To say that Yuen's Chinese Restaurant is just a Chinese restaurant would be a misnomer. This small restaurant located on the corner of 161 and Cleveland avenue is a pan-asian culinary emporium. Yuen's serves Chinese, Thai, and Vietnese specialities. Upon first scanning the menu,
I was overwhelmed by the selections and unable to focus and choose. After much deliberation, I decided on a Thai chicken curry soup for my main course. Other diners I was with ordered a stir-fried mushroom medly, homestyle tofu, and roast pork pho soup.
The first item to arrive was my appetizer order of goi cuon, an order of Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. The rice paper wrapper filled with glass noodles, roast pork, shrimp, and cilantro was light and refreshing. Served cold, this is a perfect appetizer for a hot August day. Served with a side of hoisin sauce topped with chopped peanuts, the entire concoction was tasty and succulent.
For the main course, the curry came out as a traditional Thai yellow curry, slightly sweeter than the green and red curries that I'm used to. The flavor had a sweeter flavor and the broth was light, as if the coconut milk was diluted heavily with chicken broth. The white meat chicken was tender and tasty. However, unlike many other curries, there just a hint of spiciness throughout the whole soup. As opposed to a traditional red or green curry, the yellow curry had similar flavors to Singapore street nooodles. The only thing lacking in the bowl of soup was any version of a vegetable. The soup would have been enhanced by crispy fresh carrots, bamboo shoots, sprouts and sprigs of fresh herbs such as thai basil. The soup instead was bowl of rice noodles, white boiled chicken and curried broth.
The homestyle tofu, on the other hand, was perfectly cooked and full of flavor in a traditional brown sauce. The fresh tofu was lightly fried first to get the delicate crisp crust. Accompanied by an array of mixed vegetables, the tofu absorbed the slightly salty brown sauce well eventhough the tofu was served in big, thick wedges. The mushroom medley, stir-fried in the same brown sauce as the tofu, was well-prepared with an aray of shitake, button, and straw mushrooms.
Overall, not the best Pan-Asian food that I have had. However, the selection was stellar and anyone in the mood for some "asian sensation" could easily find something on the menu to their liking.
Yuen's Restaurant
5720 Cleveland Ave
823-8880
I was overwhelmed by the selections and unable to focus and choose. After much deliberation, I decided on a Thai chicken curry soup for my main course. Other diners I was with ordered a stir-fried mushroom medly, homestyle tofu, and roast pork pho soup.
The first item to arrive was my appetizer order of goi cuon, an order of Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. The rice paper wrapper filled with glass noodles, roast pork, shrimp, and cilantro was light and refreshing. Served cold, this is a perfect appetizer for a hot August day. Served with a side of hoisin sauce topped with chopped peanuts, the entire concoction was tasty and succulent.For the main course, the curry came out as a traditional Thai yellow curry, slightly sweeter than the green and red curries that I'm used to. The flavor had a sweeter flavor and the broth was light, as if the coconut milk was diluted heavily with chicken broth. The white meat chicken was tender and tasty. However, unlike many other curries, there just a hint of spiciness throughout the whole soup. As opposed to a traditional red or green curry, the yellow curry had similar flavors to Singapore street nooodles. The only thing lacking in the bowl of soup was any version of a vegetable. The soup would have been enhanced by crispy fresh carrots, bamboo shoots, sprouts and sprigs of fresh herbs such as thai basil. The soup instead was bowl of rice noodles, white boiled chicken and curried broth.
The homestyle tofu, on the other hand, was perfectly cooked and full of flavor in a traditional brown sauce. The fresh tofu was lightly fried first to get the delicate crisp crust. Accompanied by an array of mixed vegetables, the tofu absorbed the slightly salty brown sauce well eventhough the tofu was served in big, thick wedges. The mushroom medley, stir-fried in the same brown sauce as the tofu, was well-prepared with an aray of shitake, button, and straw mushrooms.
Overall, not the best Pan-Asian food that I have had. However, the selection was stellar and anyone in the mood for some "asian sensation" could easily find something on the menu to their liking.Yuen's Restaurant
5720 Cleveland Ave
823-8880
Rating (worst to best) in Globes
Food: 3
Ambience: 2
Service: 3
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