JW Chen's

It seems that everyone has their favorite Chinese place, it's their go to for take out for a busy week night or that special place for dinner out, and I can tell you that if it wasn't located all the way out by Notre Dame, JW Chen's would be our Chinese place. The food is delicious and scratch made, and from what we hear from many who have traveled to China it is as close as it gets in the US, I have never eaten in China, but I can tell you this is different and better than the rest! We started with the lettuce wraps because my hubby has loved lettuce wraps since we were taken to PF Chang's (no judgement for eating at a chain!), and these blew PF's right out of the water; you have your choice of pork or chicken, I chose pork for a little something different and was not disappointed, these wraps were delicious, I was eating every speck of the filling off of my plate!

When it came time to order the owner grabbed a seat next to us and asked us what we liked, she told us that she had fish and lamb and would make us anything we wanted, she will even make suggestions based on what you like, or come up with a whole new dish for you! We ended up with an order of almond shrimp which was on the menu, and black vinegar fish which was not on the menu. As we waited for our food, the waitress dropped off a plate and announced "honey chicken on the house," and what a scrumptious surprise that was! This was not the typical deep fried chicken covered in an overly sweet sauce that I have had before, but rather chunks of tender chicken with a nicely balanced honey sauce, even my hubby liked it and he isn't usually a fan of sweet dishes.

The next dish to hit the table was the almond shrimp, and yes they bring your dishes out as they are prepared, so everything is piping hot. This wasn't the typical shrimp dish with a few almonds sprinkled over top, these large shrimp are lightly battered and coated in slivered almonds before they hit the fryer, so you get shrimp that is completely coated in almonds. These crispy shrimp are finished off with a really delicious brown sauce, and are just so perfect, this might be my new favorite Chinese dish!

The final dish to come out was the black vinegar fish, which was an entire filet of fish (my guess was orange roughy, but I couldn't say that with conviction), battered, fried, and dressed in a sauce that, despite being tangy, did not taste like vinegar. This wasn't our favorite dish on the table, but it was good, and so fun to get to try something that isn't on the menu.

JW Chen's not only has delicious food, but a unique environment as well, I mean how many places can you go and have the owner come up with a dish based on your tastes? And while it is nice for a family dinner or even a night out, I also think getting a big group together, each ordering a different dish, and eating family style would be a blast and give you a good taste of what they have to offer. No matter who you choose to go with, just make sure you go to JW Chen's, you won't be disappointed!