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Phat Phat Chinese Eatery, Schaumburg

Phat Phat Chinese Eatery, Schaumburg
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  • Phat Phat Chinese Eatery, Schaumburg

    Post #1 - November 22nd, 2019, 1:41 pm
    Post #1 - November 22nd, 2019, 1:41 pm Post #1 - November 22nd, 2019, 1:41 pm
    A group of 6 of us tried Phat Phat, the new casual Chinese restaurant in Schaumburg, for lunch today. Sorry, I didn't get pictures, but overall it was a good meal and a nice add to the area for office lunch.

    The restaurant itself is in a converted late 1800s building that has been opened up, with a high ceiling and attractive old brick. There is plenty of white wood and a modern feel that is better that any of the local Chinese options I know.

    Food-wise, everything we ordered was intended to be shared, and came out as prepared rather than in any particular order. We tried:

    Tofu tots, which were medium firm tofu fried in batter. They soft and warm with a little crust and a juicy interior. Salted egg added a little umami but wasn't particularly obvious. Fine.

    Sichuan wontons were less spicy than you would get in a true Sichuan place, but had a decent pork filling in a very soft wrapper. The sauce was black vinegar and soy with a little minced fresh red chile. While the normal chile oil was missing, the peppers themselves were fairly hot, so the dish had a little heat, but not enough to worry anyone. Good chile oil was delivered to the table later with the clay pot, and I would probably added some here as well. Good.

    Claypot rice with sausage, pork belly and dry chile was really nice. The meats were high quality and the rice got a nice crust on the bottom. Very good.

    Wok-fired noodles with oxtail had a very nice wok hay flavor. The sauce was a little one-note but these were a big hit at the table. Good.

    Black pepper beef. I paid less attention to this, but found the beef and sauce solid. The vegetables were large hunks of green and red pepper, cooked but still rather crisp. That isn't a style I prefer, but others might like it better. Fine.

    Green beans. These were good, but some of the beans lacked the wok hay that really made the noodle dish sing. What was nice was the quality of the beans themselves, which were excellent thin French-style beans. If they can up the heat a bit, these would be excellent. Still very good as is.

    Snow pea leaves. These were very flavorful, with a nice broth finish that had them perfectly balanced between firm and silky. Very good.

    All-in, the check came to $15 per, and we left satisfied although we didn't stuff ourselves. Three entrees, two vegetables and 2 starters, with 3 bowls of rice, was enough but others might want another dish or two.

    We arrived a bit before noon to make sure we could be back for meetings, so the restaurant was fairly empty, but it was mostly full when we left. Lunch took a bit less than an hour start to finish, with the claypot the last item delivered, as expected. Service was good.

    The overall impression of the group was positive, and everyone agreed they would gladly add this to the rotation. The menu isn't the most authentic or challenging, but there are some interesting preparations and the ingredients seemed very high quality. I look forward to another visit.

    Phat Phat Chinese Eatery
    17 S Roselle Rd
    Schaumburg, IL 60193
    847-250-2345
    https://phatphatchinese.com/
  • Post #2 - November 22nd, 2019, 2:11 pm
    Post #2 - November 22nd, 2019, 2:11 pm Post #2 - November 22nd, 2019, 2:11 pm
    I'm intrigued by the Tofu Tots. Is there anything vaguely resembling this in actual Chinese cuisine?
  • Post #3 - November 22nd, 2019, 6:43 pm
    Post #3 - November 22nd, 2019, 6:43 pm Post #3 - November 22nd, 2019, 6:43 pm
    chicagojim wrote:I'm intrigued by the Tofu Tots. Is there anything vaguely resembling this in actual Chinese cuisine?


    Others can answer your question, as the closest thing I’ve seen is fried taro cakes at Red Egg in New York, or some saucier braised tofu puff dishes in Cantonese places. I’d think they’d be better with a bit more flavor. I’d love them with chili crisp, chili oil or maybe XO sauce.
  • Post #4 - November 22nd, 2019, 8:26 pm
    Post #4 - November 22nd, 2019, 8:26 pm Post #4 - November 22nd, 2019, 8:26 pm
    I will have to say that I want to try this place solely on the way they illustrate the menu. They give you a good isea of wha you are actually going to get.
  • Post #5 - April 29th, 2021, 11:38 am
    Post #5 - April 29th, 2021, 11:38 am Post #5 - April 29th, 2021, 11:38 am
    Just saw that Phat Phat is now listed with AAdvantage Dining rewards (and probably with United, too, as the rewards network seems to serve multiple clients).

    This usually means that a place is struggling--which is not hard to imagine after the lockdown. But it can also mean that they really are teetering. So if you want to try it, whether you get miles or not, this might be a helpful time.
    "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan

    http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com

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