San Antonio Asian comfort-food chain Ming’s has expanded its Midtown location by adding Ming’s Cafe, an adjoining concept for customers seeking quick, grab-and-go food items.
The new cafe, located at the same 914 E Elmira St. address as the Midtown Ming’s, will make its debut with a soft opening this Friday.
Ming’s has long been popular for made-to-order Asian food, including steamed buns, noodles and rice bowls. But made-to-order doesn’t always work for gourmands on the go.
Ming’s Cafe will address that need by offering ready-made options at a cafeteria-style counter, according to owner Ming Qian von Bargen. The restaurant was able to add the cafe space after taking over the space of the former Squeezers Juice Bar next door.
“Ming’s Cafe is an extension of what our customers love about Ming’s: fresh, natural Asian comfort food with no compromise on flavor or quality,” Qian von Bargin said in a statement. “We’ve taken this commitment and applied it to a whole new menu that we’re truly excited to share.”
The cafe will offer a variety of grab-and-go sandwiches as well as boba, tea, shaved ice and coffee options. The sandwich menu will include two variations on the Vietnamese banh mi as well as Japanese varieties and the ever-classic egg.
For those with a sweet tooth, the cafe’s sandos will include a strawberries-and-cream and a peanut butter-banana with honey. Desserts will include a gochujang-caramel cookie and a brown butter-miso chocolate cookie.
The quick-cafe concept is the latest expansion for local dining favorite Ming’s.
The venture started in 2011 with a stall called Ming’s Thing at the Quarry Farmers Market, later expanding to include a separate stall the Pearl Farmer’s Market. This was followed by its first brick-and-mortar eatery, Ming’s Noodle Bar, which launched in 2016.
The Elmira Street location opened in 2020. Rather than becoming another culinary casualty of the pandemic, the restaurant thrived and eventually added a La Cantera location.
In 2023, Ming’s was invited to develop a presence on the Trinity University campus. It also was selected for a Spurs Culinary Residency for the 2023-2024 season at Frost Bank Center.
For now, Ming’s Cafe will operate with temporary hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. It will be closed Monday.
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This article appears in Aug 21 – Sep 4, 2024.
