For our restaurant
redesign project, my group chose DeKalb staple, Yen Ching. The process of
making recommendations was a task itself, but I have to start with the fact
that I actually got to go out and eat as a class assignment. First. Time. Ever.
And I loved it! Okay, back to the assignment at hand (pun intended).
I had personally never been and
and felt that going at 11:30a, when the restaurant opened, would be the best
way to experience the freshest food offerings. There was not a lot of parking
on the side as a majority of the spaces are located in the back of the
restaurant. The parking lines were also worn out making it difficult to
distinguish where or how to situate our cars--especially to avoid potentially
obstructing the handicap space.
There are beautiful, dramatic
over-sized red doors... that are no longer used, which was disappointing. Once
inside, there was a hostess station, but no hostess. The restaurant was large
and open, but the lighting was so dim, not only did it hide the culturally
thematic decor of the restaurant, it seemed dark, moody, and almost depressing.
We were greeted and served by one of the owners, Marilyn Yin, which was a great
personal touch. The walls were covered with large, traditional Chinese art and
huge warrior statues stood in place around the interior. Large, Asian-fabric
booths created the perimeter and family-sized round tables (some complete with
lazy Susans) occupied the middle of the restaurant.
Yen Ching’s menu had many different
and bold colors and was really busy. It became overwhelming to make a decision
regarding what to eat. Another disappointment was the small amount of
vegetarian offerings (with no vegan offerings) at the restaurant. There was not
even an alternative soup option to select with your entree, which I found odd
considering they make a vegetable-based soup (I asked).
The food offering was tasty, and came
in a large portion, which is definitely a plus in my book for Yen Ching. Each
entree came with a soup appetizer and a side of wontons (although they forgot
my wontons), and tea was complimentary. My meal came out quick, hot, and fresh.
I ordered the vegetable fried rice (pictured above). The mixed vegetable
included cabbage, broccoli, onion and snow peas. It was delicious, and the
serving was large enough for me to eat sufficiently there and take a meal-sized
portion home.
Below are a few additional points that stuck out to me:
Chlorine
smell in entryway- indicates clean practices, but
overwhelming and uninviting smell right before sitting down to eat is off
putting. Less harsh, more organic and eco-friendly products would reduce harsh
smell. Also, by using potpourri, eucalyptus/ etc., the restaurant could
actually offer customers a mild, fragrant and inviting welcome. (note:
we arrived as soon as the restaurant opened, and the smell had dissipated by
the time we left.)
Picture
collage- picture collage hangs on the wall of
individual loose pictures hung with (likely) tape. Collage seems bulky on wall
and looks unkempt, unprofessional, and unsanitary for a restaurant setting. A
larger frame which could accommodate the photos (or even individual frames
placed throughout the restaurant) would give a sleeker, more professional
presentation.
Money
loosely hanging- similar to pictures, loose money was
hanging from the wall. Access paper easily collects dirt. Money not only looks
unprofessional, it is a potential environmental hazard. If money is
representative of certain customers or financial milestones, a cleaner (both
environmentally and aesthetically) would be to frame them.
Slightly
chilled inside- restaurant is large and open, and
thus drafty on the inside. Thicker seals at the entry doors, or even column
heaters, could fix this minor issue without sacrificing the aesthetic in the
restaurant.