Yen Ching

The most flavorful thing about that meal was the fortune cookie. Save your calories for something that tastes better. The service was pleasant though.

This was the worst meal I have eaten in 7 years
I eat Chinese food at least once if not twice a month, all across the east coast and mid-​west. This is the worst not just Chinese meal I have had, but the worst restaurant meal my family has had in 7 years. Let me count the ways:
Price: Each meal was about $ 2 more than any other restaurant I visit with similar atmosphere and offerings, to include the NE.
Serving Size: Portions were less than half of an ordinary lunch serving, I guess they were running out of food because they forgot to give us hardly any. The spring roll that comes with lunch, I did not know they make them so small-​why bother? 1 ½″ long MAYBE and gooey inside.
Pre-​packaged: My kids like fried rice but cannot eat egg. From fancy to back street ‘dives’ EVERY Chinese restaurant I have EVER been to has ALWAYS been able to make fried rice for us without the egg. They could not because they make it in bulk not fresh to order. We concluded they do the same with white rice, maybe saving it from the day before and microwaving it for an order-​dry and tasteless.
Taste: Was none. I ordered Schezuan Vegetable because I love spicy food. Menu clearly indicates in the red text that it is a spicy dish. The sauce was thin and tasted like bath water, only bath water usually has a taste and this sauce had no taste. NONE, not that it was not spicy, which it was not, IT WAS TASTELESS. Same for the broccoli beef dish, sauce was runny, only it had a taste-​salt, overpowering and was the ONLY taste, salt.
Preparation: Bean sprouts were overcooked, broccoli on mine and broccoli beef was under cooked.
Service: Slow. We were there for a week day lunch, there were a few people in, but it took a while for the waiter to come around to us, food delivery was slow. I mentioned how we had been on the road and really was thirsty, we wanted large waters, then I had to ASK for mine to be refilled. Plates not removed, had to ASK for the bill.
Customer needs: Since we cannot eat eggs and all the soups had eggs I asked if they would substitute won ton strips for the soup, which he did, he brought a TINY plate of strips-​ONE tiny plate to replace THREE bowls of soup.
Was there anything good? Well, the bathroom was clean. Why people waste their money for overpriced, tiny portions I don’t know, this was horrible.

WOW! Fantastic food! Service was excellent and the price was just right. Family run business that made a great impression on my family. We will definitely visit again next time we are in town. Wish they had a sign from the highway, we actually found it by mistake. What a sweet surprise!

So for Chinese food in Ozark, I would say this is the best place that is casual dining (I consider Maru’s to be a step up and a little more dressy). The food is really good and the place is really clean which you do not always find in this area. Serving staff is pretty good and really move with a purpose. I would not recommend the lemonade as it is a different very watered down taste. I switched to a coke and there was a fortune cookie paper in the glass which can happen anywhere so I can let that go. I would recommend this place to anybody that is interested in a Chinese place in Ozark for sure. Good food, good service, good experience.

After quite a few more visits, I am bumping Yen Ching up a star. I have discovered that the dine-​in food is significantly better than the carry-​out. What a revelation; Duh. So from now on the strategy is to eat in and over order, then carry out leftovers… I think the portions are a bit larger when you eat in this restaurant also. Overall, the service has been decent and the quality of the food has been very good. It has taken me awhile to find dishes that I am interested in, and that has required me to go outside my comfort zone just a bit; I don’t go to Chinese restaurants to eat fried chicken.

Best atmosphere of any restaurant in this area! Very well done and beautiful!
The food is great and the spice level is customizable! I love that I can get cashew chicken extra spicy. The non-​fried dish selection is great!
They also have a wonderful wine and alcohol selection!

This is our favorite «Chinese» place in all the land. My favorite dish is Happy Family. Hubs loves the crab rangoon and their fried rice. The menu is fairly diverse and has all the classics like broccoli beef and moo goo along with some more unique things to try. They don’t have much in the way of sushi or dessert, but it’s enough to keep the kids happy.
The best part of eating in at Yen Ching’s is definitely the atmosphere. The two dining areas are somewhat different, and it seems there’s new décor every time we visit. They do a good job of seating adult diners and families separately so everyone can enjoy. It’s a great place for a wicked game of eye spy.

Very good food and a wonderful atmosphere. They are also very quick with take out. Crab Rangoon is great and the portions are large! One of my favorite places to eat Chinese.

Really good food! Loved the pad Thai!!! Sweet and sour soup was awesome, and super fresh spring rolls. Will be back!

Hot sour soup is very good. Even has couple of shrimp floating around. Cashew also better than average. Disappointed in fried rice. Ordered it hot. They don’t know what spicy is. Next time I ordered it extra spicy. Still no real flavor. I’m not saying don’t go … Just flavor up the hot sauce boys. Tasia still has you beat on that dish. Nice servers and take out cashier.

Yen Ching was a delight!
After a much needed dinner break on the way back from Branson, this was an excellent choice. Just off the highway (which they also have advertisement on the highway exit signs), it was pretty easy to find. The outside of the building is nothing special but very well kept. Upon entering, it was also well kept, clean and very friendly. The waitress was very polite and always kept our drinks filled. The menu selections were pretty average for this type of restaurant but they had a few specialites also. We ended up ordering General’s Chicken to share with egg rolls and crab rangoon to start. From beginning to end, everything was great. My only «complaint» would be that the General’s Chicken was marked as spicy and it was not spicy at all! Great flavor, but no spice. Everything was quick and fresh. I would definitely go back if I was in the area.
And my «add on» comments…
~ The restrooms were well kept and clean
~ They allow split plates/​share an entrée

Visited for dinner several times– always good food and friendly service. They have amazing long islands.

Pretty good food but for $ 15 a person I would rather go to Applebee’s or something nicer.

Great food and service! Family friendly. Loved the setting. Good value.

Awesome look and feel inside the restaurant. Very is pretty good too. Great experience.

I’ve been to many Chinese restaurants around the Springfield/​Ozark area and this one was probably the worst I’ve had. I ordered the Kung Pao Chicen which is supposed to be spicy. In my opinion, it was more sweet then anything. The chicken was cooked well and had tons of veggies which is great but, I was expecting better. I also ordered the crab rangoon and it was by far the most disgusting crab rangoon I’ve ever had. I was really disappointed in this Chinese place, I won’t be going back.

I have dined here and thought it was great. Then we ordered take-​out and it was one-​star at best. Eat in if you have a choice.

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Love the atmosphere at this place! Once inside, you definitely forget that you are in a strip mall.
Everything I have ever ordered from here has always been made with fresh, high quality ingredients & arrives at your table pipping hot!
Servers are attentive & friendly. It is a little pricier than your typical Chinese restaurant but worth it for the quality!
My favorite dish is their Chicken with Garlic Sauce. Breaded white meat chicken with broccoli & squash all in a light garlic sauce.
My husband loves their beef teriyaki sticks & I always get their crab rangoon. They have a couples meal that is $ 15.50/person & comes with soup, an egg roll, crab rangoon, beef teriyaki stick, & an entrée. Their egg drop soup actually has some veggies & shrimp in it!
Next time you’re in Ozark or don’t mind a short drive from Springfield — give this place a try!

Great spicy cashew chicken… this is «Springfield style», which means the oyster based sauce is pretty close in consistency to gravy (a nice cornstarch slurry base). The chicken is battered and deep fried. All that being said, it’s REALLY good. I can’t wait to come and have some more next time I visit my family. Definitely let go of health expectations when eating here. This is a splurge type place for me.