While living in China, Master Chef Yang learned how to sauté, season, and stir-fry every dish at Cafe 99. His menu honors Chinese culinary traditions, with entrees paying homage to regional cuisines Yang sampled while traveling through the country. After each trip, he hand-picked region-specific foods to comprises dishes such as whole halibut stewed in wild chili sauce, mandarin beef with golden garlic, sizzling steak in black pepper sauce, giant walnut shrimp, and a chrysanthemum sole fillet in tomato sauce, a 2012 Taste of Chanhassen Grand Prize winner. In addition to popular items such as sweet-and-sour chicken and vegetable lo mein, he also uses his culinary talents to showcase some of China's more exotic ingredients and flavor combinations, such as wild sea cucumber or beef tendon in chili sauce.

No matter what you order, the eatery's no-frills decor allows these colorful dishes to be the stars of every visit. Those eager to sample more exotic flavor combinations can visit Tian Jin, Cafe 99's sister restaurant, which was also featured in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.