After meditating on the previous reviews since relocating to a new home in Broadlands, it seemed due time to make the pilgrimage to Yen's.
Arriving at the restaurant we were not exactly expecting it to be so quaint (translation, smallish) but we were pleased by the warm and welcoming greetings from the front staff. I didn't recall anything recently from reviewers who dined at Yen's with kids in tow, so we decided to throw that into mix for the evening. The staff promptly arrived at the table with ice water and the two additional place settings needed to accommodate the four of us. A few minutes later they arrived with covered plastic bubble-top cups of ice water for the boys which was well received as they were 'different.' Kids love the novelty of the moment you know, I say anything that distracts for a moment is a good thing...
We opted for family-style ordering, so, here we go... addressing the initial desires from our crew, we started with one Corn & Ham Egg Drop Soup, Edamame, and one order of Shanghai Spring Rolls. The appetizers arrived nicely presented and quite warm. The soup was a nice spin on the more basic egg drop soup as the corn and ham added a nice texture and together with a touch of cream, a much richer flavor. The edamame, in a word, were impressive. Unlike the basic, often wilted looking selection seen in countless restaurants, Yen's were a vibrant green with a sheen actually from what we guessed was from a light toss in sesame oil. They were also touched with salt and cracked pepper. The flavor was excellent. Lastly, the spring rolls were fresh from the fryer and had the appearance and texture of having been made in-house. All of the ingredients of the roll had a distinctly fresh taste. Though all starters hit the spot, the edamame was the big winner.
Entrée time. Wanting to have a sampling we opted for Kung Pao Chicken, Shredded Pork Beijing Style w/pancakes, and the unexpected, Braised Meat Ball in Hot Pot. Starting with the meatballs, as they arrived first, after being freshly prepared, I'll say now that the complexity of the flavors and textures were just excellent and nicely balanced. For us, balanced (operative word) meant that by working to scoop a combination of meat, broth, cabbage, and bean noodle in one bite (which admittedly takes work) was exceptionally tasty. The order came with four, very large meatballs, so dish is absolutely wired for sharing. The shredded pork offered nuances of a traditional moo shu pork (minus the blatant egg central in moo shu), with the pork cut a bit thicker in noodle-like strips. The coating had, to us, hints of hoisin sauce and an overtone of sweetness, maybe plum. However, the dish that wowed us was the kung pao chicken. I know, I know, this dish along with Gen. Tao's chicken is the stuff of Chinese food hobbyists, but I have to say, this is no fast-food kung pao... This stuff was prepared and roasted with care... Yes, that sounds pretentious but, well it's just true in this case. The chicken was perfectly sized, the flavors sweet, smoky, with a subtle and balanced hint of spice (if you like it 'spicy' be sure and order it a notch or two up from the base preparation). The peanuts had a great charred coating, together with the fresh, slightly sticky side of white rice worked wonderfully. This was the only entree that ended the evening as a clean plate. We ordered at least one entree and one appetizer too much; I figured it was a necessary sacrifice to make for a better, more compelling review; we have nearly a full meal remaining of take-home for tomorrow (breakfast?).
Our dinner was accompanied by a bottomless pot of fresh Oolong Tea. The presentation of the tea, like much throughout the evening was done with a considerable amount of thought, care, and constant attention. Yen's offers no less than 20 to 25 different teas or tea drink combinations so there's something for everyone and plenty that was new to us and worth exploring next visit.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the staff showed up with a plate of freshly made Chinese donuts, which were stuffed with a honey sweet filling that I believe was a bean paste. They were exceptionally popular with the boys. In conclusion, we'll be back. Deciding between 4 or 5 stars was tough, but considering we were in the suburbs surrounded by very hit or miss food, combined with the quality of our dinner, and the attention and care of the staff, there was only one logical choice.
Now, I will add that the boys, five and eight, reviewed the restaurant as just OK. I figured the combo of spring roll, soup, and meatballs would work for any kid, but that was not exactly the case here. The donuts, edamame, and steamed rice were the biggest hits for them, in order, with the meatballs coming a close fourth but not a hit out of the park... Crazy kids! read more