Zai Jian Ming's

After many years at their location on Montrose just off of Westheimer, Ming's Cafe has shut it's doors for greener pastures in Austin. Austinist, take note and indulge in your new Chinese food overlords!

We found out about Ming's closing via three sources, a friend of Houstonist, the HAIF forum and the SheEats blog which wrote a well rounded blog post about Ming's.

But of course, we couldn't believe it and had to drive down there ourselves for proof. Sure enough, taped to the door is a handwritten sign on pink paper thanking Houston for their support and "please come to visit us" in Austin.

Houston, say goodbye to cheap lo-mein, multiple styles of fried rice, bubbly wrapper eggrolls (including the best veggie eggroll in town), Chinese eggplant, the off-menu choices, the little bitty vegetarian menu and those great combination meals. All gone.

Our fondest memory of Ming's was back in 1997-1998 watching bands play in the parking lot when The Westheimer Street Fest encompassed all of Westheimer from Montrose to Taft. Some great bands played in the Ming's parking lot and when the bands were good, the crowd spilled over onto Montrose!

Houstonist and friends will dearly miss Ming's. The plastic plates and utensils, the little take out containers, the small counter where you placed your order, the ice machine with a note to stay out (the ice was for the kitchen), those bubbly fried eggrolls, the t-shirts, the euro motorcycles in the parking lots on Thursday nights, the server calling your name, the little patio and all the good food.

Zai Jian (goodbye) Ming's, you will be missed dearly.