We ordered chicken dumplings as an appetizer. There were 5 steamed chicken dumplings in a bowl with soy-ginger sauce in the bottom of the bowl. The dumplings were cooked perfectly. The sauce had a nice, sweet, light kick to it. The dumplings and the sauce were really good.
For our meals, I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken and Greedy Eater 2 ordered the Clay Pot Shrimp Panang. Both dishes were served with Thai Jasmine Rice. The portions at Big Bowl are a decent size, so you won't be leaving hungry.
I had ordered the Kung Pao Chicken the last time I was there and I made the mistake of not telling them to withhold the blackened chilies. I couldn't get through a fourth of the dish because it was so hot. My mouth was on fire for hours. So this time, I told the waiter to withhold the blackened chilies. Even though the dish was still spicy, I was able to eat at least half of it. The dish had a great flavor to it because it has roasted peanuts, sweet spicy sauce, spinach, onions, and green onions in addition to the chicken.
The Clay Pot Shrimp Panang contained shrimp in peanut-coconut curry sauce with sweet peas, grape tomatoes, and thai basil. Greedy Eater 2 thought this was an excellent dish! All the spices came together perfectly giving a sweet and spicy flavor. The sweetness from the coconut milk and the spices from the curry married well together. The flavor was wonderful. There was also plenty of shrimp in the dish. Greedy Eater 2 would definitely order this again.
We would highly recommend Big Bowl for Chinese/Thai cuisine in Northern IL. The spices, and the meats and vegetables used in the dishes are fresh and you can tell by the smell and taste of the flavors. Also, be prepared to bring home leftovers.
