To Eat or Not to Eat: Restaurant Redesign Project Reflection

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.

Overall, I was satisfied with my experience and above all, the food was delicious (which is the number one thing I expect from restaurants). I would definitely consider eating there again, though predominately through takeout (unless i had a hot date where that mood lighting would actually be appropriate).