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ALL BOTTLED UP: Mon Lung
The spot: If you’ve ever driven the slowly developing stretch of Ashland Avenue between Chicago and Division Avenues, you’ve whizzed right past one of the best Chinese BYOBs in town—and you might not even have noticed it. A simple storefront marked only by a bright yellow sign, Mon Lung quietly has been serving Chinese food here since 1987. Owner Justine Yuen’s parents opened the restaurant in its original location on Milwaukee Avenue in 1982; they’ve since passed the business on to their daughter, who gradually has modernized the operation. Renovations three years ago included sprucing up the casual downstairs space, which houses a handful of glossy-topped booths and tables that fill up with neighborhood folks, families and a smattering of cops on break from their beats. Yuen hopes to turn the more loungey upstairs private party room into a bar after she obtains a liquor license in late 2008. You’ll find Cantonese and Mandarin standards on the menu, including chop suey, chow mein, fried rice and lo mein. Standouts include homemade egg rolls ($1.40 each) and extra-spicy Mongolian beef prepared with yellow onions, scallions and chili peppers ($8.75).
The bottle: If it’s convenience you’re after, dash down the street and around the corner to Rothschild Liquor Mart (1532 W. Chicago Ave. 312-421-1562), which stocks a range of budget buys. A light, crisp white wine such as Cavit pinot grigio ($7.99) would work well with any of Mon Lung’s seafood and chicken dishes. If you’re planning to order a heavier dish, like the Mongolian beef or the stick-to-your-ribs pot stickers ($5.85 for six), try a bottle of Mezzacorona cabernet sauvignon ($10.29). Mon Lung does not charge a corkage fee.
--Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor. metromix@tribune.com
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