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Division (Blue)
Tue-Thu. 11:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
There's nothing exceptionally remarkable about the food at Mon Lung. I've had better but, this is not the worst. Very middle of the road.
The rice which normally is very fluffy at most Chinese restaurants as I wonder why mine doesn't come out so perfect. Mon Lung's was like my rice, just Ok, not fluffy.
This place does not deliver which is a drawback if you don't feel like going out to get it.
So, I will go along with most Yelpers here and say that Mon Lung is just average Chinese fare.
I saw all of these great reviews for Mon Lung and was all excited to check this place out. It's just a standard Chinese restaurant, ya'll. I mean, the food is fine but it's just like any other Chinese restaurant. I've tried the egg rolls, pot stickers, hunan chicken and chicken with broccoli - all of them were fine but were definitely at the level of any other local shop. And why can't these restaurants use real chicken breasts?!? It always has to be that somewhat questionable, possibly bleached white meat, you know? Note to self: don't cut corners on the meat quality!
One item to avoid: anything with lo mein. The lo mein is like ramen. Not that I don't like my ramen. I just don't like it when I order lo mein.
If you live nearby, you'll be happy with Mon Lung - it's good dependable food. If you aren't in the area, it's probably not worth the trip.
That being said, the main waitress (and probably co-owner, since she's been there every time I've gone) is pretty darn attractive so maybe you would want to make the trip. If you get excited about Asian waitresses at average Asian restaurants.
OK, so after reading a number of gushing reviews I thought maybe I'd finally, FINALLY found a good Chinese place in my neighborhood. So I gave it a shot one night a few months ago. I got a won ton soup and a chicken entree; I don't remember which one, but it was mentioned as being good in the reviews. First, the won tons in the soup had shrimp *gag*! I hate shrimp! My fault, I should have asked, no penalty there. But then my chicken entree was very bland and uninspired. It wasn't bad, just had nothing to set it apart or make me order it again or even remember what it was.
A couple months passed and I tried again with a different dish. Sesame chicken this time. It had a decent flavor but was swimming in sauce, which meant the breaded chicken was a total sog-fest.
So hoping that the third time was a charm (and lacking in quick dinner options) one night I tried hot & sour soup and chicken chow mein. This was the best of the three. I ordered a small soup (which would easily have passed for a large soup at most restaurants) and a large entree. There was a ton of food, and I got two meals out of it--for about $11. (For the record, portion size wasn't an issue for any of the previous meals either). The soup was tasty...definitely hot. The chicken dish had big slices of good quality chicken and lots of veggies & sauce. The chow mein noodles themselves were nothing special, but when combined with the chicken & veggies they lent a pleasing crunch to the meal. Now, the flavor wasn't amazing or anything. I had to add soy sauce & hot sauce, but once I did it really hit the spot.
Speaking of hot sauce, one thing to note is that unlike most Asian restaurants I've encountered, Mon Lung charges for hot sauce. I'm generally too cheap to pay a restaurant for a condiment! Fortunately, I had a fresh jar of cock sauce in the fridge, and everything turned out OK. But my quest for truly good Chinese in my area continues.
P.S. Yes, there were cops eating here all three times I went in to pick up my food. I've never dined in so can't address the service.
People thought this was:
I love Mon Lung! My boyfriend lives next door and we decided to go one rainy night. I have to say I was kinda sceptical bc it 's sorta a hole in the wall kinda place which is always hit or miss when it comes to Chinese food. Well honestly it was one of the best restaurants I have been to in a while. The experience was just enjoyable. It is a very small quite place. The lighting is just right, not too bright or stark white but not too dim. There is a tv on which just kinda makes you feel like you are eating at home. The owner was sitting at a table next to us reading and doing bills. It just felt homey and comfortable.
In regards to the food I had the shrimp lo main which was good. It was not the more typical long spaghetti noodles but rather ramen like noodles which made it a lighter dish. We had the sesame chicken which was good and the pot stickers which were great. The pot sticker portion was huge which makes it great if you are sharing with a few people.
Honestly I can't wait to go back.
People thought this was:
Let's be clear. If you're looking for fine dining or PF Changs this isn't the place. However, if you're looking for really solid Chinese food with really good food and nice people then you've hit the jackpot. I live right around the corner from Mon Lung so it's become a frequent spot of mine, and a wonderful haven amongst the 40 Mexican restaurants in the hood. I can honestly say both take-out and dine-in I've never had a bad experience. It's not easy to find good Chinese food in Chicago outside of Chinatown and it's definitely the best place I've found in the Wicker Park area. It's definitely worth giving this place a try.
People thought this was:
Everything was squishy.
Standard fast-food Chinese place with standard food. They try to make the inside look decently nice though. BYOB. Service is pretty good. There is usually a cop car outside (parked illegally) with the officers eating inside, so you know it's pretty good. Lately whenever I walk by all the tables are usually full, so that's a good sign for them.
I typically go in and order takeout, and it never takes very long for the food to come out. Dumplings aren't the best (they are soggy by the time I get home), but everything is pretty tasty. Good size portions.
Street parking is pretty easy, but also try non-meter parking on Augusta.
I lived next door to Mon lung for a year. Fresh, flavorful and well prepared Chinese, this is not your average take out joint! The family who runs it put a lot of care from the preparation of the food, to the presentation of your take out "package". I never get the "Chinese Hang Over" when the meal is over. Don't expect them to pile on the food but what you lack in quantity you get back in quality.
TIP! Cops love it, so don't make this your munchies spot.
People thought this was:
This ain't your momma's Chinese Carryout. One look at the website might tell you that.
But if that doesn't convince you, come in and pick up some of this quick, cheap and delicious food. We came here for a chicken noodle soup hankering and left with full bellies of Wonton Soup, the aforementioned Chicken Noodle and something neither of us have ever gotten-- Egg Foo Yong.
I ordered it because, well, I haven't actually ate at a Americanized Chinese place since college (yeah, I'm a snob), and wondered what the hell it was.
Well it, sirs and madams, is some fantastic, omeletty goodness slathered in this tasty gravy. The service here is friendly and attentive, and it has a warm atmosphere.
I'd go back here in five years again when I want to get some Americanized Chinese food.
People thought this was:
Good, standard Americanized Chinese food. The place is clean, well lit and has decent atmosphere. The staff was nice, although a little inattentive.
Our food was prepared quickly and was tasty, ingredients were fresh.
Nothing overly exciting, but darn decent Chinese food.
My theory that cops know good food is reconfirmed. Tons of Chicago's Finest hang out at Mon Lung. It makes me feel oddly secure in my Chinese food decisions.
Oh yes... Mon Lung also has quite possibly the best crab rangoon I've experienced. No fluffy BS. Just hot, fried pockets of luscious cream cheese and crab meat.
People thought this was:
For those who know me, they know that Chinese food is not my thing. I'm just not a huge fan.
BUT
I do…
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The orange chicken and hot and sour soup that I ordered both tasted like the main ingredient was barbecue sauce. The only time in my life I didn't eat the food I paid for. The prices would have been reasonable if the food had been edible.
People thought this was:
I happen to be chinese, and this is my go-to neighborhood place. Haven't had anything here that wasn't good.
I probably wouldn't dine in the restaurant though. Its not terrible, but the ambiance isn't exactly great. Carryout will work for me.
Pretty standard Chinese take-out.
I love that I can walk in on my way home from work and leave with something simple, like sweet and sour chicken, in only a few minutes. Since convenience, desperation, and hangovers have been the only forces driving me to Mon Lung, I've never ventured for other menu items. They're great when you want it quick and greasy.
I'd be interested to know if the Lobster Fried Rice is worth the "too high for greasy takeout" price.
People thought this was:
Wish I had found this place sooner...
Perfect for takeout and hang overs. I really like the Low Mein. In fact, it is my favorite so far in the city (in terms of cheap and fast).
People thought this was:
I got a number of standard Chinese restaurant dishes for carryout and everything, even something as mundane as the egg-drop soup, was really tasty.
The shrimp-tofu dish was generous on the shrimp. The broccoli beef dish has the broccoli cut into bite sized pieces and had other vegetables in it. The curry had a nice zing to it. We got the shrimp fried rice spicy and it was really good.
My carryout order was ready promptly when I got there. The place is inexpensive.
People thought this was:
Good chinese restaurants are almost impossible to find outside of Chinatown. It's kinda disappointing the amount of fast food ones like Panda Express there are, which are okay, but usually give me an aweful stomach ache by the end. I can't even tell you how happy I was when I found this place, family owned since 1982 btw!! It looks like a total hole in the wall, and certainly won't win any awards for interior design, but the food is as good as it gets.
I've carried out from here probably at least a dozen times. You can have an entire meal for about $5 if you order the small portion, which they offer for almost every dish other than some of the specials. Some of my favorites are the cashew chicken, kung pao chicken, mon lung special, and hunan beef.
I was so impressed by the food that I even took my parents here! It's BYOB which is nice, and there's always the CPD in there so you'll feel extra safe :) We started w/ a large hot and sour soup, which is enough for 4 and a steal at $4.95. We also ordered the Mon Lung Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Hunan Shrimp, accompanied w/ an enormous bowl of steamed rice.
I can't say enough about the food here, i've never had anything I didn't like. Service is fast, efficient, and friendly. You MUST try it out, it's soooooo good!
People thought this was:
Fresh tasting food. Family owned and operated(as far as front of house). Relaxed dining generous portions. Must stop, if you're in the area!
Mon Lung is a great restaurant cursed with a bad name. Seriously, it took me months to cross the threshold just because I couldn't see the word 'lung' and think 'tasty.'
I regret waiting so long. This is a great Chinese restaurant, the kind we're lucky to have in the neighborhood. The space is more clean and spare than plush and inviting; but I think that's because the owners focus more on the food than the decor.
Their menu is a combination of Americanized Chinese food and more authentic dishes that you usually only see in Chinese neighborhoods. My go-to dish is the Chinese broccoli with beef; but everything I've ever had here was fresh and perfectly cooked.
Don't let the name discourage you. Go. Eat.
People thought this was:
Went here for the company holiday "party" (I use that term very loosely), and it was a buffet so sadly I didn't get to sample my usual faves...in particular, crab rangoon.
But, I did have the beef with broccoli and the egg rolls, which were very very good. I would highly, highly recommend if you live in the neighborhood, but I definitely do not think it is worth a trip. There is limited parking, and the interior is certainly nothing special. The waiters seemed a little annoyed, but...lets just say I don't blame them.
Get take out if you live in the area!
People thought this was:
Why 5?
Because it's the closest Chinese joint near me. And its pretty dern good. I like the "house" fried rice which is basically everything in it friend rice. I take it home and it will feed me for a few meals. Can't go wrong for Under $7.
People thought this was:
Nice staff, though there's a definite language barrier with one server. The pot stickers and crab rangoons were good, but the famed mongolian beef was really unnaturally mushy and the brown sauce was artificially gooey and surprisingly bland. I felt a weird sense of guilt after eating it and I smelled like a Chinese restaurant for a day. Definitely had a Chinese food hangover. I'll have to try something different to let them redeem themselves.
This place is consistently good. I usually get take out but have eaten there too. The interior is nothing special but it doesn't really matter. The food is good, tasty and consistent.
Parking is kind of a bummer.
Lissette A. and Angio M. hit all the great points. This place sems to have more flavor in its food than anywhere else except maybe Friendship on N. Milwaukee. But it is so reasonably priced it is the best bang for the buck. Nothing is tastier at any price for me.
People thought this was:
A solid Chinese food place in the neighborhood that won't break your budget or make you sick. Of course, don't expect the niceties of other places, like chopsticks or fortune cookies with your take-out orders. The only thing they provide gratis is the white rice with entree orders.
Cops seem to love this place - I swear, everytime I go to pick up my order, there are cops sitting in this place eating their dinners. Take that as you will.
They always have my order ready super fast, which is another nice thing, but they do not have delivery, which is totally a bummer. For delivery (and better quality and a higher price, of course) I go with Friendship. But for a quick and cheap, you can't go wrong with Mon Lung.
The Lo Main is pretty good. Orange Chicken was pretty good. Wasn't too impressed with Beef and Broccoli. The Beef Chow Fun was ok, but next time I am going to try it with the glass noodles as one other reviewer recommended. Egg Rolls are ok, but they only have that duck sauce to go with, so it is kind of disappointing in that regard. Roommate enjoyed her Chicken Kow.
People thought this was:
I always get take-out from this place when i crave Chinese. Why? Because i live near-by and most importantly because they have amazing Mongolian Beef.
I get it 99.9% of the time i oder and i think it's great. You have to watch out for the hot chillis cause in that brown sauce you might mistake them for a piece of beef... (yes, i did that once).
I have tried other house specilties - like the entree with black mushrooms and bunch of other stuff. IT's good - but nothing beats Mongolian Beef.
Good food here! Alert! Good food here! Yes it is pretty darn good. It is not in the upper echelon of Chicago Chinese but it was definitely solid.
The place is small if you want to dine in so there will most likely be a bit of a wait. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive but it seemed like it took a while for hem to get us our food. This could have been just me as I was really hungry at the time.
I ordered the shrimp and broccoli. These happen to be two of my most favoritest foods so I knew I was going to be in for a treat. I was really impressed because the shrimp and broccoli was cooked perfectly. The sauce it was in was on the thicker side but it did not leave that "heavy" feeling in my mouth. I can't remember what my sweetie had but it was in the same sauce and had shrimp pork and all kinds of vegetables. She seemed to enjoy it!
People thought this was:
I'm basing this review off of one meal, but it was so terrible it causes me to gag every time I ride by.
I ordered the Moo Shu. All I need to say is instead chinese pancakes, they used tortillas!!!!!!! Talk about a faux pas. I mean, it seems so authentic in there, but why on EARTH would you use tortillas?????
Also, the mushrooms were most definitely canned. I was absolutely appalled and could not even eat any of it.
I'll never go back.
People thought this was:
Even though this place came highly recommended on good authority, I did not like it....nor did my wife. We ordered some basic Chinese dishes and egg rolls, which were v greasy.
I had the Kung Pao chicken and the chicken was passable at best. The accompanying veggies and sauce were a bit lacking which basically made the whole meal a miserable flop. Can't remember what she ordered as it was thoroughly forgettable.
Lastly, when I picked up the order I wanted to make sure they put in some fortune cookies but was told they only sell them by a small bag of five (or so)...wtf ?!? That was the kicker, I don't think i'll be going back.
People thought this was:
Quality / Taste (40%): 4
I enjoyed my egg roll & appreciated that it seemed to have a lot of vegetables other than cabbage in it; I even saw a little piece of leafy green! They just had little packets of duck sauce for it though; I always prefer to see the homemade stuff when I'm dining in. Anyway, I had the Lung Fung Kow and stole some of Dave's shrimp & broccoli. All of the ingredients were noticeably fresh & of good quality, and things tasted just as they should. As a whole, the food here was quite good, but I was expecting to be a little more blown away. I left wishing I had gotten the Chow Fun instead.
Atmosphere (20%): 2.5
Zero ambiance, but the small dining room was well-kept. I also noticed lots of cops, which I always take as a sign of good food at a decent price. My only real complaint was that there is no bathroom for patrons; you have to walk through part of the kitchen & use the little staff bathroom if you need it.
Service (20%): 3
Just fine.
Value (20%): 4
Prices were about the same as the takeout place by my house, and the quality here was noticeably better. They have lunch specials which will give you a lot of food for $6.
Overall: 3.5
I'm sure I will be back, but this is unlikely to be a destination spot for me. I'm saving the fourth star until I try the Chow Fun.
People thought this was:
I will never eat here again. My first visit & they mess up the order. Gave us a large portion instead of the small then insist on charging us the price of the large. How was I supposed to know that it was the large size? We didn't even finish it, I would have gladly let them keep the take out box of leftovers, but the waitress said "too late", didn't even offer an apology or anything! On top of it the other portion we ordered (also a small) came with steamed rice. I asked if I could change it to fried rice ... The waiter (a nice guy who I never saw again after we placed our orders) did tell me it would be an extra charge. Fine I said, thinking it would be a 1 or 2$ extra upgrade charge, They charged me for a full small size vegetable fried rice. Rice came with the meal!! I never got the included steamed rice AND they charged me for that full extra order! I was so pissed. Cost me 22$ for what should have been a 12$ lunch.
Fast, Fresh and Freakin' Good.
I've been driving by this place for about 7 years now and just never went in. It never really looked too appealing from the outside and the word "lung" does not conjure up images of tasty chinese cooking for me.
I ordered from here based upon previous Yelp reviews and I was quite happy. I ordered the Spicy Basil Beef on chow fun noodles (instead of glass noodles) and it was top notch. Large portion also.
We also ordered crab rangoon, which was good but not great.
When I went in for pick up every table was full, and it was a Wednesday night. I took that as a good sign.
I do not like heavy or syrupy chinese food or anything remotely resembling Panda Express, so if you just loves' you some runny gooey Panda , this may not be the place for you.
But if you like flavorful, clean, and quality give it a try.
People thought this was:
I love this place! The service is quick and friendly. The prices are cheap and the food is amazing. Its always a good sign when you see the owners and staff eating the restaurants food. This place has been around for at least 15 years and I've been going to it since I was a kid. The food has remained the best quality and prices haven't gone up at all. If you haven't tried it..please do. My only wish is that they'd deliver. Go and enjoy this place. You'll thank me later!
People thought this was:
I love this place. The food is good, the vegetables and meat always taste really fresh, and the people there are always very nice.
The eggrolls are awesome, and I love the vegetable fried rice-it has tons of really good veggies in it. I hate it when you order fried rice and all they put in it is egg and frozen peas. Yuck. We've ordered a little bit of everything from here, and we've always been happy and satisfied, if not always wowed. And they're quick... my food is always ready in less than 10 minutes.
Mon Lung is always a solid choice for take-out.
Side note: They have fried chicken on the menu... I'm curious....
Mon Lung is a pretty solid place. Some of their stuff is hit or miss, but I've tried enough things to know what is good.
I love the spicy chicken fried rice and their ginger and onion steamed fish.
Everything else is pretty much as good as you'll get at a decent chinese place.
I lived by Mon Lung a long time before I tried it. Then some friends who grew up in the neighborhood told me they were raised on Mon Lung and it was the best Chinese take out on the North Side.
After my third visit I agree with them. This restaurant prepares their take out food carefully, with fresh ingredients and sophisticated seasoning. I've twice had shrimp-based dishes, and they were both fresh and tasty.
Not much more to say, except that their dining room service is good too, and they're BYOB. When you see the steady stream of regulars picking up their food, you can tell the place is a beloved neighborhood staple.
I've been eating here since... hell, I can't remember that far back. Probably something to do with all the other things I was eating when I first moved into the neighborhood.
I digress.
In what seems like fifteen years or more, I've never had a bad meal at Monlung. High on the list are the BBQ pork medallions and the Singapore Vermicelli. Best eggrolls ever, according to my sick girlfriend whose flagging spirits were lifted one summer evening by the introduction of said eggrolls.
I'll admit the place might have looked sketchy once upon a time, but then anything near Wells High School was once sketchy. I was awakened by many a drive-by back in "the day." But now, the area is fine. Half the customers of Monlung are cops. Every time, there's a table of cops when I go in. Thankfully they never take up the meter parking since they get to park in front of hydrants and in bus stops.
I wish they delivered. Eh, who cares. I still would rather drive down there than get food from any place that delivers to my neighborhood.
The place is small, but has a couple spots available for largish parties (8 max, I think), and they'll take a reservation for such. At some point they're going to open up the newly remodeled upstairs, but last time I asked they couldn't tell me when.
People thought this was:
Mon Lung is definitely one of the better Chinese places north on the north side, but it's still just slightly above average overall. The menu is big enough and has all the staples one would expect.
I've tried the mongolian chicken, lo-mein- and chow fun dishes. I was disappointed in the mongolian because it was prepared in a very different manner than most places. It resembled hunan chicken more than mongolian. The noodle dishes are good though, and I would definitely recommend those.
Prices are average, 8-9 per entree, $10 for the special dishes. Portions are large, probably larger than most places in the area. Overall, I'd give it 3.5 stars, better than Papajin which is in the area.
Living around the corner from this place is like having your favorite beer restocked in your fridge every time you open the door. You don't need it everyday but it's ready to go when you want it.
Suggestions: Get the egg rolls (huge), stay away from the soup (lava hot), and go with the chef specials, and you will be happy every time.
I had the orange chicken (lg.), house special fried rice, crab rangoon, and egg rolls.
Orange chicken - High quality chicken with a great texture. The sauce was rather underwhelming which was disappointing considering we ordered 3 large orders of it.
House special fried rice - Included shrimp, chicken, and beef with a little kick. Highly recommended by this guy.
Crab rangoon - Average, I will probably give the pot stickers a shot next time although they are $2 more.
Egg rolls - Above average, had some shrimp in there, very plump and definitely hit the spot.
It was a good good day and I will be back as it is in my hood. I will probably just carry-out given the decor in there. If you want sit down Chinese, hit up that Friendship otherwise Mon Lung is a good good day for some Sunday night carry-out.
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