ronnie_suburban wrote: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.

I've been twice in the last 6-weeks to Westmont Katie's and thought the what was on the plate as good as ever. Even bought a jumbo pack of 50 pork/chive frozen potstickers which I have been enjoying.

Katie's Westmont, count me a fan!

Anyone ever try to buy their noodles? Been a while since I've been to Westmont. Don't recall ever seeing them in the fridge case, because if they were, I'da bought them fo sho!

(Gary's Dan Dan recipe has got me thinking where to buy the BEST noodles.)

I used to go to the Westmont location with some frequency, but I got spoiled by the Oak Park location. Now that the OP location is totally out of rotation*, I've been too lazy to go back to Westmont. So it goes. I like our local Vietnamese and Thai options, though, so there is always that.

*Honestly, I've yet to get consistent reports on everything from quality to ownership at the Oak Park location. The menu is the same, isn't it? Is the quality that far gone? Something specific like the shredded pancake, is it totally different from how the dish was before? I think back in December a friend picked up a pile of dumplings from OP and they were great as usual, but was that before or after the change? Were they made onsite? Were they made and frozen and then thawed in OP? Who knows.

Vitesse98 -
My last visit (TO THE OAK PARK LOCATION) was Aug 2017.
It was very bad. I have not been back since then. I'm not above giving it another shot, but that last visit was nothing reminiscent of Katy's. It was "no pride, standard issue, ameri-chinese, glop." I hate to even say that, but that's what it was. It may as well have been Jade Garden, in Anytown, Nebraska.

I have absolutely NOTHING bad to say about the Westmont location, and from most accounts here, the Westmont location seems to be running strong.

seebee wrote:I have absolutely NOTHING bad to say about the Westmont location, and from most accounts here, the Westmont location seems to be running strong.

Same cook, same taste, new dinnerware.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote: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=

Thanks for the update!

They had slipped for a while including my visit where the dumplings were a shadow of their former self.

I will keep an eye on how they are doing and might return.

They did break my heart though.

Vitesse98 wrote:I like our local Vietnamese and Thai options, though, so there is always that.

This is where I’m at.

Vitesse98 wrote:The menu is the same, isn't it?

Actually even though the menu seemed similar the preparation was alway different. Dan Dan noodles case in point. Oak Park was more of a soup wherein Westmont, a noodle dish without so much broth.

Vitesse98 wrote:The dumplings... Were they made and frozen and then thawed...

This was my experience at Westmont soon after the change. Didn’t seem fresh and without that satisfying explosion of broth when you took that first bite.

Walking through the kitchen of the Westmont store last week (on my way to the bathroom!), it was hard to feel anything but enthusiastic as I witnessed the bustling kitchen staff making just about everything on the menu by hand . . . noodles, dumplings, stocks, etc. And the dumplings we ate while we were there certainly didn't seem in any way like they'd been frozen. The Dan-Dan was definitely soupy but it's listed as a soup on the menu, so that didn't surprise or disappoint us, and this prep has always seemed to vary there, even before the ownership change. It was also delicious. I only wish I lived closer.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:And the dumplings we ate while we were there certainly didn't seem in any way like they'd been frozen.

Many of the dumplings they serve have been frozen, but you'd never know it once they're steamed/boiled. And I just don't see any issue with this. It's not like they're freezing them and leaving them in the freezer for months such that off tastes develop. I've made many dumplings over the years and relied upon recipes from well known Chinese chefs who specifically advise you to freeze dumplings that you don't plan to immediately cook.

According to this article, http://www.cwbchicago.com/2018/08/sober ... arges.html,
The owners of Katy's Dumplings in Westmont were caught in an IRS sting and charged on Tuesday.

Had another great lunch at Katy's Westmont today. The food was as good as ever, with the same staff still working the kitchen and front of house. The only change I noticed was yet another upgrade in tableware. New, higher end plates were being used. Other than that, there were also a couple new menu items on the chalkboard.

I didn't order any dumplings this time, because I wanted to try one of the new blackboard dishes, Peking Duck for $15. This turned out to be six pre-made in the kitchen pancakes containing shreds of skin-on duck and a bit too much scallions and hoisin sauce. It was OK, but certainly not a must order dish. We debated between that and a spicy ma-la beef soup also on the chalkboard. I think the soup might have been a better choice, given Katy's track record with soup. The duck wasn't bad at all, but it was nothing special.

Katy's Peking Duck


Of course, at least for me, no trip to Katy's is complete without an order of stir fried pork and onion pancake, and today's version delivered, as usual. No downhill alert here, folks, and seemingly no change despite recent news headlines.

Katy's Stir Fried Pork and Onion Pancake

I had a couple of experiences with Katy's over the summer where the portion size of the fried noodles had dropped substantially. Then I was told that I was highly sensitive to sodium and should cut way back on certain things like most real Chinese food, and I hadn't been there since early August. But a current cold had me needing spicy comfort, and I ended up at Katy's yesterday at the end of the lunch rush.

I'm pleased to report that they were as on target as ever. I got my normal order of pork fried noodle, spicy, and noticed that they had Chengdu dumplings listed on the chalkboard. So I got an order of those as well. The dumplings were very good but not quite up to the early-teens LSC Downers Grove standard I used to enjoy. But the noodle dish was nearly perfect, and back to its original portion size. No way I could finish both dishes at one sitting, so the rest went back to my place to be last night's dinner.

At this point there are four foods I really enjoy where I have to plan in advance to be good for a day around ordering them: Italian Beef, BBQ of any form, Chuck's stuffed green pepper soup, and Katy's spicy pork fried noodle. I'm very pleased that Katy's is still in that rotation.

First Katy's post for '19.....

They're still chugging along and doing a brisk business. Wife and I snuck in just before the Saturday lunch rush. Made a lite meal out of scallion pancakes, pork chive dumplings, and juicy steamed bao. All is good in Westmont.

When I was in OAK PARK yesterday for the amazing Jazz Thaw sponsored by WDCB-90.9FM, I happened to notice Katy's Dumplings and "knew" that folks here who'd been raving about their WESTMONT location- were less than thrilled by the authenticity of the Oak Park location.
I threw caution to the wind- and decided to order a dish to take-away, regardless.
You-Talkin’-To-Me......?I’m askin’- you-?.... You-Talkin’-To-Me......? by R. Kramer, on Flickr

While the HUMONGOUS Koi kept me entertained while waiting for my food to be cooked- I also chatted up the guys at the counter.
Interesting take-away......the Cooks on the line in Oak Park- are also Chinese, but the food is also "dumbed" down (my words) for more American clients in Oak Park.
In other words- Orange Chicken outsells- spicy Maw Soup.....and- they are simply responding to their Market.

My Stir-Fry-pancake-noodles with "Combo" protein was marginal - (not bad- but not great!) lacking any -"oomph"- even though I requested XTRA Spicy when I ordered....and nowhere as remarkable as when I was in WESTMONT one day- and stopped there to see how they compared to MY Chinese faves in Bridgeport + Chinatown.
But- if you ever wanna meet some Fish- that are bored for attention....
I recccd that you stop in to The Lake Street version of Katy's.
Fish were-bored....-as-I-was-too...... by R. Kramer, on Flickr

love the pics, thanks

they serve koi there now?

Yes, but they dumb down the ma-la for them.

After many years of wanting to go here, but just never being close enough when I was visiting Chicagoland, I finally made a trip here. Me and some friends enjoyed pork potstickers, Chengdu dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, and stir fried mixed pancake(Plus I snagged a container of their smoked fish to go). I have to say, all the hype is warranted. A fantastic meal through and through.


Does anybody ever check out the Hunsn market in the same strip ? They had some interesting prepared goods on Saturday. I got a pickled greens and dry tofu “salad” along with some egg tarts( although I don’t believe those were prepared in house)

Last Dec, we were desperately looking for an alternative Chinese delivery place, and our son talked us into taking a chance again with the OP Katy's. We had given up after the ownership change...but what the heck; it wasn't inedible.

Much to our surprise, some of the dishes were good - not as good as Westmont Katy's but the noodles appeared to be real Katy's noodles, just not nearly as fresh. The Beef Noodle Soup was the exact same, delicious broth as Westmont, with reasonable noodles. For me, that was the closest thing to the old days - check me on this if you have a mind to. The shredded pancake is a no go though - nothing like Westmont's, so I agree with Mr. Kramer above. The Chicken Fried Noodle was also pretty good. Other items were ho-hum. So it was a mixed bag. Are they getting some items from Westmont? Dunno.

We did manage to stop by the real Katy's in Feb and it was still awesome.

[Edit] to add that I ordered the Beef Noodle Soup a couple of weeks ago to confirm, and it was the same/just as good.

Katy's Oak Park

I cannot understand why anyone would waste their money and time. Most reports are bad with only a few exceptions. Hoping a miracle will happen?

If I want something a little different...

Lotus Chinese Restaurant
7230 W North Ave #210, Elmwood Park, IL 60707

... has been getting some good press lately with some authentic items found here and there. I had visited a long, long time ago and only ordered Cantonese.

I am not quite sure why I am so angry.

lthDave wrote:Noodle Soup a couple of weeks ago to confirm, and it was the same/just as good.

I'm suppressing the urge to doubt the shit out of you on this, but the glimmer of hope is just too strong. I'ma probably get there soon-ish. Katy's Oak Park loving inlaws are staying with us for a week. They have no good Chinese food anywhere near them, so even sub-par Chinese food excites them.

Matter of fact, just last night, we had someone from that side of the family stay overnight on their route to Fla. They were also huge Katy's Oak Park fans, but I nixed their Katy's OP request after telling them how much it stunk now.

PLEASE NOTE - THIS POST IS ABOUT KATY'S OAK PARK LOCATION ONLY. NOTHING TO DO WITH WESTMONT WHICH IS STILL EXCELLENT.

I don't get to the Oak Park area very often but the glimmer of hope is encouraging. The landscape can change so fast in the restaurant world, it's not inconceivable to think that notable behind-the-scenes changes can take place without most of us ever knowing about them. Such are the perils of writing a place off forever. For that reason, I really appreciate the recent update and possible "uphill" alert.

Let's all please make sure that when we post, the frustration and disappointment we feel about a place isn't inadvertently directed at those generous enough to share their opinions and experiences here . . . even if they don't line up with our own.

Thanks,

=R=

I think in regards to the Oak Park Katy's, Hombre makes an interesting observation above.

While all of us clamor for the "authentic" Katy's, the vast majority of the clientele is more likely than not to order the Americanized stuff that they have come to expect. While this is disappointing, from a purely business sense I get it. Cater to the crowd that is paying the majority of the bill. We would all like to hope that a restaurant can serve both crowds, or that the "secret" authentic menu of our desires exists, but sometimes serving both masters is just not possible.

The other consideration is the ethnic mix of the population in the area surrounding the establishment. Suburbs like Westmont, Niles and Glenview have a much higher Asian population than Oak Park, making the desire for less "Americanized" versions greater.

thetrob wrote:We would all like to hope that a restaurant can serve both crowds, or that the "secret" authentic menu of our desires exists, but sometimes serving both masters is just not possible.

Spoon Thai did just that, they had two sets of kitchen staff: one devoted to making Americanized Thai and the other for Thai. What we considered their secret menu was intended for their Thai clients.

Regards,
Cathy2

We stopped at Katy’s in Westmont today for some dumplings for a picnic at a local park.

Love the redecorated restaurant! The graphic of the girl slurping soup was cool (phone in the car), light fixture, okay, but I missed the picture of Red Shirt on the wall as well as Miss Leather Pants working the counter.

They have cloth hangings blocking the view of the stove so I couldn’t see if Tall, Lanky Dude was cooking.

Still had a chalk board but it included English translations but it seemed to be only daily specials and didn’t appear to include the specialty ethnic items.

The cooler had cold item to go but it was down to 2 shelves and the rest was beverages.

Short Girl took my order and I had a seat to wait. The restaurant was mostly full but mostly gringos including a large group in the center of the room. The gal bringing out food was hopping!

Inquiring about 2 dishes she brought out that looked like Dan Dan Noodles on a plate but she assured me that Dan Dan was still served in a bowl as a soup.

Still free tea but you have to pay for water.

Got my order and headed to the park, found a picnic table in the shelter and got down to eat.

Hot, steaming, looked good but the flavor of old was gone.

Remember when you would bite into the dumpling? It would explode with broth? ... running down your chin?

The strong taste of chive?

Missing. Rather pedestrian.

Also missing was a small container of the vinegar/soy for dipping that was replaced with packets of soy sauce (thinking about it the tables had only soy and light sodium).

We only had one item and maybe the noodles are still fantastic but this lack of detail has me wondering.

We Westmont Katied this past Sat - prime time 7:30p.
Dan Dan - still great broth, noodles well overcooked, no chew.
Pancake - A+

Found a new "go to." It's just cold, chopped up, boneless dark and white meat chicken AND yummy, flaccid, chicken skin in chili oil. I asked the server what it was, (it was in the case) and she said, "Bang Bang Chicken." I had no understanding of what "Bang Bang Chicken" was. I've seen it on other menus, and assumed it was some kinda fried chicken chunks in sweet goo. Katy's Bang Bang is now mandatory when we go. The chili oil wasn't too heavy in the ma la dept, so we doctored it up with the jar on the table. Hell yeah. It was kinda like a "lighter flavor" version of that perfect chicken from Spring World back in the day (if anyone is familiar and knows a great source, please point me)

Beef Dumplings were not right. We didn't even finish the order. Super fine grind, lots of black vinegar flavor. Very wet inside. Wife thought they were off, but my tongue said too much black vinegar. The grind was like that of taco bell ground "meat." Super fine. After all of the excellent dumplings I've had at Katy's, however, I'd just chalk it up to a weird batch. Wouldn't deter me in the least from ordering them again.

seebee wrote:Found a new "go to." It's just cold, chopped up, boneless dark and white meat chicken AND yummy, flaccid, chicken skin in chili oil. I asked the server what it was, (it was in the case) and she said, "Bang Bang Chicken." I had no understanding of what "Bang Bang Chicken" was. I've seen it on other menus, and assumed it was some kinda fried chicken chunks in sweet goo. Katy's Bang Bang is now mandatory when we go.

This dish is (from everything I can tell) pseudonymous with Bon Bon Chicken, a wonderful dish I first enjoyed at Chengdu Impression 4-5 years ago. Their version has some sesame to it, but likewise not memorable because of its heat.
Link confirming it's the same thing: http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/bon-bon-chicken-bang-bang-chicken/

Panther in the Den wrote:We stopped at Katy’s in Westmont today for some dumplings for a picnic at a local park.

Love the redecorated restaurant! The graphic of the girl slurping soup was cool (phone in the car), light fixture, okay, but I missed the picture of Red Shirt on the wall as well as Miss Leather Pants working the counter.

They have cloth hangings blocking the view of the stove so I couldn’t see if Tall, Lanky Dude was cooking.

Still had a chalk board but it included English translations but it seemed to be only daily specials and didn’t appear to include the specialty ethnic items.

The cooler had cold item to go but it was down to 2 shelves and the rest was beverages.

Short Girl took my order and I had a seat to wait. The restaurant was mostly full but mostly gringos including a large group in the center of the room. The gal bringing out food was hopping!

Inquiring about 2 dishes she brought out that looked like Dan Dan Noodles on a plate but she assured me that Dan Dan was still served in a bowl as a soup.

Still free tea but you have to pay for water.

Got my order and headed to the park, found a picnic table in the shelter and got down to eat.

Hot, steaming, looked good but the flavor of old was gone.

Remember when you would bite into the dumpling? It would explode with broth? ... running down your chin?

The strong taste of chive?

Missing. Rather pedestrian.

Also missing was a small container of the vinegar/soy for dipping that was replaced with packets of soy sauce (thinking about it the tables had only soy and light sodium).

We only had one item and maybe the noodles are still fantastic but this lack of detail has me wondering.

9DBEDB84-B02E-473B-A67D-9DFC9EF2BA95.jpeg

Red shirt was the previous owner. And the taller woman who used to take orders seemed to have gone with him . The shorter woman (who I now do not believe is "Katy" as I referred to her up thread) is so great, in her curt, no bs way. I like the new women who preside over the place too. And the classic lanky cook is still there.

seebee wrote:We Westmont Katied this past Sat - prime time 7:30p.
Dan Dan - still great broth, noodles well overcooked, no chew.
Pancake - A+

Found a new "go to." It's just cold, chopped up, boneless dark and white meat chicken AND yummy, flaccid, chicken skin in chili oil. I asked the server what it was, (it was in the case) and she said, "Bang Bang Chicken." I had no understanding of what "Bang Bang Chicken" was. I've seen it on other menus, and assumed it was some kinda fried chicken chunks in sweet goo. Katy's Bang Bang is now mandatory when we go. The chili oil wasn't too heavy in the ma la dept, so we doctored it up with the jar on the table. Hell yeah. It was kinda like a "lighter flavor" version of that perfect chicken from Spring World back in the day (if anyone is familiar and knows a great source, please point me)

Beef Dumplings were not right. We didn't even finish the order. Super fine grind, lots of black vinegar flavor. Very wet inside. Wife thought they were off, but my tongue said too much black vinegar. The grind was like that of taco bell ground "meat." Super fine. After all of the excellent dumplings I've had at Katy's, however, I'd just chalk it up to a weird batch. Wouldn't deter me in the least from ordering them again.

The pancake, in all my years loving Katy's, is the only item in my rotation that has a very thin margin of error, it performs in a 90th percentile every time. The stir fried noodles and the Szechuan cold noodles are also more reliable preps, since the noods are mismanaged in the soups from time to time. Soup-wise, the potency of broth and consistency of seasoning and meat quality can also be variables. When dan dan & beef noodle are on they are some of my favorite soups ever, so I roll the dice.

The dumplings have definitely changed with the new ownership. Unlike the two posters above, I have had more issue with the skins than the fillings, they are thicker now (and in a rainbow of colors, as is au courant in Beijing apparently.) With Tong's at the Naperville H-Mart closer to me, I am pretty blissed out in the dump dept. Tong serves the best dumplings I've had in Chicago-land ever, period.

I look forward to trying the bang bang chicken again. There are some secret weapons in the cold case, including my fave pig ears in chili oil.

Well-timed revive, since I just picked up a bag of frozen dumplings from the Westmont location last week, my first visit in years, and I had a lot of the same aforementioned issues. Flavor and consistency of filling were just ... off (though they were plenty juicy). It didn't help that the week before I had a bunch of my friend's Chinese mother-in-law's dumplings, which were great, but this Katy's batch is something of a bummer. I'm not even sure what meat is inside; I think it may be beef?

For what it's worth, the redecorated place looked nice, service was fast and polite, and it was reasonably busy for lunch on a Wednesday.

A Black Cauldron of dan dan from Katy's Westmont lasted about three meals, and lost no strength from earlier years: homemade chewy noodles, cilantro stems, steaming fragrant broth with a knot of cold finely minced pork with sesame seeds and Szechuan peppercorns stop, lots and lots of well-cleaned chives. I was surprised for the second time by the stylish remodel.

I separately ordered the stir fried shredded onion and pork pancake and received and was charged for the scallion pancake appetizer (still excellent). The pork-and-chive pot stickers to go had the noticeably finer grind and looser filling than the heyday here or in Oak Park, but the dough was perfection and they went down easy for the family. Note: a few menus online do not match the current dine-in menu (there has been some streamlining).