A Food-Focused Field Trip to Chicago's Chinatown

An exhibition on Chinese Cuisine in America and a visit to Dolo for dim sum

It’s been miserably cold in Chicago and all I want to do is curl up into a ball and pout (and drink lots and lots of wine). My solution: field trips. 

The Tribune recently published a list of museums “worthy of leaving the house for [this winter]” and I immediately homed in on a food-focused exhibition at the Chinese American Museum (238 West 23rd Street). 

What better way to combat January’s gloom than by exploring the vibrant history of Chinese-American food culture and indulging in a dim sum feast?

Through an engaging mix of culinary artifacts, historical spotlights and video interviews, “Chinese Cuisine in America: Stories, Struggles and Successes” chronicles the story of Chinese immigration, the formation of urban Chinatowns and the popularization of foods from egg foo young to hot pot.

Perseverance is a key theme, as the Chinese diaspora weathered targeted legislative regulations (i.e. the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act) and prejudicial treatment to establish thriving communities and scores of successful restaurants across the US. 

A display of menus and other ephemera demonstrates the ways in which restaurant owners catered to Americans’ preferences in order to survive. Menus from the 1880s featured steak, potatoes and other Anglo fare alongside Cantonese dishes. By the 1920s, chop suey—a Chinese-American accommodation to our tame palates—was so popular that many eateries renamed themselves chop suey houses.

Editor’s comments on a draft menu, an exercise in making dishes appeal to American diners.

Artifacts and stories from the “era of opulence” paint a vivid picture of the early-1900s in the Loop, when Chinese entrepreneurs operated luxurious dining halls featuring live music and dancing. Frequented by wealthy Chicagoans, these establishments enjoyed a level of prestige on par with their European counterparts before bias forced businesses to relocate south to Chinatown’s current location.

Several of Chicagoland’s most beloved restaurants are represented by videos in which family members share delightful anecdotes, while discussing ownership transfer and other changes as these decades-old standbys enter a new era. Watching this, I regret having never made it to Mee Mah for their storied egg rolls before they shuttered last year; I must head to Orange Garden and Chef Shangri-La stat. 

The exhibition closes by celebrating Chicago’s distinction as having the only growing Chinatown in all of the US (and highlighting the proliferation of regional foods that have come with new immigrants), while condemning anti-Asian racism and violence in the COVID-19 era, a powerful reminder that Chinese success in this country is hard-earned. 

Leaving the museum, we stopped to look at the stunning mural on the building’s exterior and made our way to Dolo Restaurant and Bar (2222 S Archer Ave) for dim sum. 

I know I’m late to the game with Dolo—they opened in 2014, earned recognition from Esquire in 2015 as one of the country’s best new restaurants and have appeared in the Michelin Guide—but I’d like to heap more praise.

I have not stopped thinking about their crispy bbq pork pastries ( #37 on the dim sum menu) since first sampling them in early-November. These baked hand pies are incredibly rich and extraordinarily flaky; the puff pastry dissolves the moment it hits your tongue. I find the mixture of crispy laminated dough and juicy, candied pork bits irresistible.

I was also dying to eat the pan fried stuffed eggplant (#36) again. Plump eggplants are splayed open, stuffed with tasty shrimp paste and expertly-fried. Showered in scallions and dragged through glossy bean sauce, it’s hard to imagine a better bite. 

Yet, I’m even more obsessed with the bronzed cubes of tofu (topped with shrimp paste), that accompany the eggplant. The tofu is as unctuous as egg custard and encased in a delicate fried skin. It’s luxurious and comforting—a revelation. 

The fried short ribs (#34) are another must-order. The butchering produces tiny morsels of caramelized meat that crisp-up in the fryer. I love sucking the chewy bits and sticky sauce off the bones.

With a meal this decadent, I knew we had to include something veg-forward and not-fried so we opted for the pea sprout and egg rice crepes (#56). Streaked with daffodil-yellow egg and filled with a grassy bundle of sauteed pea shoots, it was like a mouthful of spring.

Choosing a favorite dumpling at Dolo is challenging; this past visit we ordered the pan fried shrimp and corn (#19), and they were delicious. I loved the homey combo of flavorful shrimp, corn kernels and carrot chunks.

Dolo stands apart for its superb renditions of classic dim sum and fresh, inventive offerings. We plan to return soon with a cadre of friends (and stretchy pants) so we can revisit favorite items and sample more of the expansive menu.

All photos by Jared Wheeler

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