I was with Willie last night. Dumplings were just a touch blander than usual, but I usually don't get them alone. I wasn't in the mood for fried noodle, so I got the pancake bit forgot to say spicy. It was on point as always.

The old man is still doing the cooking.

The previous hostess has come to recognize me and I told her that it's harder to tell new guests what to order because in the past I'd tell them just to order whatever had a photo on the wall. She started laughing and said they're considering putting up a monitor above the kitchen entrance with a rotating display.

Beef noodle soup at Westmont had a distinct tinned beef broth undertone. Decent noodle and chili oil help but couldn’t mask it. Beef was bland and chewy. No veg aside from a few green onions and a bit of cilantro.

Altogether disappointing to my taste and memories of many previous meals.

Anyone been to the oak park location recently? Is it even worth stopping in??

Yeah, seriously, and new data points? Is it past the point of no return? Does anyone officially know what happened?

Even these erratic tales of the Westmont location make me want to zip out and stock up on frozen items while I can.

I almost think we should organize an outing at the O.P. location.

You know... like a funeral.

I'm only half kidding.

I'd go

I seem to remember there was some intel on the changes at the Oak Park location and they weren't good and we were being herded to Westmont.

With the latest reports on Westmont...

As far as stocking up on frozen, I would imagine it is the same mediocre product being served in the restaurant. Too late.

Changed hands, no longer good... We should just let it go.

As for what happened I also seem to remember a banned post about guys in black suits carrying out boxes of records. Hopefully the passage of time will allow this information again...

Westmont as good as usual today! Chicken fried noodle, pork fried noodle, beef/scallion dumplings - all teaming with flavor. Pork/chive dumplings bland.

I asked via phone if could get tea smoked chicken, made to order, and was told "cold snack only" and available in the fridge.

Octarine wrote:Beef noodle soup at Westmont had a distinct tinned beef broth undertone. Decent noodle and chili oil help but couldn’t mask it. Beef was bland and chewy. No veg aside from a few green onions and a bit of cilantro.

Altogether disappointing to my taste and memories of many previous meals.

Jefe wrote: My beef noodle the other day clocked in at B grade like it always does- broth just a tad thin, beef in need of another 30 minutes of rendering, but still the best rendition in town with those noodles tho.

That sounds about right. Its not their strongest dish and it never has been.

Panther in the Den wrote:With the latest reports on Westmont...

As far as stocking up on frozen, I would imagine it is the same mediocre product being served in the restaurant. Too late.

Changed hands, no longer good... We should just let it go.

Jefe wrote: My most recent frozen sack of 50 pork & chive was on point too.

Jefe wrote: I stopped by yesterday for the first time since the remodel. I asked her if the ownership had changed and she retorted "nah, just a new paint job." Same old cook doing his graceful dance. Pancake, Szechaun noodles, potstickers all good as ever. Case still stocked with chile oil drenched curiosities and bargain sacks of frozen dumplings still available. And the chalkboard paint job is cute, I think.

I don't know what all the hyperbole and conspiracy theorizing is about. Since moving to the west 'burbs, Katy's has become my go-to. And even when I was a city dweller, it was an at least twice-a-year visit going back at least ten years. There's some slight wavering in consistency (like any restaurant) but no significant changes to the food to my palate.

I don't know what their ownership/management structure is, particularly relating to Oak Park, but Westmont simply remodeled (and "Mr. Red Shirt" seems gone) But Katy and the chef are still holding it down and the food is as good as always.

For me their A game is: shredded pancake, Szechuan noodles, potstickers, fish dumplings, and dan dan (I'm in the soupy camp). Upper B range: cold dishes from the cooler like meats in chili oil and tofu and gluten offerings and sour pickle soups.

I haven't been to Westmont in a long while - probably since the OP location opened. The OP location was fantastic for a decent while. My last few visits (Oak Park ONLY) have been pretty big disappointments. For the record, I don't think I've ever had a bad thing to say about Westmont. Naperville ran a little salty while it was around, iirc, but it was still a treat.

Jefe - The Oak Park location. If it's still as off as it was on my recent visits, you'd be saddened that they are allowed to still have the same name. It's very clear that the kitchen staff (Oak Park ONLY) is not even trying to have the same style of food as it used to. It's more of the standard issue Ameri-Chinese glop. It shouldn't even be called Katy's. No more of those handmade noodles, I think someone wrote upthread that "pancake" is just pre-packaged noodles now, too (Oak Park ONLY.)

The OP location may have never been as great as Westmont, however, it was at least a totally acceptable / passable / enjoyable facsimile (for lack of a better term, I guess...I mean I thought it was pretty damn good - good enough to never really miss anything from Westmont.) It was NEVER some standard, run of the mill, Ameri-Chinese slop type of place until very recently.

seebee wrote:Jefe - The Oak Park location. If it's still as off as it was on my recent visits, you'd be saddened that they are allowed to still have the same name. It's very clear that the kitchen staff (Oak Park ONLY) is not even trying to have the same style of food as it used to. It's more of the standard issue Ameri-Chinese glop. It shouldn't even be called Katy's. No more of those handmade noodles, I think someone wrote upthread that "pancake" is just pre-packaged noodles now, too (Oak Park ONLY.)

I ate at OP a few times and agree (though it had been a few years.) Obviously, there was an ownership/management change there. It just seems like there's been suggestion that this change affected Westmont too, which I have not experienced at all (besides the new paint job.)

Jefe wrote:
I ate at OP a few times and agree (though it had been a few years.) Obviously, there was an ownership/management change there. It just seems like there's been suggestion that this change affected Westmont too, which I have not experienced at all (besides the new paint job.)

I'm going to summarize on what I have been told about Katy's ownership changes based on talking with the staff at Westmont and knowing them over the years: The original owner of Katys (all locations) got out for personal reasons. He sold the Westmont and OP locations to different owners. OP was sold to a girlfriend that apparently is not interested in running the business. Not sure who bought the Westmont location, but they kept the cook/staff, which is why quality is about the same but there has been remodeling and some new menu items added.

Hope this clears things up.

bg23 wrote:Hope this clears things up.

While it clears things up it certainly doesn't help those of us in Oak Park who mourn the loss of our favorites.

thetrob wrote:

bg23 wrote:Hope this clears things up.

While it clears things up it certainly doesn't help those of us in Oak Park who mourn the loss of our favorites.

Yes thanks for the update! Guess I'll have to drive a little further west!

I still want to give it (Oak Park) one last hurrah. I almost feel like I owe it to the new folks in there (Oak Park)to give them a chance to answer the question: "So, this is the best you'll do?" and hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

I enthusiastically recommended the OP location to basically anyone who would listen the very moment it opened. Honestly, I recommended it to ppl months before it even opened.

Had the beef noodle soup today. As mentioned upthread, it is not one of their stronger offerings but I wasn't in the mood for seafood soup. It was fine, not outstanding. But I've been there 3 times in 4 weeks as I'm on medical leave from work, so I was looking for some variety.

The place was jammed when I got there at 12:20, but very few people came in after that.

It's amazing to me how good this place remains and how few people I know have heard of it, let alone been there. Is there a Chinese place in the city that consistently serves noodles that are even 75% as good as these? Or even 50% as good inconsistently? Katy's remains in a league of its own.

Stir Fried Noodles w/ Dry Chili

Dan Dan Noodles

The stir fried noodles with dried chili and the Dan Dan Noodles have been adequately praised on these pages but here's some photographic proof of their deliciousness. They dumbed down the spice a little which made my dining companion very happy. Still sensational.

Taiwanese Hot Chicken Roll

The Taiwanese Hot Chicken Roll was a special and one I'm glad we tried. Tasted like a really delicious and egg roll with extra meat and less oil. The tofu skin was as crisp as could be. Tried to find out more about the dish online and according to a random blogger I found, it's called ji juan and the meat isn't actually chicken, but a combination of fish paste and ground pork. That could explain why there was so much flavor in these things, but there was also a lot of different seasoning involved so I can't be sure which meat or meats were in the chicken roll.

Katy's in Westmont this past Wed night - I would definitely say it was up to snuff. Scallion pancake, stir fry shredded pancake (veg), chicken fried noodle, spinach - all very good to excellent. We've given up on the Oak Park location... sigh.

Anyone interested in lunch at Katy's around noon today (yeah, I know it's short notice)

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:It's amazing to me how good this place remains and how few people I know have heard of it, let alone been there. Is there a Chinese place in the city that consistently serves noodles that are even 75% as good as these? Or even 50% as good inconsistently? Katy's remains in a league of its own.

Amen, brother! Though it's entirely deserving of a dedicated trip to Westmont from just about anywhere, Katy's is far from home and I don't get there nearly often enough, so I seized upon an opportunity to have lunch there recently, when other plans brought me nearby. It was more or less a greatest hits-type of lunch . . .


Pork and Onion Stir-Fried Pancake


Dan-Dan Noodle Soup


Pork & Chive Potstickers


Beef Tendon Noodle Soup


Cold Cucumber with Special Sauce

This meal scratched an itch in an almost indescribable way.

=R=

The beef tendon soup is literally one of my favorite things to eat! I need to get out there again soon! Damn you oak park location....

WhyBeeSea wrote:The beef tendon soup is literally one of my favorite things to eat! I need to get out there again soon! Damn you oak park location....

I thought we agreed never to speak of that desolate spot ever again!?

Octarine wrote:

WhyBeeSea wrote:The beef tendon soup is literally one of my favorite things to eat! I need to get out there again soon! Damn you oak park location....

I thought we agreed never to speak of that desolate spot ever again!?

Ha. I did stop in a few weeks back and honestly it wasn't terrible. Obviously a big step down from the OG, but compared well to other Chinese joints in the area.

I'm a sucker for all Chinese food though...

Ronnie, your order looks like what I normally get except I switch one of your two soups with one of the pickled bowls!

WhyBeeSea wrote:
Ha. I did stop in a few weeks back and honestly it wasn't terrible. Obviously a big step down from the OG, but compared well to other Chinese joints in the area.

I'm a sucker for all Chinese food though...

This endorsement rings out like a medicine ball hitting a gym mat.

I do agree. It's not terrible. I don't ever need to eat anything there again. It's pretty much "par for the area slop," with maybe a half step up from gross for a few things. If I was in some form of mgt of the original, I'd be lobbying for the OP location to change their name.

I haven't been to the OP location in some time - is the beef noodle soup worth ordering?

I not going back. Either location.

My memories of stellar food make me bitter. I feel as though I’ve been sold out.

Besides the new(ish) Vietnamese places have been scratching that itch better.

Panther in the Den wrote:I not going back. Either location.

My memories of stellar food make me bitter. I feel as though I’ve been sold out.

Besides the new(ish) Vietnamese places have been scratching that itch better.

I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me on any level, in any respect.

=R=

Behavioral wrote:Ronnie, your order looks like what I normally get except I switch one of your two soups with one of the pickled bowls!

Ok, next time I'll know what to add!

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:I not going back. Either location.

My memories of stellar food make me bitter. I feel as though I’ve been sold out.

Besides the new(ish) Vietnamese places have been scratching that itch better.

I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me on any level, in any respect.

=R=

When they were under the original ownership they were great but when they changed hands there was a dip in quality. Oak Park suffered the most.

Sure they might of rebounded but they have permanently fallen out of my rotation especially since several better places have opened up since in my area.

You can continue to dine there out of nostalgia but it will never be the same.

Panther in the Den wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:I not going back. Either location.

My memories of stellar food make me bitter. I feel as though I’ve been sold out.

Besides the new(ish) Vietnamese places have been scratching that itch better.

I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me on any level, in any respect.

=R=

When they were under the original ownership they were great but when they changed hands there was a dip in quality. Oak Park suffered the most.

Sure they might of rebounded but they have permanently fallen out of my rotation especially since several better places have opened up since in my area.

You can continue to dine there out of nostalgia but it will never be the same.

Ah, I see. I happen to disagree. I think the quality in Westmont is as solid as ever but I now understand what you meant to say.

=R=