Asian Cafe Express

If there's one word in a restaurant name that should cause suspicion, it's "express." That word and its various synonyms often describes a scenario in which quality and originality have been compromised in order to provide something that is merely quick and convenient. Think of ubiquitous chains like Panda Express, a mass market purveyor of American Chinese cuisine, and California Pizza Kitchen ASAP, a lesser cousin to CPK's full-service restaurants. Both are predictable and efficient, but neither offers a memorable meal. Of course, there are exceptions, most notably the British Pizza Express chain, which has made a Soho restaurant location into one of England's premier jazz clubs. If London can have an exception to the "express rule," then why not have an exception in Phoenix, or least somewhere in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area? Fortunately, Asian Cafe Express (ACE) in west Mesa is that exception.

ACE occupies a space in a shopping center at the southeastern corner of Dobson and Main, just steps from the Sycamore / Main station. The shopping plaza has been a shabby and dreary place since being abandoned by Albertson's, but the May 2009 arrival of a Mi Pueblo Supermercado is a sign of rebound. Dobson and Main has recently become not only a showcase of west Mesa's diversity, but also the northern tip of a corridor of east Asian restaurants extending all the way south to Chandler. ACE is located next to one of west Mesa's many payday loan stores; ironically, the name of the lender is "American Cash Express," another ace in the hole at Dobson and Main. All the shopping center needs is an Ace Hardware to have three aces for either a decent poker hand or a good magic trick. Silly puns aside, ACE the restaurant is one of the best values in Cantonese food in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

The restaurant looks unimpressive from the parking lot. At first glance, it appears to be a standard strip-mall Americanized Chinese restaurant selling sweet-and-sour this-and-that. The signs in the doors and windows facing the parking lot boasts the type of uninteresting rice bowl specials that are found in food courts everywhere. Inside, the decor is stark. There are a few small dragons suspended from the ceiling and some martial arts memorabilia on the wall, some of it honoring owner Michael Leung, who is apparently a Tai Chi master. Tables are unadorned save for a bucket of chopsticks and condiments like chili oil. Even more sauces and flavorings can be found in a condiment bar in a corner of the restaurant. The main wall decorations, however, are the innumerable signs, some of them written by hand, displaying various dishes that may or may not be on the printed menu. Anyone interested in the best of what ACE has to offer should skip most of the written menu, or at least its first pages. It's toward the back of the menu and on the walls that ACE's potential is displayed.

All the usual American-Chinese suspects are available, but ACE really excels with Hong Kong style dishes such as hot pots, congee, and a variety of more intriguing Cantonese dishes such as beef tripe soup. Noodles play a huge role at ACE. Chow fun, the flat wide rice noodles, are usually available in just a few dishes at most Chinese restaurants. ACE offers nearly two dozen types of Chow Fun, along with several soups based on other types of noodles. The restaurant has risen above its fast-foodish name and image due to the influence of Leung, who oversaw the kitchen for many years at the Gourmet House of Hong Kong in Central Phoenix. His style is line with the minimalist approach that characterizes some of the best Hong Kong food. Expect an emphasis on fresh ingredients with special attention paid to seafood in dishes like salt-and-pepper squid and shrimp with yellow chives and bean sprouts (center photo below). There are also plenty of Chinese vegetables such as snow pea leaves and bok choy. The latter appears in an excellent meatless dish with black mushrooms and tofu (right photo below). Ask if a desired vegetable is not listed; often it may be available as a special.

If the authentic Cantonese dishes don't offer enough intrigue, ACE has a section of its menu that is both familiar and exotic at the same time. A small portion of the expansive offerings are devoted to Chinese interpretations of popular European and North American dishes like pork chops and spaghetti. These sound weird, but think of them as Hong Kong equivalents of blue plate specials. In keeping with the no-frills atmosphere, ACE does not serve alcohol. The beverage selection is limited to tea, canned soda, and bottled energy drinks. As at most Chinese restaurants, desserts are minimal, but there are a few sweet options involving tapioca and red beans. ACE is ultra-casual and just fine for kids with high chairs and booster seats on hand. The service is friendly and the food comes quickly. In that way ACE is really "express," but thankfully without a loss of quality.

1911 W Main St., Mesa, AZ, 85201 | Map
(480) 668-5910