Sun Wah Bbq - Chicago

I'm gonna be a broken record here and say GET THE PEKING DUCK DINNER. It's all that we needed. I had been craving Peking duck for weeks and missed out when my parents had brought some home. My husband found this spot and it shot up to the top of the list of places we go eat on our vacation to Chicago. The duck itself is absolutely five stars. Some things that I couldn't get my mind off of that could be improved to get that fifth star. It absolutely did not disappoint. It's no wonder a reservation in advance to reserve the duck and your seat is highly recommended. They supposedly go through 130+ ducks a day. We were impressed with just how quickly the duck is ordered, carved, and served. We knew we were on the right path when they asked if we wanted extra steamed buns and we immediately said yes. The magic at Sun Wah isn't just how fast the duck is carved for you; they use ALL of the duck. The parts carved make the famous Peking Duck bun/bao with the fixings of hoisin sauce and veggies. But also the rest of the duck meat is used for your choice of duck fried rice or duck stir fry noodle (you have to ask them about the noodles to get it. Otherwise duck fried rice is the default). The bones of the duck are used for an herbal duck soup. For two people we walked out stuffed and satisfied. I will say, I wish I knew I'd be full on duck alone or I wouldn't have ordered a roast pork and bbq spare rib plate too. I figured why not try some of the other bbq dishes too. These types of eateries are what I loved about Hong Kong and Boston. However I was disappointed the other barbecue items didn't meet up to how good the duck dinner was. I'm not sure if it was seasoned or roasted enough. String beans was an interesting choice when I usually expect bok choy to be the veggie paired with it. I definitely didn't need to order it but I'm glad I at least got to try. Overall, I do believe I'll be back and my husband and I will plan for it whenever we vacation here again. We'll be calling in ready for that Peking Duck Dinner again!

I got the whole duck. It was still good, but it's not what it was used to be anymore.

The duck service is fun. The duck is delightful but the rice and the soup leave something to be desired. We came with a huge party...like honestly a little too huge for this establishment but they did the best they could on a busy Saturday night. The service seemed a little disorganized. I believe our host reserved the table and pre-ordered 3 ducks but it was not going to be enough for the party so we ended up ordering more...but since they wait to bring the rice and soup until all the duck is served, we ended up devouring the 3 ducks and sitting impatiently like a hungry pack of jackals waiting for the rest. Parking was kind of a nightmare. Not sure why the lot right next door was completely closed. But not much street parking to be had. I think with either a much smaller group or a little better advance planning there may have been less confusion and delay in getting our food. Not blaming the establishment at all. The duck carver sliced the duck up with precision and skill, very impressive! Also the price is right at $55 to feed 4 people. Even with all the additions and drinks and whatnot, splitting the bill evenly between 20 people came out to around $25 per person which I guess isn't too terrible. Next time though I'll go as a duo or trio so I don't have to share as much lol.

The food, especially the duck, is phenomenal, but if you don't get the whole duck, you get bad cuts. Like lotsa back and neck bone. The service, even for Hong-Kong-style dining is atrocious to just about neglectful.

Food was good but the server couldn't speak English at all. This is an extremely busy place so be ready to be ignored for a considerable amount of time.