Just north of Crabapple on State Road 140, Yen Ching has carved out a niche as a favorite for many of the nearby residents serving Mandarin, Szechwan and Cantonese dishes. The nondescript strip mall which houses this Chinese restaurant is slightly more than two miles north of the Cherokee County border on the east side of the road.

Literally, Yen Ching means Bird City or Bird Capital. Many years ago this was one of the smaller provinces that joined together to form the Asian country. Owner Henry Lee and his son Vinnie, along with the rest of the Lee family, have done a remarkable job. This is one of the few great Chinese Restaurants in north Georgia.

Soup is first on the list and wonton is our favorite. Yen Ching does not skimp here, which is always a good sign of things to come. The soup is loaded with meat, noodles, and vegetables.

Our favorite appetizers are egg rolls, which are crisp on the outside while maintaining the soft noodle on the inner folds. The vegetables in the feature are always crisp and hot.

For main courses they serve a wide range of beef, pork, chicken, fish and seafood, and vegetable platters with your choice of white or fried rice. Even the rice is worth noting. Only slightly sticky, it is just the way we like it. Now on to the main course. Everything we have eaten at Yen Ching has been good. The Mongolian Beef was tender and loaded with sesame. Beef with broccoli is also excellent.

Chicken with cashew is packed with the two main ingredients, supplemented by a full garden of crisp vegetables, as is the Garlic Chicken. To us, Yen Ching's chef does a wonderful job of including just the right amount of garlic, but we are garlic lovers. As with almost any restaurant, you can always ask to leave out or add an ingredient. Each of our special orders have always been served correctly.

They offer combination lunches that feature a wide variety of main dishes with a spring roll and fried rice for under $5.00 (March 98) and combination dinners for under $7.00.

Location: Highway 140 just north of the Fulton-Cherokee county line
Directions: From Georgia 400, take Mansell Road exit left (west) to Houze Road (State Road 140). Turn Right on Houze. Ga. 140 becomes Arnold Mill Road in Crabapple. At the Cherokee County line Ga. 140 becomes Hickory Flat Road. After crossing the county line, Yen Ching is two miles on the right in a SaveRite shopping center.
Additional information:
Address:
9105 Hickory Flat Highway,
Woodstock
Phone:770.346.0899
Date added: November 16, 2003
Last update: December 6, 2003