CHIReview
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Lao Peng You
Included In
If you’ve ever walked into a crowded house party, then Lao Peng You will definitely feel familiar. You open the door to thumping music, a bunch of people standing around holding booze, and you have no real idea what the f*ck is going on. Luckily, we can tell you exactly what’s happening at this small BYOB Chinese spot in Ukranian Village - some fantastic handmade noodles and dumplings.
Just like trying to figure out the lay of the land at that busy party (OK - where is the bar?), Lao Peng You can be confusing to navigate. There are only a few tables, and it’s unclear how everything works (whose house is this again?). No one’s taking names, there’s no real waiting area, and the counter you order at is in the back of the room. But once someone lets you know it’s your turn to sit down, you’ll experience the same sense of peace and joy that an introvert does when they finally find a quiet bedroom with the house’s cat.
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Introvert or not, it’s worth standing surrounded by a bunch of strangers just to eat Lao Peng You’s wonderfully chewy noodles and dumplings. We’ve yet to have something from the short menu we didn’t really like, but our go-to order is the beef noodle soup, which has wide flat noodles in a spicy broth. The cold noodles are a close second - lightly tossed with chili oil, soy, and topped with peanuts. Whatever delivery system you choose, you can count on the noodle’s texture to have a great bite, and for them to be about 64 feet long (also satisfying). All of the dumplings come floating in a spicy sour soup (with fillings like pork and dill, beef and cilantro, and mushroom and egg) and the firm wrappers are a great vehicle for soaking up the broth.
There are a few tasty small plates that are useful to round things out, like either the garlicky cucumber salad, cold chicken, or eggplant. Definitely have one or two of those on the table, especially if you’re here with a group. The one non-negotiable (aside from a bottle opener) is a bread - either the flaky chung yao bing (green onion bread) or the xi’an bing (lamb and cumin).
But like when you go through the host’s emergency box wine, Lao Peng You runs out of food during peak hours. We’ve yet to be able to eat the elusive dou hua (tofu pudding) on any of our visits, so at this point, we’re convinced it’s a myth. But if you come here earlier on a weekday, this place is usually much calmer. And if you’re more of a homebody, this place does a nice job with carry-out. But we like it best when we come here with friends and a lot of booze. After all, we always end up having FOMO when we skip the party.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Beef Noodle Soup
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Cold Noodles
Chicken Noodle Soup
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Dumplings
Cold Chicken
Sliced Beef Shank
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Chung Yao Bing
photo credit: Sandy Noto