Pak Ling Express

This place used to be pretty mediocre, and not very friendly. Yesterday we went for the first time in a year or so and the food was delicious. The young lady that helped us was very friendly and very helpful. We don’t make it over to crown center often, but when we do this will be where we grab our meal!

I was honestly surprised by the quality of the food here. I ordered the Beef Lo Mein and my boyfriend had the one entrée meal with Sesame Chicken and lo mein. They cooked my Beef Lo Mein fresh and the beef was -incredibly- tender. Chinese takeout beef has no business being as pleasantly tender as it came out in my order. The mushrooms and broccoli were good as well. It wasn't overly oily, which was nice. My only complaint/suggestion is that the dish could improve with some minced garlic and possibly some scallions added in for extra flavor. The Sesame Chicken seemed like pretty average fare, it didn't stand out spectacularly but was nice and hot despite being under a heat lamp for however long. The service was average, but I did notice they -do- charge for a water cup (about $0.25 if I recall correctly). Drinks run about $2.00 more or less, and I'm not quite sure if they offer refills. I honestly didn't expect much for it being more of a tourist-ridden place but the beef in the beef lo mein was really really good for no apparent reason. It was also cheaper than the one entrée meal, so I'd recommend ordering the beef lo mein if nothing else.

The only thing worth eating here are the fried dumplings, and I actually really like them! Probably because they're made to order and come out crispy and hot. The sause they serve with the dumplings is fantastic as well. But yes, the owner is rude. Today I got a dirty look for asking for a fork (which they keep behind the counter.) How they've stayed in business so long is beyond me.