Formosa Cafe Door Hanger Campaign Chinese Food Served Woodridge Illinois
on Hollywood Blvd
Authentic Asian food served with a Hollywood flair.
(630) 427-8199
www.formosacafehollywood.com
The
Formosa
Cafe
The Chinese actually invented paper money but
America came up with plastic; so we’ll accept
Cash, MasterCard, Visa & American Express.
Wok n’ Rolls, Wings n’ Things
Egg Rolls
A pair of traditional yummy egg rolls really have nothing to do with birds and neither do ours;
but they are chock full of veggies and really taste good……$5
Nanjing Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Marinated heart-healthy chicken, wok charred with seasonal vegetables served with fresh lettuce leaves
to wrap your own little garden with our homemade Nanjing sauce…….$6
Dr. Fu Manchu’s Crab Rangoon
Just what the Doctor ordered — so listen up. Wontons stuffed with fresh crabmeat and garlic cream cheese,
deep fried to a golden brown, served with our secret recipe Shanghai Plum Sauce …….$8
Chicken or Beef ChoCho Sticks
Six seasoned strips of either tender chicken or beef sirloin marinated in a special blend of sauces then
served on a stick with sweet pineapple chunks. Much better then popsicle sticks which would just melt.
So stick that ChoCho in your mouth….…$7
Singapore Stickless Pot Stickers
Six handmade plump pork dumplings (steamed or woked) not stuck on a stick but just put on a dish
so don‘t know why they call‘em stickers cuz they ain‘t sticky nor stuck. Singaporeans make things
so confusing but they taste so good…..$6
Pig in a Wonton
Half a dozen crunchy wontons wrapped around savory bits and bites of pork……$6
Ming Wings
Six breaded chicken wings served plain or dipped in your choice of Dynasty Sweet & Sour Sauce or
Krakatoan Hot Chili Sauce…..$6
Taiwan Wings
Six wok fried chicken wings tossed in your choice of traditional homemade Teriyaki Sauce, Burmese BBQ,
or Siriachi Hot Sauce…….$6
BBQ Dragon Ribs
We don‘t buy ribs from skinny little dragons. We wait for the full grown ones who have been a huff‘n and
a puff‘n for awhile and have some real meat on their bones. We char-grill these Oriental Ribs while basting
on an open fire with our own special Chinese BBQ Sauce…….$8
Ying soups & Yang salads
Dr. Liang’s Herbal Chicken Rice Soup
An old Chinese family‘s secret recipe, it‘s good for what ails you, even hangovers. Take it from one hu knows
and made to order just for you…….$7 for a Big Bowl
Dropped Egg Soup
Its ancient herbed chicken soup made in a revolutionary new way……we actually take the egg right out of the
shell before we drop it in the hot broth!…….$4 for a Bowl
Spicy Hot & Sour Soup
We take minced garlic, thin sliced green onion & shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts,
a little fresh chili pepper with spicy white pepper and then beat some tofu with an egg, all stirred into a hot
chicken broth………$5 for a Bowl
One Ton Soup
Just served in less heavy portions. We steam pork wontons and drop them in our savory homemade
Chinese broth to make a wonderfully flavored Oriental soup……..$5 for a Bowl
Palace Shrimp Salad
A garden meal truly fit for royalty! Our really big bowl is filled with succulent shrimp, chopped greens and
other colors with both American and Chinese vegetables like lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, snow peas,
bean sprouts, mushrooms, both red cabbage and Chinese cabbage and your choice of one of our salad
dressing favorites……$10 Substitute chicken or duck—sorry no ostrich cuz that‘s from Africa.
Chicken Mandarin Salad
Cold chicken breast slices top off a big bowl full of colorful chopped provincial garden lettuce, spinach, red
cabbage, Mandarin orange slices and diced almonds served with our signature Chinese sesame
dressing……$10 Can add or substitute shrimp or duck, we don‘t mind at all.
Available dressings include –Ranch, Blue Cheese, Italian, French and our House Specialty Chinese Sesame.
Beverages
Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, Lemonade…$3
Brewed Iced Tea or Peach tea…..$3 Ask your server for our selection of specialty hot herbal teas!
Premium Blend Coffee…..$2 Big Voss Premium Bottled Water…..$6
For parties of 6 or more, an 18% gratuity will be added to your check
but of course feel free to increase or decrease this gratuity at your discretion.
Chow Ing Down
All entrees come with steamed or fried rice & very fortunate cookies with hot tea by request.
Can substitute Lo Mien for a few Yen more (actually $2 USD)
Chunking Pineapple Chicken or Shrimp
Battered white meat chicken pieces or battered whole shrimp with a pinch of green peppers then hand tossed
in our own Chunking sticky sweet chunky pineapple sauce.…….$12 for chicken $15 for shrimp
Mao Tsi Beef or Chicken w Broccoli
Sliced sirloin of beef or tender white meat chicken slices with broccoli, carrots and our Cantonese
Brown Sauce……$12
Genghis Khan Mongolian Beef
We cut a thick beef sirloin into pieces and marinate them in our own special Mongolian Yak Sauce and wok
sear to perfection while slowly tumbling in some sliced green onions, minced garlic with just a little more sauce
and bring to a simmer, then serve…..$14
Meats Oriental, Sweet & Sour Style
A delectable taste treat from Western China, just take your pick of battered chicken, pork or shrimp and we
hand toss in our Hong Kong sweet & sour sauce then top with just a little bit of pineapples, onions, carrots,
and green peppers…..$12 for chicken & pork $15 for shrimp
Sea Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce
We take sun-dried black beans and hand grind in a stone bowl with ginger root blended with four of our
special oriental sauces and Chinese White Wine then pour over tasty wok grilled shrimp, green peppers,
carrots, mushrooms and bamboo shoots……$15
Moo Goo Gai Pan
A favorite Cantonese dish consisting of sliced wok-seared white meat chicken (that‘s the Gai) with mushrooms
(that‘s the Moo Goo part) and other yummy Chinese veggies like broccoli, snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts
and bamboo shoots in a light chicken broth based oriental sauce……$12
U Goo Gai, Hong Kong Style (Almond Cashew Chicken)
We marinate white meat chicken and wok it until golden brown. Served sliced and sprinkled with chopped
almonds and cashews along with zucchini, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, bamboo shoots topped with
our own blended Hoi Sin sauce.……$12
Beef or Pork Chop Suey
Your choice of beef or pork with delectable oriental bean sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage, onions, carrots,
broccoli in a Cantonese brown sauce…….$12 Beef and pork combo add $2
Chicken or Shrimp Chow Mein
Your choice of either chicken or shrimp with oriental bean sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage, onions, carrots
and a white Chow Mein sauce with crispy noodles on the side…..$12 Chicken and shrimp combo add $3
Taiwanese Sesame Chicken
Breaded chicken simmered in our homemade sweet red Tong sauce including little bits of carrots and
broccoli along with a generous topping of toasted Yangtze sesame seeds. It‘s a big bird for a big appetite.
Says me!…..$12
Orange Chicken
Tender breaded chicken with green bell and chili peppers all tossed in a spicy orange sauce with grated
orange peels as the topper……..$12
Szechwan Chicken or Pork
Some Like It Hot! One of the spiciest of all Chinese dishes with yummy carrots, mushroom, zucchini
and water chestnuts. No really zucchini can be yummy when it is spicy…..$12
Kung Fu Pao Chicken or Shrimp
We make ours with the centuries old original recipe with marinated sliced chicken or fresh shrimp in a wok
with special chili sauces and some Chinese white wine, (don‘t know if those guys just had a great idea or
were short of glassware), then we stir in unsalted roasted peanuts and chopped green onion. This classic
spicy dish shouldn‘t be confused with David Carradine or the famous fighting panda……$13 for chicken
$15 for shrimp
Much Ado About Mu Shu
The famous northern Chinese dish using either pork or chicken, wok cooked and served with bamboo shoots,
green onions, mushrooms, and other good oriental stuff. Spread your Hoi Sin Sauce on the Mandarin wraps,
fill with Mu and then chew.……$13
Wok Fried Vegetable Harmony
with broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions, peapods, carrots, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots
and our own special Cantonese Brown Sauce……$11 Add Shrimp for just…..$3
Szechwan Green Bean Delight
Szechwan green beans and green onion stir fried with minced garlic in our own blended light chili Lo Mein
sauce, brought to a simmer in our Chinese white wine. Vegetarian never tasted so good……$10
Confucius Fried Rice with Meats
Our special white rice done Wong, its fried and served with peas, carrots, bean sprouts, egg, onion and your
choice of either chicken, pork, or shrimp…..$9 or make it really special as a combo with all three…..$12
Vegetable Lo Mein
This traditional dish starts with Lo Mein noodles, broccoli, onions, carrots, zucchini and delicious Chinese
vegetables like snow peas and mushrooms then wok fried with fresh garlic in a light soy sauce then laced with
Chinese rice wine ……$10
Meat Lo Mein (chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp)
For the non-vegetarians, the same traditional Lo Mein noodle dish with your choice of either wok fried beef, pork,
chicken or shrimp in a light soy sauce, just a few Chinese veggies for color and some Chinese rice wine …..$12
Three Meat High Mein Combo (chicken, beef, pork)
For true carnivores we take our Lo Mein noodle dish three times higher with bite sized pieces of your three
choices from beef, pork, chicken…….$14
Formosa specialties
Peking Roast Duck
One of our specialties – a classically prepared Chinese delicacy, this famous bird is aged and dry rubbed with
spices, salt and sugar, then slow roasted in our oven until it becomes deep golden brown. Cooled and cut into
halves, then finished by flash frying to sumptuous crispiness. Sliced off the bone and brought right to your table
with a stack of steamed Mandarin wraps, green onions on the side and our own wild plum sauce. Limited
availability cuz people keep eating it all up. Half a duck…….$18 Whole lotta duck……$32
General Whose Chicken?
Our crispy breaded bird masterpiece. We make our sweet-and-spicy Hunan dish with chicken. It‘s not clear how
the dish original came to bear the name of Tso (左宗棠, 1812–1885), a Qing Dynasty general from Hunan province.
The General himself is unlikely ever to have tasted the dish which is not found in Changsha, the capital of Hunan
nor in Xiangyin, the ancestral home of General Tso. Moreover, his descendants are still living in Xiangyin and
say that they have never even heard of such a dish! To the victor belongs the poultry…..$14
Chinese Happy Sausage w Confucius Fried Rice
Confucius say don‘t get confused about one of our house specialties, just be happy with our special oriental
preparation of really delicious chunks of fresh sweet Chinese Sausage mixed with our very own brand of
fried rice…..$13
Imperial Stir Fry Chicken
One of our favorites, stir fried with nice big pieces of succulent white meat chicken cooked with mushrooms,
broccoli, onion, carrots then simmered in our own secret sweet palace sauce and topped with sesame …..$13
Singapore Lu Pan (This is sort of a Asian fajita)
So devilishly good it puts the Sin in Singapore. You choose from pieces of savory sirloin steak, tender chicken
breast or succulent shrimp served sizzling hot on its own flat iron platter with thin sliced onion, water chestnuts,
green and red peppers, with fried dried scallions, green onion slices, and a mix of shredded carrots and red
cabbage on the side, a stack of steamed Mandarin wraps to wrap all the good stuff inside with a selection of
oriental sauces for dipping……..$16 Combo of all three meats.….$18
Bourbon Chicken
Chicken marinated a long, long time in our special bourbon based sauce (the Chef just uses bourbon) and slowly
char-grilled to perfection on very low heat….. there is a 25 minute cook time on this but so worth it……$15
Oriental Steaks
All steaks come with your choice of steamed rice, fried rice or lo mien.
The Emperor’s Cut Asian T-Bone
Sometimes the big boss of the Palace just needs a good piece of meat. We take a big seasoned T-Bone steak
wok grilled to your liking and served sizzling on its own flat iron platter. 20oz..….$26
Can be served with grilled onions or sautéed mushrooms on top…..$2
Teriyaki Steak
What else can be said about this grilled Oriental favorite? A great piece of sirloin is thin-sliced and marinated with
the great classic oriental sauce served with grilled zucchini, onions, mushrooms and green peppers ……$18
Aged Shanghai Sirloin and Young Szechwan Shrimp
An oriental twist on traditional surf, turf and burp. Our ancient beef steak from the ranch is wok-charred,
topped with some chopped water chestnuts and fresh from the sea spicy Szechwan shrimp in our special
oriental herbed butter ……$24
Chinese Steak and Peppers
We wanted to use Yak, but they are kinda mean and we couldn‘t figure out how to get the fur off. So our steak is
actually made from beef and served with green peppers, garlic and onions in our Cantonese Brown Sauce.…$16
Kids Meals served with chips……$4
Ming Wings a half order of our famous breaded chicken wings plain or with Hong Kong Sweet & Sour Sauce
Sweet & Sour Chicken Bites Pineapple Chicken Bites
Grilled Cheese Sandwich Wok-stirred Macaroni & Cheese
Wok fried Hot Dog in butter served on toasted bun
Manchurian Sweets
Great Wall of Chocolate with Himalayan Vanilla
A great layered chocolate cake unconquerable by even the biggest appetites with a snowy peak
of Himalayan vanilla. Might take an army to get over it……..$7
French Polynesian Crème Brule
A cold rich custard dessert made with beans from the French Polynesian Vanilla Orchid topped with a contrasting
layer of hard sugar caramel then sizzled (until bubbly) with our own Formosa branding iron……..$7
Palace Almond Cookies
Not for the peasants, the Empress kept this secret recipe just for the little Mings running around the palace.
Half a dozen baked fresh daily for…….$5
Oriental Ice Creams & Sorbets
A nice bowl full of the best flavors in the best bowl—Chocolate, Raspberry Pineapple or Mango……..$5
Ying & yang Mini-Desserts
Desserts that sound good when you read it but won’t understand until you see it.
Pick two for you and you. The Ying is for one and the Yang for the other……$6 for 2
Or double up on the Ying with twice as much Yang so all 4 for $11
Dessert Wonton
Thin oriental after dinner wontons filled with smashed Asian bananas, cinnamon and brown sugar,
then served with a small scoop of rich creamy vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.
Formosa Funnel Stix
Covered with powdered sugar and served cups of Chocolate & Strawberry Sauces for DiPing.
Dynasty Brownie Delight
A warm brownie with a foothill of Himalayan Vanilla. Good enough to be passed down
or generations and just big enough to be sinful.
Strawberry Blintz
For all you fans of fine Oriental Yiddish Cuisine — this ones for you!
Martinis $10
Jade Dragon
Shanghai Surprise
Empress
Kiss of the Dragon
Asian Pear
Tokyo Rose
Bruce Lee
Grasshopper
Ruby SoHo
Asian Libations $7
Asian Mojito
Singapore Sling
Flying Tigre
Bejing Ice Tea
Enter the Dragon
Formosa Bloody Mary
Bottled Beers
Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors, Miller Lite, MGD, MGD 64 & O‘Doul‘s……$4
Sam, Adams, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Goose Island 312…..$5
Tsing Tao, Sapporo, Kirin Light, Heinekin, Amstel Light, Bass,
Corona, Corona Light, Stella Artrois & Guinness……$6
Take a Look Around You
Since we still had lots more Chinese stuff left in storage after building two movie theaters, and since
there were still a few empty spaces left in this mall, we decided to transform several storefronts into
a great Chinese restaurant that we call ―The Formosa Café on Hollywood Blvd‖. We have so many
customers who come so often, that despite our extensive Hollywood in theater, menu we thought we
would try an entirely new cuisine. So now for something completely different; grab some chopsticks!
Our separate lounge and dining rooms feature towering 17 tall foot cathedral ceilings, very time
consuming and intricately hand painted four color walls (we still have paint under our finger nails),
antique carved wood windows and natural slate floors.
Where to begin on this one? How about the huge salt water aquarium behind the bar weighing about
4 tons; so heavy we had to reinforce the floor (and no, we don‘t grab your dinner from the tank).
There are Chinese antiques galore; statuary and architectural woodwork everywhere such as giant,
hand-carved scrimshaw tusks, carved bone horses, silver dragon candlesticks, carved wall hangings,
antique cabinetry, Chinese lanterns, paneling, and tapestries. The four pieces of dragon artwork over
the bar were salvaged from the outdoor box office of the world renowned Graumann‘s Chinese Theater
(on the other Hollywood Blvd) where the immortals of the Hollywood film industry have their hand &
footprints forever enshrined in cement on the famed forecourt. The table tops were converted from 300
year old Chinese & Tibetan palace or temple doors, decorated using the ancient technique of gesso,
which uses a mixture of animal skin glue, chalk, and pigment applied in thin coats of at least ten layers
over a home spun cloth or silk as a binder. They were sculpted or intricately carved then painted with
dragons, tigers, pandas, fish, birds and other exotic Oriental pictograms. This technique is often used
as a base for gold leaf which is seen on a few of the tables. The ancient Chinese carved wood corbels
at the entryway to the dining room are 400 years old. Those corbels and tables are the oldest antiques
we have in the entire facility (unless Mom is visiting).
As you move about the facility make sure and check out the carved and painted proverb or wish
carvings of Chinese calligraphy. Translations are nearby spelling out the good wishes for graduates,
birthdays, going off to war or little snippets of wisdom that would later make great fortune cookies.
Our dining room is dedicated to the beautiful Anna May Wong, the first global Chinese-American movie
star. Around the time she was nine years old, she began begging early Hollywood filmmakers for parts,
behavior that got her dubbed “C.C.C.” for “curious Chinese child.” Her first film role was as an uncredited
extra in Metro Pictures’ The Red Lantern in 1919 that included scenes shot in LA‘s Chinatown.
She started getting regular work including Toy Ling, the abused wife of Lon Chaney’s title character
Chin Gow and also with John Gilbert in 20th Century Fox’s Shame. Her breakthrough role was in
1922 at the age of 17 when she won the female lead roll in The Toll of the Sea which was the first
feature film shot entirely in Technicolor’s original two-strip color process. She then played ‗Lotus Flower‘
in a big screen adaptation of the opera Madame Butterfly which moved the story from Japan to China.
She then became an international sensation and world wide fashion icon at the age of just 19 after
starring as the Mongol slave girl opposite Douglas Fairbanks in the 1924 silent screen classic
The Thief of Baghdad. The $2 million blockbuster production made her a household name to the
movie-going public and endeared her to critics. For better or worse, a star, albeit of the stereotypical
“Dragon Lady” type, was born. The 5’7″ beauty was known as the world’s best-dressed woman.
She was featured in magazines the world over, much more than actresses of a similar level of
accomplishment. Becoming a media superstar in the Silent Age, her coiffure and complexion were
copied and caused coolie coats and Oriental inspired fashion to become all the rage. The beautiful
black & white pictures on the walls of this room are all publicity portraits and movie stills from her career.
Anna led a fascinating life, and more can be read about her on the wall plaque or on our website.
Along other walls we have displayed autographed pictures from over 300 of the celebrity guests that
have visited these establishments since opening, stars like Richard Dreyfuss, Tony Curtis, Teri Garr,
Rita Moreno, Jennifer Hudson, Shirley Jones, Leslie Nielsen, Paris Hilton, Mickey Rooney, Traci Lords,
Debbie Reynolds, Peter Falk, Michelle Pfeifer, Karen Allen, David Carradine, Johnny Knoxville,
the Girls Next Door, or from movies like Twilight, Harry Potter, Hannah Montana, The Wizard of Oz,
High School Musical, Animal House, Back to the Future, and so many, many more – all hanging in
frames on our Great Wall of Hollywood!
Build it and they will come— we heard it in a movie so it must be true – cuz here you are!
Add a wok, some rice, a bar with a well placed Buddha here and there, and ―Bam!‖ you‘ve got the
best Chinese Restaurant in Chicagoland. So just sit back and relax, enjoy the great food and palatial
atmosphere. Then have a drink. You won‘t care what Confucius said after a few martinis!
Special Formosa Stuff u should know
Before placing your order, if you have a special dietary restriction or food allergy please
notify a manager or our Wok artist and we‘ll do our best to accommodate you.
Our food is prepared fresh and cooked to order but some items may be served raw or undercooked. Consuming
raw or undercooked meats, beef, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of food borne illnesses.
Please be aware that our café does use ingredients that contain all the major FDA allergens (peanuts, tree nuts,
eggs, seafood, milk, soy and wheat). We are not gluten free but we don‘t care much for MSG so we don‘t use it.
For parties of 6 or more, an 18% gratuity will be added to your check
but of course feel free to increase or decrease this gratuity at your discretion.
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