Mei-Ling Inn Chinese American Food is one of Connell’s favorite local family-owned and run restaurants in Connell. Owned by Vinai & Julie Nuntananusit, Mei Lings has been in business for 34 years. Vinai and an assistant cook; cook all the food and in addition to family members, they have 11 other employees who work at the restaurant.
Mei Lings is a great lunch spot as they offer a lunch buffet Monday-Friday from 11:00am-2:00pm for $7.75 plus tax. Although they offer an extensive lunch and dinner menu, customer favorites include Siam Choi Mein, Almond Fried Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork, and Fried Rice. Regardless what is ordered, every dish is delicious! Not only do they offer Chinese food but also have American food on the menu too. Dine-in or take-out options are available for both lunch and dinner.
The Nuntananusit family comes from Chinese descent but they don’t actually speak Chinese. Vinai moved to Connell in late 1983 from Thailand. Both he and Julie are graduates of Eastern Washington University. After marrying, Vinai and Julie raised their two daughters Maylinn and Jadenna in Connell along with opening and running the restaurant business. The name Mei-ling is very close to the Nuntananusit family as it is Julie’s middle name. They appreciate the support from the community for making their family business such a success. Mei Lings is located at 627 S Columbia Ave. They are open Monday-Friday from 11:00am to 7:30pm; closed Saturday and Sunday. To place an order or to reserve tables for larger groups call 234-0381.
