It is a challenge to find a restaurant that serves genuine Chinese food in the mid West. On offer are things like egg drop soup, General Tso chicken, dishes that have been Americanised for the local palate. So when a Chinese waistress mentioned a local eaterie that serves genuine Chinese food, I immediately tried it out. Ever since then I have made the place almost my back kitchen. It's called Jen Jen (although the Chinese name is called Hong Kong Food Street), and it's off Metcalf.
It is an unpretentious place, with minimal decor, and on a cold day, there is a two bar electric heater added for effect. Pride of place goes to a fish tank that contains the occasional live lobster, and live crabs that the chef prepares in the traditional ways. At the end of each meal, the proprietor, who is also the chef, offers Chinese dessert such as red bean soup or peanut soup, both of which remind me of my childhood days.
