In September we brought you the good news that the family behind the popular Yen Ching Chinese restaurant would be opening a fast-casual version of the much beloved family-owned restaurant. And we are happy to announce that their opening day is right around the corner.
Yen Ching Express is slated to make its debut at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. at 10944 N. Port Washington Rd, in the Mequon Pavilions.
The new counter-service eatery will be operated by former Yen Ching proprietor and chef Shiy Wang alongside his sons Thomas and Brian Wang, and it will offer a menu of some of Yen Ching’s most popular dishes, all made in-house using fresh, high-quality ingredients and sauces made from scratch.
Guests will find starters like handmade chicken pot stickers (six for $7.25), egg rolls (chicken, pork and veggie, $2.50 each or three for $6) and their popular crab rangoon (six for $7.95).
Sizzling Rice Soup (served at the restaurant “for two”) will be available by the quart for $9.95 along with egg drop and hot and sour soups ($4.95 per pint or $8.95 per quart).
From there, the menu will include a variety of popular entrees, priced $8.95-$11.95 for lunch portions and $13.95-$16.95 for dinner portions.
Options will include popular Yen Ching classics like Fried Rice (chicken, beef, shrimp, vegetable) Cashew Chicken, Sweet and Sour Shrimp and Mongolian Beef.
But guests will also find Chinese American staples like Orange and Sesame Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli Beef and Lo Mein with carrots, cabbage, skin mushrooms, onions and a choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables.
“The quality of the food will be the same as what we served at the original restaurant,” says Thomas Wang. “We’ll be making everything fresh to order, including dishes like our former Yen Ching Beef, which we’re renaming Black Pepper Beef.”
Meanwhile, the customizable House Vegetable Deluxe features stir-fried broccoli, green pepper, carrots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, green and white onions in brown garlic sauce. Guests can also add soft or fried tofu, chicken, beef or shrimp.
Yen Ching Express will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Guests can follow the restaurant on Facebook and Instagram.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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