"Like most casual (fast food comparison Chinese restaurants in downstate Illinois, this restaurant seems to get a significant portion of its ingredients from the wholesaler A-1 Foods of Chicago (the trucks come down and make deliveries to most of the Chinese and Mexican restaurants in Springfield each week . That means that the quality of ingredients and general flavor of dishes will be in many cases indistinguishable from other American regional Chinese cuisine restaurants. But, if you are a regular customer, you find that certain dishes have more of a localized or individualized quality. At China Express, the egg rolls are generally a big hit, and I believe they are made on the premises. They are vegetarian, too. I eat here about twice a month, rotating among the seven vegetarian dishes on the menu. I think the Vegetable Mushu, Ma po duo fu (I think in English it might be called spicy tofu or homestyle tofu , and vegetables with tofu are all good choices that will generally appeal. The lunch deals are excellent value. My son loves the sweet-and-sour chicken. While taste and flavor on most dishes is unexceptional, there are some dishes (such as the egg rolls that really excel. However, I give extra stars for the speed of service, the friendliness of the family running the restaurant, and the very good values of the lunch deals. If you are comparing what you get here to fast food alternatives, I think there is no comparison: China Express gives better value and better taste. In 2010 or 2011 I happened to be eating here when a health inspector came by, and I helped with some translations as the family running this place has limited English vocabulary. The health inspector mentioned to me that he believed this was one of the cleaner restaurants in Springfield, and definitely the Chinese restaurant that always had the fewest issues when he did inspections."
