Mystery Diner: Yen Ching offers full Chinese food experience
There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in DeKalb County, but Yen Ching on Lincoln Highway in DeKalb stands alone in one key regard: ambiance.
When you walk into Yen Ching, you feel like you’re in a Chinese restaurant. With double red doors to decorative paneling and Chinese art adorning the walls, Yen Ching cares about the tiny details that provide diners with a complete, satisfying experience in every aspect.
But no restaurant can succeed on ambiance alone and Yen Ching offers quality food and service to match it. The floor is run by two do-it-all women who make diners feel appreciated and thoroughly attended to.
We barely sat down before a pot of tea was placed before us. The tea came with the table and was perfect to sip while figuring out what to order.
We ordered potstickers as an appetizer. They were perfect. Accompanied by a very good dark sauce and hot sauce, they were as good as any potsticker I’ve ever had. I mixed the hot sauce into the dark to create a perfect blend with just the right bite to it. From the filling to the wonton, these were some fresh dumplings – soft on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside.
As for the main attraction, we ordered moo shu pork and kung pao chicken. On a side note, it’s only been two days since I ate there and just typing those words is enough to make me want to go get more tonight. Anyway, as this bit of foreshadowing gives away, it was good. We also stuck with the steamed rice that came with the meal rather than ordering a fried rice or lo mein.
The moo shu pork stole the show for me. Upon bringing it to the table, the server prepared the dish as it was intended to be eaten. She started by spreading plum sauce all over the Mandarin pancakes – tortilla-like wraps in which moo shu pork is traditionally served. Then, using chopsticks, she filled and wrapped the pancakes with the contents of the dish.
Naturally, watching this process unfold brought me basically to the point of starvation. But just when I couldn’t have taken even one more minute of this, she placed the moo shu wrap on my plate and told me to start eating it while she served the rest of our meal.
I’m not going to elaborate on the ways in which this moo shu pork was the best Chinese food I’ve had in this county. I can’t; it’s beyond words. You simply must try it.
The kung pao chicken was great too. Spicier than most, it was perfect when paired with a pile of steamed rice. The textural contrast between the soft chicken, peanuts and celery pieces really made this dish. Everything tasted fresh and had to have come right off the wok to our table.
While I couldn’t have been more satisfied with this meal, possibly the best part was how much would be going home with me. Nothing beats leftover Chinese food in my book, and I had at least enough for two more meals in the next day or two.
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Yen Ching Restaurant
What: Chinese food
Where: 810 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb
Phone: 815-758-2007
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday
• The Mystery Diner is an employee in the newsroom at the Daily Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant before or during the meal. The diner visits a different restaurant in DeKalb County each week.
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