Jade Court
This father-daughter operation is “home to the best Chinese food I’ve had in a long, long time,” said Phil Vettel in the Chicago Tribune. Though their new venture is only 18 months old, co-owners Eddy and Carol Cheung are hardly novices, having spent the previous two decades running Phoenix—“for my money the most accomplished restaurant in Chinatown.” Price competition is a bit less fierce in University Village, so when a former Italian restaurant shut down, they grabbed the spare but handsome space. Jade Court’s menu lays out the expected Chinese options, “but the way to order is to ask what the kitchen is up to that evening.” Carol is great at steering guests to new discoveries, such as custardy shrimp and scrambled eggs, or typhoon lobster, which is quickly deep-fried and redolent of garlic and chilis. The Peking duck is also exceptional, and the off-menu king-crab special merits a spot on your bucket list. You must order it three days in advance, but you’ll be rewarded with crab three ways: the legs steamed with cellophane noodles and roasted garlic, the knuckle meat in a stir fry, and the roe in a rich egg custard. 626 Racine Ave., (312) 929-4828 Villasenor, whose dream came true when various kin scraped together the money to secure and convert a space where she could serve her mother’s recipes surrounded by relatives. To prepare, Villasenor made several trips home to her native Guadalajara, bringing back Mexican-crafted tableware and décor, plus a 10-foot-tall driftwood tree, created by Guadalajara artist, that sits at the center of the dining room. Starters can be as ample as a chile relleno taco or as light as roasted poblano peppers stuffed with meat and asadero cheese. Light is better if you’ve ordered the Parrillada, a family-size mixed grill that includes “robustly seasoned” prime-grade carne asada, garlicky pork sausages, fragrant pollo asado, corn, beans, and fire-blistered