, almost 90 year old gent declared it the best duck he'd ever tasted.

Renewal Please.

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Ava-"If you get down and out, just get in the kitchen and bake a cake."- Jean Strickland

Horto In Urbs- Falling in love with Urban Vegetable Gardening

Once again, there isn't much reason to even talk about whether this one should be renewed, is there? If we had such a thing, Sun Wah would be one of my first nominees for the GNR Hall of Fame.

Shoot. Now that I've been thinking of those Beijing duck bao, that duck fried rice, and a plate of garlicky stir-fried greens, there's just no way I'm going to enjoy my loop-sourced lunch today.

--Rich

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I don't know what you think about dinner, but there must be a relation between the breakfast and the happiness. --Cemal Süreyya

I don't get to Sun Wah enough and I should. I've enjoyed every meal I've had there and I haven't even tried the acclaimed duck service. It's a family run business that is dedicated to their craft. Yes to renewal.

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-Mary

Sun Wah has proved itself invaluable to the forum for meals and special events, and I admire the family greatly. That said, they need to continue to work hard on consistency and organization; some of my guests have been turned away by unexpected closings even at the new location, or received significantly off dishes or distracted servers.

I support renewal based on their remarkably cool and creative handling of several recent group dinners, but will continue to expect even more from daily operations based on what I know they are capable of delivering. Call it tough love.