Absolutely Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in Palatine Township

My daughter and I recently visited Absolutely Chinese in Rolling Meadows on Christmas Day for the first time. We read many good reviews and were excited to try it. We were surprised to find their sign outside was not lit and we almost missed it in the strip mall. We had made a reservation but realized it wasn't needed as we were the only patrons for the first half hour or more. It was uncomfortably cold inside and I wore my coat throughout dinner. The waitress who greeted us was very welcoming and we were soon to find out that she was the former owner for the past thirty years and would be leaving. She was helping out the new owners, since they didn't have enough help. Throughout our time there, she continued to make comments about the new owners doing things differently than she had done it - including changing her recipes, which her customers had enjoyed. You could see how upset she was over that. We discovered that everything was ala cart, unlike many Chinese restaurants that include soup and sometimes an appetizer. We ordered hot and sour and wanton soups and an order of spring rolls. We assumed the spring rolls would be healthy and just wrapped in lettuce, but instead, they were very thin, deep-fried, and had a strange filling that tasted bland and mushy. My wanton soup was tasty and plentiful but the hot and sour soup was not to my daughter's liking, as it lacked the heat she was expecting. I asked for different vegetables for my shrimp lo mein dish and my daughter ordered General Tso's chicken, which was not spicy at all. Some of my vegetables (which were sparse) were actually cold and there was little sauce on the noodles. The shrimp tasted fresh but lacked flavor, so I added soy sauce. We received complimentary fortune cookies along with our bill, which included a surprising 12% tax. All-in-all, we were very disappointed with our meal and experience - thus the 2-star rating. It's obvious that the great reviews I read prior to our visit were most likely written when the original owner was running the restaurant. In fact, one of her regulars came in while we were there and she knew exactly what he wanted. It's too bad the new owners aren't living up to the reputation of the past and I wonder how they will survive. But we certainly...

Our family has been semi-regularly ordering from Absolutely Chinese for years, so initially I was very disappointed to hear that the owners were closing the restaurant. However, the place recently re-opened with new management and we decided to give them a chance. So far all the dishes I have tried are excellent. My personal favorites are the fried rice, Mongolian beef, sesame/honey sesame chicken, orange chicken, walnut shrimp and triple delight, but really everything I've tried here has been delicious. In my opinion, the quality of the meat has been upgraded and the beef and chicken taste better than before, tender but not soggy. The sauces are still very flavorful yet not overly salty or spicy. Plus, the portions seem noticeably larger than what the previous owners made. I also want to send my sincere thanks to the new owners for always being super friendly and accommodating when I call, even though I ask for many modifications due to my family members' diet restrictions/being picky eaters. For those who are gluten-free or have peanut allergies, Absolutely Chinese is great because they are very amenable to those requests.

If I had to list a negative, it would be that some of my favorite menu options that the previous owners had (especially the lamb options and the crispy boneless duck) are no longer available. But overall, the new management has done an outstanding job and I will continue to be a regular customer because of the wonderful service and delicious food. I totally recommend trying this place out if you are...

Don't order online through doordash!! I went inside to pick up an order I placed. I got the confirmation from Storefront by Doordash, and they took the money from my account. The lady at the register told me they never received my order? She asked if I placed it through Doordash or Beyond Menu, so I showed her my Doordash confirmation. She informs me that they canceled their Doordash account and have no way to receive these orders? She said I can pay again to place an order inside, and call Doordash for a refund. I'm a business owner myself, so I know there's no way the Doordash system will process an order if they actually canceled their account. So I pay twice because I have a hungry family waiting for dinner. As I'm waiting, the cook comes out with someone else's order, and the lady tells him "cancel that doordash order" ??? So basically I was lied straight to my face? I've been a regular customer for years. I'm very disappointed how this was handled. Luckily doordash processed the refund quickly...after I had to search online for 20 minutes for their customer support number. At least the...