Chi's Express in West Little Rock, Arkansas Serves Hot Chinese Food Without Fuss

Chi's Chinese Cuisine is a West Little Rock landmark, known as much for its impeccable service and lovely surroundings as its food. Chi's Express in the still growing area close to Rahling Circle dispenses with such niceties to concentrate on producing as many orders as possible.

The menu at Chi's Express is similar to the original Chi's lunch menu, but lacks the high end entrees that make dining at Chi's such a memorable experience. The lunch entrees, which range from a spicy Orange Chicken to a rather bland Steamed Shrimp and Vegetables, are served with fried or steamed rice, an egg roll, a chicken wing and your choice of hot and sour or egg drop soup.

What Chi's Express lacks in selection, it makes up for in the execution of the offerings. The food arrives hot and is of a much higher quality than the Chinese food usually found on a buffet. The hot and sour soup is tangy with thin ribbons of tofu and the egg roll is crispy with moist spicy vegetables inside. The chicken wing that comes with each lunch order is a baffling addition, but it's serviceable. Meat and vegetable dishes are especially good, with the chicken, pork and beef being hot and fork tender and the vegetables cooked just until tender.

The dining area of Chi's express is a claustrophobia inducing four table nook, and service for dine in customers is slow. Chi's Express does a quick carry-out and delivery business and waiting inside for your food is an exercise in frustration as you watch order after order leave the restaurant as your lunch hour dwindles. Even though Chi's Express has a dining room, this is not a full service restaurant. Orders are placed at a counter and you make and fill your own drink at the fountain.

Chi's experiment with a fast food version of its flagship Chinese cuisine is a mixed success. Food is served hot and fresh, but dine-in customers are often overlooked in favor of carry out orders. The dining room is extremely small and would be better used as a waiting area for carry out customers. Carry-out orders are ready in an amazingly short amount of time (under five minutes) and are packed carefully in a sturdy bag. If you are in the Rahling area and have a Chinese food craving, Chi's Express will satisfy you, but if you are looking for an upscale dining experience, stick with the original Chi's Chinese Cuisine