MingHin Cuisine, Chicago

Barbecued ducks and pork bellies hang behind glass near the entrance of Chinatown eatery MingHin Cuisine, offering a visual appetizer to guests as soon as they step foot inside. Tales of those juicy meats and their crackling skins have enticed many to take the Red Line down to MingHin, but it may be the menu’s sheer variety that keeps them coming back for more. In the words of Chicago Reader food critic Mike Sula, "the menu—sprawling even by Chinatown standards—yields consistently impressive preparations in bewildering variety, with a striking devotion to quality of ingredients."

Taking into account the number of cooking techniques from which diners may choose, the menu is even larger than it first appears. Live seafood and whole fish can be steamed, braised, baked into casseroles, sliced into sashimi, or simply served in a barrel of ocean water. Hot pots simmer with oysters, beef tenderloin, and rich sauces, and Hong Kong–style dim sum graces tables both at brunch and late at night.