Restaurant Review: Getting lucky at MingHin Cuisine Streeterville
On a warm June night, my good friends and I got together at MingHin Cuisine in Streeterville.
Established in 2010, MingHin is the largest, and according to their website, “the most highly-regarded dim sum mini-chain in the Midwest, known for their unwavering commitment to providing authentic Hong Kong Cuisine and Dim Sum at the highest standard.”
I am a huge fan of Dim Sum … Cantonese small plates that allow diners to try a wide variety of dishes and share, family-style. Our party of five dim-summed our way through several plates and literally closed the restaurant down on Monday night.
How lucky did we get at the five-time Michelin Guide winner?
THIS LUCKY…
LUCKY #1… I got street parking in front of the restaurant…that was a miracle on Ohio Street!
LUCKY #2…A secondary miracle was paying just $14 for ‘Pay-by-(License) Plate’ for three+ hours on the Gold Coast.
LUCKY #3…The helpful servers stood at the ready to serve our every need.
LUCKY #4…The servers helped our (late) Boomer, GenX and Millennial (no help needed) group navigate the digital tablet menu, which reminded me of an Amazon order form with a ‘cart’ of menu items that is totaled, so there are no surprises on the bill. And if you’re paying separate checks, it’s much easier than trying to split the bill among yourselves.
LUCKY #5…Portions on all dinner items are huge and moderately priced for downtown Chicago. And the dishes are exquisitely designed and presented.
Lucky #6…I had the Udon Noodles with BBQ Duck. Well, the duck meat was nicely cut into pieces that could fit onto my chopsticks. And the Udon was delicious…soft, long seasoned pillows of noodles in a simple dashi-based broth. It took a trick or two to get them twirled on chopsticks.
LUCKY #7… Potstickers werepork, cabbage and savory! And they fit nicely between chopsticks. Be careful with the hot-cha-cha sauce they served with the pot stickers. NOT for the faint of heart. They’re just fine on their own.
LUCKY #8… Siu Mai, (open-faced steamed dumplings) according to our Millennial and GenXer, tasted like “an Asian chicken pot pie.” But without the heavy, clotted cream sauce. I think they were my favorite taste of the night…light and savory.
LUCKY #9… Wetried the Shrimp Egg Foo Young before you had to! Unfortunately, while hugely portioned and served with rice, there was no flavor to the egg or the shrimp. Liberally season this one with soy sauce.
LUCKY #10… My panel of five voted thumbs up on recommending MingHin Cuisine for your dining pleasure.
MingHin Cuisine is located at 215 E. Ohio Street. They are open Monday–Thursday, 11am -9:30pm, Friday from 11am –10pm, Saturday from 10am –10pm, and Sunday from 10am–9:30pm. Reservations are recommended, and can be made by clicking here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
