Ming’s Chinese Restaurant, a dine-in and take-out restaurant in Pleasant Hill, California, has set a new bar for all Chinese restaurants in America. The food served is authentic, fresh, and high quality; the service is professional and sincere; and Su and his staff are dedicated and hard working. And so far, Su’s work has been successful in promoting real and healthy Chinese cuisine in America. “As a member of the Chinese community, I always do my best and devote my strength to help Chinese. I think Chinese must work conscientiously to unite all of those who can be united,” he explains.

Dining in Style

While the décor of the 1,700 square foot restaurant is not what one would call luxurious, it eludes tasteful class and style. From every chair to every tile, Su personally chose each design element and only chose the best quality materials. The dining room is filled with wooden chairs and desks and elegant lamps with accents of classical Chinese elements such as paintings of peonies, mountains, and water. But when it comes to a restaurant’s environment, Su believes that cleanliness is a very important element; cleanliness is the first chance to give guests a good impression of your restaurant.

And to keep customers’ curiosities piqued, Su periodically makes innovations in the décor. He will add new decorations or reposition the desks and chairs; anything to keep the restaurant fresh and comfortable. “Innovation to always pursue perfection is very important,” says Su.

Fresh & Healthy Every Day

Ming’s Chinese Restaurant specializes in Mandarin cuisine with small modifications to suit the locals’ tastes. Su is very particular about the food that is served in his restaurant. Every dish that comes out of the kitchen is fresh, in good portion, authentic, and savory. In fact, Su spends two hours every morning carefully selecting each ingredient himself at a fresh wholesale market and no stock is kept in the restaurant overnight. “We supply each customer with the freshest food everyday at any time in the restaurant,” says Su.

According to Su, fresh ingredients and cooking style are the only way to be successful in this business in America where Chinese restaurants serving similar dishes are all over the country. “Take Chicken Chow Mein, for example. The cooking procedure is probably similar in every restaurant, but by using the freshest ingredients, the best noodles, the least amount of oil, and balanced seasonings, ours always tastes better,” explains Su.

A priority of Su’s is to maintain a well-deserved high reputation. If customers have a negative experience in a restaurant, the restaurant’s image will suffer. “Don’t use any ingredients that are not fresh enough,” warns Su. Most customers are very conscious of what they eat, therefore, no ingredients can be kept overnight and fresh ingredients should be purchased each day.

The most popular dishes are Ming’s Crispy Ginger Chicken, Honey Walnut Prawn, Orange Chicken, Sesame Chicken, House Fried Rice, House Special Mongolian Beef, and the Hot & Sour Soup. The high quality ingredients in these dishes, along with the chefs’ excellent culinary skills make these dishes unbeatable.

“Community” Service

“Our mission is to serve customers wholeheartedly,” explains Su. And his staff, who can be described as polite, hardworking, and honest are definitely on board with this philosophy. The staff members have build great relationships with one another and with the regular customers, and this is one of the reasons that Ming’s celebrated a 30 percent growth this year while other restaurants have suffered in this negative economy. According to Su, close relationships in a workplace build trust and a sense of community. And every member of the community is treated well, from the staff to the guests.

At one point, for some reason, Su considered moving Ming’s to a different location. As word spread throughout the community, the response Su got was overwhelming. The locals were devastated that Ming’s might leave town and urged Su to stay. “I was so moved, I made up my mind to stay. I knew my customers would support me,” says Su. Su sincerely appreciates his customers’ kindness, support, and suggestions and the more time he devotes to his restaurant, the happier he is. “I love my customers with all my heart.”

One way Su shows his gratitude is through public welfare. He enjoys taking part in any local activities giving support and donating to local charities. This has additionally helped boost Su’s reputation in the community.

Philosophy of Ming’s

1. Innovation is key. Positive, well-planned change can liven up a restaurant at any time.


2. Every element of the décor should be high quality, whether the element is a plate, tablecloth, or small furnishing.


3. When it comes to food, quality is much more important than quantity.


4. Customers are always right.

About Jian Ming Su

Su’s family has more than 50 years of cooking history. Many of his relatives are acclaimed chefs around the world. While the family has devoted their lives to the catering industry, cooking is more than just a career; Su and his relatives sincerely love cooking and eating.

“I have confidence in Chinese food,” says Su. “Anywhere in the world it can be successful, as long as the restaurant participates in promoting the Chinese dining experience and culture to the world.”

Su is always eager to learn and to keep following the latest dining trend. As for the future, he will continually ask for improvements. “I will develop all my potentialities to create more new dishes in the future,” Su says. Ming’s Chinese Restaurant always guarantees customers to give them healthy, savory and satisfied feasts.