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After nearly a week on the road, and enjoying a variety of delicious breakfasts, I got to thinking about how good a meal of Chinese food would taste. Since I was spending much of my time in the center of Nevada, along Highway 50, a.k.a., "The Loneliest Road in America," Chinese restaurants are few and far between. However, Elko is a city of 22,000 located along Interstate 80, and... guess what? Chinese food is alive and well in Elko, thanks to Chef Cheng's, in downtown Elko. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, June 19, 2017, and I'm in the mood to enjoy a great Chinese early dinner at Chef Cheng's Chinese Restaurant, in Elko, Nevada.
Photo: When I arrived in Elko, I really hadn't planned on paying a visit to Chef Cheng's, as my destination was the Commercial Hotel and Casino, home of "White King," the largest dead polar bear in the world. I'd heard of this mounted polar monster, weighing in at 2000 pounds, and had been wanting to check him out, and eat at the restaurant in the casino, where he's located. To my amazement, Commercial was dead... really, silent dead, with few customers, and staff standing around looking bored, and the restaurant wasn't open. No eats at Commercial today! So, I put "Plan B" into action, and headed over to Chef Cheng's Chinese Restaurant, as I'd had Chinese food on my mind for a couple of days.
Photo: "White King" stands in a glass case, in front of the coffee shop, which is closed on this late Monday afternoon. "White King" is the world's largest dead polar bear, and he's been a fixture at Commercial Hotel and Casino in Elko since 1958.
Photo: As you walk in Chef Cheng's, as white board announces the daily special. On this late Monday afternoon, the restaurant was lightly seated, but since I was dining alone, I chose to sit at the counter.
Photo: I snapped a photo of the greeter/cashier as he was doing something on the cash register before he even had a chance to look up and greet me. After snapping his photo, I gave him my business card, and told him that I was taking photos for this article, and he welcomed me to take photos. I love a friendly restaurant! The restaurant is a local favorite, and has won many local and regional awards.
Photo: Looking at the counter, from near the rear of the dining room. The restaurant was staffed with two waiters, including my friendly server Wang, and two gentlemen in the kitchen. One of the more unique things about Chef Cheng's is this is the only Chinese restaurant that I've ever had the pleasure of visiting where traditional country music is played in the background. You just have to love Elko!
Photo: The menu is absolutely GIGANTIC and features every Chinese dish that you could imagine, and many that you probably didn't even know exist. This is the beef section of the menu. I was is a "beefy" mood, and I wanted to spice up my life, so I ordered #43, "Mongolian Beef." As he took my order, my smiling server, Wang, cautioned me that this dish is spicy, but that's what I had in mind. Consider this: I'd been camping for five days and I truly was looking for a spicy dinner.
Photo: Appetizers consisted of fried... I'm not sure what... along with sweet, red dipping sauce. I ordered an optional bowl of rice, which was brought with my appetizer, along with a Tsingtao beer or two. Amazing appetizer, and the rice and beer worked in tandem with everything.
Photo: The service is fast! Really fast! I was still taking photos, five minutes after placing my order, when I took this photo of Wang grabbing a ready plate of food from the kitchen. Much to my surprise, he placed the plate in front of me! I get a peek into the kitchen, along with the "old school" order wheel. Chef Cheng's must cook a lot of rice, judging by the huge rice cooker to the right of the photo.
Photo: My order of "Mongolia Beef" arrives with a smile, as my super-friendly server, Wang, poses for my camera. Take note of the fact that my rice and appetizers are barely touched, as the service was so fast. I must admit that I was pretty skeptical - was the food prepared in advance, and merely nuked? - but after I dug into my delicious early dinner, I realized the chefs are really fast at what they do.
Photo: Thanks to Wang, my ever-smiling server, for taking this photo of me, as I prepare to enjoy a fantastic Chinese dinner.
Photo: "Mongolian Beef" dinner, optional rice, appetizer, and a Tsingtao beer make for a great dinner.
Photo: My plate of "Mongolian Beef," complete with edible flower on a sprig of parsley to enhance the already stunning presentation. The thin-sliced beef is seasoned, stir-fried with green onions and hot peppers, and has rice noodle as the foundation. The photo looks good, but it does nothing for how absolutely delicious this meal was! As I mentioned before, when I placed my order, Wang cautioned me that my selection was spicy hot. Actually, it wasn't all that hot, until I bit into one of the red peppers, as shown in the center of the photo. The red pepper was HOT! My mouth burned, but luckily, Tsingtao came to the rescue. To finish the delicious dinner, I simply picked out the peppers, set them aside, and enjoyed my meal. I was looking for an excellent Chinese restaurant, and I found what I was looking for at Chef Cheng's. The food is excellent, the dining is comfortable, the service is fast and friendly, and the price is reasonable. Great Chinese cuisine in Elko, Nevada! Chef Cheng's Chinese Restaurant Copyright(c) 2017 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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