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• Campustown egg rolls

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Photo by Rebekah Nelson.

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Related Venues

Bo Bo China »
Address: 404 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 352-2292
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Empire Chinese Restaurant »
Address: 410 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 328-0832
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Lai Lai Wok »
Address: 402 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 328-1888
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Mandarin Wok »
Address: 403 1/2 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 337-1200
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Cravings »
Address: 603 S. Wright St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 328-2538
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Walk into any Chinese restaurant in the United States and one thing that’s sure to be on the menu is egg rolls. These little appetizers have become synonymous with Chinese cuisine and can sometimes be a preview of what’s to come in terms of quality of food. But every place has its own recipe, and every place claims to have the best. So to put the controversy to rest, the buzz editorial staff sat down and sampled the egg rolls of five different Chinese restaurants on campus. Here’s what we thought:

Bo Bo China

404 E. Green St., Champaign

Crispiness: 4 — The egg rolls were wrapped in multiple fried layers, making them intensely crispy.

Value (size v. price): 5 — The rolls are large and wide and only $1.

Tastiness: 2 — Though sizeable and cheap, the taste was found wanting.

Visual Appeal: 3 — The rolls were golden brown on the outside, but their indistinguishable insides made them a little less appealing.

Empire Chinese

410 E. Green St., Champaign

Crispiness: 3 — The edges were crispy, but the roll becomes a bit soggy as you work your way in.

Value (size v. price): 5 — The rolls were huge and just more than a dollar each.

Tastiness: 3 — Not bland but not very savory either.

Visual Appeal: 4 — The inside ingredients were distinguishable and nicely wrapped in a crispy-looking shell.

Lai Lai Wok

402 E. Green St., Champaign

Crispiness: 2 — The rolls are lightly wrapped and turn soggy rather quickly.

Value (size v. price): 5 — The rolls are good sized and only $1.10 each.

Tastiness: 5 — An assortment of flavors graces your taste buds upon each bite.

Visual Appeal: 5 — Carrots, cabbage and pork were all apparent inside. The rolls were also large, golden brown and tasted just as irresistible as they looked.

Mandarin Wok

403 E. Green St., Champaign

Crispiness: 1 — Not crispy at all.

Value (size v. price): 2 — Out of all the rolls we tried, these were by far the smallest, but they were still priced the same as those at the other locations.

Tastiness: 1 — Not a lot of taste.

Visual Appeal: 1 — We really couldn’t tell what we were eating, and the rolls were small and looked a little under-fried.

Cravings

603 S. Wright St., Champaign

Crispiness: 4 — Another roll wrapped in multiple layers, making them extra crispy.

Value (size v. price): 5 — Three large rolls for $1.75 is hard to beat.

Tastiness: 4 — These guys packed a lot of flavor in each bite.

Visual Appeal: 4 — The inside ingredients seemed fresh and tasty while the outsides were crispy brown.

Winner: Lai Lai Wok