King Chef

8664 E 96th St.

Fishers, IN 46038

(317) 842-8989

www.kingchefindy.com

We were furniture shopping in the 96th and I-69 corridor and decided to grab lunch. I was running out of places to blog, so instead of going to Noodles & Co., I suggested we try King Chef which is next door. It was a while back, but my brother had mentioned that the food was pretty decent there. I should have called him before we actually went in because the restaurant had since changed owners and the food isn't as great as it used to be. Although I can't fault him for this suggestion, he did steer us in the wrong direction in what is to this day the WORST dining experience I have ever had. This was well before my blogging days, and I had always wanted to work in a reference to said experience into a post. The place was El Sol del Tala on East Washington St. We must have either gone on a bad night, because this place is historically rated as one of the better Mexican restaurants in the city. The service was atrocious and the food was even worse. The chicken was still pink. The food came out cold. It was just very bad. So the tie that binds El Sol de Tala and King Chef is my brother.

King Chef was very clean. The staff was friendly and welcoming, Where it lacked was the most important piece of a restaurant, the food. They are very generous with their portions for the price. You get soup, an egg roll, fried rice, and an entree for under $6. Where I used to base Chinese restaurants on how good their General's Chicken is, I have had too many bad experiences with General's Chicken and now I go with the Kung Pao Chicken. It is simply chicken, peanuts, and veggies in a spicy sauce. When my plate arrived, I was able to pinpoint how they can have their price point so low. They load up the veggies. I have never had a Kung Pao chicken with diced celery and carrots before, but this had ample amounts of both. I really don't like cooked celery in anything but soups and stews. I think it overpowers the dish. This was the case here. Each bite was mostly carrots and celery I found myself digging around and just eating the chicken. The egg roll was huge. I probably should have eaten that first, because it was the more enjoyable part of my meal. Like the entree, it was full of veggies.

 

The restaurant was very clean. The service was quick. Our server was friendly. I was watching an old episode of Top Chef this week, and they mentioned you go to a restaurant for the food, and come back again because of the service. If only the food was better, I would make a return trip.

"I was EAting at a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called Mother and Child Reunion. It was chicken and eggs. And I said, I gotta use that one." - Paul Simon

Rice Cooker

2436 Lake Circle Dr
Indianapolis IN 46268

I felt like I was cheating on a girlfriend in going to another Chinese restaurant not named Yen Ching. Rice Cooker just opened recently near 86th and Townshipline Rd. Their other location is in Zionsville. I had heard great things about that one so I floated the idea out to my coworkers to try during lunch. Around 1pm on a Friday, we were the only ones in there. The decor is pretty plain and they were playing Michael Buble instead of traditional Chinese restaurant music. I love me some Buble.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the owner. He was very friendly as was our waitress (his wife?). They were always asking how our food was and they were very prompt with refilling our drinks. Because I love Yen Ching so much and have always been overly satisfied with their lunch service, all other Chinese restaurants compared to Yen Ching. The Rice Cooker scored a point with the fried wontons and two types of sauce (Chinese mustard and chili sauce) brought to us when we sat down. The wontons reminded me of Chinese tortilla chips. The wontons at YC are cut like noodles, whereas these are more square. We didn't even have to request them. Rice Cooker also offers a lunch special consisting of soup, entree, fried rice, and a fortune cookie. I of course got the Hot and Sour Soup. This was a nice preview of the rest of the meal. The soup was served VERY hot, temperature wise, not spice wise. I burned my tongue right away. Once I let the soup cool off, I was able to enjoy it. The thing I liked about this soup was the abundance of meat in there. You are lucky to find more than one piece of meat in Yen Ching's soup, not so with RC's. There was more egg and less vegetables in RC's version as well. The consistency was more thick and it had a flavor I really couldn't put my finger on. It wasn't bad, it was just different. I ordered General Tso's for my entree. Once again, it was REALLY hot temperature wise. If you burn your mouth, its your own fault. I tried to warn you. As for the flavor, I requested mine be prepared spicy hot. They were spot on with this as there was heat, but it wasn't like eating a Blazin' wing from BW's. There was just something missing flavor-wise. The sauce wasn't that thick and there were actually veggies in the sauce. I really enjoyed how they add veggies, point RC on that account.  Also scored HUGE points on the chicken. It was white meat chicken that had a very light coat of breading, this made me feel like I was eating somewhat more healthy in that it wasn't mostly breading. The fried rice was good, but YC wins in that category. The fried rice was heavy on the eggs, which is fine, but the taste reminded me of Panda Express fried rice. 

I will definitely go back again and be sure to try something different. YC wins the overall price category as it is about $3 cheaper, but RC kept me satisfied. The staff was so friendly (maybe it will get to the point where they know me by name too).  It is nice to know that I have another option for Chinese close to work and my parent's house. 

“With coarse rice to EAt, with water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow -- I have still joy in the midst of all these things.” -Confucius

Yen Ching

9150 Michigan Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268
(317) 228-0868


Welcome back. First, let me preface the review with a little story. When I was working in Chicago, I had the chance to go to a natural foods trade show. After a little small talk with a man peddling Himalayan Salt Blocks, he asked me where I was from. I told him I was born and raised in Indianapolis. His response, "the best Chinese food I have ever eaten was in Indianapolis." I replied, "Oh yeah? What restaurant?" He then proceeded to tell me that there is no way I have heard of it. I said, "Try me. I think I've been to the best Chinese restaurant in Indianapolis." Finally he conceded and told me it was this little restaurant called,  Yen Ching. I informed him that I too believe that is the best Chinese restaurant. The only difference is that he always goes to the Yen Ching on E. Washington Street, whereas I frequent the Northside location. Yen Ching has long been a family favorite. My family has been going to this restaurant for a long time now. It is special when you can walk into an establishment and the owners, wait staff, or bartenders recognize you and welcome you by name. I always hold those places in high regard. 


Luckily I work on the Northwest side of town, so Yen Ching is only about 10 minutes away from the office. I have introduced my co-workers to the restaurant and its safe to say that they are hooked as well. They always know I'm a sure bet to join them for lunch. I know, enough background, and on with the food. My favorite time to dine is during lunch.  They offer a lunch combination platter where you can get soup, entree, fried rice, a crab rangoon, and a fried wonton for $5.45 (some options are a little more expensive. For instance, the Orange Chicken).  I always get the Hot & Sour soup. It is a great blend of veggies (bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots, and I want to say there are bits of straw mushrooms as well). Also, there is egg streamed into the broth as well as tofu and tiny pieces of pork. Flavor-wise, it is exactly as advertised. It is a great mix of spicy and sour. It has a healthy amount of pepper. **Note, make sure you ask for a small bowl of fried wontons to mix or dip in the soup. It gives the soup a little added crunch.** I've tried other hot and sour soups, but this is by far my favorite. I also always substitute the fried wonton with another crab rangoon. The filling in the rangoon has a very creamy texture. I'd say it leans on the cream cheese flavor, with a hint of crab. All in all, a perfect addition to the meal. For my entree today I went with the General Zoal's Chicken. Who is General Zoal you ask? Well my friends, I have no idea who he was historically, but culinarily, he beats the pants off of General Tso, General Chu, or any Chinese General with a chicken dish named after him. This dish was the initial reason I started going back to Yen Ching. The pieces of chicken are dark meat.  The sauce is a vibrant red, as compared to more of a brown sauce you get at other Chinese restaurants. The sauce is not heavy and has a great blend of heat and sweet. The fried rice also has a very light taste to it. It is not at all greasy. The only veggies you are getting with this combo are in the soup and in the fried rice. If you want a more well rounded meal, opt for the chicken or beef and broccoli. 


Let's talk about the atmosphere. The decor in the restaurant is pretty plain. They have some Chinese tapestries and plants, but thats about it. If you are looking for a five star Chinese restaurant experience, Yen Ching is not the place for you. It is the perfect neighborhood eatery for amazing Chinese food. My favorite part of the service is the timing of the food. I'd say it is pretty flawless. You are seated, the waitress takes your order, within 5 minutes you have your soup, as you are finishing the soup the entree is on its way. As your meal comes to a close, the check is dropped with a fortune cookie. Speaking of fortune cookies, ever wonder why your fortune isn't coming true? Well you are eating the cookies wrong. Let me blow your mind on the proper way to eat a fortune cookie. 1. Break the cookie. 2. DO NOT READ THE FORTUNE. 3. Eat the cookie. 4. Read the fortune. 5. If you like your fortune,  eat your fortune. And do NOT tell anyone what it said. BOOM. That's how you eat a fortune cookie. Anyways, my favorite waitress is the older lady, Ching. Some people are annoyed with her style because she is very loud and commanding when you order, but she is friendly and gets the job done. 


Let's recap. The best time to go is for lunch. Order the Hot and Sour Soup, the Egg Drop is a decent option as well.  I recommend the following dishes as I rotate them whenever I dine: General Zoal's Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli (My sister's favorite. She swears by it. I'd have to agree that it is the BEST Beef and Broccoli I've ever had) , Chicken and Broccoli, and Sweet and Sour Chicken. Lastly, don't forget to sign up for the Birthday Club. You bring two friends in and your meal is free. Well just find one friend and bring me. 


EAt your heart out.