Mystery Diner in Sycamore: Ren’s offers best of both Chinese dining experiences

Chinese food tends to fall into two camps – quick and easy fast food or a sit-down extravaganza.

But Ren’s Chinese Restaurant in Sycamore splits the difference. While it clearly places a special emphasis on providing delivery and takeout for its clientele, the establishment offers food similar in quality to fancy Chinese restaurants, but with portions and prices far closer to the fast-food end of the spectrum.

The space inside the restaurant is not huge, offering just four tables seating four people each. But what’s going on in the back is great, making it a perfect takeout or delivery choice, as well as a spot for casual dining.

The orange chicken is among the best you can find. Spice always varies in this dish at different restaurants, with Ren’s tending to lean more toward the spicy end. For this recipe, the kitchen team cooked the poultry to perfection. The freshly prepared chicken remained crisp and flavorful, and never got soggy.

The General Tso’s also had a nice heat level, and actually seemed on the same spiciness scale as the orange chicken. It’s a testament to Ren’s that even the pieces of broccoli in both chicken dishes were steamed to perfection.

The final main dish we ordered was the vegetable lo mein. It had a sweetness to it that was complemented well by adding a little soy sauce. Excellent preparation characterized both the veggies and noodles.

Not technically a main dish, the pork fried rice certainly could (and did) act as a meal for someone. The pork was finely chopped, and, at first, it seemed like that would backfire, drying it out. But on the contrary, it was cooked perfectly. And by cutting it so small, there was pork in every bite. It was a very good take on a stalwart dish.

We also ordered a pair of sides. Egg rolls came in orders of two and were very good. They didn’t fall into any of the traps that can doom an egg roll. These were crisp and about as light as a fried egg roll can get. The pot stickers were great, too. A star of the show was the dipping sauce, which seemed to be some combination of soy sauce and sweet-and-sour sauce. It had a red tint and a different flavor profile than just straight-up soy sauce.

So, if you’re looking to take home something substantially better than a standard fast-food offering and without the advance planning and price tag that come with an upscale restaurant, Ren’s fits the bill perfectly.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Daily Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Ren’s Chinese Restaurant

WHERE: 310 E. State St., Sycamore

INFORMATION: 815-899-1005