88 King's Donuts and Chinese Food

I enjoy greasy Chinese take-out more than I should. I know that it is bad for me but I can't resist the black pepper chicken at this place. I grew up eating here and I have been ordering the same meal for as long as I can remember. To giver you a better picture of this place, I feel like I should describe a little more what it's like. It's a small dingy place on the corner. I guess that I have to include that it's a Chinese place in a Korean plaza that is in a Mexican neighborhood, which makes it sort of an anomaly. It's frequented a lot by me and people from the neighborhood. If you pass by it on a weekday morning, you're likely to see a few Mexicans standing around outside looking for work. Like every other Asian run business in my neighborhood, there are metal bars over the windows. Inside the place you would find the regular counter with Chinese food sitting on top under heat lamps. There are a few extra additions to this place though. For one thing, they sell donuts. Since I have been going to this place my whole life, I know that one should never eat the donuts. They also sell ice cream, which is alright to consume. What you might not see in other Chinese food places are lottery tickets and cigarettes for sale. Not surprisingly, I have never been asked for an ID when purchasing either. Usually there are only two people working in the front. It is always two of these three people:

1. The old Chinese man who always nods when I walk in the door. He doesn't usually say much, he only looks as if he has been carrying the weight of the world on his back for his entire life.
2. The old man's wife who is always nice to me. She sometimes asks how my mom is doing. Apparently my mom came to America from the Philippines the same year that she got here.
3. The younger woman who works there. As far as I can tell, she is not there daughter but may be some relative. She is probably the same age as me or a little older but she speaks the most English. I like it when she takes my order because she knows exactly what I want. She's the only one who's realized that I only order the same thing every time I go.

There is also one or more cooks in the back, but I have never seen them. They're Mexican though and I only know this because I can hear the music they play on their radio. You might be questioning why I'm taking the time to write all this down. I'm also wondering the same thing, but I feel a sense of closeness to this place that I have only realized since I have been back home. As far as I can tell, there will be at least a few more black pepper chicken combos in my future.