Stir Crazy falls into the category of DIY restaurants. The journey to your steaming bowl of “I made it myself” kung pao noodles starts with a greeting from the server and a list of choices. First, you’re prompted for the proteins: chicken, salmon, tuna, shrimp, calamari or flank steak. Choose between rice and noodles next, and wait for a ticket divulging this information. Once you’re set, head on up to the vegetable and sauce bars to expand upon your creation, with items like bamboo shoots, mushrooms, mixed peppers and pineapples to add extra texture to your meal. A soupy mix of spicy basil and peanut sauce finishes the flavor.

Five minutes after you placed your masterpiece in front of sweaty cooks fanning flames under woks, you'll get a dish that costs around $10 for vegetarians, $14 for omnivores. If making all these choices makes your head spin, there is also a selection of standard Asian entrees to choose from for around $10 to $16 each.

Lunchtime at the busy Oak Brook location, nestled in a corporate grid near I-294, surrounded by hotels, a mall, and several Fortune 500 companies, might stunt your progress by a few minutes. Business associates hold meetings in this tile, stone and wood-clad restaurant, apparently not concerned about the closely placed tables, where neighbors could easily overhear insider info.

Murals of cooks splay across the top of the cavernous dining space, taming the office feel for those non-working suburban moms and mallrats. It’s hard to sit down for long, though, when surrounded by an efficient staff and time-conscious customers.

Centerstage Reviewer: Nola Akiwowo