China Jen - Roseville, MN

CLOSED 2010

2193 Snelling Ave N

China Jen has done well during the 2 years since we were here. Back then China Jen was like a diner, pure function, no form. Now it was as if the cast of Extreme Makeover had come in to work its magic, a night to day transformation.


China Jen caters to clientele that expect Americanized Chinese food yet they also offer some authentic Chinese fare. We ordered Dun Dun (Dan Dan) noodles, steamed juicy pork buns (xia long bao), beef chow fun, beef satay, and fish hot pot.

The steam juicy pork buns were pedestrian but nonetheless a welcome change of pace.

There are significant differences in how restaurants prepare Dan Dan noodles. China Jen’s rendition is notably different from Teahouse and Little Szechuan. Other than the heavy handed sauce, there was nothing wrong with it. My personal preference is Little Szechuan’s version.

The beef chow fun had the elusive wok hay flavor. The truest test of excellent wok hay flavor is if the last bite tastes as good or close to as good as the first. In this case, it wasn’t at that level but if I could duplicate this, I would be ecstatic.

I don’t know what satay is truly supposed to taste like because every time I order it somewhere, it tastes different. The beef satay offered here reminded me of curried squid. As such, this was my favorite dish and I would say that this was the best dish labeled as satay that I’ve ever had.

The fish with brown sauce hotpot was also an excellent dish which I wish I could duplicate. The fish and mushrooms held their own wonderful flavors and the tofu soaked up the brown sauce flavors. It was one of the best hotpot dishes I recall having in the Twin Cities.

China Jen has the potential to be China Gem. The prices aren’t cheap but they are competitive with the better TC Chinese restaurants.