Ruyi Express

In Kingman, Arizona there is a dive of a restaurant in a middle-of-nowhere town. When I first came upon this rundown building, I wondered if this was a good idea to eat here. I considered every possibility from disappointing meals to food poisoning. Luckily, neither extremes were the case. Once we entered the block of cement, I saw the interior decor was barely better than the outside. The only improvement was it looked clean and the fake plants with a wall of mirrors behind it was a nice touch. We were immediately seated and our drink orders taken by a bubbly waitress. She was very friendly, efficient, and did not rush the end of the meal. This was a nice change than many other Chinese restaurants I had been whose waiters and waitresses were keen on getting the customers in and out despite the fact that some wanted to linger. When she came back with the drinks and we told her what we wanted for food, she read back what she wrote to confirm she had everything we decided upon. Yet another nice change. Though the food was surprisingly good, there was room for improvement. The pork fried rice was not as greasy as other Chinese restaurants, and the taste was more delicious than the fatty fried rice you'll sometimes find. The chow mein was a  little bare and the noodles too starchy. The sesame chicken was flavorful, however its breading was a little dry. I was surprisingly satisfied with the restaurant and its service; definitely better than first glance. Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover.