Chen-Mey

What is it with all the Chinese places that have «Chen» in the name? Is «Chen» short for «Chinese»? I hope it’s not some horrible slang for Chinese food or people or something, because these places are all over — Chen Fu, Chen’s Bistro and now Chen-​Mey…
Whatever the case, we have here another in the long line of strip mall Chinese Fast Food places. But unlike the others, this one differs in at least three important respects.
One — the place is pretty well-​lit. That’s not all that uncommon these days. Used to be that they were somewhat dingy and tough to see when you went in, probably so that you couldn’t see what you were eating.
Two — the staff can speak very good English so that you don’t have to fret over what you are ordering. That was actually a very nice surprise. They are really quite friendly as well.
Three — while all of these places are fast, they are very fast. They actually asked if we would be back to pick up our order, and when they found that we were staying, they said that we could call ahead next time, but by the time we sat down and got comfortable, it was done. That’s fast — like McDonald’s fast, and I’m not talking made-​to-​order fast, I’m talking how they used to do it, with burgers sitting on the racks ahead of time fast.
The food itself was also tasty, if a bit on the greasy side. It’s not high cuisine or anything, but you’re not going to a strip mall for anything fancy, are you? We’ll definitely try again when we’re in the mood for fast Chinese food.