Ken Kee Restaurant Reviews

We enjoyed this cafe for lunch. Modern, clean decor and extensive menu, hot tea and water delivered as soon as you are seated. Combo fried rice, ginger fish and shrimp wontons all delicious. Order mantou for dessert and enjoy!

Serves congee, Hongkong style. Congee is a rice porridge dish which can incorporate fish, salted eggs,pork, exotic veggies/meat products. Love their fried smelts, spicy or with salt &hot pepper. Also go for the pea tips in garlic sauce; recently tried their green beans w/ pork. They also offer a wide variety of Chinese food entrees but the congee and smelts are what keeps us coming back. Staff are not overly attentive but quickly respond when called; fast service, generally friendly. Rest room facilities have been upgraded but still need staff to monitor regularly for wet floors, availability of toilet paper, paper towels, etc.. Do not hesitate to inform staff when supplies are low/lacking. Good location, close to train stop/bus stop. Parking lot fees have been increased since last visit but restaurant does not offer parking tix validation. Something to think about offering.

Such a great restaurant. First, very bright and clean and quick service. Ordered the crab Rangoon which was stuffed with a very tasty and creamy crab filling. And the doping sauce was so good- a thinner version than I've ever had but so flavorful. Also ordered egg rolls. FABULOUS!! Light and crispy wrap with a perfectly seasoned filling. Ordered the green beans- but without the fish flakes! Wow- I could have just ate those! Seriously the most delicious preparation of green beans I've ever had. Sweet and sour chicken for the kids and a side order of BBQ pork- lighthly glazed and wonderful! Highly recommend this restaurant!!

We had dinner at this restaurant, it was randomly selected while walking Chinatown. The price was reasonable but the food was excellent, fresh and hot when serve. The service was a bit slow due to restaurant was pack of people. We enjoyed all the food we ordered and would definitely recommend to anyone and give it a try.

Ken Kee was, at one time, a rather ordinary Cantonese restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown -- not bad, not great. But as the level of competition has grown in Chinatown, some restaurants have stepped up their game, and Ken Kee is one of them. A recent visit, my second in 2017, has confirmed the improvement. I have not ordered Sichuan cuisine here, though they have a good deal of it on their very extensive menu (one of the largest and most varied in Chinatown); I'd rather order that in the genuine Sichuan kitches that now abound. But Ken Kee describes itself as an "authentic Hong Kong restaurant," and that is what it is. The Cantonese dishes that we have had there are superb. Fish maw and corn soup was not overly-thickened, a rich chicken broth with plenty of fish maw in it. Shrimp and scallops with ginger and chives was perfect, the seafood cooked just right (no shells on the shrimp), strong ginger flavor and plenty of chives. The Ken Kee stir-fry is a wonderful mixture of chicken, seafood, beef, pork, vegetables - and best of all it is not drowned in what my wife and I have come to call "ubiquitous brown sauce" (UBS for short). The sauce was not overly heavy, and lightly applied and delicately balanced in flavors. The majority of customers were Chinese, always a good sign; prices very reasonable (big bowl of soup and two entrees for $30). Very friendly service.

We had lunch at this restaurant. The food was not too bad but the service was terrible. Twice I was asked "What?" when the waitress seemed to not understand what I was saying. I wouldn't bother coming back to this restaurant or the area.

In Chicago on business and staying at a hotel near Chinatown. One of my colleagues had heard good things about Ken Kee. I checked out the reviews and asked the hotel staff to recommend between Ken Kee and another restaurant. They told me to choose Ken Kee, and I'm glad we did.

The Chinese dishes are genuine Hong Kong stuff，Good portion to feed my western stomach，the maids are at least smiling when we ordered，not rushing.

Great for a quick bite.

My fav spot, everything is good. Love the salt and pepper tofu and pork chops or shrimp... Yummy!! Very nice staff also

The only 'authentic' HK style tearoom in the area.

Easy to find in the shopping village setting.only hard part was parking (there's a Chinatown lot, $2 for 3 hours with a validated stub). Got there before things got busy (5ish), menu is a bit confusing, but the server was patient and fun! Plates were huge for the price! Everything was perfect. This will be a regular stop whenever we're through.

Summary: Decent food, decent price, indifferent service. We ordered the Ken Kee Stir Fry and Orange Chicken to go with a Crab Rangoon appetizer. Service was slow with the restaurant half full on a Saturday at 5:30. We waited to place our order and get water, but no one was rude or anything. Food was ok, with some more authentic offerings, but I will keep exploring other options when I am in the area.

Went here for lunch during our visit to China Town. Service was non-attentive. The noodles were good, but there was a small amount of vegetables on our vegetable dish.

Ken Kee used to be a hole in the wall with only Asians as customers. Wow, the quality of food is great. Now they've spiced the décor, and a little bit of change with more Europeans. The taste is still yummy, but they have competition for some of the vegetarian dishes. The Congee is still fabulous. I still love it.

I stopped at about 5PM on a Monday evening and was immediately seated at a window booth; about half of the dozen tables in the bright and open dining room were occupied. I was traveling from out-of-town for a conference. My server, Sally was the name listed on the receipt, immediately served hot tea and brought a menu. Since the menu was many pages long, and since so many of the choices were accompanied by a photo, I spent some time carefully deciding what to order. I opted to start with what I thought would be familiar, a cup of hot and sour soup. I was quite pleasantly surprised to find that what was delivered to my table was so much better than what I have had elsewhere; the portion size was more like a bowl, and the number of ingredients went far beyond what I had become accustomed to. For my entree, I opted to be influenced by one of the menu photos and order something that appeared different from anything I had previously ordered elsewhere: Ken-Kee Special. It was terrific. In fact, it may have been the best Chinese food I can ever remember eating. While I could not recognize some of the ingredients, the order was loaded with crispy green chive-like shoots, as well as about a dozen other vegetables and proteins. The prices seemed very reasonable to me, $3.95 for the soup, and $8.95 for the entree. I am so grateful to have happened upon this place. Well done.

Closest taste to the food that I've had in Hong Kong. Favorites include their 1000 island pork chop, congee, peapods w/garlic, fried shrimp appetizer, blackpepper beef

On a recent trip to Chicago my mother-in-law wanted to eat Chinese food so we took a ride share to Chinatown, a place I had never been in Chicago. It was interesting. There is an entire mall with Asian gift shops, restaurants and groceries. Ken Kee is a small but lovely Chinese restaurant that is open all day and serves traditional food. Four of us ate until we were stuffed and we enjoyed everything from chicken to seafood to noodles (which were outstanding). It is small and the tables are fairly close together but it is still an outstanding dining experience for this type of cuisine. Service was good but not excellent. Perhaps it was because they were so busy but overall this is a pleasant and interesting experience.

We came to place on a Saturday evening and it was not too busy. Thus service was fast and we got our food hot and tasty in less than 10 minutes. We got the Ginger and Onion chicken, Chinese spinach the the Honey Beef ribs with pepper. It was all gone in 20-30 minutes. I would come back and try other dishes. Before they remodeled, I said I would not come back because it looked like it needed an upgrade badly. Thus, we will be back since it is very clean and modern.

If you ever have a taste of Cantonese wide pan friend noodle, get it here. They can make it with, beef, chicken, shrimp or vegetables. Hong Kong style peal milk tea is great too, I like the mango and also honey melon flavor. I've eaten here for more than 10 years. They are open late past midnight too. Don't get intimidated with less than best services here. Go with their food.

Decent HK-style food.

My wife and I have been meaning to get back to Ken Kee. We had not been there in a few years, mostly because of all the new places popping up in Chinatown (especially in the mall). We had a late dinner that was very pleasant. The place has been remodeled ala Joy Yee (modern and hip). The menu has also been upgraded a bit (more and more interesting choices). With the facelift, it looks like it has attracted a younger crowd (not good or bad, just an observation). It's descried as Hong Kong cafe style food. I think that means quick (not fast) food that is served in some of the smaller places in HK. They have the typical (and not so typical) assortment of congee and noodle dishes. They have a nice assortment of dishes 'on top of' rice, if you just want a taste and are not eating family style. We had a tofu dish and a beef tendon with veggies dish. They were nice and light tasting. No greasy taste like many of the places that deep fry everything before mixing it all together. In any case, it's good Cantonese food. There was an interesting duck and taro dish that I was eyeballing ... maybe next time. We will not wait as long to go back.

Hubby and I stopped in for lunch and were blown away. We will be back through Chicago in a few months and this place will certainly be a stop. We had fish in a sake sauce that was out of this world. We dream about that fish...

I took my daughter there to celebrate the Lunar New Year and this place was everything that they said it would be! Outstanding food and the service was very good as well! The only problem was the serving size... too much food! We had the orange chicken and orange beef. Both were delicious and served hot and fresh. The whole China town was a blast!

We go to Ken Kee every time we visit the Chicago area which is about 3 times per year. Consistently good quality food. Recently remodeled, a very tightly packed restaurant. We feed 6 people every time we go for about 70$. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. Try the TANGERINE ICE TEA-the very best ever. And you cannot find it anywhere else. At least I have been unable too. The only negative about Ken Kee is the parking in the area. Since it is in the city,it is always tough to find a parking spot. Bite the bullet and go to the pay lot.

cozy little restaurant. food is good & authentic. visited twice during our 3-day trip to Chicago. service was good.

The wait was too long at our normal place, so my kids found Ken Kee. It had a lot of Chinese people in it, so we gave it a try. The menu is what I would call "home style". Seems like other reviews call it Hong-Kong style, but I have no idea what that is. Lots of food my mother would make, but if you are squeamish, there are a few good traditional dishes. Next time I go, I'll find out which are the HK dishes are, and try those. Good food. Decent value.

Huge portions. Authentic Hong Kong style. Better than other restaurants in neighborhood. I would come again if I was staying longer.

Found this place while walking nearby and went to check. Nothing extraordinary, it’s a good place for nice food from Chinatown, portions are generous, the service is quick, no fuss.

we ordered 5 dishes, all of them have up to standard for the taste, and the service is ok, the staff is helpful, we have a good time there with our relatives

I visited at least 300 restaurants in Hong Kong over the past 30 years. Ken Kee is by far the most impressive HK style restaurant I visited in Chicago. I enjoyed their signature steamed whole fish on my two visits. The other dishes were also impressive including the Ma Po Tofu. In a word. Fresh. The staff was cordial and the service was fast.

A test for me is to order the basics, won ton noodles and congee with pork/preserved egg. I recall long ago, this restaurant specialized in these lighter dishes until it expanded it's menu. I rate the won ton and congee very average. My wife ordered the hand made soup noodles that was much better.

We had a late lunch here. The food was very good and so fresh. I had sweet and sour chicken and my husband had a garlic fried fish dish. It was very large portions at a good price. The menu was large and a little confusing but the waiter was glad to assist us. The restaurant was easy to find and clean.

Been there numerous times, aware of its owner, but not friends. Nice place, clean with good decors, plenty of food items to choose from, seating were enough, but can be lacking at peak hours of dinning. Service is good to excellent depending on the waiter/waitress, most are very good, a few lazier ones. Dishes were fresh and cook to order, Cantonese tasting plates but slant toward Hong Kong style eating. Price point is reasonable as there are plenty of competitors. A must try place in the neighborhood of Chinatown

My family ate here after reading good reviews about it. It did not disappoint! We ordered several things that were each brought out as they were ready so everything was hot and fresh. We had the most amazing egg rolls first. They were so much better than our average Chinese takeout place. I highly recommend them! We also had General Tso's chicken, a beef and noodle dish, and vegetable fried rice. It was all fantastic. We finished everything! Service was good. Restaurant was clean & easy to find and very close to the Red Line. I would definitely go back again.

Delicious affordable Asian food. Sushi & dumplings were great. The hot Honey lemon tea is must have. Highly recommend if you’re in china town.

If you want authentic Cantonese style cuisine, check out Ken Kee. Their congee is delicious. I can't help but take a picture of this dish with sea cucumber. It is pretty close to how I remember it cooked at home. Check this little gem that's been around so it is an established and popular restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown.

After reviewing the exiting reviews, I decided to go for this place and was looking forward to. As it turns out, the photos is better than what it is. The taste was alright but I can't give very good and has to settle with good/ average. The reason being is that I have tried another HK style restaurant in the same plaza And i found the other one deserves a very good rating instead. Thus i need to give a distance between them. I would rate a 4 stars had it not in Chinatown. ... Too much competition. I must stress that if you don't have a preference, I would recommend this restaurant. Tips, it validates city parking, so you only pay $2 instead of $6 within 3 hrs.

Go for the congee, chicken noodle soup, and roasted white chicken with scallion and ginger. One of my fav hole-in-wall Chinese places in Chinatown.

This little Chinese restaurant excites me like no other in Washington DC. After moved to DC I was very disappointed at the Chinatown's ethnic Chinese food. I thought I will check out the Chicago Chinatown to see if there is anything authentic. The Chinatown here is spread out, not as much as LA, but was not compact like in London, England. I was looking for another restaurant following Yelp's review. I stumble on this one on the way. I looked inside, it was full at just 6 pm. The food on people's table looks like real Cantonese food from Hong Kong and not American Chop Suey. So I changed venue for dinner. It is a small place, had a seating about 50, if there is no table, you have to wait standing by the door. You also have to put your name on a clipboard on the left near the door, so when there is a table free, the service staff will call your name. Boy! The food was just like what you would find a little tiny restro in Hong Kong or Guangzhou or the Chinatown in London. I had Fried Smelt Fish with Spicy Salt & Pepper, Beef Ribs in Honey & Black Pepper Sauce, Choy Sum with Garlic and White Rice, a Buddha Beer, tea. The price was so good that I could eat there every day. I want to relocate this restaurant to DC so I could eat there all the time.

Ken Kee has been my Go-To Chinese restaurant for years, since long before the remolding. The dishes are authentic and the service fast. Prices have ticked up a bit in recent years, but are still on par with other restaurants in the area. The atmosphere is a bit wanting, but as far as the food is concerned, you can't go wrong eating here. Visiting on the weekends you might feel a bit rushed, because there is almost always a line and there is nowhere to "hide."

Good small place in Chinatown for authentic Chinese food. We had Kung Pai beef, green beans, crab ragoons and chicken fried chicken rice. All very fresh and good. I would return here.

This small restaurant serving Hong Kong style food for a long time in this Chicago Chinatown. You expect waiting during peak hours. Service is fast with foods sizzling hot. Will go again when in Chicago area.

We spontaneously stopped here and it was delicious! I will definitely return on my next trip to Chicago!

The food is consistently good. They added noodle soup to their menu and you can chose the ingredients - broth was delicious. The interior has been nicely remodeled to look like a Hong Kong street. The staff was very attentive and friendly.

All of the food was absolutely amazing! Best Chinese food I’ve ever had! Staff was very friendly and all of the food was authentic and tasted soooo good.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on authentic Chinese food. I cannot differentiate the various regional varieties. Hell, I have a hard time knowing the different regional variations in my own cuisine (Indian), let alone another cuisine. I just know what I like. And I like the spicy Szechuan sauce. Boiled fish in a spicy Szechuan sauce is one of my all time favorite Chinese foods. I tend to order the dish at any Chinese restaurant that serves it. I have eaten this dish at many Chinese restaurants and I think Ken Kee's version is the best. Is it authentic? I don't know. More importantly, it is darn good....not laden with chili oil like the other restaurants where I've eaten. However, the spice factor is not compromised...it still burns your insides. Ken Kee uses small dried chili peppers in the sauce that are delightful to crunch. That sweet sweet chili pepper burn! It is glorious!! The man ordered frog legs and hot and sour soup, which were excellent. We also ordered Man-tou: fried dough served with a sweet sauce. It helped placate the burn from eating too many dried chili peppers. Service is attentive. Food comes out fast. No frills kinda place.

After a meeting I went solo to Chicago Chinatown for a quick lunch. McCormick Place has McDonald, Starbuck, etc. inside the center. But I decided to see whats good for lunch in Chinatown. I did check out the old Chinatown streets. Most of the eateries were not that attractive and a few were closed due to health reasons. Instead I went over to the Plaza near the Chinatown library to scout around. One of the eatery seems clean and bright with lights was Ken Kee Café. It is modern and clean inside with capacity for 30 persons. There seems to be an upstair as other people came and they were direct outside to go an upstairs. So I went inside and was promptly served with tea and a menu by the server.. I ordered green tea with pearl boba instead and had stir fried seafood rice noodle. The order came very fast. I took my time eating, while my slow tired bones rested, and tasted the flavor of this seafood noodle dish. The bill came and its was very reasonable. I tipped the servers 18% as they were very attentive to me and other customers during my stay. Glad I made my choice to eat at Ken Kee Café this day for lunch. Cant go wrong!

The re-imagined Ken Kee opened 2021. Inspired by the vibe of 1950s-60s retro Hong Kong, the space has expanded to 2-stories of old-school neon, retro pop art and kitsch. Featuring a separate menu ,and kitchen, devoted solely to Hong Kong Cart Noodles. First popularized by 1950s Hong Kong street vendors, Ken Kee's new Cart Noodle menu lets guests select from 4 types of boths, 8 varieties of noodles, and dozens of toppings and sauces to custom-create their own cart noodle experience. There's also a full menu of longtime Ken Kee classics, plus a variety of newly added Hong Kong-style options.

We have been to China town for many times and tried different restaurants. Never consider to step in this restaurant. One of my friends told me that she likes the food there so I decided to give it a try. I agree with her. Everything we ordered are pretty good, except for the bao with duck. I do not like the sauce they use, maybe the pork option is better. My husband and I ordered shrimp egg sauce on fried rice noodle (very light but good), baby pea tip with fish maw (fish maw is very good to your skin and has lots of protein), fried tofu (my husband loves this and he finished the entire plate by himself. It comes with a bowl of soup and you are supposed to dip the tofu in the soup). We also ordered an appetizer, sauteed cucumbers, and they only have some left so we were offered a combination of cucumbers and lotus roots which is great. The restaurant offers a big menu so I definitely would like to go back and try other dishes. The prices are very reasonable. The staff are very efficient.

This place gets quite busy. However, my friends and I go there a lot for a quick fix of authentic cafe style Chinese food.

I have visited Chicago on quite a few occasions, but this time I had the pleasure of venturing into China Town. The entire area had many restaurants from which to choose, but I happened to find a gem in the middle. The food at Ken Kee was fresh, like they were picking it from a concrete garden behind the restaurant. The menu was quite extensive, so if you're hungry, take your patience while perusing, but don't be surprised at how soon your food arrives. Everything was fresh and good--even the next day! Oh, if you're not accustomed to eating with chop sticks, don't be surprised if you're given a spoon, as I was. Chop sticks just don't quite work for me when eating rice. I guess I should've asked for plastic ware, which seemed to be more plentiful.

In comparison with Chinatown's best, I have found Ken Kee to be rather ordinary. The mostly Cantonese menu is perfectly acceptable, but not at the level of Cai, Phoenix, Fortune Garden, or Evergreen, which are the best of the Cantonese choices in Chicago's Chinatown. There is little that is distinctive here - and also little to offend.

It has been over fifteen years that I come to that little Asian restaurant in China Town and enjoy the food served there. During the time of my happiness and sadness, the food has always tasted there the same--it has always tasted delicious. Very well prepared dish, friendly atmosphere and amazing personnel will make every cuatomer returning there probably more frequently than to any other restablishment of that kind. I put "the fitteen years of eating there" on the table--just go and try that food and you will never forget that. Dorian David Pascal

Great authentic chinese food in Chicago's Chinatown. The sweet and sour chicken is the standout dish for me. You cant go wrong if you need something quick and that tastes good!

I usually go to China town to check other restaurants that haven't been to. I decided to check this hongkong style restaurant for a change. I ordered 2 items and the waitress said the other one would come 14 mins later . The first item arrived at a reasonable time of waiting but he other one came very late. I sensed the next table of 2 came later than me and their orders were already done . I asked the lady then to get my check and have the other item wrapped for to go. When I finished doing my bill, one of the waitresses took the bill with cash tip without saying anything about my other item. I thought it was rude so I stood up and went to the counter and looked for my pork bun to go. It was still in the kitchen and the lady was asking the other staff to make it faster cause I was already there. I WONt ever go back to this restaurant because their customer service is poor. The 15 mins of waiting became 30 mins or so.

every time I go there, I wait for 20+mins for a seat. but the food worth it. they have very good porridge, and their famous chicken was a must for me. also if you want to try something special, I will recommend duck's tongue, it is a light salty taste and doesnt have anything weird at all.

Searching for chinese food we accidentaly checked into dis restaurant. We were bit confused abt what to order as we were new to their menu. Service was really bad but luckily food was yummilicious and even my lil daugher enjoyed their rice noodle.. It was gentle for her tummy too.

We decided to try something different than our usual Joy Yee on the recommendation of someone we knew. Very small, diner like ambience. The kids split a sweet and sour chicken which they thought was ok, not the best but not the worst they've ever had. We shared some beef congee which the kids loved. It reminded me of the congee we had in China so I guess that's authentic, however here and there it's a very bland dish. We shared some steamed pot stickers. They were stuffed with shrimp. Very different and tasty that we've had at other restaurants in Chinatown. I had chicken curry that was just ok. Smoothies were decent - again not the best or worst ever. Service was excellent. We'd go back.

We happened upon this restaurant and what a gem it is. While the menu is pleasantly overwhelming to unrefined Chinese palette, we definitely both tried new foods that were wonderful. Yum!!!

The fried shrimp dumplings are a must.

Walked into the place by chance, without even consulting TripAdvisor. Very pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious and the service was fast and helpful. Especially enjoyed the baby clams with black bean sauce and the pea tips with garlic sauce.

Driving through Chicago and wait to stop and eat Chinatown. Good place. Order 4 meals and had more than enough. Cook good. Shrimp was preferred, not over cooked.

The food are great! We were order sake fish, pork chop with thousand island sauce, tofu. The best is pork chop. The sauce is really good. the service is not so bad, but certain waiter are a bit rude and can't speak English well.

One of Chinatown’s standbys for some years now, Ken Kee continues to offer a very high standard of Chinese cuisine. It is like a good Hong Kong restaurant with a huge menu that encompasses Cantonese and Sichuan dishes. Most of the clientele is Chinese, always a good sign. The menu has many unusual dishes (example: fish maw with young pea tips). Very reasonable prices.

If you want really good Chinese food and are on a budget this is the place to go. My daughter now lives in Chicago and she took me and her sister to her favorite "student budget" restaurant. I was delighted how clean the place was and the service was typical for a Chinese food restaurant. This is not a romantic couple restaurant, this is for friends and family to get together and share food. There is plenty. We ordered the Egg Roll; the largest I have ever seen. Please see my pictures because it looked like a burrito. There was plenty for three people for the price of $5.85. We also ordered the Beef Broccoli, also yummy with ample portions to share for the price of $9.95. Lastly we had the Soy Sauce Chow Mein with Bean Sprouts for the price of $8.95. My daughters favorite. We had enough for leftovers later. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that is trying to find good Chinese food in Chicago!

Ken Kee has good Chinese food and I like it because they use more garlic. The Sizzling Beef Tenderloin is good, beef is tender and flavorful. Service is okay.

Lots of Hong Kong style dishes. Taste OK but it is a little bit bland for me. All in all, the service and food is good and worth it.

On April 7, 2019 around 6pm, my daughter and I came in and sat down. No one even acknowledge us. No menus or tea was brought to the table. Yet I noticed 3 other parties did the same thing as us and was brought menus and tea. I will never go back again, the sad part is that we order there weekly but my husband usually just pick it up. I hope that our skin color did not a play a role in this, but I think it did. The other groups were, 1 White man dining alone, a group of 4 White ladies, and group of Asians.