If you grew up eating Cantonese/American staples like sweet and sour chicken in suburban restaurant enclaves, Chicago's Chinatown, with its restaurants tarred in Mandarain Hanzi characters and bustling groceries filled with writhing eels and bullfrogs, can be an intimidating place.

For those folks who want to dip their toes into this rewarding but tumultuous cultural swirl, Emperor’s Choice is the perfect starter restaurant. Sporting dark wood paneling, pink, green, and red walls, red paper globes and a framed ceremonial robe, the dining room feels like a quiet oasis from the cacophony of Wentworth Avenue.

You'll even find enough egg foo young, General Tso’s chicken, and Mongolian beef to satisfy the most skittish of palates; adventurous eaters, however, have a shot at shark fin soup (the huge shark mounted in the foyer still has it’s fin intact), marinated jelly fish or cuttlefish in black bean sauce. Lunch specials like scallops and shrimp with honey-sauteed walnuts come with soup and fried rice and start at $7.95. Otherwise appetizers range from $1.95-$10.95 and entrees from $8.95-$39.

Average cost: $21-$30

Centerstage Reviewer: Michael Nagrant