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Thread: Kung Fu Restaurants & Bars

  1. #196
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    Tang Huo Kung Fu

    Sichuan hotpot chain Tang Huo Kung Fu hits Hong Kong with delicious soup noodles
    Tang Huo Kung Fu has more than 2,600 shops around Asia, and one of its newest is in Causeway Bay
    The Thai tom yum goong soup base is as good as what we’ve tasted in Thailand
    Susan Jung
    Published: 4:30pm, 1 Oct, 2019


    Tomato soup hotpot from Tang Huo Kung Fu in Hong Kong. Photo: Snow Xia

    Tang Huo Kung Fu, a decade-old franchise from China with more than 2,600 shops across Asia, has finally landed in Hong Kong. The Sichuan restaurant is best known for its spicy hotpot noodle soups.
    When we visited the crowded Causeway Bay venue at lunchtime, we had a short wait to be seated.
    The shop offers four hotpot bases: the signature spicy hotpot soup, tomato soup, Thai tom yum goong soup, and classic spicy mix without soup, each costing about HK$42. After you pick the hotpot base and the level of mala (numbing and spicy) that you want, you add different types of vegetables (HK$7 each), proteins (HK$10 each) and noodles (HK$12 each).
    They also offer drink combos that range in price from HK$59 to HK$88. You can dress up your order by adding vinegar and spicy and numbing flavours, from a selection of sauces and seasonings on each table.


    Tom Yum soup noodles at Tang Huo Kung Fu. Photo: Snow Xia

    We tried all four soup bases, and our favourite was the Thai tom yum goong. The broth was as good as what we’ve tasted in Thailand – spicy and sour, with fresh unpeeled shrimp, Sichuan pepper on top, and the fragrance of lemongrass and lime juice. The thin rice noodles absorbed the taste of the broth quite well. Our only complaint was that the portion was quite small.
    The classic spicy mix, which is a dry hotpot base, was also worth a try. The noodles are mixed with sesame sauce, peanuts, chilli, and scallions. We picked the thick rice noodles, but they were a little soggy.


    Inside at Tang Huo Kung Fu in Causeway Bay. Photo: Snow Xia

    The tomato soup was the only one that’s not spicy, and it was watery and bland. It tasted as if the soup base had been made earlier, then the tomatoes added at the last minute, because the flavour of the fruit wasn’t strong. The fish balls didn’t taste fresh.
    The signature spicy hotpot soup was okay, but it was nothing special. It was sweet, tasting similar to ordinary Cantonese noodle soups. The vermicelli was well cooked but the chicken covered with brown sauce was a little plain.


    Dry hotpot spicy mix at Tang Huo Kung Fu. Photo: Snow Xia

    The restaurant also offers a variety of toasts (HK$26): bacon and egg, beef and egg, and ham and egg toast. While the menu shows the toast dishes piled high with two layers of lettuce and meat, the beef and egg toast we were served had only one layer of each. The toast was crisp and buttery and the fried egg was aromatic, but the beef was tasteless.
    Tang Huo Kung Fu, Siu On Plaza, 482 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2148 6788. Open: noon-11pm.
    'more than 2,600 shops around Asia'

    legit
    Gene Ching
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  2. #197
    Omg. That chicken looks so delicious. I would like to try food in this chinese restaurant. I have tried to eat in a thousand of restaurants. For now my favorite is popular and luxury Restaurant Verden. the food there is the thing I am thinking about whole day. I really love this restaurant and recommend it to all my friends. I hope yours is as good as verden is.

  3. #198
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    Buvshaia

    Quote Originally Posted by Buvshaia View Post
    That chicken looks so delicious.
    See the escort thread. You are one post away from being globally banned for spamming. We are receiving multiple complaints and frankly, this is a martial arts forum so you're not going to make sales with this sort of stuff here.
    Gene Ching
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  4. #199
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    Kung Fu Pho

    Kung Fu Pho is like Samba Spaghetti - mixing the wrong cultural tradition with a cuisine.

    Kung Fu Pho offers rich Vietnamese culture to diners
    Jason Miller 22 hrs ago



    If you are looking for a restaurant that offers their rich culture in their dishes then Kung Fu Pho may be for you. This week we introduce you to Kung Fu Pho a family-owned and operated Vietnamese restaurant at 7243 Boulder Ave. in the Albertson’s shopping center. They employee about 12 people, that includes college students who need a little extra money. This little diamond gem opened last March to great interest in the community according to Alvin Nguyen, one of the owners of Kung Fu. Nguyen says he was not expecting the number of non-Asians aged 30 to 50 years to come into Kung Fu on a daily bases. He says they come in about four in the afternoon to dine.

    The popular dish at Kung Fu is Pho (a Vietnamese soup); Nguyen says people who often have hangovers come in to have the pho. Pho is also good for people who get sick and that it helps knock the sickness out, said Nguyen.

    Nguyen says all the pho (soup) and sauce bases are made from scratch every day by his father-in-law and chef Nghia Ho. Nguyen says his father-in-law makes a secret spice, he says that he has tried to watch his father-in-law make the spice but can’t seem to get the recipe.

    Kung Fu Pho allows their customers to determine how spicy their dishes are by allowing them to add their own condiments and pastes to the phos and other dishes they order.

    Another popular dish is the deep pan-fried noodles, which cost between $8.50 to $10; it comes in five combinations, which include chicken, beef, shrimp, a seafood mix and a mix of the aforementioned items with rice noodles.

    Also a hit at Kung Fu are the boba smoothies that come in strawberry, banana, honeydew, green apple, taro, mango and matcha green tea (boba is optional and cost 50 cents extra). An interesting fact regarding the smoothies, Nguyen tells us that people from Taiwan, the creator of tapioca (boba) pudding, came to visit Vietnam in the 1940s. The Taiwanese then obtained the recipe for the smoothies, which they then took back to their country and incorporated into their culture. The back of Kung Fu Pho’s menu says in part “that they (Kung Fu Pho) hope to share with you not only our food; but also a hint of the culture and traditions from our motherland, Vietnam.” Other drink options include Vietnamese iced coffee, milk tea, iced tea and canned soda to.

    Kung Fu Pho is at 7243 Boulder Ave. and their hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
    Gene Ching
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  5. #200
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    Kung Fu Donkey restaurants

    Fat Wang's Donkey Burgers sounds like a horrible porn flick.


    Chinese food has conquered the world. But are we ready for the donkey burger?

    Ben Westcott and Nanlin Fang, CNN • Updated 21st November 2019


    Donkey meat chain Fat Wang's signature dish -- a donkey burger with sauce and spring onions.

    Beijing (CNN) — From steamed dumplings to hot pot, traditional Chinese food has often proved hugely popular in the West. Now, Chinese restaurant owners are hoping they have found the next delicacy to crack the Western market -- donkey burgers.
    In Beijing, the unusual dish is undeniably popular.
    At lunch hour, diners pour into the brightly colored "Fat Wang's Donkey Burger" restaurant in the busy Beijing central district of Xicheng.
    Sitting at a counter with a group of friends, Beijing local Wang Li Min is tucking into the restaurant chain's signature donkey burger, which comes in a long, thin bun with spring onions.
    "In China, we have a saying," Wang says, between bites. "In heaven, there is dragon meat. On Earth, there is donkey meat."
    The meat tastes gamey and full of flavor, more like beef than chicken or pork.
    Originally a northern Chinese delicacy from Hebei province, the donkey-based snack has spread to major cities across the country. There are more than 20 Fat Wang's branches in Beijing alone.
    Just how popular donkey burgers are across the whole of China is debated. According to Sun Yu Jiang, a professor at the Qingdao Agricultural University, heavy demand is only really isolated to a few big provinces such as Hebei or Xinjiang.
    "Donkey meat is not the mainstream product of meat consumption," he says. "Most people in China are more likely to eat pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep."


    Donkeys, horses and mules are gathered for sale at a livestock trading market in Faku, northeastern China's Liaoning province on April 11, 2016.
    STR/AFP via Getty Images

    But Zhang Haitao, the official Hebei government-sanctioned representative of the donkey burger and founder of the Kung Fu Donkey restaurant chain, says demand is growing faster than supply. He even thinks it could go global.
    "When I was the president of the Hejian Donkey Burger Association (earlier this year), the market value of the donkey burger business was about 8 billion yuan per year," he says. That's around $1.1 billion.
    "But if the donkey meat market can improve, the industry's market value could be at least 100 billion yuan in the future," he adds.

    Emperors and trains
    There are different stories about how donkey meat became a popular delicacy in northern China.
    Wang Haibo, regional head of the Fat Wang's chain and nephew of the eponymous founder, says the legend of donkey meat goes back to the 1700s during the reign of the Qing dynasty's Qianlong Emperor.
    "When the emperor was traveling south, he stopped at Hejian Fang in Hebei province. He felt hungry at night and asked a eunuch if there was anything he could eat. The woman at the house he stayed at made him a pancake. Coincidentally, they had just killed a donkey and stewed its meat, so she put them together and gave it to the emperor," Wang says.


    Wang Haibo, regional head of Fat Wang's Donkey Burgers, with a sample of the store's signature products in Beijing in September.
    Ben Westcott/CNN

    According to Wang, the emperor was so impressed by his meal that he brought the recipe back to Beijing, from where it spread across the country.
    Another explanation is that Hebei province's many donkeys, previously used for freight transport, fell into disuse after the introduction of railways towards the end of the Qing Dynasty. No longer needing them for transport, locals found another use for their donkeys.
    But the government-sponsored expert, Zhang, says the story is very simple. Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, farmers began to use donkey meat as food when they traveled for work.
    "Donkey meat was cheapest at that time. The donkey burger can be stored for several days before it gets sour," he says. Over time, according to Zhang, it spread to other nearby provinces and cities
    Whatever the reason, the dish has now become a major part of northeastern Chinese cuisine and is increasingly being used to attract tourists.
    Hebei province even hosted its first annual donkey burger festival in May 2017.
    "The demand for donkey is growing, but the market has shifted in recent years. It was a low-end market before, and now it has become a middle or high-end market," Zhang says.
    However, there are indications that instead of growing, the donkey meat market in China is actually shrinking.
    According to official Chinese government data, the number of donkeys being kept as livestock shrank almost 50% over the past 10 years to 2.53 million in 2018. In comparison, before the recent swine fever crisis, China had more than 420 million pigs.
    Qingdao professor Sun says the drop was probably partly due to the growing industrialization of transportation and agriculture. Also, raising donkeys is expensive and time-consuming.

    Fast food sensation?
    Originally from Hebei, Fat Wang's is one of China's largest donkey meat restaurant chains. Apart from their signature donkey burgers, they also are known for donkey meat hotpots.
    Regional head Wang is very particular about how to handle donkey meat. "It has to be from donkeys that are older than three years. If they are too young, the meat will be too soft to eat. If the meat is frozen it won't taste good," he says.
    Wang explains that it is their family's recipe for donkey burgers they use to this day. And now they want to share it with the world.
    "I am thinking about expanding outside of China," Wang says. "It's just that so far our management team can't follow the speed of expansion (domestically) ... But I think we can expand this to the Western world."


    One of about 20 outlets of the popular donkey meat chain Fat Wang's Donkey Burgers across Beijing.
    CNN/Ben Westcott

    Kung Fu Donkey's Zhang says there are already several people looking into opening branches overseas.
    "It has been called a model for 'Chinese fast food' ... The cooking procedure of donkey burger can be standardized like the hamburgers of McDonald's and KFC," he says, adding that he'd like to emulate the success of hot pot sensation Haidilao, which has hundreds of branches around the world.
    They might be fighting an uphill battle. A donkey burger restaurant which opened with much fanfare in the Australian city of Sydney in 2018 appears to have already closed permanently.
    Wang says he's relying on Chinese Americans to spread the word about the great taste of donkey meat and create a market for it in the United States.
    Whoever gets there first, Wang says he's happy to wait as he's not worried about his competition.
    "Their burgers will never taste like ours," he says.

    CNN's Maisy Mok and Yong Xiong contributed to this article.
    THREADS
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  6. #201
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    Ninja New York

    This is slightly OT for Kung Fu Restaurants & Bars. I'm beginning to think we need a separate thread just for Ninja restaurants.

    Experience feudal Japan at this ninja-themed restaurant in New York
    In The Know
    JUSTIN CHAN
    Dec 16th 2019 12:33PM

    Restaurants often attempt to outshine one another by pushing culinary boundaries, but few try to provide a transformative dining experience. Ninja New York, however, is an exception to the rule.

    Located in New York City's affluent Tribeca neighborhood, Ninja New York gives its customers exactly what its name suggests — a Japanese-influenced atmosphere thanks to rooms and corridors designed to echo a ninja village from the "feudal days," according to the restaurant's website.

    Ninja New York's rooms, which are accessible by a private elevator, are laid out in a maze, with contraptions hidden in various places. To add to the ambience, the waitstaff is also dressed as — you guessed it — ninjas.

    Decor aside, the restaurant also offers an eclectic assortment of dishes, from a lobster miso bisque to its signature prime NY strip steak. And the food isn't too bad either, according to several Yelp reviews.

    "This place is a lot of fun and great for birthday events for any age," one person wrote. "Lots of showmanship, surprises, jokes, fire and table magic show at the end. Steak was excellent. One of the dishes in their multi course menu was a little too salty, but not bad overall. We had a lot of fun."

    "The food was surprisingly good, but is more Japanese-American rather than traditional Japanese, as the majority of Japanese restaurants are in the States," another person posted. "Most Japanese restaurants here just tend to cater to the American tastebuds, which is different than what you find in Japan."
    Gene Ching
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  7. #202
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    Finally - the lawsuit

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Time to grab one of those Real Kung Fu t-shirts with Bruce on it. Because if I was Shannon, I'd be working at shutting their copyright infringing asses down pronto.
    a decade later...

    Bruce Lee Heir Hits China Fast Food Chain With $30 Million Suit
    Bloomberg News
    December 26, 2019, 4:14 AM PST Updated on December 26, 2019, 4:21 AM PST
    Real Kungfu chain has been using Lee’s likeness for 15 years
    Shanghai court case may test Chinese pledge to protect IPR


    A Real Kung Fu outlet in Beijing. Photographer: Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

    Bruce Lee’s daughter struck back in a Chinese court at a popular fast-food chain for misappropriating the kung fu superstar’s image.

    Bruce Lee Enterprises, whose legal representative is Shannon Lee, is seeking 210 million yuan ($30 million) in damages and 88,000 yuan in legal expenses from the Real Kungfu chain, Jiemian reported Thursday, in a case that could also test the Chinese government’s pledge to protect intellectual property rights.

    A court in Shanghai accepted the suit in early December against Guangzhou Real Kungfu Catering Management Co. and two other related companies for portrait right infringement, state-run Xinhua reported. Shannon Lee is also asking the chain, called “Zhen Gongfu” in China and known for steaming its food, to immediately stop using her father’s image and to clarify for 90 days that it has nothing to do with the martial arts legend, according to Jiemian.

    Real Kungfu said in a statement posted on its official Weibo account that it’s “baffled” by the lawsuit since it has been using the logo since 2004 and is preparing to respond. The image is that of a dark-haired man wearing a yellow jumpsuit in a kung fu pose who looks like Bruce Lee.

    — With assistance by Dong Lyu
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  8. #203
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    Ground & Pound Coffee

    A cafe without bikinis.


    Veteran film stunt performer tackles new career in coffee

    By Paul Milliken Published 1 day ago Good Day Atlanta FOX 5 Atlanta

    ALPHARETTA, Ga. - When you think about it, running a coffee shop is a little bit like starring in action movies. The clock is constantly ticking down…you struggle to keep a steady hand around complex machines and bursts of scalding steam…and the ultimate goal is to create the perfect formula to save humanity from a caffeine-less existence.

    Maybe that explains why Sophia Crawford is so good both in front of the camera...and behind the counter.



    Crawford, along with friend Curtis Short, is owner of Ground & Pound Coffee in Alpharetta, a full-service coffee shop that offers a full menu of coffee drinks, tea, and pastries. Opened in October of 2019, Ground & Pound has already attracted a wide fanbase with its spacious seating area, warm atmosphere, and a large menu of beverages.

    Fun at Ground and Pound Coffee
    A veteran film stunt performer tackles new career in coffee in Georgia.

    Co-owning a coffee shop is a bit of a surprising move from Crawford, who's spent most of her life making movies instead of macchiatos. The London-born actress carved out a successful career as a stunt performer in Hollywood films and television series, including spending several seasons as Sarah Michelle Gellar’s stunt double in “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and doubling as the Pink Ranger in the hit series “Might Morphin’ Power Rangers.” You’ve also seen Crawford’s work in films including Ella Enchanted, Poseidon, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra.

    Crawford moved to Georgia (along with her stunt performer husband, a native of the state) due to the booming film industry here, and along with continued work in stunts, decided to "brew up" a second act by creating Ground & Pound Coffee. "Stunts has taught me so much," she says. "It's taught me how to cope under pressure. Organization. Working with a group of people....So there are so many things that I have taken from working in stunts, and just brought them into the shop."

    The shop is located at 8420 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 220, in Alpharetta, and is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.

    Ground & Pound Coffee
    Ground & Pound has attracted a wide fanbase with its spacious seating area, warm atmosphere, and a large menu of beverages.

    For a look inside Ground and Pound Coffee, and to hear from Crawford and Short about their vision for the coffee shop, click the video player inside this article!
    There's some embedded vids with Sophia.
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  9. #204
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    Big Trouble Bar

    Big Trouble Bar



    Big Trouble is a bar tucked away above a location of Sichuan Ren, paying homage to its neighbourhood and the heritage of its sibling owners with a creative bilingual menu of baijiu bottles, Tsingtao, and dumplings.

    It’s named for the movie Big Trouble in Little China, and doesn’t shy away from typically Chinese elements, reinterpreting them through a modern North American lens.



    This is wholeheartedly embraced in the design of what was once a raw upper floor space. Moody paper lanterns hang in clusters from the ceiling. Movie posters pasted to walls and murals lend a street feel to the bar, laundry strung in the hallway leading to the washrooms.



    Guacamole ($7) is deceptively simple in appearance, the bar classic amped up considerably with the addition of jicama, red pepper, scallion, ginger, lemongrass and sesame soy. The punchy dip gets another twist served with puffy, crispy wonton chips.



    Spicy Coconut Firecracker Shrimp ($9) come in a crispy spring roll wrapper with a chipotle lime aioli, juicy, crunchy, and crushable. Not bad at about a dollar each.



    Bang Bang Shrimp ($7) are just as addictive and quick to disappear, smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce that’s also surprisingly creamy. I could eat these like candy.



    Pidan Tofu ($9) is something I order because I’m curious about some rarer ingredients. Jiggly tofu sits atop a bed of gravy made from century egg white, the yolk crumbled on either side.

    This lends a slight fermented taste that contrasts with the clean tofu and tobiko, pork floss bringing in another texture and flavour.



    The BT Dumpling Tower is an order of eight or 16 potstickers ($15/$28) layered up with melted Muenster, salsa and (wait for it) arugula, finished off with house gochujang spicy drizzle.

    The concoction reminds me a little of something I’d whip up late at night with whatever’s in the fridge, but that said it’d probably follow up a bottle of baijiu nicely.
    continued next post
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  10. #205
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    Continued from previous post




    We go with aromatic spicy ginger butternut squash potstickers, the other options being pork and leek or cheeseburger.



    A 10-ounce baijiu bottle mixed with mangosteen and lemon runs for $24. Baijiu is a clear Chinese liquor typically made from grain, “baijiu” translating to “white liquor.”



    “Served in shot glasses to share, strong & dangerous!” reads the menu and it’s not false advertising: just a whiff of it is enough to put a little hair on your chest, and while it has a potent boozy flavour it’s too easy to polish off in those little shots.

    I admit I feel a little tingly in the extremities after just a little of the stuff.



    Happy hours are Thursday 5:30 - 8, food served until midnight weekdays and 1 on weekends.



    Photos by Jesse Milns
    THREADS
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  11. #206
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    Sorry I never made it here

    More on Ninja here.

    Ninja, the Wacky Restaurant Once Declared a Critical Disaster, Closes After a Long 15 Years
    Known more for servers dressed like ninjas and over-the-top theatrics, the Tribeca restaurant endured despite high prices and bad reviews
    by Tanay Warerkar @TanayWarerkar Mar 5, 2020, 10:24am EST


    Ninja closed after 15 years in Tribeca Photo by Cem Ozdel/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

    The beloved yet critically panned Ninja — the wacky, theatrical Tribeca Japanese restaurant where servers dressed up as, yes, ninjas — has closed after 15 years, Tribeca Citizen reports. A sign posted at the entrance, at 25 Hudson Street, near Duane Street, informed customers of the seemingly abrupt closure, but a message on the restaurant’s website indicates that the subterranean sushi haunt lost its lease. Eater has reached out for comment.

    Ninja opened after a $3.5 million buildout in 2005, fitting the underground space with fake stone walls, fake torches, and pagoda-like dining booths that seemed to resemble prison cells. Soon after its opening, one brutal reviewed followed the next. New York Times critic Frank Bruni was first on the scene writing that “Ninja acts like a Disney ride — Space Mountain under a hailstorm of run-of-the-mill or unappealing sushi — but charges like Le Bernardin.” Eater declared it an off-the-rails ****show restaurant.

    Indeed, meals at Ninja could easily cost upward of $100 per person, but dishes like creme brulee topped with steamed veal and foie gras, a soup with clam and pork, and crab served on grapefruit only evinced a shrug from critics.

    But the theatrics at the restaurant, an offshoot of a similar establishment in Tokyo, generated the greatest interest from diners — and were the focal point of most of the derision. Waiters dressed in black outfits would dart out of nowhere to surprise diners, sometimes even slipping a fake blade into a dining booth through a set of bars. Some dishes resembled towering infernos before they were dropped on to the table, while others required diners to hack into a thin, crackly sheet that broke into shards of croutons into a salad placed below it.

    Still, the restaurant’s popularity endured, and diners kept packing the underground booths. In a 2008 revisit to Ninja, Eater begrudgingly admitted that tolerable food meant it was no longer a ****show. The inexplicable, overpriced extravagance endeared it to many — a stream of the most recent four and five star reviews on Yelp are one indication — and is a reminder of the continued popularity of themed restaurants in New York City, perhaps most notably and similarly Greenwich Village’s Jekyll and Hyde Club.
    Ninja has closed after 15 years
    March 4, 2020 • Restaurant/Bar News



    Ninja, the subterranean Japanese theme restaurant-slash-dinner-theater buried in 25 Hudson, closed on Sunday (March 1), with little to no fanfare. Called both the “most perplexing” (by Eater) and the most “kooky and dreary” (by the Times) restaurant in the city, Ninja opened here in 2005 and had to be the most coveted — and expensive — local birthday party invite in the neighborhood. Thanks to A. for the photo, who added, “I am crushed! It’s been such a fun little gem. I would have gone for one last hurrah.

    It’s good fun to read Frank Bruni’s scathing 2005 review — and also safe to say that thousands of folks ignored him on the subject.

    Gene Ching
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  12. #207
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    Shuang Crossland

    The tycoon behind Kung Fu Tea...



    Meet Shuang Crossland – The Woman Behind Some Of Denver’s Most Popular Asian Restaurants
    KRISTINA VASQUEZ MARCH 12, 2020FOOD + BOOZE
    6 MIN READ

    It’s difficult to find someone who has more passion about creating Asian cuisine restaurants in Denver than Shuang Crossland. She is the woman behind One Concept Restaurant Group — the parent company of Go Fish Sushi, Poké Concept, The Bronze Empire, Kung Fu Tea and Makizushico.


    Photo By Amanda Piela

    Having grown up in Dalian, China, Crossland took inspiration from watching her mother and grandmother cook. But having a career in the restaurant world wasn’t her first thought, she was always interested in cosmetology or fashion design. Jokingly, Crossland said none of her friends or family wanted her to do their makeup so she took that as a sign to move on. When Crossland and her family moved to the US and settled in Colorado, she switched her focus to higher education — specifically international business at Metropolitan State University of Denver. While in school she held a few hostess jobs at various Korean restaurants, though it kept her busy, it also slowly pulled her further into the restaurant industry.


    Photo By Kori Hazel

    Though Crossland didn’t finish school, it was the server role she landed at Go Fish Sushi that led to her future path. Her inner battle of wanting to improve and reinvent various aspects of the restaurant led to a partnership offer with Go Fish Sushi’s owner and thus became her new passion. After taking the reins at Go Fish, her next restaurant project came to her unexpectedly but at the perfect time.

    After seeing how well Crossland had been running Go Fish Sushi, owners of The Bronze Empire reached out to her asking if she would like to assume ownership of their hot pot restaurant. Crossland recognized the potential that Bronze Empire had but, unfortunately at the time, it was only really visited by the Chinese community in Colorado. Rather than taking full ownership of Bronze Empire, Crossland decided to share ownership with the original owners and help them make it more successful.

    “[Bronze Empire] was an easy decision, because Chinese hot pot is what I grew up eating. Each restaurant is different from the other so they are free to adapt to each concept. The concept I was going for at Bronze Empire is a newer version of hot pot, ” Crossland said.

    At the time there were only a few hot pot restaurants in the area and Crossland noticed with Denver’s growing population there would be a unique niche for this cuisine if it was marketed correctly. And with that, The Bronze Empire became her first booming restaurant after Go Fish Sushi.


    Photo Courtesy of Poké Concept

    After each restaurant concept becomes self-sufficient, Crossland is quick to move on to her next endeavor. With inspiration from a trip to Hawaii, Crossland decided it was time to open a traditional Hawaiian poké restaurant — Poké Concept. With various locations locked in for Poké Concept and other concepts in the pipeline, Crossland formed the unified banner, One Concept Restaurant Group (OCRG).

    OCRG is set up with Shuang Crossland and her partner who mainly deals with back of house operations along with three directors. Restaurant ideas like OCRG’s newest, Makizushico in Littleton come from a creative collection between the team. Once the construction, themes, locations and chef roles are fulfilled — OCRG looks for qualified managers to run the day to day operations for each restaurant. Usually, Crossland looks to her team at Go Fish, The Bronze Empire or Poké Concept for opportunities to promote from within.

    READ: A Brand New Sushi Spot Opened In Littleton With Unique Hot And Cool Tapas


    Photo Courtesy of Juneau Wong— Makizushico

    While a majority of the restaurants under OCRG are unique to Denver, one of their concepts is originally from New York. Crossland opened her own Kung Fu Tea franchise in 2017 with her twin sister Lian — who just so happens to be a real estate agent, which comes in handy when Crossland is searching for concept locations. After selling out at the first Denver location opening, Kung Fu Tea has become a very lucrative concept for OCRG. In fact, Kung Fu Tea is set to open a Stapleton location sometime in April 2020.

    Despite this recent rapid growth, none of Crossland’s business ventures are done on a whim — some of her conceptions have been floating around for years before any of them come to fruition. It’s Crossland’s serious business mindset that makes her successful in this industry — while her fun and caring side shows her team that all her efforts are dedicated to them.

    “I’ve worked with bad companies before where they didn’t value their employees and it really showed. I’m forever dedicated to my team because there is no way I could do anything by myself, I need them just as much as they need me,” said Crossland.

    “She gives everyone the ability to show her what you can do. She has such an eagerness to teach and help others succeed just as much as her,” said OCRG director, Antonio Gudino.

    As for creating successful restaurant experiences, Crossland is always looking at Denver’s demographic to see what each community wants from OCRG. As much as Crossland is working towards future restaurant ideas, she is always grateful for the connections made at some of her longest-running restaurants like Go Fish Sushi.


    Photos By Kori Hazel

    “I enjoy being able to see children grow up as they visit my restaurants over the years. There’s this father and daughter that have been coming to Go Fish since I was just a server. I remember when she was so little, all she could eat was two or three pieces from a California roll and now she’s a teenager eating raw sushi. It’s so awesome to get to see families really grow up,” said Crossland.

    It’s experiences like this that drive her to create more restaurant concepts for families all over Colorado. While Crossland has the desire to take some of the brands global like Poké Concept, she still very much wants to remain local.

    With a couple new restaurant concepts in the pipeline for 2020, OCRG hopes to change the face of Asian cuisine in Denver. The word is that their newest ventures will be unlike any they’ve done before.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #208
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    Kung Fu Buffet closes

    Kung Fu Buffet closing due to COVID-19
    NEWS
    Posted: Jul 18, 2020 / 04:28 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 19, 2020 / 11:33 AM EDT

    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A local restaurant is closing due to decreased business from COVID-19.

    Kung Fu Buffet located off of Stellhorn Rd. announced Saturday on Facebook of their closing. The post states:

    “We’ve got some bad news… Due to COVID business has been very bad so we are deciding to close on July 31st for good. Thanks to all the customers who has been supporting us ever since the beginning!”

    WANE 15 spoke with an employee who also confirmed the closure.

    Until the closure, takeout orders are still available.

    Kung Fu Buffet is also selling equipment from the restaurant at this time. If interested, contact information can be found on the website.

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    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  14. #209
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    Kung Fu Tea opening

    It's good to see anything open during the pandemic.
    THE FAMOUS KUNG FU TEA IS OPENING SOON AT LUBBOCK’S SOUTH PLAINS MALL
    JAN MILLER Published: August 19, 2020



    The famous Kung Fu Tea is getting set to open soon at Lubbock's South Plains Mall, 6002 Slide Road.

    Called the 'Starbucks of bubble tea' according to an online review, Kung Fu Tea is set to bring the big-time bubble tea experience to Lubbock. So if your bubble tea could use some wow-factor, get ready for Kung Fu Tea. They're anticipating opening possibly as soon as this month, although we haven't seen confirmation yet.

    One thing's for sure: our thirst-buds have never been quenched quite this way before. Kung Fu Tea has a serious track record.

    They boast a lifestyle with significance and energy. They are "fresh," "innovative" and "fearless," with locations around the world, including 250 in the United States. Since they launched in 2010 in New York, they've built a powerhouse reputation.

    Here's what they say on their website:

    Kung Fu, in its purest essence, is the desire for self-improvement and to expand one's capabilities beyond all limitations.

    Here at Kung Fu Tea, we believe that it’s our mission to not only continuously improve our brand and beverages and the lives of our customers through providing only the most delicious, high-quality flavors but also to inspire the community to dream big and live fearlessly.

    Founded in Queens, NY on April 30, 2010, we’re America’s largest bubble tea brand with over 250+ locations across the U.S. As one of the OGs of bubble tea, we maintain uncompromisingly high standards. Let’s be real. Making tea that looks good isn’t the hard part. The actual challenge is making tea that tastes good and presenting it in an innovative way. Made with the art of ‘3T’ Kung Fu, every cup of tea is freshly brewed at the perfect temperature using premium tea leaves.

    Wow -- talk about tea on a mission. We look forward to visiting Kung Fu Tea when they open and will keep you posted. You can visit their website for their menu and more of their impressive story.
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    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #210
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    Lion Dance Cafe

    Lion Dance Cafe Hits Its Crowdfunding Goal in 25 Hours
    The vegan Singaporean pop-up’s resources had been depleted by the pandemic, but its fans helped fund a permanent location
    by Eve Batey Aug 21, 2020, 11:58am PDT


    It’s shaobing sandwich game on for Lion Dance Cafe, the Kickstarter for which hit its goal in a little more than a day. Lion Dance Cafe/Instagram

    It took about 25 hours for Marie Chia and Shane Stanbridge to well and truly realize that their plan to open a permanent location for their popular vegan pop-up, Lion Dance Cafe, might actually work. Sure, they’d been selling out for years, attracting long lines and rave reviews when they’d appear at venues around Oakland, then named S+M Vegan. But the decision to open their own place, in the midst of a pandemic and when everyone’s money seems tighter than ever, is “a risk,” Stanbridge says, even with a shaobing sandwich that’s been selling out within minutes on pre-order.

    But still, they forged ahead, making the press rounds with their plans to open in a restaurant space at 380 17th Street, in Uptown Oakland. But even then, they fretted — the cash reserves they’d hoped to open with (in better times) were nearly gone, as their catering business had been decimated by the pandemic. When Eater SF spoke with Chia and Stanbridge the first week of August, they were hopeful, but very, very worried. “We know that no one has any money right now,” Chia said then. “It almost feels inappropriate to ask for more.”

    They closed their eyes and took that leap, anyway, launching a Kickstarter in hopes of generating the final $50,000 they needed to get up and running in the new space. They hit their goal in 25 hours.

    “It had to be 25,” Chia says with a laugh. “It still couldn’t be in the first day.” They’re both elated, but it’s not just about the money. “It feels really, really good that so many people want to see this restaurant happen,” she says.

    “We were concerned that we wouldn’t hit our goal at all,” Stanbridge says. Instead, “we were just watching it go up and were like ‘what is happening?’” Chia says.

    In the days since, the fundraiser has continued to grow, and at publication time it’s almost $17,000 above what they’d hoped for. They’re now hoping to reach a stretch goal of $75,000, enough to buy a combi-oven that will allow them to prepare “hundreds” of dumplings at a time instead of the handfuls they painstakingly steam by pan now.

    The extra funds will also help them “broaden our menu to make a lot more traditional dishes from Marie’s childhood,” Stanbridge says, which has always been the focus of Lion Dance: to take items like laksa and char kway teow and make them plant-based. Now, they’ll be able to do that with new recipes and menus, thanks to the generosity of their fans.

    Lion Dance is still on track to open next month, Chia and Stainbridge say. After getting the keys to the location — which, most recently, was home to Liba — the pair have been working every day to ensure that it’s in perfect shape for an upcoming health inspection. And now, they “know for sure that all this work isn’t for nothing,” Chia says. And even if they don’t hit that $75K goal in the 13 days left on their Kickstarter, that’s OK. “We know that the times have changed for the worse yet again,” she says, referring to the fires burning across the Bay Area. “We won’t take it personally” if the Kickstarter stalls here. “We’re already just so grateful.”


    Lion Dance Cafe
    380 17th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
    Visit Website
    After the pandemic lifts, I must check this place out next time I'm in Oaktown...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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