Oct. 16—When a Facebook post went up Oct. 9, the chatter ran faster than that of a busload of kids lined up to listen to a message from the Happy Chef statue. It was 60 years ago when the ...

Chef Javier Reyes, a Joliet Junior College culinary instructor, not only mans the Naperville-based Butterball talk-line to address turkey prep questions, problems and emergencies, he'll be doing ...

(Baus could not be immediately reached on Tuesday morning.) The Happy Chef statue stood outside the restaurant at I-135 and U.S. 56. for 29 years before the restaurant closed in 1999.

But arguably, Happy Chef's most famous noodle bowl is its laksa, with 12 different variations and featuring various topping combinations. These include beef tripe, tofu, prawn, chicken, fish ball ...

Now Happy Chef No. 1 is up for sale, and when the deal is done, it will mark the end of the more than half-century business begun by three brothers and kept in the family the entire time.

The original on Highway 169 is the only remaining restaurant, though repurposed Happy Chef statues can be found sporting everything from umpire uniforms to chimney-sweep costumes in various locations.