This kitchsy little Montrose Chinese fast food place serves fairly large portions of very good Cantonese and Hunan cuisine. From the outside, Ming's looks like little more than a run down shack sitting near the busy Montrose and Westheimer intersection. Once inside, though, hungry customers are hit with a funky, Ikea-styled interior. Orders are placed and paid for at the counter, but the staff brings the food out to you at your table. The menu is posted on a large chalkboard above the counter, but printed menus that are easier to read are available on the counter. Be sure to check the dry erase board above the drink cooler for the daily specials.

While the food here is served quickly on Styrofoam plates and most customers eat with plastic forks (for the regular customers who know where to look, there is a somewhat hidden container of real forks located next to the more obvious bins of plastic forks and spoons), don't let the fast-food nature of the restaurant turn you away. The food here is very good, with some items outstanding. Ming's is known in Houston for having the best egg rolls in town, but other appetizers such as the melt-in-your mouth cream cheese crab puffs and pan-fried dumplings are some of the best in the city as well. Everything is made fresh from scratch after you order it (excluding a few items such as the soups) and is MSG-free. The hot and sour soup is some of the best I've ever had, although it is also probably the spiciest, and is guaranteed to clear your sinus passages. As for entrees, I particularly like the general jow's chicken (their take on general tso's), the tangy spicy chicken, and the orange chicken. All of the chicken entrees feature all white meat chicken breast, and the fried entrees are very lightly fried just until they are crispy but are never greasy. All entrees are served with steamed rice, with their very good fried rice available for a modest extra charge. A select group of entrees are also available as combo meals; with these you get the entree with fried rice, a small order of sweet and sour chicken on the side, fried wontons, and a soft drink or iced tea all for one set price. There are only about five of these choices, but some of the more popular entrees, including moo goo gai pan, general jow's chicken and the tangy spicy chicken, are available as combo meals.

Sure, you can get better Chinese food at some (sometimes) fancier places around town. But for the excellent quality, low prices, fast service, and Montrose location (which guarantees good people watching), you can't beat this place. And, if you happen to be on the west side of town, the owners have a second location called Three Dragons Cafe at 1910 Wilcrest that features the same recipes and menu as Ming's.

METRO Routes: 82 Westheimer, 34 Montrose Crosstown (Ming's); 19 Wilcrest Crosstown (Three Dragons Cafe).