Yen Ching is one of Peoria’s oldest Chinese restaurants. I think it’s been open since sometime in the 70’s and I used to go there all the time back in the day. Well it’s still there and it’s just minutes away from MBIP World Headquarters, so let’s pop on over and get something to eat and then we’ll have dessert beers at The Friendly Valley Tavern. Sound like a plan? Okay, then we’ll promptly put this plan in action! Lights...MBIP Camera and...
Action! Here we are at Yen Ching!
Let’s go inside and see what’s cooking.
Here’s the decorative foyer of Yen Ching with a bar over there that I’ve never seen anyone eating at in all my visits here.
Hue was at the hostess station looking cute as a pocketful of buttons and told me I could sit anywhere.
So I went through the grand and golden entrance to...
The dining room. It’s nice in here, but...
I decided to go back and sit at the bar and maybe be the first person in the history of Yen Ching to eat dinner over here!
I love the Asian couple bowing in honor of this Michelob sign which has probably been hanging here for decades, way back when the night belonged to...well you know who!
Okay, time to order some dinner here at the bar.
Hue came over and took my order, I love her smile!
I started off with a bottle of Tsingtao beer.
And before you know it, here’s dinner! Instead of a main course, I got two appetizers...
The Crab Rangoon and...
Four skewers of Beef Yakitori. The skewers are topped with green pepper, onion and pineapple. I quickly and wisely discarded the pineapple as pineapple on anything grosses me out just about as badly as beans in chili does.
The beef is cooked, but you get a little grill to sear the peppers and onions. The pineapple doesn't get seared on this tiny little grill because it remains on the plate, uneaten as it should be.
The appetizers were very tasty and made for a nice Thursday night dinner.
Okay, dinner’s all done, the pineapple remains uneaten on the plate where it belongs and now it’s time for dessert at...
The Friendly Valley Tavern! I haven’t been here since last year around Christmas, I’m overdue for a few beers at Peoria’s only Quonset Hut Tavern!
Let’s go get a beer at the bar.
Here’s veteran Friendly Valley Tavern bartender, Truby serving up a beer and flashing a great smile! You gotta love, Truby!
Sue was at the end of the bar and wouldn’t let me take her picture, but here’s Sue’s Koozie. You can make your own, “Sue’s Koozie,” joke yourselves, I have to keep moving along here!
Here’s a long shot of the bar which I’ve drank thousands of beers at through the years.
I think this back-lit photo of this horse and his son has been back here since the beginning. I’ve always found it strangely comforting to stare at.
The bar has a real clubhouse feel to it.
As you can see, the pool table can double for a bed and Truby told me it’s been used for that on occasion.
As I was wandering around, Matt and Dale came over and we had our picture taken. Cheese!
Then they retreated to this video game...
And I went over to sit at this table with Amber and Justin! Justin’s in town from Chicago where he’s living now and the three of us have not hung out in probably over a year! Fun to hang out with both of them again and share some beers and stories together!
Friendly Valley’s motto is: “No Bra, No Panties, No Problem.” There’s a koozie joke in there somewhere, but once again I’m not going near it!
The last time I was in here, I tried unsuccessfully to get an obligatory bathroom mirror shot and thought I’d try again...
No mirror, no obligatory bathroom mirror shot...no problem!
It’s been a while since anyone has bought MBIP a Virtual Beer, but a couple donations came rolling in this week! Thanks to Erin and Eric from JamBerry and to MBIP commenter raginrr for sending in two generous donations this week to help with the cause! If you’d like to buy MBIP a Virtual Beer and help out with the expenses of running this blog, just click here for details. It would be greatly appreciated and you’ll get credit here next week. Okay, we’ll see you all tomorrow...and hey, let’s be careful out there!
Yen Ching
6936 N. University Street
(In The Tanglewood Shopping Plaza)
Peoria
309-692-9227
Friendly Valley Tavern
3708 N. Meadowbrook Rd
Peoria
309-682-3890
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