A group of us hit the infamous Ching Sing a few weeks ago.  It's about as close as one gets to experiencing a social scene in Aden.  The place is an old fixture in Aden having been around since 1963.  And it looks the part.  The décor is rather dated with hanging lamps as the only indication it’s a Chinese restaurant.  (Frankly, it reminds me of the places in those cheesy 70s flicks where an assortment of bad guys with bad sideburns, big mustaches, and bellbottoms pick a fight with the hero and subsequently, bust up the joint and get chased out by a bat-wielding bartender.)  No unsavory characters or bad guys tearing up the place on the night we visited.  Instead, the clientele was an ethnically diverse mix of locals and expats who either work in the area or are tourists passing through.  

The owners are middle-aged, half-siblings Jameel and Nargis Shina, who have been in Aden since their Chinese father opened the place.  Personable Jameel claims Hong Kong as his roots, while sister Nargis, with her laid-back demeanor, surprised us with her mix of Bronx-meets-Louisiana accent acquired via marriage with a US serviceman and time spent in the south.  They’re quite an entertaining pair and probably have some fascinating stories to tell about Aden from the past 50ish years.  

Overall, the food, service, inexpensive prices, and company were just fine, although the food should be considered Yemeni-inspired Chinese rather than authentic Chinese.  Since Aden is a seaport, the seafood was as fresh as it comes.  In fact, the sweet and sour fish we ordered even winked at us!  Now that’s what I call fresh! 

A hopeful heart and an open mind are the best traveling companions.