Meet The Chef
China City
By Fred Tscheulin

                Mei Chen was born in China and arrived in the U.S. from Hong Kong when she was 15 years old. She has been in the restaurant business for 21 years, first working in her uncle’s restaurant in Pulaski. Later, to gain experience and increase her knowledge of the business, she worked in a variety of Chinese restaurants in New York City,  San Diego and Baltimore.
                Mei comes from a large restaurant family.  In addition to her uncle, her brother recently opened a new combination Sushi and Chinese restaurant at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, and her three sisters run Sushi restaurants.
                In 1993 Mei began running her first business, a restaurant specializing in Sichuan and Hunan regional foods. She opened her restaurant at Smith Mountain Lake two years ago. She has a successful track record, a “hands-on” management style working in the restaurant every day.
                “My experience gives me the ability to know what is right,” she said. “After 21 years I can tell if it’s right just by looking. To provide quality it is important to begin with fresh ingredients.   In September she will launch Mei’s China City in a new location at 400 Scruggs Rd. It’s a “fresh start” she said, “a new comfortable sit-down restaurant, triple the size of the original location. It will feature an upgraded interior design, new layout, all new cooking equipment, a service bar, and a lunch buffet. It’s the perfect place for families to enjoy a meal or entertain their friends. And, of course there will be a take-out menu.”

Mei’s China City
400 Scruggs Road (near Dairy Queen)
540-721-2646

Mei Chen’s Crispy Beef

Ingredients:
1 Pound fresh beef               
Oyster sauce                         
Sugar                                    
3 Egg Whites                       
1 Teaspoon salt    
½ Teaspoon pepper             
1 Cup dry corn starch
Garlic powder                      
Vegetable oil
Hoisin sauce
½ Serving spoon oyster sauce
½ Serving spoon soy sauce
2 Serving spoons water
1 Serving spoon sugar
1 Teaspoon cooking wine
2 Drops of sesame oil
Vegetables as desired

Slice the beef very thin, wash and drain it as dry as possible. Combine a little bit of oyster sauce, sugar, 3 egg whites, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, a touch of garlic powder and marinate beef very well. To the marinade add ½ cup dry corn starch. Mix well and drain leftover mixture from the beef. Deep fry the beef in vegetable oil heated to 325 degrees slowly for about 5-10 minutes. Then repeat this process three times and then deep fry it with desired vegetables for a minute or two. In another heated pan combine 1 serving spoon of hoisin sauce, ½ serving spoon oyster sauce, ½ serving spoon soy sauce, 2 serving spoons water, 1 serving spoon sugar, 1 tsp. cooking wine and 2 drops sesame oil. Stir fry and enjoy!