One out of every four people on the Earth is Chinese, and it seems as if the average holds true for the local restaurant scene. There is hardly a neighborhood along the Wasatch Front that cannot boast of its own Chinese restaurant.
Yet this was not the case about 20 years ago. Except for a few favorites around town like the China Village and King Joy Cafe, which catered primarily to the Friday night chow mein crowd, Chinese restaurants were few and far between.Then President Nixon made his historic trip to China. The subsequent normalization of relations with this fascinating and complex country altered the gastronomic landscape in this country as well as reshaped the balance of world power.
Salt Lakers, like the rest of the Western world, now have myriad choices for just about every kind of Chinese dish, from tea-steamed roast duck to eggplant in black bean sauce, from pot stickers to chow mein.
I know that local tastes have really changed over the years when a popular ice cream store closes and is replaced by a Chinese eatery that even on a recent weeknight was filled with customers.
Ming's Chinese Restaurant presents an interesting contrast to its predecessor. The etched "f" for Fernwood's can still be seen on the glass partitions that separate the booths along the wall, but the resemblance to the former tenant ends there. The narrow, mirror-lined interior resonates with the sounds and smells from the small, open kitchen where there used to be a sedate soda fountain.
Cheerful waitresses quickly seat waiting customers, sprint to the front with bags of take-out orders and converse in Mandarin with toiling cooks who are mixing the individual dishes in large sizzling pow woks. The only victim of this fast-paced energy was one of the nine items we sampled from the moderate menu. The otherwise tempting ginger shrimp special came to the table less than lukewarm, neglected for a moment too long by our otherwise attentive server.
We shared the pao pao tray ($9.50), an assortment of appetizers encircling a small flaming grill for warming the two skewers of Malaysian sa-tay (similar to a mild curry) beef. The results were mixed; while the paper-wrapped chicken was juicy and tender, the fried items, wontons, shrimp and egg roll were a bit greasy. The filling in the golden dumplings, or pot stickers, was dense to the point of toughness.
An additional order of char siu pork ($3.95), covered with a sweet red sauce, was more than ample. The serving for two of the recommended hot and sour soup ($2.50) was very good. The broth was rich, pungent and loaded with strips of bamboo shoots, black mushrooms and other sliced vegetables.
Each of the entrees we sampled displayed an attention to the basics of Chinese wok cooking. The vegetables were perfectly crisp, the sauces evenly applied and the shrimp and chicken were tender.
The mu shu vegetables ($5.95), a vegetarian version of the dish that can be ordered with either chicken or pork, and an evening special, pine nut chicken ($6.95), were clear favorites. Each had a distinctive flavor as well as texture. We also enjoyed the nicely seasoned Szechuan shrimp ($7.45), laced with shrimp, blackwood fungus, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots and scallions, served in a piquant crimson chili sauce.
Other specialties on the menu include chicken and sweet corn soup ($3); won ton soup ($3.50); Buddha's feast ($5.95), mixed Chinese vegetables and mushrooms; Beijing pork ($6.95), pungent morsels of pork served over fresh spinach; Thai beef ($6.95), with a Thai curry sauce; seafood delights ($8.95), shrimp, scallops, crab, halibut with oyster sauce and vegetables.
More traditional dishes such as moo goo gai pan, beef broccoli, soft and crunchy chow mein noodle dishes, pea pod beef, Hunan chicken, black bean shrimp, fried rice and egg foo yung are also mainstays on the menu, averaging between $4 and $6 per dish. Several combination dinners are offered, priced from $13 to $29. American items include fish and chips, fried chicken, hamburgers and french fries.
During my visit, former governor Scott Matheson and his wife Norma, along with his brother, local dentist Dr. Steve Matheson and his wife Lorna, were enjoying their dinner at a nearby table. Under the premise of discussing my outstanding bill with my favorite dentist, I stopped by their table. I couldn't resist asking the governor how he liked the food. It was his family's fifth or sixth visit, he explained. However, he did caution me not to overdo his enthusiastic endorsement of Ming's. "After all," he said, "I just don't want the five or six Democrats left in the state to be the only customers."
Based on the colorful and flavorful dishes we sampled, as well as the exuberance of the waitresses, Ming's should continue to grow in its popularity, regardless of the political persuasions of its clientele.
Rating: ***1/2
Ming's Chinese Restaurant, 1330 Foothill Drive (Foothill Village), 582-1616. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Open Sunday from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Major credit cards and check with check guarantee card accepted. Ten percent off on take out orders.