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Thread: Kung Fu Restaurants & Bars

  1. #151
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    Ninja Japanese Steakhouse

    Ninja Japanese Steakhouse worth the drive
    Brian Bernier, for Sheboygan Press Media 3:47 p.m. CDT September 8, 2015


    (Photo: Chef Bernie)

    If you’re looking for not only delicious Japanese Food but also an entertaining night out with friends or just the two of you, make Ninja Japanese Steakhouse the destination restaurant the next time you think about going out.

    Ninja Japanese Steakhouse opened up at 944 E. Paradise Dr. in West Bend over four years ago. And because of Lichai Chen’s success in West Bend, he opened up another location in Menomonee Falls about two years ago.

    I visited Ninja Japanese Steakhouse about a year and a half ago with my family, three days before my wedding. We were so impressed, I canceled my rehearsal dinner plans at another place and we set them up at Ninja.

    I don’t know of too many Japanese steakhouses in the area besides Milwaukee and Appleton, but there's one thing that sets this one apart from the others. In addition to having an entertaining dinner cooked for you at one of their large hibachi tables by talented Japanese chefs, you can also sit down at a sushi bar and have them cook or roll out fresh sushi to order. They also offer dining room seating and a bar.

    We chose the dining room so that we could get great pictures of our entrees as well as catch up with my daughter, who was in from out of town. When sitting at the hibachi tables, it would be hard to accomplish either goal because of the excitement and fun the chef provides.


    Ninja Japanese Steak House offers freshly made Japanese cuisine and unique sushi creations. (Photo: Chef Bernie)

    Our first item, which we chose because we knew it would come out quick, was the crab rangoon. These tasty morsels were hand rolled and served with a sweet chili sauce. A perfect way to start the evening.

    I was in the mood for their tartar because I remembered how delicious it was at our last visit, but I wanted to try something different since they offer about 20 sushi options and cooked appetizers. Sophie, (who I found out later was the manager), stopped by our table to see how the crab rangoon tasted.

    I let her know it was delicious but I was having a hard time choosing another appetizer. She recommended going off the menu with one of the specials of the night, the sushi dumpling. How could I resist the recommendation of wontons filled with spicy tuna and eel and drizzled with a spicy sauce?

    This appetizer was a little different than what I would have imagined it to be, it wasn’t a whole piece of yellow fin tuna but instead was ground tuna. Still, the combination with the sauce was awesome.

    Our next goal was to choose from the huge list of different sushi, sashimi, raw or cooked special rolls. They have something for everyone, whether it is the tempura shrimp or chicken, teriyaki beef, salmon, or scallops. I don’t think that there is a combination of food with vegetables with various wraps that they haven’t thought of.

    Our first roll to split was the James Bond roll. The presentation of everything we ate was a work of art, but I think this roll was the best in both taste and presentation.


    Ninja Japanese Steak House offers freshly made Japanese cuisine and unique sushi creations. (Photo: Chef Bernie)

    The James Bond roll was stuffed with spicy crab meat, avocado inside and out, with seared salmon, garlic mayonnaise and masago, then finished with a basil olive oil. I guess they name this the James Bond roll because of the excitement that your taste buds are having when eating it.

    The next roll we tried was the ninja roll. I figured it was named after the restaurant, so would have to be good.

    This creation consisted of shrimp tempura with cream cheese, eel, and avocado, drizzled with their special eel sauce over the top. I must have never tasted fresh eel until I ate at Ninja Japanese Steakhouse, because the other eel I’ve tried in the past tasted so fishy. The word that best describes this entrée is yummy. Perfect for the person that isn’t into raw fish.

    The next roll we tried as amuse-bouche, to try to neutralize all the tastes in our mouth. We chose the oshiko roll to do that.


    Ninja Japanese Steak House offers freshly made Japanese cuisine and unique sushi creations. (Photo: Chef Bernie)

    This roll was Japanese pickles that were wrapped in white rice and then wrapped in seaweed. The pickles were actually orange and tasted great. The presentation of this roll was outstanding.

    We couldn’t decide whether dessert was an option or if we should try one more roll. The vote was 3-0 to go for one of the sushi rolls, and what better way to end the night, but with the amazing roll.

    The amazing roll consisted of raw tuna, avocado and fresh cucumber inside of spicy yellow fin tuna. This roll was served with two different dipping sauces as well as wasabi and ginger. The roll tasted similar to other sushi I have tried in the past, but I could tell the quality was top notch.

    When I caught back up with Sophie at the end of the night, I asked her why she thinks Ninja Japanese Steakhouse is so successful.

    Her response was short, “we serve authentic great food." She said they buy their fish from True World Distributors, and when I looked up True World up online, I could see why the owner chooses them for his restaurants. True World’s mission is “to provide customers with a superior level of service and the freshest, safest, and tastiest product available.”

    No wonder my experience here was one that I think you should take the time to drive to. They offer three different lunch specials, a takeout special called the bento box dinner and dinners for children under 12.

    To contact Ninja Japanese Steakhouse go to www.ninjajapanesesteakhouse.com or call 262-338-4888.

    Brian Bernier, aka Chef Bernie, is a private in-home chef, organic farmer and food blogger who lives in Sheboygan. He can be reached at Brian@BerniersBistro.com. Visit his website at FreshStepFood.com.


    Ninja Japanese Steak House offers freshly made Japanese cuisine and unique sushi creations. (Photo: Chef Bernie)
    There's actually a Gilroy Ninja Sushi place just outside the SF Bay Area. I've driven by it a few times. Maybe I've posted it here before. As much as I love ninjas, I just have this resistance to eating at a place named after assassins who were poison specialists.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #152
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    slightly OT

    This restaurant serves a ****tail called the Shaolin Sword. I hope it doesn't catch on because it sounds like a horrible drink with no connection to Shaolin beyond being based on an Asian liquor. The Shaolin Sword should be made with bai jiu.

    Banyan Bar + Refuge brings new flavor to a familiar space


    ARAM BOGHOSIAN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
    Warm lobster bun with honey-miso butter and pickled sea beans.

    By Devra First GLOBE STAFF SEPTEMBER 22, 2015
    Years ago, when I was away at college, my parents rented out our family home and moved temporarily overseas. While they were gone, I returned for a visit to the town where we lived. Naturally, I drove past our house, maybe more than once. The kids in the yard were strangers. I had the key in my pocket but I couldn’t go in.

    How strange it felt. I hadn’t thought about it since, until I ate at Banyan Bar + Refuge in the South End — more precisely, in the former Hamersley’s Bistro. The open kitchen is where it always was, but Gordon Hamersley in his baseball cap isn’t among the chefs. Joined at the bar by my editor, she points out the spot where we celebrated after I lucked into a job writing for her. Most of the people surrounding us are those kids in the yard. It doesn’t matter that others played here before. This space is theirs now. Restaurants are the worst and best settings for nostalgia.

    Because this isn’t Hamersley’s anymore — doesn’t look like it, doesn’t feel like it — and that is how it should be. Banyan is a restaurant for today, the flavors inspired more by Asia than Europe, the menu offering a smorgasbord of small plates instead of appetizers and entrees, the drinks emphasized as much as the food. (Expect to read some variant of these sentences often in the coming months. Banyan ushers in a boom of restaurants serving Asian-inspired small plates, with Hojoko, Little Big Diner, and Tiger Mama hot on its heels.)

    Cream-colored walls and wood beams have been replaced by a Russel Wright palette of chartreuse and gray, walls covered in vertical floor-to-ceiling branches, nestlike twig chandeliers hanging from above. The brick patio is quite as lovely as ever.

    The slightly Gothic aesthetic of the twig chandeliers is the only thing that might lead one to connect it with sister restaurant The Gallows, located a few blocks away. Also behind Blackbird Doughnuts, owner Rebecca Roth Gullo and right-hand man Seth Yaffe are expert at creating businesses that are entirely distinct yet also just what the neighborhood needs. (Disclosure: Gullo recognized me each time I visited.)

    BANYAN BAR + REFUGE
    ★ ★ ½
    553 Tremont St., South End, Boston, 617-556-4211. http://www.banyanboston.com

    Suggested dish:
    “Takoyaki,” pig tails, grilled corn, duck confit crispy rice, whole fried fish.
    Prices:
    Dishes $5-$25. Larger plates $27-$39.
    Hours:
    Dinner Sun-Wed 5-11 p.m. (bar until midnight), Thu-Sat 5 p.m.-midnight (bar until 1 a.m.). Patio until 11 p.m., weather permitting.
    Noise level:
    Hip-hop of a certain volume, but conversation possible.
    Credit cards:
    All major credit cards accepted.
    Handicap accessibility:
    Wheelchair accessible.
    They brought in chef Phillip Tang, formerly of the excellent East by Northeast in Cambridge, where he served modern, local versions of Chinese dishes. He previously worked at the likes of Lumiere, T.W. Food, and Hungry Mother, and his family runs A&J, a well-known dim sum restaurant in the D.C. suburbs. His food at Banyan is a continuation of that at East by Northeast — handmade mantou buns and dumplings, plenty of pickles, a harmonious coexistence among sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. But here it has much wider reach and much greater breadth. East by Northeast was tiny, with a menu that showcased a handful of dishes. Banyan’s menu is easily twice that size.

    It begins with snacks, worthy accompaniments to sassy house ****tails like the Supreme Leader (Thai chile-infused vodka, coconut, and lime) and the Shaolin Sword (barrel-aged shochu, pomegranate seeds, and “trust,” which turns out to be some sort of Calpis-esque yogurt syrup). On tap: Painkillers and an Old Fashioned flavored with umeboshi and yuzu. There’s also sake, wine, and beer, but the drink no one can seem to resist is the Kirin slushie, beer topped with a frozen cloud of more beer. It’s a gimmick, but it’s fun.

    Fried pig tails, however, are the real deal — succulent little nubs in a deeply savory garlic and black bean sauce. Wontons are filled with a pork mixture, then served with lashes of smoked tahini and chile oil, along with slices of fried jalapeno; the flavors are wonderful, but the dumpling skins are a bit thick. “Takoyaki” come in quotation marks because these fried spheres are made from calamari rather than the traditional Japanese octopus (“tako”). They are rich with aioli and a sweet soy glaze, topped with waving flakes of smoky bonito. The dud in the “snacks” category is the “delicious” chips and dip, a glorified take on potato chips and onion dip our servers push hard one night.


    ARAM BOGHOSIAN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
    Takoyaki,” calamari topped with bonito.

    A dish of raw fluke plays so lightly with the flavors we know from “Asian chicken salad” — cashews, oranges, a soy-ginger vinaigrette — we don’t even recognize them. The fish is strewn across the plate with the citrus, matching cool slice for cool slice, sprinkled with warming chile oil. A more blatant play on salad riffs on the Caprese, combining tomatoes with burrata, tofu, tahini pesto, and black vinegar. It’s a great idea that falls short in execution, the tofu gritty and tasteless, the tomatoes not summer wonderful.

    Tang and crew generally do right by vegetables. Smashed cucumbers, while not particularly smashed, are light and refreshing with lemon balm and pickled watermelon rind. The ubiquitous grilled corn on the cob gets its wow factor back, thanks to whipped coconut, toasted coconut, and togarashi spice. Half a grilled avocado is drizzled in garlic aioli and heaped with pickled daikon, carrots, and jalapenos, served with fingers of garlic bread. It looks like a stuffed baked potato and tastes like a banh mi, the pickles light and bright and crunchy, the aioli thick and rich.

    One of the best dishes on the menu falls somewhere between Korean bibimbap and Persian tahdig — a flattened round of rice, top kernels crunchy from contact with high heat, piled with shreds of duck confit, corn, scallions, pickled daikon, and a soft-cooked egg, decorated in squirts of gochujang-spiked ketchup. But noodles, a forte of Tang’s at East by Northeast, are a disappointment — mostly in terms of their absence. They are featured in just one dish, a cold one that incorporates peaches, eggplant, sesame vinaigrette, and lemon balm. It sounds wonderfully refreshing, but even in the heat of summer it falls short, the flavors failing to come together. Perhaps winter will bring more and better examples.


    ARAM BOGHOSIAN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
    New York strip loin and scallion pancakes.

    Where there are too few noodles, there are too many buns: filled with lobster, fried oysters, pulled pork, or beef tongue, in addition to whatever bun-related specials might be offered on a given night. The lobster bun is served warm with honey-miso butter and excellent pickled sea beans, but the lobster itself comes in small, dry pieces rather than big bites of claw and tail. A cross between Chinese red-cooked pork and pulled pork fares better, with green cabbage slaw.

    It all leads up to the “larger” category — big plates designed to feed everyone at the table. Slices of New York strip loin are dolloped with garlic-kimchi butter, served with more daikon pickles and spicy bean paste; the scallion pancakes on the side are doughy and bland. A whole fried fish is expertly done, the meat juicy, the presentation full of exciting flavors — spicy lime sauce, Sichuan peppercorn salt (not noticeably mouth-numbing), and ginger-scallion relish.

    There is but one dessert: sesame cream puffs drizzled in salted miso caramel. There is no roast chicken. There is, however, a platter of fried chicken with potato salad, preserved lemon chimichurri, and furikake. Welcome to Banyan Bar + Refuge.

    ★★★★ Extraordinary
    ★★ Excellent
    ★ Good
    ★ Fair
    (No stars) Poor

    Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #153
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    Jan 1970
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    Slightly OT

    I just heard about this a little too late. Bummer. It sounds like a lot of fun.

    Chinese-Themed Pop-Up ****tail Series Called Tiger and Crane Popping Off Next Week
    by Noelle Chun Oct 30, 2015, 2:17p @noellechun


    Noelle Chun Samuel Houston and William Tsui are Tiger and Crane.

    It's a four-part series starting Monday night that brings together kung fu, ****tails, dim sum, and Monkey King.

    In the continuing trend of pop-ups across San Francisco, there is a new craft ****tail pop-up series called Tiger and Crane quietly opening up in the East Bay this Monday, November 2 — and with kung fu references, steaming baskets of dim sum, and a classic Chinese Monkey King theme to boot. The ****tail brains behind the series are William Tsui (former bar manager at Jasper's Corner Tap and Kitchen) and Samuel Houston (former bar manager at three-Michelin-starred Saison). The duo worked together in previous pop-ups with Manresa chef de cuisine Mitch Lienhard and are known for incorporating unusual kitchen tactics to create unique ****tail ingredients.

    This time, they're taking over Itaba, a sushi bar in Piedmont on Monday for one night only from 7 p.m. to when supplies last. Monday's pop-up, with operations run by Raymond Gee (Jasper's) will feature three original ****tails ($10 each) and hot plates of dim sum from Tsui's family friend — har gow (steamed shrimp dumpling), siu mai (pork hash dumpling), and a vegetarian dumpling ($5 each) — as well as cold bottles of Tsingtao Chinese beer. You can just show on up to get in on the fun.

    Tiger and Crane is named after a classic kung fu movie from the '70s in which two styles of martial arts — strength and elegance — have to come together to achieve a goal. It's a fitting name for a pop-up series that is taking the ever-popular craft ****tail trend and bringing it to sometimes-forgotten Asian restaurant bars across the Bay Area, a setting not particularly known for ****tails right now. The pop-up series is themed to four mythical and beloved Chinese classic novels. The first theme for the pop-up is "Journey to the West," the well-loved fantasy about the Monkey King. "In the Monkey King story, he is bringing the scriptures across the bridge," Tsui said. "That's like us, except that instead of scriptures, we're bringing bomb ass ****tails." Each of the ****tails represents a different aspect of the Monkey King stories and incorporates ingredients that are common in Asia:


    Samuel Houston's The Dragon King Collins. Photo: Noelle Chun

    The Dragon King Collins is a tall and frothy combination of fortune cookie-infused Bombay Sapphire gin, Old Tom gin, matcha-infused rum, green tea simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and soda, topped with coconut milk and a dousing of matcha powder as garnish.


    William Tsui's Somersault Cloud is named after the Monkey King's ride, which allows him to jump huge distances. Photo: Noelle Chun

    The Somersault Cloud is shaken with cognac, egg white, coffee-infused Taiwanese grade B honey, and lemon.


    The Defiance of the Emperor is a clarified milk punch. Photo: Noelle Chun

    The Defiance of the Emperor is a milk punch with scotch, gin, black tea, grapefruit, cantaloupe juice, cinnamon bark, black sesame, and demerara sugar syrup, all put through a clarification process using cream and coconut milk.

    After the "Journey to the West" this Monday, the duo will run pop-ups tied to other Chinese classic stories familiar to many Chinese families (keep checking this Facebook event for future dates and locations). This includes "Water Margin," the story about 108 bandits who form an army; "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," which is a historical military novel that dramatizes the epic warriors who fought during China's feudal period in the first century; and "Dream of the Red Chamber," a steamy romance novel. Houston and Tsui will make a unique menu of ****tails to pair with each distinct theme, saving the Red Chamber for last. For them, the theme is a little sentimental, a little tongue-in-cheek, but also about expressing their style in a fun forum; it's meant to be less serious and more of a creative exercise. "This is about the journey," Houston told Eater. "But it's also saying, ‘Welcome to us.'"
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #154
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    Ninja Akasaka

    Another ninja restaurant. I might have to split the ninja restaurants out into their own indie thread.

    My friend the ninja
    YO****AKA TSUJIMOTO
    THE JAPAN NEWS/YOMIURI
    ASIA NEWS NETWORK January 29, 2016 1:00 am


    At the Ninja Akasaka restaurant in Tokyo, customers are served by "ninja."

    An Italian tourist is instructed on how to throw shuriken at Shinobiya Asakusa Ekimise in Tokyo.

    Japanese businesses cater to foreign tourists’ fascination with these mercenary fighters

    On arriving, I'm guided by a man dressed in black through a concealed door in the wall to a narrow path on the other side. After passing a "waterfall for training ninja" along the way, I stop to put my hands together in a ninja pose. When I say "Nin!" a drawbridge appears and I soon found myself in a space that appears to be a legendary land hidden far from human eyes.

    Welcome to Ninja Akasaka, a theme restaurant in the Akasaka district of Tokyo.

    Due to the dramatic way that guests are received and the entertaining menu, the restaurant is popular among foreign visitors.

    Ninja are known across the world as exotic Japanese heroes widely depicted in anime and films. In 2015, nearly 20 million people from abroad visited Japan. Many of them wanted to see ninja, and some Japanese businesses are catering to their desire.

    The Akasaka restaurant has 27 private rooms, each modelled after a stone house. The menu, in the form of a hand scroll recording secret ninja techniques, includes such ninja-themed dishes as crackers in the shape of shuriken throwing stars and turban shells whose operculum, or lid, is blown away when a fuse is lit. While eating, diners are entertained by a magic show performed by a magician dressed as a high-ranking ninja.

    The restaurant was opened in 2001 and thanks to being mentioned in many guidebooks and on TV programmes overseas, draws more than 20,000 patron from across the world every year. About 40 per cent of its customers are foreign tourists.

    "I heard about this restaurant from a friend of my wife," says a man in his late 50s who came from Switzerland with two family members. "My daughter is thrilled to be here because she likes ninja."

    Some foreign visitors want to buy ninja-related souvenirs while in the land of the ninja.

    Shinobiya Asakusa Ekimise is one such store established to serve them. The store opened in 2012 in a building near Kaminarimon gate in Asakusa, Taito Ward, Tokyo. Shinobiya's operator, who initially had stores only in the Kansai region, selected Asakusa as the site of a Tokyo store because the area is known as a magnet for foreign visitors.

    The Asakusa store sells more than 3,000 items, such as shuriken and makibishi caltrops made from rubber or iron, model swords and ninja outfits. It also sells items ninja historically never used, such as sai and nunchaku, both of which are traditional weapons used in Okinawan martial arts.

    According to the store manager Toru Oyagi, sai and nunchaku are considered to be ninja weapons overseas because they are used in the US animated series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

    "They are here because people want them," he says with a grin.

    At the store, visitors are given a chance to throw an iron I at a target two metres away.

    One Italian tourist has a hard time getting the shuriken to stick in the target even after Oyagi instructs her on how to throw the weapon. "It's difficult for me," she says.

    In October, governors and mayors of prefectures and cities associated with ninja came together in Tokyo to inaugurate the Japan Ninja Council to look into tourism and regional vitalisation through ninja. The prefectures are Mie, Shiga, Kanagawa and Saga, which are associated with such ninja schools as Iga, Koka and Fuma.

    The governors and mayors attended the inauguration wearing ninja outfits. "We'll make ninja brands and promote the ninja boom," said Mie Gov. Eikei Suzuki, the first chairman of the council.

    The U.-made anime "RWBY," which was created with inspiration from ninja and Japanese martial arts, was screened at movie theatres in Japan late last year. The anime features a team of four beautiful girls who grow up to wage a battle of survival in a world filled with evil forces. In the story, Ruby, one of the girls, wields a large scythe-like weapon, and Blake, another girl, wears a ninja-like black outfit.

    "It's a landmark 'reverse invasion' that has opened a new era for anime exchange between Japan and the United States," says Dan Kanemitsu, a translator of many Japanese anime and manga.

    "RWBY" has been viewed more than 70 million times since it began streaming on its official channel on YouTube in 2013. The anime was conceived and produced by Rooster Teeth Productions and directed by Monty Oum, who died in February last year at 33.

    Kanemitsu says when he saw the anime's trailer in 2012, he felt Oum had a firm grasp of Japanese martial arts and ninja techniques.

    But according to Kanemitsu, although Oum loved and was deeply involved with Japanese anime, he developed and depicted his own world in his work.

    Japan has optimum conditions for anime production, such as freedom of expression, new styles constantly emerging and a large number of fans. More foreign creators as talented as Oum will enter the Japanese anime industry from now on and contribute to enriching the world of anime, Kanemitsu says.

    "Colourful Ninja Iromaki" is now being produced after being selected by Animetamago 2016, a project for training young talented animators sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Agency.

    In the story, Himeno, a third-grader, moves to the countryside, where she meets three ninja. Each ninja has a special technique and a signature colour, and each has multiple alter egos. Like colours of paint, when alter egos blend, new ninja emerge, producing different signature colours and techniques. The ninja team up to save Himeno and her family from a crisis.

    "Mixing colours makes a different colour. The idea of the story was based on this phenomenon," says the anime's director, Kentaro Kobayashi.
    THREADS
    Restaurants & Bars
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    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #155
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    32
    If I went into a restaurant, called Kung Fu, and they had pictures of Bruce Lee. Primarily or exclusively.
    I would probably leave, as that would indicate they didn't really have an in depth erudition of Kung fu.

  6. #156
    Watch out for food with poppy seed powder in China.


  7. #157
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    Coming to Nashville

    Too bad Tiger Claw's TN office is in Knoxville. That's the other side of the state of TN from Nashville.

    Kung Fu Saloon headed for Nashville Midtown
    Lizzy Alfs, lalfs@tennessean.com 4:39 p.m. CST February 16, 2016


    (Photo: Courtesy of Kung Fu Saloon)

    Bar and arcade Kung Fu Saloon is headed for Nashville’s Midtown this summer in the company’s first expansion outside of Texas.

    The bar plans to open at 1921 Division St. in a building purchased for $3.5 million last year by Michael Lohmann, one of the directors of ABC’s “Nashville” TV series. The 5,800-square-foot building sits on roughly a third of an acre and is steps away from popular Midtown bars Rebar, Winners and Losers.

    Kung Fu Saloon was founded in 2009 in downtown Austin and the company has since expanded to Dallas and Houston. A second Austin location is slated to open at the end of February, said Kung Fu Saloon co-owner Chris Horne.

    “(We opened) the kind of place we thought we could enjoy hanging out at and it was much more successful than we ever could have imagined,” Horne said.

    Horne said the ownership group was drawn to Nashville for its music scene, nightlife, colleges and young professional population. The group looked at real estate for about a year, working with broker John Maxwell of Baker Storey McDonald Properties. Horne said they also considered a location in the Lower Broadway area.

    “One of the things we always look for is cohesive bar districts, which is exactly what Midtown/Division Street is. … We will be close to other good, popular operators and we really believe in the synergy that is created in that environment,” Horne said.

    The Nashville bar will have a large outdoor patio, skee-ball lanes, semi-private karaoke rooms and about 20 vintage arcade games, from NBA Jam to Ms. Pac-Man and Centipede.

    Horne said the bar will serve Asian fusion pub food, including its signature cheeseburger egg rolls with spicy Sriracha ranch.

    There will be 24 beers on draft with a mix of local, regional and national brews. A full sake bomb menu will pair different beers with sake.

    Horne said the Nashville location will have similarities to the Texas Kung Fu Saloons but the design has been “completely rethought.”

    “It’s important to us to keep it fresh so every time we design a new location we really go back to the drawing board and start over. We’re very excited about the design theme of this location,” Horne said.

    The Nashville bar will employ about 40 to 50 people.


    A rendering shows the interior of Kung Fu Saloon, slated for Midtown in late summer. (Photo: Courtesy of Kung Fu Saloon)

    Kung Fu Saloon’s expansion has not come without growing pains. In June 2015, the company reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice following allegations of racial discrimination against patrons. The legal flap centered around the bar’s enforcement of dress code policies in Texas.

    The settlement required Kung Fu Saloon to implement changes to policies and practices, including posting and enforcing a non-discriminatory dress code policy and monitoring bar employees for signs of discriminatory behavior.

    Kung Fu Saloon’s arrival in Nashville comes while several other out-of-town bars are preparing to open in Music City, including Chicago-based Headquarters Beercade and San Diego-based Moonshine Flats.

    Reach Lizzy Alfs at 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.
    Hope the TN bouncers are better.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #158
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    Toad Style FTW!

    Best entry so far. How could any Kung Fu fan ever pass this place by?

    Toad Style: Bed-Stuy’s Kung Fu-Themed Vegan Restaurant Is Everything You’d Want It to Be
    BY MARIAN BULL 3.11.16. 2:05pm



    Let’s get it all out of the way: Toad Style is a kung fu-themed BYOB vegan restaurant in Bed-Stuy.

    Sure, that’s a lot going on in one little space on Ralph Avenue that’s easy to miss, tucked among barber shops and bodegas. It sounds like a joke you’d hear on a show that makes jokes about Brooklyn: next week, Abbi and Ilana get into a fight about UTIs at a punk rock Caribbean takeout spot in Lefferts Gardens! But it’s a case of life being way ahead of art at Toad Style, a quirky little neighborhood spot that popped up this winter and has become both a reliable takeout option for locals and a fun little trip for anyone who is interested in trying buffalo-fried cauliflower and barbecue jackfruit sandwiches washed down with kombucha ($5) or a Bud Light tall boy (market price) off the Gates J/Z stop. (For those not versed in the ways of kung fu movies: Toad Style’s name comes from the 1978 movie Five Deadly Venoms, which follows five kung-fu fighters, each with their own animal-themed style.)

    Once inside, you’ll see a takeout courier shuttling in and out over the course of your meal, creating a slow sort of background rhythm. You’ll also find an old-school kung fu movie playing on a television perched so high it’s almost impractical to watch, unless you’re the person behind the counter; for diners it’s more décor than entertainment. There’s an arcade game (not kung fu-themed) in the corner, too, which I’ve never seen anyone play and which was recently broken. Fitting, maybe. On the walls you’ll find a few framed movie posters that are charmingly still creased from old folds, and photos behind the counter of what looks like a mix of friends and actors, a slapdash mood board of sorts punctuated by a sign that reads “VEGAN ASSASIN.” The cracks at Toad Style’s edges are reassuring, here to remind you that we are not in Williamsburg, that this is not some shiny hip thing. Its casual vibe is nothing contrived. By the register you can pick up animal rescue stickers for free.



    The wall not taken up by the kitchen is lined with benches and tables, a seating area chill enough that you can sit and read something by yourself without squinting or feeling like another party will be rushing you out. Here you’ll find groups of friends lingering over canned beer from the bodega across the street, mothers encouraging tiny sons to finish eggplant parm sandwiches, solo readers picking at scraps. It’s a good place to catch up with a friend or suss out a casual date in a pocket of Bed-Stuy not well known for those activities.

    Like a crinkled Mortal Kombat poster, the food here is unfussy and comforting and mostly exciting. There are daily soup and entree specials and a kale salad that feels like an obligation, because Toad Style’s sandwich menu is the true main event. Vegan sandwiches are a tricky enterprise: You’re usually relegated to a patty or some sort of meat substitute or just “hummus ‘n’ things,” but here, most sandwiches feel special and carefully thought out. The grilled cheese squishes a house-made, almond-based cheese—which, paired with sliced tomato, lays somewhere between melted cheddar and mayonnaise, and you’ll like it—amid slices of white bread griddled to a glossy gold in fake butter. Skip the veggie burger—a bit too bready, in both filling and bun—and opt instead for the Casino Dog, well spiced and slathered with appropriately aggressive levels of yellow mustard and swaddled amongst caramelized onions in a soft-crisp baguette, not a bun.



    The real highlight is the báhn mì, where you have ultra-bright wisps of pickle and crunchy baguette and fat oyster mushrooms and three sauces (one creamy, one spicy, one earthy) all slamming up against each other in a happy little mosh pit of a sandwich. (More punk rock than kung fu, but okay!) Most of the sandwiches here are of that particular size where you tell yourself you’re going to eat half and take the rest home for tomorrow’s lunch, and then you don’t. Their prices max out at $11, so any splurge is a small one.

    But you should still order at least one round of sides, of which there are many. There’s the fried cauliflower, rubbed in a spicy-creamy sauce then doused in a batter laced with highly potent amounts of black pepper—it makes the sort of crunchy-spicy armor that fried chicken dreams of. One order per table should be mandatory. There are the “pizza fries,” which you could maybe call a vegan, Italian take on poutine: a moundy of nubby skin-on fries are weighed down by a layer of tangy-sweet mushroom-tomato sauce, then scattered with blobs of nut-based “ricotta.” The fried pickles are a little too big for their britches—too much spear, not enough batter—but come with a punchy little horseradish sauce you’ll be spreading on everything else you ordered.



    Themed restaurants can so often veer into the territory of kitschy, usually due to an overcommitment to the chosen theme. Here, the tinges of martial arts are mostly aesthetic: no bad puns laced into the menu, no questionable outfits forced on the staff. It’s just a vegan restaurant opened by people who are really into kung fu, and somehow it works, because one assumes that this stretch of bed-stuy doesn’t have the highest real estate prices and because vegan food—particularly the casual, affordable, comfort food-y kind—has always been mildly subversive, often carried on by wackadoos. (No offense! Consider, of course, the always-emphasized punk rock roots of Brooks Headley’s vegan cooking that’s winning hearts and minds at Superiority Burger in the East Village.) And vegan or not, themed or not, a local BYOB spot where dinner doesn’t have to cost you $15 is a blessing. May all our neighborhoods be so lucky. One can only hope that Scorpion Style comes next.

    Toad Style: 93 Ralph Avenue, Bed-Stuy
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  9. #159
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    Tai Chi Jianbing

    Tai Chi Jianbing Brings Popular Chinese Street Snack To Outer Sunset


    Tai Chi Jianbing Owner Cheng Hu makes a jianbing. (Photo: Fiona Lee/Hoodline)
    Fri. June 3, 2016, 3:46pm

    Screen shot 2015 12 01 at 7.51.41 am by Fiona Lee
    @moderntime

    2445 Noriega St., San Francisco, CA

    Jianbing, the savory crepe that's a highly popular Chinese street snack, is making its way to San Francisco—and with the arrival of Tai Chi Jianbing, adventurous Outer Sunset eaters can be the first to try this delicious treat.

    Made fresh in humble stands across China, jianbing is both soft and crispy, a contrast in textures that delights its many fans. Originally from Shandong Province, the dish has a history that can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.)

    Jianbing can be made with assorted batters, including millet and mung bean, but the most common mixture is made of wheat flour. After the fresh batter is spread across the cooking surface, an egg is cracked and cooked in the middle of the pan. Common additions include a crisp, fried layer of dough, as well as scallions, cilantro, and spicy sauces.


    A jianbing street stand in Beijing. | PHOTO: FIONA LEE/HOODLINE

    Despite the popularity of other common Chinese street foods, like dumplings and buns, jianbing has yet to make a splash in San Francisco. But Tai Chi, which is opening on Sunday as a pop-up inside Osaka Imai (2445 Noriega St.), hopes to change that.

    While jianbing is often eaten as a breakfast food, enterprising vendors in China have also set up near busy nightclubs or construction sites. “People in China eat jianbing every day,” explains co-founder Cheng Hu, a Shenyang native who's lived in San Francisco for eight years. “As more Chinese people have come to the Bay Area, they say they really miss it.”


    Making a jianbing on the streets of Beijing. | PHOTO: FIONA LEE/HOODLINE

    The Tai Chi Jianbing pop-up will carry classic jianbing, as well as varieties with chicken, beef, or ham. Prices will range from $8-$20, depending on what customers add to their meal.

    While that may seem steep for a street food that runs the equivalent of a dollar or two in China, Hu explains that that there are pressures regarding the price of sourcing top-notch ingredients.

    “We want our customers to eat healthy, and we really care about food ingredients and the environment,” he said. "We work closely with local farms ... Most Chinese restaurants use ingredients that might not be the best quality. We want to change that perception, by using high-quality ingredients." He hopes that as Tai Chi Jianbing takes off, prices will be lowered through volume.


    A finished Tai Chi jianbing. | PHOTO: FIONA LEE/HOODLINE

    To help spread the word about jianbing, Hu and Tai Chi Jianbing are also planning a food truck later this year, with a similar model to the pop-up. He plans to take customer feedback on the various jianbing into account, refining the company's offerings.

    “Each jianbing will be unique,” Hu says, “but we guarantee that each one will be delicious.”

    Tai Chi Jianbing will be open for business on Sunday, June 5th, from 10am-2pm at Osaka Imai (2445 Noriega St.). The pop-up will operate for 30 days.

    Editor's note: This interview was conducted in English and Mandarin.
    This looks great. I haven't had good jianbing in years. I'll have to check this out next time I'm in the sunset...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  10. #160
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    Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle Balmoral

    Next time you're in NZ...maybe some of you are in NZ?

    Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle Balmoral



    636 Dominion Road
    Mt Eden, 1041 NZ
    09 623 6298

    OPENING HOURS
    SUN 11:30AM - 11:00PM
    MON 11:30AM - 11:00PM
    TUE 11:30AM - 11:00PM
    WED 11:30AM - 11:00PM
    THU 5:00PM - 11:00PM
    FRI 11:30AM - 11:00PM
    SAT 11:30AM - 11:00PM

    THE DETAILS
    CUISINE Chinese
    SERVING Lunch Dinner Late Night Take Away
    GET SOCIAL
    "We serve the best fresh handmade noodles in New Zealand!"

    MAY WANG, CO-OWNER
    THE VERDICT
    THE MENU
    If you’re serious about noodles and delish Chinese eats, look no further than Balmoral’s Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle. Located on the corner of Dominion Road and Rocklands Ave, the bustling eatery has built a reputation for dishing up the best noodles in Auckland.

    Step inside the quirky eatery and you’ll be greeted by cosy bright orange booths and tabletops covered with cartoon imagery. Yup, you’ll be slurping down noodles with the likes of Hello Kitty, The Powerpuff Girls and Elmo.

    Behind a glass screen, the kitchen skirts the dining area and is where the real magic happens. If you watch the chefs busy at work, it quickly becomes apparent where the restaurant gets its name from.

    The chefs—or should we call them martial artists—chop, whack and slap the ingredients in a kung fu fashion. All the noodles are made by hand with the chefs martial artists pulling, chopping and rolling the fresh noodles for their respective dishes. Dinner and a show? Don’t mind if we do!

    The art of kung fu originates from Shaolin in the Henan province of China, and is also where owners Mike Xu and May Wang come from. They’ve been dishing up traditional Chinese food in Auckland for six years and have four restaurants across the city. Balmoral aside, you can also get your fix in Auckland Central, Howick and Albany—yuss!

    Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle’s extensive menu (don’t say we didn’t warn you—it’s huge) is divided in sections with chicken, lamb, beef, seafood and vegetarian dishes all making appearances.

    You can’t visit without ordering some of their famous noodles. If you like your noodles rolled and fried, go for their Xinjiang lamb noodles served with cabbage, tomatoes and chives. As for pulled noodles, their goji berry lamb dish with vermicelli, tofu and red dates is not to be missed. Spice lovers can’t go past Kung Fu Noodle’s signature dish of hot and spicy beef noodles. The sliced noodles come with beef and bok choy and will set your mouth on fire! Rest assured, the friendly folk are more than happy to alter the dish to suit your taste buds.

    There’s so much more than noodles, though! You’ll be tearing your hair out trying to decide between chicken wonton soup, Chinese lamb burgers, steamed buns and—of course—dumplings.

    It’s no secret us Aucklanders love dumplings and Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle will cater to your cravings. You can order them steamed, poached, pan fried or in sour soup. Pan fried is our go-to with the dumplings arranged to fill a pan before being flipped and served like a dumpling pancake (yes, please!). They’re filled with the likes of lamb and fennel, chicken and corn as well as beef and celery.

    Wash your meal down with complimentary green tea or try their chilled coconut milk drink with tapioca pearls—it’s a fave of ours! If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, they also have a green bean drink starring mung beans.

    Visit with your significant other for a cheap and cheerful meal or round up your squad and attempt to eat your way through the menu. The humming restaurant is often brimming with patrons but fear not—there’s additional seating upstairs. However, make sure you arrive with an empty tummy because one thing’s for certain: you won’t leave hungry!

    Image credit: Kellie Blizard for The Urban List
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  11. #161
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    Kung Fu Cantina

    The first sentence says it all.

    Kung Fu Cantina kicks into Clemson
    Wesley Skidmore, Contributor 6 hrs ago


    Photos provided by Kung Fu Cantina via Facebook

    Although disappointed by the lack of actual Kung Fu, the Kung Fu Cantina is a scrumptious new addition to downtown Clemson’s food scene.

    Walking in, you’ll notice the open space, the low-profile color scheme and the massive capacity space.

    “We try to offer American favorites with a regional twist,” said Mike Gillman, the general manager of the Cantina. “It’s not your typical bar food; we offer things from different parts of the world.”

    The menu ranges from appetizers and salads to mix-and-match tacos and vegetarian tostadas. I happened to get the tostada and was not disappointed. My initial thought was “Wow, those are some teeny, tiny tacos.” But, after finishing, I was surprisingly content and realized the initial disappointment was merely due to the massive US portions that usually leave me stuffed to the point of comatose. On the other hand, my friend got a power salad bowl and had trouble finishing it because of the size. So, for all appetites and tastes, Cantina can satisfy.

    As for the ambiance, two thumbs up. Although the constant commercials for Kung Fu movies may seem like the restaurant is trying just a little bit too hard at first, after seeing Jackie Chan defeat the bad guys for the sixth time, it holds a certain charm. Also, the music was absolutely fantastic when I visited. Usually downtown restaurants cater to the top 40 taste of Justin Bieber and Meghan Trainor. But Cantina played throwbacks as well as up and coming songs on the more underground stations. The ambiance really benefited from the lack of “my sign is no, my number is no," playing on repeat.

    In terms of community life, there’s often a shortage of fun downtown activities for under 21-ers, but fear not. Kung Fu Cantina will offer trivia every Monday at 8pm starting the second week of September. But, for those who fall into the legal drinkers category, there’s plenty to do as well. Kung Fu offers many specials on drinks such as discounts for national dog day, a themed ‘80s night and eight-dollar margarita pitchers on Monday.

    As for downsides, the prices are a bit of a stretch on a college budget. When asked what a weakness of the restaurant was, Gillman said, “We’re just a little off the beaten path. People don’t know about us, but they also don’t see us.”

    So, for those looking for food, fun and trivia, head down to Kung Fu Cantina right behind the Campus Copy Shop and try out the sure-to-be-soon Clemson favorite.
    Clemson is in SC, fyi.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  12. #162
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    Tai Chi Jianbing

    Ooooh, I luv Jianbing. Next time I'm in GGP near the botanical gardens, I must check this out.

    Eat Up
    Tai Chi Jianbing brings Chinese crepes to San Francisco
    By Anna Roth October 4, 2016 Updated: October 4, 2016 12:04pm


    Cheng Hu rolls up a jianbing (Chinese crepes) at Tai Chi Jianbing in S.F. Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle Cheng Hu rolls up a jianbing (Chinese crepes) at Tai Chi Jianbing in S.F.

    If I were a betting woman, I’d put money on jianbing becoming the next big food trend. The eggy northern Chinese crepe has recently taken New York by storm and is now making inroads in the Bay Area. You can find them in a few places around San Francisco, the East Bay and the Peninsula, but some of the best and most consistent can be found at a pop-up called Tai Chi Jianbing, where Cheng Hu is making organic versions of the street food he grew up with.

    Jianbing was once described to me as a “Chinese Crunchwrap,” which is as neat an explanation as any for the savory snack, which gets its crispiness from fried wonton wrappers. They start with a ladle of thin batter made from mung bean, soy bean and all-purpose flours, spread thinly onto a circular griddle in the manner of a dosa or French crepe.

    When the dough has set a bit, Hu cracks two free-range eggs on top and scrambles them slightly, then sprinkles them with chopped green onions, cilantro, cumin, red pepper flakes and black and white sesame seeds. The crepe is then flipped over, and Hu applies chile-garlic and thick soy sauces as well as the fried wonton squares, and toppings like frankfurters, dried tuna and barbecued pork.

    Finally, Hu folds the crepe around the fillings, making for a neat little packet that displays the scrambled eggs, herbs and spices on the outside, and inside contains all the meaty, saucy bits between crisp wonton layers. One is enough for a breakfast or lunch, or a hearty snack shared between two people.


    Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle Jay Jay Muits with baby George watches Cheng Hu make jianbing at Tai Chi Jianbing, his pop-up in the Inner Sunset of S.F.

    Hu, 29, started making jianbing because he couldn’t find any restaurant in the Bay Area that was serving them to his satisfaction. He grew up in the city of Shenyang in northeastern China, near the Korean border, and went to college in Indiana before following his girlfriend to San Francisco.

    But he didn’t lose his taste for dishes like jianbing, which are a daily part of life on the streets of northern Chinese cities like Shenyang and Beijing. Hu started making them and other elusive native dishes at home; then his girlfriend encouraged him to try a pop-up.

    He consulted with a jianbing master in Beijing and launched his pop-up, Tai Chi Jianbing, in June on Noriega in the Outer Sunset. In September, he moved the pop-up to its current location, at Nabe, a popular hot pot restaurant at Ninth and Irving in the Inner Sunset. There, Hu sets up his crepe stand nearly every morning, right in front of Nabe’s floor-to-ceiling front windows, and hopes that curious passersby in the busy corridor will give the unfamiliar food a try.

    Mostly, he’s happy to bring local eaters a new food to obsess over. “I think people in San Francisco really like new things,” he says. “I’m really trying to give the American customer a new image of Chinese food.”

    Anna Roth is a freelance writer in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annaroth

    What: Traditional crepe ($8.50), tuna rousong crepe ($10), warm soy milk ($3.50)

    Where: Tai Chi Jianbing at Nabe Restaurant, 1325 Ninth Ave. (at Irving Street), San Francisco, (415) 215-9385. www.taichijianbing.com

    When: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  13. #163
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    Kung Fu Tea FTW!

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  14. #164
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    Han's Kung Fu Cooking Club


    Han Chiang, owner of Han Dynasty in Old City.
    JANUARY 11, 2017

    Demand high for eccentric Philly chef's new 'Kung Fu Cooking Club'
    BY MICHAEL TANENBAUM
    PhillyVoice Staff

    In a city filled with fun things to do to fill your time, the quirky owner of Old City's beloved Han Dynasty has an offering you might not be able to resist, assuming you can ever make the cut.

    No, it's not free "Mandarin Trump," the orange chicken concoction Han Chiang started promoting last August when the 2016 presidential campaign was in full swing. Just for the memories, you might want to revisit the hilarious ad he posted on Facebook at the time depicting your next president.

    This time, Chiang wants to teach you how to cook, because we're nowhere near as good as we all think we are at making Asian stir fries. If we can admit that, we are truly opening our minds to a world of positive Chianges.

    In addition to helping Philadelphians cook, Chiang wants to expose us to Kung Fu films in all their classic, action-packed glory. Please excuse his foul language in the Facebook post below. He's just excited for your new life and thankful for all of your support.

    Han Chiang
    January 9 at 11:18pm ·
    Friends, life is too short to let all the media drama bother you. If you are stressed, it's very very bad for u. U gonna ****ing die early!!!!😤😡☠️ Let it go and focus on some positive ****s!!!
    I'm starting a free club call Han's Kung Fu Cooking Club. I teach u how to cook and watch my favorite Kung Fu movies. Every time each person will be handed a cooking assignments. For example: cook for someone in need, someone you love, ur fav wawa cashier/hoagista, or want to kick the **** out of...We're gonna stay positive, and if anybody brings up mother ****ing trump. U will be banned!
    Our first meet will be the 30th this month at 6pm in old city. We will take 44 people. Pm me and ill reply a number back to u. Pls honor ur reservation.
    Ultimately, I hope we can use our Kung Fu cooking skills at food events to raise money for charity. This is a famous Chinese proverb: 功德無量. It means, help people and people will respect u. In Buddhism, it will find u peace.
    Another reason I'm doing this is to give back to my fans. I'm so honored that you guys supported me all these years!!!! U don't have to do charity if ur too busy....... come in and drink with me if don't want to cook...... come and eat some free ****!!!
    "Ultimately, I hope we can use our Kung Fu cooking skills at food events to raise money for charity," Chiang continued. "This is a famous Chinese proverb: 功德無量. It means, help people and people will respect u. In Buddhism, it will find u peace."

    In all seriousness, Chiang has got to be full of wisdom that will make you proud to live here and grateful for the people who bring joy to your life.

    The problem, for now, is that Chiang's first session is booked solid with 44 people. You're not getting in there. But it's all good. Chiang is working on what it will take to expand the club.

    Han Chiang
    20 hrs ·
    Thanks everyone for the great feed back and support! Unfortunately the requests r overwhelming. We r all booked up for this month. I'll release another day very soon. Stay tuned...... for the people that got a number already. I need some help organizing.
    MICHAEL TANENBAUM
    tanenbaum@phillyvoice.com
    I don't think I could learn to cook with Kung Fu movies playing. I'd be too distracted.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  15. #165
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    Slightly OT

    The New York Chef With a Killer Bruce Lee Connection
    The Beatrice Inn's Angie Mar is among Food & Wine's "Best New Chefs" of 2017
    By Richard Horgan|2 days ago


    Wildwood House Ltd.

    It’s a side note that will almost certainly be mentioned whenever the topic of coverage is Beatrice Inn owner and chef Angie Mar. Once upon a time, her late aunt, Ruby Chow, employed in Seattle a waiter named Bruce Lee.

    Yes, that Bruce Lee. The future martial arts star moved in 1959 from San Francisco to Seattle and, through a family friend, not only got a job at Ruby Chow’s restaurant but lived in a space above the establishment as well.

    The Beatrice Inn’s Angie Mar is one of 12 chefs highlighted in Food & Wine magazine’s latest annual selection of “Best New Chefs.” From a media point of view, there’s another interesting bit of early history involving Lee’s time in Seattle. Per a reminiscence by high school friend and classmate James Demile:

    Many times I went to meet Bruce so that we could work out only to be told that Bruce would not be allowed to leave until he had cleaned all the floors at Ruby Chow’s Restaurant. (Ruby Chow was Bruce’s American sponsor; Bruce lived upstairs over her restaurant and was required to sweep the floors every day.) Bruce also worked at the local newspaper, The Seattle Times, every Saturday night stuffing the comic section into the Sunday paper. …

    We used to practice wherever was available at the time–basements, parking lots and in each others’ homes. It was during these dynamic sessions that Bruce developed his famous one and three inch floating punch, whereby he could generate sufficient power from a short distance to lift someone 200 pounds off his feet and knock him into a chair a short distance away.
    Right below Mar in the Food & Wine scroll is Jay Blackinton, who earned his early stripes as a chef in Seattle by dumpster diving for ingredients and supporting himself as a bike messenger. Ruby Chow’s, by the way, was the first Chinese restaurant opened in Seattle outside of the Chinatown area. Lee’s time there was rough. From the book Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit:

    Lee was not exactly a natural at taking orders and there were daily complaints from customers about his attitude. His treatment of the other waiters and kitchen staff was not much better, and his relationship with Chow was one of open hostility. …

    “I took care of him for four years,” said Chow. “I raised five children and I treated him like a second son. He was just not the sort of person you want your children to grow up like—he was wild and undisciplined, he had no respect.”
    Richard Horgan @hollywoodspin
    Richard Horgan is co-editor of Fishbowl.
    Bruce was a lot of great things, but I never could imagine him to be a very good waiter...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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