Hunan Express

Usually, a meal cooked by a master chef is out of the average person's daily budget. But with Hunan Express, at 1883 East Fort Union Blvd., you not only get quality meals for fast food prices, you also get bigger portions and a wide selection of Chinese dishes to choose from.

"The difference between Hunan and other restaurants is our quality and quantity," says owner Loretta Eng. "We use the best meat and very fresh vegetables and it is all prepared fresh in the Hunan kitchen."

Customers can get a combo lunch for as little as $5.95 or a dinner entrée, which feeds two to three people, for $8.45 or $9.95. Some of Hunan's most popular dishes are the Oriental Chicken and the General Tao Chicken.

"I think they are so popular because there are no vegetables in them," Loretta says. "It's mostly meat and it has that spicy and sweet flavor. American people like the spicy-sweet combo and more meat but we actually have a lot of very good vegetable dishes."

Loretta and her husband, Wing, bought Hunan Express from a master chef in 1991 after the chef had owned the company for six months. At that time, the restaurant was only a delivery and take-out business but in 2002, they decided to expand by moving across the street and adding a dine-in area. The move was a successful one until the recession hit.

"We were doing very well until this recession," Loretta says. "But we are very famous for our good quality and quantity. We give people a lot and our food is so good to eat. I'm so proud of it."

Wing's father is also a master chef and though he lives in New York, he has given Wing advice over the years on how to improve some of the dishes. Before taking over Hunan Express, Wing worked as a civil engineer and Loretta earned a master's degree in education before taking a job with the Granite School District. During the time they've owned Hunan, many family and friends have worked for them and Loretta has noticed that even after those people move on in their careers, they continue to be customers of the restaurant.

"Over the years, we've had so many family members [work here]," Loretta says. "After they leave, they all become our best customers. They all comment that they never knew how good Chinese food could be until they worked here."

Hunan Express is at 1883 East Fort Union Blvd and is open Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m., and Sunday, from 4 to 9 p.m. The delivery coverage extends from 4500 South to 9600 South and State Street to 4000 East. For more information, call 801-944-4412.