The Chinatown empire of Tony Hu (Lao Sze Chuan, Lao Beijing, Lao Shanghai, Lao Hunan) continues to grow, with Lao Mala now open in the former Lure Izakaya space and a River North venture in the works. In this week’s Food & Drink Mike Sula reviews Lao Yunnan, Hu’s rapid takeover of Spring World, which has received less attention than its fellows. This is a pity: Spring World was Chicago’s only Yunnanese restaurant, and Hu’s menu retains many favorites, with a dedicated Yunnanese section amid the dauntingly long list of more than 800 panregional items. You can still eat such dishes as nuggets of boneless fried chicken tossed with nubbins of chewy rice cake, smoky lamb riblets fuming with cuminy vapors, and fatty fists of pig feet dubbed “Lao Yunnan special pork hand.” There are lots of fish preparations, hot pots, and cold plates of soft, spicy eggplant or chewy slices of pig tongue. And the most iconic of Yunnanese specialties remains: Cross-Bridge rice noodles, a pork-and-chicken-broth soup customizable with beef or pork tripe and blood cakes.