The quest for rice

I am not the type who can't go on from day to day without eating rice.  I am not really so fond of it.  I am perfectly fine with sandwiches or breads for lunch.  On the contrary, my family is a big rice eater; you know, us being Asians and all.  Rice is usually a vital staple during lunch or dinner or more, even breakfast.  So imagine my husband's dismay when he couldn't eat rice out there in the US.  He lasted for a night with only burgers and sandwiches but the next day, he insisted on going to the Chinese restaurant that we saw the night before.  Well, we went all the way to Chicago from China to eat Chinese food.

So we found our family's meal savior in a form of a striking red one storey building near our hotel called Ming hin Cuisine.  We already searched the menu online so we came in prepared.  We knew what we wanted.  



that red box out there

I was quite surprised to find it jampacked with both Asians and Americans.  It gave us a good sign that the food might be great.  The attendant was very warm and polite.  He attended to us immediately and pretty soon we were sat in a cozy booth spacious enough for the three of us.  I actually just went back to the hotel from the ASLA convention to have lunch with my family so I was really relieved when we got a table quite quick.

Their service was great.  Having spent more than five years in China, we know very well that restaurant hospitality is not their biggest strength; even in fine dining restaurants.  But out there in Ming hin, the staff were really nice to us, especially when we communicated with the little Chinese vocabulary that we had.

As for the food, everything we ordered were delicious and were just right for our palates.  Local food here in the Mainland tends to lean more on the bland side and being Filipinos, we likea little more richness on our food's taste.  We actually came back there thrice and I think if my hubs had his way, we would be eating there for every meal.  If my daughter has her Nando's and Shake Shack, my hubby has his Ming hin.

breaded pork



stir fried beef

steamed rice roll or lachang as we call it here



and my favorite, braised eggplant with salted fish