Photo credit: Sarah Adamson

Lucky Bamboo Restaurant

2304 S. Route 59

Plainfield, Illinois

815-609-7888

Lucky Bamboo Rivals Its Big-City Counterparts in Authentic Chinese. In addition to an elaborate menu. They also sells a variety of Chinatown-style gift items.

The Scoop- Total Dining Experience: ★★★ out of 4

If you crave authentic Chinese dining or have yen to buy colorful Asian trinkets, skip the trip to Chinatown in Chicago. The Lucky Bamboo Restaurant, a real hidden gem sells both.

Don't let the numerous photos of food on the outside restaurant windows dissuade you from checking this place out. Once inside, you'll be provided with a beautifully sleek, bound menu that describes in great detail all of the Hunan and Schezwan options they serve.

Yum Factor − Details of the items we tried.

Strawberry Smoothie- The menu photos do serve a purpose -- I couldn't resist ordering a strawberry smoothie because they looked so tempting. I was surprised that what was delivered was so much larger than what was shown in the menu, not to mention refreshing. A great value at $3.

Crab RangoonI love crab rangoon as a starter if I'm dining Chinese, and you won't go wrong ordering it here. The mix of crab meat, cream cheese and green onions inside a deep-fried pastry dough arrived quickly and was steamy hot. With just the right amount of crispiness, my taste buds were pleased. One minor disappointment: no plum sauce offered for dipping. I made do with the sweet and sour sauce. The lunch price was $4.

Egg Rolls-We also sampled egg rolls filled with shrimp, barbecue pork and vegetables. They were served golden brown, with a soft outer texture that's not super crunchy. These rolls were generously filled, and the sweet and sour sauce added the perfect complement.$3

Egg Drop Soup-Another personal favorite is the egg drop soup and Lucky Bamboo's version is, hands down, the best I've tasted anywhere. The fresh ingredients were apparent, and they didn't stint on the green onions, savory broth or semi-poached egg whites. And the price was just as incredible -- $2 for a cup and $3 for a bowl.

Cashew Chicken-The lunch entrées were served on white ceramic plates with delicate, hand-painted Asian designs. (This is definitely not a paper plate and plastic silver ware kind of place.) I ordered the cashew chicken with mixed vegetables, which was served with chicken fried rice and a choice of an egg roll or crab rangoon. You can't beat the price tag, especially since there was enough for leftovers. $6

Many other entrees are offered. The black peppered shrimp and scallops are noted on the menu as a chef's favorite, priced at $13. The highest priced entree is the lobster, scallops, shrimp and crabmeat dish at $16.

The service was excellent and our waiter was very patient, answering all of our questions about the menu.

If you're in the mood to buy a lucky bamboo plant of your own, you're in the right place. The restaurant doubles as a small store, with Asian wares they sell are similar to what you'd find in any Chinatown in a major city.

Sarah Adamson© October 7, 2010