Tucked away off of Evers Road, Gin Chinese Restaurant has been serving up comforting Chinese eats and Taiwanese dishes in San Antonio since 1990. As many restaurants raise prices, this hidden gem keeps its lunch specials affordable and its hospitality off the charts.
I hadn’t heard of Gin Chinese Restaurant until it popped onto my radar while I was searching for a spot to feature in Budget Bites. Google reviews piqued my interest, so I stopped by for lunch on a Wednesday around 1 p.m. to give it a shot. Gin Chinese feels kind of like a time machine, with wall art and elements of decor that evoke a certain time and place long before the present year. The restaurant was spacious and somewhat dim with some natural light shining in through the windows.
The conversations between workers and customers suggested a familiarity that can only be achieved through numerous meals enjoyed and an attentive staff. At a certain point, I overheard a server switch from speaking Chinese to a coworker, English to a patron and Spanish to another. Nicknames and remembered orders felt commonplace at Gin Chinese Restaurant, something you hope to find at a spot with this much history.
At Gin Chinese, lunch specials are all priced under $11 and come with steamed or fried rice, an iced tea and a choice between an egg roll, crab rangoons or fried wontons. On this occasion, I ordered the Sichuan beef with fried rice and an egg roll, and the dish came out in a flash. The beef was tossed in a thick brown sauce with bamboo shoots, onions and peppercorns, and the sides came plated up beside the entree.
The entree was oniony and spiced just enough to prevent the delightfully numbing feel associated with many Sichuan dishes, but I didn’t mind since there were a couple of options to kick up the heat. I poured some hot oil over the beef and the adjacent mounds of fried rice, adding a strong, fragrant note and a reason to clear my throat every other bite. Nose running, I proceeded to finish every bite, saving my eggroll until the end as something of a savory dessert.
Gin Chinese might not have as much selection as other Chinese restaurants when it comes to lunch special variety, but the long-running business more than makes up for it in customer connections, low prices and a serene atmosphere. I’m already considering making a return to the eatery just to try the Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup and maybe even some dumplings to pair with the traditional dish.
Find it: 5337 Glen Ridge Drive, Suite 103, San Antonio, TX 78229