New Restaurant Owners to Keep Old Business’ Influence

Maria Mandarino and Dan Temesy plan to open up a new restaurant at the former Henry Yee location in May. The two, who have been business partners for 20 years, will keep some popular Henry Yee items on their menu.

They have not decided on a name for the new venture at 624 N. Milwaukee Ave., but Mandarino says she “would like to do Asian-influenced cuisine but with my own personal twist.”

Items that were popular at Henry Yee’s, such as General Tsao’s chicken, sesame prawns, orange beef, egg rolls and wontons will remain. Mandarino plans to expand the egg roll and wonton selection and offer her own versions, such as making wontons with real crabmeat.

“Maybe people will be happy because they can get the old version or be happier because they can get a new version,” Mandarino said.

Apart from keeping menu items from the former Chinese restaurant, the duo plans to keep popular items, such as the hearty vegetarian pasta, from their previous business, Wild Goose in Hawthorn Wood.

Mandarino, who joked that she was the “white girl cooking Asian food,” says part of the reason she is keeping some of the popular Asian items was because “it’s a shame not to use the wok.”

She already has learned some of the recipes from the former business and plans to learn some more from Henry Yee’s wife in the future.

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