In the era of what feels to be declining Chinese American restaurants, Young’s continues to be one of the best local neighborhood spots in Lakeview. Young’s is located at 3949 N Ashland, sitting at the corner of Ashland and Irving Park Road. Albeit the intersection is challenging to safely access by bike, the brown line and the 9 Ashland bus route provides great public transportation access to this spot.
The food was some of the highest quality Chinese food I’ve had in the city, the portions were generous, and all at a very affordable price point. After the recent relocation of The House of Wah Sun, Young’s quickly became our go-to spot in our neighborhood. Honestly, I wish we would have discovered it sooner. Another huge perk is that they have a spacious dining area that we found to be inviting, clean, and relaxing. I did notice a sign on their front door stating that dine-in was closed, but the host permitted us to dine-in as they could accommodate us. It seems that the majority of their business do come from takeout orders, with a steady stream of customers picking up orders throughout our meal.
Now on to the food. We ordered egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, barbeque pork lo mein, and chicken with black bean sauce. The egg drop soup and hot and sour soup were piping hot and topped with sesame seeds and fresh green onions. The garnishes were a simple touch that added some vibrancy to the soups.
Young’s lo mein imparted simple flavors that weren’t overwhelmed by oil and grease, which often ruins many lo mein dishes for me. The wide egg noodles were tossed with fresh green onions, carrots, onions, cabbage, and snow peas. The BBQ pork was cut in thin strips and the smoky flavor complimented the sauce well. This a classic dish that Young’s hit out of the park.
Chicken with black bean sauce was also a stand out. What’s not to like about this dish? The sauce is made up of fermented black beans and minced garlic. The gravy coated the cut up chicken breast, onions, and bell peppers. I really enjoyed that Young’s sauce included whole black beans versus mashing up the black beans into a paste. This dish was more flavorful than the lo mein, and the two together paired really well.
