The station’s loudspeaker blares, “This is the last stop on the 7 train. Flushing, Main Street. Please do not forget your belongings, and exit the train.” Inching ever so slowly, the escalators in Flushing station brings their clientele to street level, where aromas of dim sum and tea punctures the air. Riders come far and wide for a taste of Jin Cheng Restaurant’s traditional Cantonese cooking.

For five years, this family-owned business, has been located at 142-38 Roosevelt Ave, between Union street and Bowne Stree. It’s a prime location for the restaurant, having the 7 train only a block away. This contemporary Asian restaurant in Flushing, Queens makes a name for itself by providing exceptional dining service and delicious cuisine. All thanks to the manager of the restaurant, Benny Yeng.

Every morning at 5 a.m., a grey minivan departs from Flushing. Benny Yeng, dressed in an all black blazer with a button down white shirt and handkerchief sticking out of his back pocket, takes it upon himself to pick up employees that live a long way away from Flushing every day. He says that, “I’ve been doing this for about five years now. Driving from Flushing to Chinatown and back again, it’s very tedious and boring but someone has to do it.”

According to the most recent Queens rental market report, Flushing rentals for single bedroom housing have been decreasing by 7.09% since the previous month. Yeng says that he has “to drive in an hour of traffic to just get to them and the ride back would feel even longer. Rent in Flushing and around the neighborhood is so expensive, it’s hard hiring workers within Flushing. If we hired workers within Flushing we would have to pay more.”

Studio and two bedroom units are averaging increased numbers by 2.26% and 1.88% respectively, since August 2015, which could be due to the fact of so many immigrants are moving to America from China. Paula Annarumma of PCA Realty says that, “Single-family homes are being pushed further back towards Long Island, while apartment buildings, condos, co-ops and other multi-family housing project are developing.” Housing developers have come to realize that they profit more by building multiple small apartments. As rentals for larger family apartments are rising, there’s also an increase in commercial rent. As reported by New York City’s Multiple Listing Service, a restaurant that is  five blocks away from Jin Cheng Restaurant is going for 266,000 dollars for 1,950 square feet, which averages around 73 cents per square foot. According to the New York City Department of Finance,  Jin Cheng Restaurant has 15,334 square feet and is paying about 350,000 dollars in rent which averages about $4.38 per square foot.

Yeng says, “After driving them back to work, it’s about 7:00 a.m. when the restaurant opens up for food preparations for the day.” Chefs in the back chop away in a methodical rhythm as they sing songs from the radio. There are about four chefs in total, and each chef knows exactly what’s their role in the kitchen. One would be dicing up fresh vegetables while the other cleaning the meats and poultry for the day, another would be in charge of sauce preparations, and last one would be cleaning the utensils. The front of the house gets ready by cleaning each table and chair before the start of the day.

As the manager, Yeng does a final check before opening the doors at 9:30 a.m. Wearing a pure white glove, he surveys the restaurant. Looking for anything out of the ordinary and for dust and dirt. Getting an “A” for health inspection wasn’t an easy task, so he takes his job seriously. Mei Zhang Lam a waitress for the front of the house says that “He’s like a sergeant in the military in the morning. Though I know he’s very particular in things, he does it because it makes our restaurant the best it can be.”

Benny doesn’t only take looks and decor seriously but also the food. One of the most popular dishes to order is their mayonnaise shrimp from the dinner specials with crunchy walnuts. Imagine lightly battered shrimp to give it a delightful texture, while the sweet and crunchy walnuts that are coated in light sugar and baked before reaching the plate.

                                                 Another popular specialty dish is their lobster with glutinous rice. The rice itself is soaked in a seafood base solution for about 6 to 24 hours before even going into the dish. Depending on the time frame of when it’s ordered, the longer you soak it, the better the taste. The atmosphere is classic Cantonese Chinese with big round tables for families to sit and share a meal.