It’s easy to assume most Chinese restaurants fit into a fortune cookie cutter format—either bland, colorless dishes crammed with rice and beef, or a buffet offering equally bleak options. At least, that’s what’s expected of Americanized Chinese food.
Yayi and Bao Mo, a husband and wife team from China, wanted to better represent their homeland’s dishes—they wanted food that followed traditional recipes and focused more on flavor and presentation.
Enter B.M. Chen.
Located near the intersection of Airport and Reynolds, in what was formerly a Long John Silver’s, the restaurant opened at the start of May. It has established itself as a standout proprietor of authentic Chinese food with picturesque dishes cooked via classical Chinese techniques that emphasize dynamic flavors and zesty sauces.
While establishing a restaurant is no small feat, the Mo’s success is more impressive considering they are not fluent in English. The couple immigrated to the U.S. about 10 years ago, working at the popular Flower Drum (another Toledo Chinese restaurant on Byrne near Hill) until a few years ago.
The Mo’s say, assisted by two restaurant employees who translated for them, they noticed an influx of Chinese and Asian exchange students from the University of Toledo who would stop in seeking homestyle cooking, claiming Flower Drum was one of a few Toledo Chinese restaurants that satisfied; the food at other restaurants was too Americanized.
The Mo’s hope to change that with B.M. Chen. With support from friends and family to get the restaurant off the ground, the Mo’s put their effort into creating the menu. Every dish is made following recipes the Mo’s brought with them from China, and the chefs utilize traditional techniques —less microwaving, deep frying and opening pre-made packets of sauces; more cooking proteins on superheated iron skillets, mixing ingredients for custom sauces, and shaping flour and rice for sweet desserts.
Joel Dickerson, a cashier and carry-out host at BM Chen, says the restaurant’s most popular dishes include their chicken plates, which are covered in a sauce that ups the normal spice element, and the Chef’s Seafood Dish, includes shrimp, fish, squid and more.
As more people discover the restaurant, the Mo’s say they hope B.M. Chen will continue to flourish, and that it becomes the destination for Chinese-Americans missing homestyle cooking, or Toledoans seeking authentic Chinese cuisine.
B.M. Chen, 1227 S. Reynolds Rd.
Open Monday thru Thursday, 11am-9:30pm; Friday and Saturday, 11am-10pm; and
Sunday, noon-8:30pm. 419-214-0018.
