Egg Rolls: Chowdown Showdown

By it's very nature, the egg roll is poised for deliciousness. It is very hard to go wrong with a deep-fried bundle of savory meats and vegetables, but some undoubtedly do it better than others. The following three restaurants are all based on community suggestions via our Facebook page.

(Homewood)

Eat Rice's egg roll had an extremely satisfying crispiness to the outside, an immediate good sign. The flavor of the oil used to fry the egg roll was evident in the outer wrapper in a very positive and complimentary way. As for the inside, trace amounts of meat were interspersed throughout the mixture of asian vegetables. A relatively fine chop of everything inside helped meld the flavors together. It resulted in a fairly smooth but still texturized combination of savory flavors. A minor crunch from what I presume to be a bok choy added a textural variation to the soft inside of the wrapper and the crispy outside. Overall a satisfying, fairly typical egg roll.

(Homewood)

Asian Harbor's egg roll was distinct in that it was significantly thinner than it's counterparts. The outside maintained a fair amount of crispiness, but, ultimately, the fry potential was not realized. Unlike Eat Rice, the fry oil's neutral flavor did not seem to add any contributions to the egg roll. The insides were far more homogenized than those in Eat Rice's roll, resulting in a much smoother texture and consistency. Like the oil, the inside ingredient's maintained a relatively neutral savory flavor. The best part about Asian Harbor's egg roll was the well-balanced homemade sweet and sour sauce. The balance of honey-like sweetness with tastes of ginger and acidity served as a satisfying compliment to the overall mild flavored egg roll.

(Chicago Heights) 

China Inn's egg roll was very crispy, much like Eat Rice's, however, the flavor contribution from the fry oil was not so evident. The inside ingredients were mixed together with only a coarse chop. This resulted in pronounced and diversified textures. A benefit to this was that I was able to taste the distinct, separate flavors or the assorted ingredients simultaneously, unlike the other two. This worked to the egg roll's advantage as a more complicated and dimensional flavor profile was achieved. The variety of complimentary savory flavors and textures was more pronounced than the other two.

The winner: China Inn 

All three egg rolls were enjoyable to eat, but it was China Inn's ability to highlight the interaction of varying savory flavors and textures that landed them the top spot.

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• For establishments in Chicago Heights and Olympia Fields
• For establishments in Homewood and Flossmoor