This is my favorite Chinese places outside Chinatown. The Food is very good. I actually have issues with good Chinese food in Chicago-most are bland, oily, or too much sauce. My favorites include: Shrimp Rolls, Pot Stickers, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Moo Shu Pork & they have 1 of the best Shrimp Egg Foo Young I ever had. + they give you free Crab Rangoon when your order is like above $25.
Giddy Up!
I feel torn - I think a 3.5 is a fair rating...standard delivery, high quality, generous portions....but I was not blown away by one of the dishes that I was anticipating to be very good.
I ordered Orange Chicken, Kung Pow Chicken and Low Mein Noodles. When it arrived and I tasted the two chicken dishes, I wasn't really sure that we had received the correct order so I called back to make sure- the reason I was confused was b/c I expected something different for the Orange Chicken. I'm not saying it was bad, really the reason I was ok w/ ordering from this spot was bc of all the high praise Yelpers gave Yen's orange chicken. It wasn't for me, though. I was disappointed by the sauce- very orange like as if I was eating bites of oranges- and while some people may appreciate that flavor, it was not my cup of tea...
When I warmed up the chicken the next day, the Kung Pow tasted a million times better - lots of veggies, peanuts, and the chicken was yummy. The flavor of the orange chicken had also improved a bit. I can tell the quality of the chicken is really good, so they have that going for themselves! I did not try to Low Mein, that was for my friend, but she was enjoying it so I think they did a good job. Next time I'm going to order Chinese from my usual spot, I thought I'd give somewhere new (and closer) a try but sadly I just wasn't a big enough fan to come back.
Alright so Chicago is really missing out on some good Chinese food. I have noticed that it is damn near impossible to find something decent outside of Chinatown. So, I was yelping places around me that had decent reviews and delivered because sometimes I'm lazy and just don't want to leave the warmth of my apartment.
Anyway, I ordered for delivery from this place on a weekday around 5. They have a $10 minimum for delivery and a $2.50 delivery charge. The delivery came literally to my door in 30 minutes. It felt like no time at all had gone by.
I ordered the egg rolls and beef lo mein, kept it simple. The egg rolls were decent, it wasn't the typical crunchy paper which I wasn't sure about. It was more of a thicker deep fried dough. The filling was good. The beef lo mein was much better than I expected. It's just the typical Chinese noodle dish, the beef was tender, and there was a decent amount of vegetables in it.
Overall, I will order from here again especially because they were nice and very quick. Also helps that the delivery minimum is lower because I won't have to order excessive amounts of food. The reviews about the garlic beef seem pretty high, so that will be a definite must try next time.
Nothing fancy here, just solid Chinese food.
The Sesame Chicken's brown gravy sauce is delicious. I'm sure it's terrible for you but it tastes awesome - especially compared to the "Orange Chicken with Sesame Seeds on Top" that you'll find at most Chinese takeout places.
We went there once when the place was slammed and they messed up one of the dishes in our order. The extremely nice hostess fixed the mistake, got our food to us quickly, credited the price of the dish they screwed up on the check, and then refused to let us to tip - she genuinely felt bad that they didn't get the order right. Pretty great service right there.
Like the bagels and the pizza, Â Chicago's Chinese take out is a far cry from the quality I'm accustomed to as a New Yorker. I've eaten from here three times. The first two times were pretty good and I thought I'd finally found my Chinese spot. But this last time proved me wrong. We ordered a beef dish and a chicken & shrimp dish - both tasted "off" - the chicken in particular was actually inedible, as if it had gone bad. And there was no shrimp at all. I understand tastes are different and that sometimes you don't get what you expect, but I listen to my taste buds. If it tastes like it's gone bad, then I'm not going to eat it. We spent almost $30 on two dishes and ended up throwing most of it away. I think I may give up searching for Chinese in Chicago.
Review Source:My husband and I tried Yen's for the first time the other night. We had just arrived home from a week's vacation in Mexico completely sick of having eaten boring, bland buffet food all week. Yen's welcomed us home by instantly reminding us that we live in a great food city.
I have to start off by commending the service. Not only was our server friendly and professional, she offered us complimentary hot tea upon our arrival and complimentary almond cookies after the meal. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I feel like most restaurants have really gotten away from complimentary anything. We very much appreciated both.
We started off with the pot stickers which were very good. Six large pot stickers came in an order which meant we didn't have to cut the last one in half like we always have to when it is just the two of us.
Next, we had Mongolian beef and ginger beef. Although the Mongolian beef was the better of the two, both were very tasty and we both had enough left over for lunch the next day.
In short, I would highly recommend this restaurant for the great food and perfect service. They will see us again soon!
Ever since I left my beloved Chinese food place back home I've been searching (to no avail) to find a replacement for my favorite meal of hot and sour soup and sesame chicken. After reading the reviews here I was confident I had found it.
My boyfriend and I ordered hot and sour soup to start and to my dismay it was not was I was looking for. I realize that every region has their own way of doing it, but this just wasn't up to snuff. I will say it was much better than some other experiences I have had where it was too gooey or syrupy. They had all the right stuff in there, just missing the flavor.
Sesame chicken was not, repeat NOT sesame chicken. I've never had a variation that legit tasted like peanut butter, but I suppose these guys really love their peanut sauce. Chicken was all white and cooked well but the sauce made it nearly inedible.
Overall I probably won't be back until I hear of a dish that I must try. I shall continue my search elsewhere.
I wish I had read more reviews before deciding to order delivery from Yen's. We chose Yen's based on seeing high ratings, but we ended up throwing everything out. The killer was finding a piece of hard plastic in the garlic pork. The scallops smelled and tasted suspect. Sorry to say, we won't order from them again.
Review Source:Without a doubt my favorite Chinese food on the north side. Â Every dish I've yet tried - from my usual yellow curry chicken to the kung pao beef - have been fantastic. Â Real stand-outs are the orange chicken and shrimp and scallop soup. Â Although I'm generally not a fan of organge chicken, Yen's somehow makes it delectable with a true orange flavor. Â The shrimp and scallop soup broth is such a great consistency and flavor, I've never had better.
Service is good and when dining in, the food always arrives within 10 minutes of ordering. Â Portions are large and intended for family style, so I always have plenty of left overs for lunch or dinner. Â Unfortunately Yen's is one of the few Asian places in the area with a liquor license, so no BYOB here, but that will not stop me from coming.
I've been a regular of Yen's for about two years now and can't recommend them enough.
I called yens after seeing they had a pretty good overall rating. Â I no joke had to call 16 to get it to ring instead of a busy signal. Â I still took it as a good sign that they were busy. Â I ordered one order of eggrolls and beef and broccoli. Â My food took an hour and a half! Â I was starving by this point, but I was still hopeful. Â Even feeling starving the food was less than mediocre. Â The eggrolls were gross, and the beef was tough. Â I would not recommend this place. Â they are overpriced with bad customer service and less than par food.
Review Source:It's too bad that some people didn't have a good experience here, but I have never been let down in the 2+ years I've been coming to Yen's for weekday dinner dates with friends.
The portions are substantial (I always get another 1-2 meals out of my main order) and I'm fairly certain that the hot and sour soup can cure anything but the economy. I think the tall, taciturn waiter is a hoot but maybe that's because I don't much care for talkative waiters. The interior is pleasantly dim and reminds me of being in a ship for some reason--it calms me immediately after a hectic day. They often have fresh flowers on all the tables. And there are no tvs blaring, thank the lord.
A few things they could work on are the bathrooms (serviceable but a bit manky) and the fact that Adele is ALWAYS playing when we are there. And one time, it was kind of stinky, but they were closed yesterday (damn them; had to go to Taste of Asia instead and it was poopy) to update kitchen equipment so maybe that will address the issue.
In short, I got a yen for Yen's!
I was really excited to check out this place considering all the good reviews but the food just did not live up to my expectations. Â We ordered take out and none of us could finish any of the dishes we ordered. Â And instead of saving it for lunch next day, we simply tossed it because it was that bad.
We tried the following:
egg rolls - very generic, tasted like out of a frozen box
wonton soup - bland
beef chow fun - flavorless except for the over-empowering saltiness
The food was truly disappointing. Â Won't be returning. Â
Besides the food, the restaurant itself was cute and decor was nice.
My husband ordered the sweet and sour chicken and the general chow's chicken last week because I was craving some of that sweet and sour sauce! But to my dismay, the sauce was overpowered by the peanut sauce, hence it did not taste like the sweet and sour chicken I was craving for.. :( The chicken pieces were also too big, making it  dry. The general chow's chicken was better, and the egg roll was pretty good, but sadly, we don't plan from ordering from here again.
Review Source:Prompt and attentive (but not over attentive) service. Â The food was plentiful and AWESOME. Â You look and look for a Chinese food place like what you used to remember, and then, BANG, you find one.
Just down the street from the Landmark, the server asked if we wanted them to hold the leftovers there while we went to the movie. Â Great service!
The crab rangoon was actually crab rangoon, the hot and sour soup was amazing, but the best was (if memory serves) General Pao Shrimp.
A new favorite for the wife and I.
I haven't lived in Chicago for over a decade, but any time I'm in town, I make a special pilgrimage to Yens. And while it was near where I lived, it's certainly not super convenient as a visitor. But I still go.
Not because it's fancy - it's like a standard mid-range Chinese place - but because of the Sesame Chicken. They make it with all white meat and the most amazing spicy peanut sauce. It hits all the right notes and I've never had another Chinese place anywhere I've lived make such a tasty chicken dish. Â I can't even mention anything else on the menu because I can't recall trying anything else after I first tried the Sesame Chicken. Â If only they'd open a NYC branch....
I had the Orange chicken, it was soggy and soaked in the sauce. Â White meat was a plus though. Â BBQ pork fried rice was ok, 6/10. Â
Egg rolls were disgusting. Â I love egg rolls, never had a bad one. Â It was like there were grilled onions in it, gross.
Delivery: 25 minutes, food was hot. Just wish it was a bit better.
What is is this delicious little treasure that has sat facing, nay, mocking my condo building ever since I moved in? Â How did I never try Yen's in the first year of my residency in this building? I love Chinese! What the hell!
Well here's the hell- my dear cousin, fresh from a year in Uruguay and visiting against her will in the coldest month Chicago has to offer, declared her first meal back in the States had to be Chinese. Awesome. There's snow, like, everywhere, and my cousin is nearly allergic to anything below 50 degrees. Luckily she notices Yen's before I do and suggests we walk the extremely short walk over and have her favorite orange chicken.
The service is mediocre, what with water glasses scantily refreshed and silverware nowhere to be seen; but the eye-candy cathedral like stained-glass and wood paneling is mesmorizing. We had no problem waiting to get our grub on with so much to gander.
The service may have been subpar, but the food was not. We dined on steamed dumplings, mongolian beef, orange chicken, sesame beef and wonton soup. Just delicious. The portions were enormous- enough for three of us to share and have leftovers.
I'm coming back for you, Yen's. But perhaps for take-out. I my water and fork ready ahead of time.
Gross!!!
  Â
My husband and I ate here last week, and it was horrible!! The food was very greasy and slimy and the place itself smelled like a dumpster in the middle of the summer. Yes the portions are  huge but it was just more food I had to throw out when I got home.  Finally, the staff are pretty creepy the tall waiter had a major cattitude, and not to mention we were the only people dining in so the three  employees stared at us and watched us eat our meal the whole time..... Kind of gave me the "I spit in your food and now I'm going to watch you eat it" vibe.
The only thing we really liked were the egg rolls.
I had really high hopes because of everyone else's reviews but I was disappointed.
My fav Chinese restaurant EVER! Â The crab rangoons, pot stickers and Kung pao chicken are to die for. Â It's hard for me to try new dishes on the menu bc I love the Kung pao so much. Also I usually park in the parking garage next door with the Bally total fitness and the server validates parking ticket for a free hr of parking.
I feel like you can order anything off the menu and can't go wrong.
Best Egg Rolls I've ever had. Â The fried rice was also quite good and a large serving size.
I was looking for a standard-issue chinese takeout (large quantities, cheap, fast), but this place is 3 levels above that  I got the Chef's Spicy Chicken, which is their form of General's I'd assume, which was good.  The breading seemed a bit tough to chew at times, but the flavors were amazing.
I didn't try my friends dish, but he said it was delicious. Â
The only drawback was it was about $10-$15 more than I expected, and took about 30 mins before it was ready for pickup.
We eat here when we are in Chicago and have NEVER had a bad dish. The portions are big enough my wife and I share a meal and walk out satisfied. The waiters are very prompt and make sure that you always have what you need, often without asking, just drop your fork and see how long it takes to get another. I was not even sitting upright again and was handed a new set or utensils.
We will defiantly eat here again.
Turns out my regular Chinese (well really it's American food, isn't it?) delivery spot is closed on Wednesdays, so I figured I'd give the well reviewed Yen's a shot. Â Sadly, I don't see myself ordering from them again.
First off, as I was ordering, the guy taking my order kept asking me if I wanted the food spicy (literally he asked me on three of the dishes I ordered). Â Sure, I love spicy food. Â Make it all spicy. Â I wouldn't have thought anything of it if they hadn't asked, but come on, there was nothing remotely spicy about the food.
I can see the appeal. Â The food is pretty safe and the portions are huge. Â The sesame chicken had nice big hunks of white meat, the beef in the chow fun was tender and juicy, and the eggplant was nice and soft. Â But this food just wasn't for me. Â
Everything was drowning in sauce and too salty. Â The eggplant in black bean sauce is usually a saucy dish, but this version was particularly gloppy and bland. Â The green beans, which I expected to be crispy, were swimming in a similarly uninteresting corn starch thickened brown sauce that made them mushy and completely masked their flavor. Â The sesame chicken was covered in a peanut-ty, almost tahini like sauce that was too sweet for my taste. Â This was unlike any sesame chicken I've ever had, and not in a good way. Â Finally the beef chow fun was made with startlingly thin noodles and lacked any of that good wok char flavoring.
What can I say? Â I don't think my standards for Americanized-chinese food are that high, but Yen's just didn't hit the mark. Â This notion of "healthy" Chinese delivery is laughable. Â Everything is covered in thick, starchy, treacly sweet sauces. Â Sure the meat is lean and the food wasn't greasy, but there is more to eating healthy than just avoiding fat (which I don't think you really do any way).
Wow how things have changed since the times I had this place before. Â I really don't know what happened but the food just got really poor. Â The generals chicken was ok, but the orange chicken was gross. The veggie fried rice was super mushroom tasting which I didn't remember it being the first few times I had it. Â The only thing that was good were the egg rolls that came free with the order.. Â
 So I guess if you HAVE to order from here don't forget to mention the free egg rolls with your order, or they wont give them to you, and EVERYTHING will be bad.
Horrible experience.
1) Took over an hour for the delivery to arrive during a non peak time. Delivery driver called because they wrote down the wrong address and somehow it took another 10 minutes even though he was two blocks away.
2) Food looked like it had potential until I saw five hairs/hopefully eye lashes on my plate. I opened up the food container and saw two more hairs.
3) Didn't include and silverware or napkins.
Positive note, they claim they'll refund the amount of the dish.
Yen's is a tasty oriental culinary oasis located smack dab in the middle of the chinese food wasteland that is the north side of Chicago. Â Did I really live in LP for a year, all the while craving some decent chinese without ever once going into Yen's?
The dish which is the measuring stick for all chinese restaurants has to be the General Tso's/Chow's/Gao's chicken. Â Yen's does it up right, with ALL white meat chicken lightly breaded and stir fried up in a sweet and definitely spicy sauce with some broccoli. Â Yen's definitely passes the General's test.
The hot & sour soup was full of flavor and spice. Â The won ton soup and a beef stir fry dish we had were also delicious.
I will be back, hopefully with a big group next time so we can sample more dishes!
The look on my S.O.'s face as I asked him to order me some "crabmeat wontons with cheese" was priceless. CRAB...WITH CHEESE?! *horror* Yes, dear, crab rangoon is crab and cream cheese. Don't question the rangoon.
Aside from ruining him forever to crab rangoon, and subsequently subjecting me to disgusted looks as I consume the deliciously crispy fried little wonders, this place is pretty fantastic.
I've only ordered delivery, but their crab rangoons and egg rolls are both yum. Lo mein is SO good. I can taste the ginger and it tastes GOOD.
And, one time, the delivery guy pulled some sweet stealth ninja moves and was able to deliver it right to my door, a joy that my shitty high rise deprives me of.
Best Chinese American food I've found in my neighborhood so far.
Delivery: Everything arrived perfectly intact and piping hot in only 25 minutes. And on a Saturday evening!
Food: Wonton soup with EGG (a rare find) was so good. Crab Rangoon? Say yes. General Tso's chicken was a delight-- white meat chicken, light breading and a sauce with the perfect sweet and spicy balance. The portion is equivalent to three meals, no exaggeration. And a free crispy egg roll for orders over $10.
Yen's: Let's make a deal. If I can't find a Chinese restaurant that tops you, I'll update this review to 5 stars. In the interim, I'm going to savor our blossoming courtship.
I judge Chinese food restaurants solely on the quality of their shrimp fried rice. It may not be fair, but I'm a simple girl and I know what I like and that happens to be shrimp fried rice.
It all goes back to when I was a girl of 12, my older sister took me to Twin Happiness, my hometown Chinese place - back in the mid-80s, it was the only joint in town that served Chinese food, and their shrimp fried rice set the bar high for me, even to this day over 20 years later.
Yen's fried rice doesn't measure up. It's okay, but on the soggy and rather mushy side. Ew. But they don't have peas. Yay! It does have the stray carrot, but it's not overwhelmed with them, so I can overlook that. And it does have good flavor. I'll be back because of the close proximity to my apartment, which is good for sick days like today, and the only time I'll come back.
Me: Honey, lets go watch "The Orphanage" at the Landmark tonight
Honey: oh no, that's a scary movie
Me: I will take you to dinner at Yen's if you go to the movie with me
Honey: You got a deal my dear!
That is how I bribe my partner these days...heee
Decent Asian food in a nice ambient setting at a good price.....and it is BYOB. Whats not to love? They do serve some wine and beer but, you are welcome to bring your own. I have tried various items here and they are all good....make sure you request it to be spicy if you like spicy food....it is so effing hot that I end up drinking a jug of water...love it. But, if you are waspy like my partner, just ask for it to be mild or medium....wimps!
The one item that deserves special mention is the chicken fried rice...i have had my share of fried rice around the city of Chicago and this is the best of all.
So, why only 4 stars instead of 5? Some of the items have too much breading on the chicken pieces. Some people like their stuff super deep fried, I don't.
I can't wait for the next movie date!
I can't believe it's taken me this long to write a review of Yen's! I've ordered takeout from here dozens of times and never had a bad experience. They have so many dishes to choose from! For carry-out (and I'm assuming delivery as well), if you spend $10 you get a free, delicious eggroll with your food (mention on the phone that you have a coupon...it's on the back of the carry-out menu). I would recommend getting a hot and sour soup with your entree to put yourself over the $10 mark, as most of the dishes are in the $7-$9 range. For main dishes, I'd suggest Mongolian chicken or beef, Empress chicken, Szechuan chicken, or Hunan tofu. But they have tons of options and I haven't even come close to trying everything that sounds tasty. All in all, Yen's is delicious, inexpensive, in a great location...what more could you ask for?
Seriously...if you go eat at Yen's and then go see a movie at Century, your movie ticket will be more expensive than your dinner. Cuh-RAZY!
Yen's is perfect for me since I'm looking for  better-than-average Chinese food and good delivery service. (*Tip: If your delivery order is more than $10, ask for a free egg roll mentioned in the back of the delivery menu; or if it's more than $20, 2 free egg rolls or Crab Cheese Won Ton).  Also, the delivery menu mentions there is 1 hour free parking @ Century Mall if you dine in and order $20 or more.
I seldom order Chinese (because of the MSG), but about 1 every 3 months I'll get a big craving for good Hot and Sour Soup, and Yen's is very good. Â I used to only order the Hot and Sour Soup at Mars before they closed.
I also like that Yen's doesn't use MSG.
Besides the soup, I've had their Mongolian Beef and their Spicy Chicken with Green Beans. Â Both pretty good.
I only use them for delivery and I've only been to their dining room once with 2 friends who recommended it.
I couldn't find a web site for them or a place where their menu is posted so I hope this is helpful. (I don't have a scanner)
APPETIZERS:
Pot Stickers, Steamed Dumplings, Eggs Rolls, Shrimp Dumplings, Vegetable Dumplings, Vegetable Egg Rolls, BBQ Pork, Fried Wontons, Sesame Shrimp Toast, Shrimp Roll, Soft Spring Roll, Cold Sesame Noodles, Pork Spareribs, Fried Squid, Fried Shrimp, Sticky Fried Rice, Fried Tofu with House Sauce, Crabmeat Wonton with Cheese, Hot Hor's D' Oeuvers
SOUPS:
Hot and Sour Soup, 3 Delicacies Soup, Sizzling Rice Soup, Wonton Soup, Egg Drop Soup, Vegetable Soup, Egg Won Ton Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Chicken Corn Soup
BEEF
Yen's Garlic Beef, Mongolian Beef, Manchurian Beef, Sesame Beef, Beef with Asparagus, Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Beef with Peapod, Black Mushrooms, Bamboo Shoots, Pepper Steak, Hot and Spicy Beef, Beef with Deluxe Vegetables
Orange Beef, Fried Beef in Tasty Spicy Sauce, Kung Pao Beef, Szechuan Beef, Peking Beef, Curry Beef, Mandarin Beef, Hunan Beef, Five Flavored Beef
PORK
Hot Spiced Pork, Twice Cooked Pork, Szechuan Pork, Pork in Hot Black Bean Sauce, Kung Pao Pork, Yu Schiang Pork, BBQ Pork with Broccoli, Mandarin Pork, Pork with Asparagus, Hunan Pork, Mongolian Pork, Garlic Pork
POULTRY & Seafood (substitute Shrimp, fish, or Scallops for Chicken)
Chef's Spicy Chicken; Yen's Hung Pow Chicken; Szechuan Chicken; Hunan Chicken; Sauted Garlic Chicken; Empress Chicken; Mongolian chicken; Sesame Chicken; Chicken with Peapods; Yu Shiang Chicken; Peking chicken; Chicken with asparagus; Santong Chicken; Fried chicken with hot spicy garlic sauce; orange chicken; lemon chicken; chicken with cashews or almonds; Hot and Spicy Chicken; General Chow Chicken; Chicken with Broccoli; in Oyster Sauce; Red Curry Chicken; Yellow Curry Chicken; Chicken delight; Chicken and Shrimp Delight; Tomato Chicken; Pineapple Chicken; Crispy Duckling; Peking Duck; Chicken with Straw Mushroom in White Wine Sauce
VEGETARIAN
Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Eggplant in Garlic Black Bean Sauce, Mixed Vegetable Deluxe, Szechuan Broccoli in Garlic Sauce, Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Sauteed Peapods, Black Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots, Hot and Sour mixed vegetables, Pan Fried Bean Curd w/mixed vegetables, Ma Pao Hot Bean Curd, Red Curry Tofu, Szechuan String Bean, Yellow Curry tofu with mixed vegetables, Szechuan Tofu, Sauteed Three Greens, Hunan Tofu, Peking Tofu, Peking Style String Bean
HOA FUN: Beef Chicken or Pork, Vegetable and Seafood w/Vegetables
FRIED OR CURRY FRIED RICE:
Chicken, Pork or Beef, BBQ Pork, Vegetable Shrimp, Combination, Tofu and Vegetable
Also: Â Thin Noodles (Cantonese); Chow Fun rice Noodles; Moo Shu (Chicken, Pork Beef Vegetable Shrimp); Sweet and Sour (chicken, pork, shrimp, fish, beef, tofu), Egg Fu Young (chicken, pork, beef, bbq pork, vegetable, shrimp), Pad Thai (shrimp, chicken).
Cute restaurant, pleasant service and okay food.
We ordered the shrimp rolls and the egg rolls. I didn't dig the flavor of the egg rolls that much and the shrimp rolls were a bit on the chewey side.
As my entree I ordered my usual chinese food pic...mongolian beef extra spicey. Of course it didn't come out extra spicey so I had to ask for some chili paste. The restaurant didn't have chili paste but had this smokey paste that was good but wasn't hot. The chili paste actually tasted like dried ancho chilies which to me was odd for a chinese restaurant. The mongolian beef was very sweet. I guess if it had been called by a different name I may have liked my dish better but mongolian beef it was not.
On a good note the plum was nicely chilled and very tasticular.
So in the end my search for good chinese food north of Cermak and South of Peterson (Great Beijing) continues.