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Thread: Kung Fu Restaurants & Bars

  1. #211
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    Shaolin taken

    Shaolin Noodle House has been taken over by Bento.


    New modern Asian restaurant takes over Shaolin Noodle House on Broadway

    A new "modern Asian" restaurant specializing in Chinese, Taiwanese, and fusion dishes has just opened its doors on Broadway.
    about an hour ago By: Lindsay William-Ross


    Photo: @abento_official/Instagram

    A new "modern Asian" restaurant specializing in Chinese, Taiwanese, and fusion dishes has just opened its doors on Broadway.

    Called A. Bento, the restaurant has taken over the space at 656 W Broadway that had been home to Shaolin Noodle House, which shuttered this spring.

    On the menu for launch are several comfort classics, including fried rice dishes, stir fry available a la carte or as a combo, and steamed or fried dumplings.

    A. Bento also has the popular Taiwanese-style "Crispy Chicken Nugget," and, as the name suggests, they offer bento boxes, including one featuring their fried chicken nuggets. Additionally, their Bento options skew to the comfort food zone, with selections like a Deep Fried Pork Chop on Rice and Pork Ragu on Rice.

    Fans of Taiwanese brews take note: A. Bento has several fruit beers on offer, including Sweet Touch white grape and lychee, and Taiwan Beer Pineapple.

    During its soft opening phase, A. Bento has several promotional discounts and specials available for take-out orders, or orders placed at the restaurant and taken to-go. They can be reached by phone at 604-423-9585.


    A. Bento at 656 W Broadway in Vancouver. Photo: Google Maps
    Gene Ching
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  2. #212
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    “coming soon”

    The Return of Kung Fu Saloon.

    New bar and restaurant boasting vintage arcade games to open on San Antonio’s Northwest side
    Posted By Nina Rangel on Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 9:29 am

    Facebook / Kung Fu Saloon San Antonio

    Kung Fu Saloon, a Texas-based bar-restaurant-arcade chain, will open its first San Antonio location on the Northwest Side this summer.

    Kung Fu has teased fans with “coming soon” posts on social media since last summer but recently shared a graphic that reads, “Get ready to party, San Antonio.”

    According to the chain’s website, each Kung Fu Saloon location features a collection of vintage arcade games, skee ball, shuffleboard, foosball, ping pong, board games, karaoke rooms, a full bar and pub-style grub to fuel the fun.

    A representative of the restaurant chain told the Current it's on track for a Summer 2021 grand opening, however it hasn't yet set a specific date.

    The restaurant will be located at 5531 N. Loop 1604 West, next to Camp 1604 in the Rim Crossing Entertainment District.
    Gene Ching
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  3. #213
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    Alamo Drafthouse bankruptcy

    See RZA + Alamo Drafthouse introduce The Flying Guillotine | 360° Tour

    ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY
    6 hours ago by: Gaius Bolling



    Texas-based theater chain, Alamo Drafthouse, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing comes along with an asset purchase agreement with Altamont Capital Partners, a previous investor in the company. A new backer, Fortress Investment Group, and its affiliates are also a part of the purchase agreement.

    Chapter 11 does sound like doom and gloom for the theater chain that became a big hit with moviegoers due to its focus on the movie fans and their dine-in service but this filing will give the chain the capital it needs to allow operations to run as normal as they emerge from the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most exhibitors, Alamo Drafthouse locations were closed for months beginning last March.

    Alamo Drafthouse is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and runs roughly 40 locations with other prominent locations being Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Northern Virginia. As part of the bankruptcy filing, Alama Drafthouse will close down a few underperforming locations and restructure their lease obligations. There is no word as of yet which locations will be closed due to the filing. Founder Tim League will remain involved with the company and among the lender group buying assets and Shelli Taylor, who will be assuming the role of CEO, had this to say about the latest turn of events:

    "Alamo Drafthouse had one of its most successful years in the company’s history in 2019 with the launch of its first Los Angeles theater and box office revenue that outperformed the rest of the industry. We’re excited to work with our partners at Altamont Capital Partners and Fortress Investment Group to continue on that path of growth on the other side of the pandemic, and we want to ensure the public that we expect no disruption to our business and no impact on franchise operations, employees and customers in our locations that are currently operating."
    The news about Alamo Drafthouse comes on the heels of what could be a return to semi-normal theater operations just around the corner. Shuttered theaters in New York City are set to reopen on March 5, 2021, and Los Angeles is reportedly mere weeks from announcing that their theaters will be reopening as well, albeit, at limited capacity. Many exhibitors believe that there will likely be a revival of moviegoing by the summer as vaccinations continue to increase. Oddly enough in Texas, where Alamo Drafthouse is headquartered, the mask mandate was just lifted and they reopening their state at 100 percent capacity.

    Alamo Drafthouse is known for its love for cinephiles and its focus on the pure theatrical experience. They have hosted numerous fan events that are movie-related and they are known for enforcing rules, such as "no talking", with a much stricter policy than other chains. I'm happy that this filing allows them to operate as normal but bummed for the underperforming locations that will have to close in the near future. There is the concern that the new partners involved may try to change things down the line but that's something we'll have to wait and see. The pandemic has certainly kneecapped the exhibition business but hopefully, all of these signs of reopening are an indication that they're coming out on the other side of it.
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  4. #214
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    How Han Chiang of Han Dynasty turned a themed dinner into friendships with his hip-hop heroes

    The 15-course tasting dinner is inspired by the rap supergroup's first album — and has drawn guests from GZA to Masta Killah.


    Han Dynasty owner Han Chiang poses with Wu-Tang Clan's Masta Killah at a 15-course tasting dinner inspired by the group's seminal album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)."
    Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    by Beatrice Forman
    Updated Dec 13, 2022

    A Chinese restaurant owner, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, and a guy from South Jersey walk into a bar.

    Actually, it wasn’t a bar. It was the University City location of Han Dynasty for Monday night’s Wu-Tang Beer Dinner, a 15-course family-style Sichuan meal with 15 beer pairings that’s loosely inspired by Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the rap group’s seminal first album.

    Now in its seventh year, the dinner’s vibe is very nightclub-meets-potluck: Jamel “Masta Killah” Irief (another Wu-Tang member) presided over the room, there were flavored blunt wraps at each table to encourage some undercover puffing and passing, and diners were instructed to eat and talk with complete strangers.

    Owner Han Chiang, 43, said the dinner has roots in his Lancaster County upbringing, where, as a Taiwanese immigrant, Chiang said he was the only Asian student in a majority white school.

    “I was dealing with a lot of racism back then, so I almost exclusively listened to a lot of angry music,” Chiang told The Inquirer. “Now, [Wu-Tang ’s] music feels different. I’m not as angry any more.”

    For the diners, the tasting is the realization of a fandom fantasy, where they get to slurp noodles and slug beer in the presence of hip-hop royalty for $145 a pop.

    But for Chiang, the event is a childhood dream realized: He’s forged friendships with group members like Raekwon, GZA, and Method Man, who filmed the music video for his song “Big Sky” in one of Chiang’s New York City restaurants.

    “It was a dream come true,” Chiang said. “If you build it, they will come.”


    Owner Han Chiang holds court at the restaurant's annual Wu-Tang Beer Dinner, which drew around 100 diners.
    Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Now regarded as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, Enter the Wu’s mixture of cipher-style rhymes, hardcore production, and East Asian influence has left a traceable imprint on hip-hop. The group’s lore has spawned a scripted series on Hulu, a spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, yes, another Wu-Tang-themed dinner in Seattle.

    Here, the album lends an aura to the menu, but Chiang said the event was originally supposed to be a literal interpretation of the 36 chambers: 36 courses spread across breakfast, lunch, and dinner and three of his restaurants. Monday’s menu was a mixture of traditional Sichuan favorites, from cumin-spiced lamb with shrimp crackers to snapper topped with peppercorns on the vine and a flaky pineapple-stuffed puff pastry for dessert.

    Attendees skewed Gen-X and white, with a sprinkle of 20-something hypebeasts thrown in. Some were casual listeners, while others were longtime fans.

    For Tina and Rodney (who didn’t want to provide their last names because of the undercover puffing and passing), the pair of engaged ex “secret office lovers” who now live in Mt. Airy, it was a trip back in time.

    “Tonight takes me back to my late teens and early twenties, wearing Timbs and baggy jeans, and smoking blunts,” said Rodney, who was a freshman at West Chester University when Wu-Tang’s first single “Protect Ya Neck” dropped. (He later went on to write a paper on the song “C.R.E.A.M” for a literature class, which he did not deem an academic success).

    Others were Wu-Tang rookies: One guy said he listened to a song and half before attending, but Chiang’s cooking was actually the bigger the draw.


    At Han Dynasty's annual Wu-Tang Beer Dinner, guests are encouraged to sit with strangers (and maybe pass around a joint).
    Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    When Chiang started throwing the tasting in 2014, he didn’t have authorization from the group. Then, Greg “G” Provost — the WPRB 103.3 FM DJ who was the first to play Wu-Tang on the radio and still works with the group on Philly appearances — caught wind.

    “I found out on Facebook, and when I looked at the menu, I saw pork everywhere, and I got mad. How are you going to do a Wu-Tang dinner and have pork on the menu when they’re totally against pork?” Provost, who is from South Jersey, said, referencing several of the group members’ Muslim faith.

    As Provost tells it, he marched down to the restaurant to tell Chiang: “I said, ‘It’s cool you guys are doing this, but it’s really disrespectful for pork to be on the menu.’”

    Chiang apologized and swapped pork for beef. A few weeks later, Provost invited him backstage to a GZA concert, and soon, the trio was “smoking blunts and talking about everything — food, music, family.”

    Chiang’s favorite memories from chilling with the Clan? A tie between a Christmas Eve visit to a strip club in Queens for Chiang’s birthday with Raekwon, and a trip to Atlanta to meet Raekwon’s family.


    Plates of Sweet Sesame Duck, one of 15 courses served at the Han Dynasty's annual Wu-Tang Beer Dinner in University City.
    Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “His mom cooked me the best Southern food I ever had,” Chiang recalled. “It was a special experience.”

    Admittedly others have tried to fanboy their way into Wu-Tang ’s inner circle in the past. Disgraced “pharma bro” Martin Skreli paid $2 million dollars in 2015 for the only known copy of an unreleased album from the group, only to publicly fight the group as they tried to reclaim the album during his legal proceedings.

    So, why then, is Chiang’s admiration different?

    “What sticks out about Han is humbleness. I would’ve walked right by him,” said Masta Killah, who met Chiang for the first time at the dinner. Praise of Chiang’s cooking spread through the rap group, so Irief, who is vegan, was excited to try a specially-prepared menu just for him.

    “Han’s real. He’s very dedicated and very, very intense, but he takes a lot of pride in his food … and that’s the thing,” Provost said. “A lot of people have money, but they don’t have his understanding.”

    Published Dec. 13, 2022

    Beatrice Forman
    I'm a general assignments reporter who enjoys covering Philly-specific tomfoolery, both online and IRL.
    Wu-Forever!
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    Gene Ching
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  5. #215
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    Noka Ramen

    This Power Rangers-Inspired Ramen Shop Is Mastering the Art of Kick-Ass Noodles
    Alan Chazaro
    Jan 19

    The classic tonkotsu (pork belly, bean sprouts, bok choy, mushrooms, seaweed, noodles, egg) is a signature at Noka Ramen. (Alan Chazaro)
    ¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region's culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.

    If you scan ramen threads on Reddit or Twitter, you’ll find the occasional hater who claims that the Bay Area’s ramen “sucks” or is “overrated" (particularly when compared to LA's offerings). I don’t completely disagree with those statements. Many times I’ve been told about a top ramen joint in NorCal only to be underwhelmed by spaghetti-like noodles or an odd ratio of toppings that overpower the actual ramen.

    Occasionally, though, I’ll find a spot here that reminds me of the top-tier ramen I experienced during a trip to Tokyo, where each brothy spoonful delivered a soulful warmth that transcended any language barrier.

    That’s exactly the kind of good vibe I found at Noka Ramen in Oakland’s Jack London Square. You may recall the restaurant going viral last fall, when its staff stopped a man from assaulting a woman inside the dining room — while dressed up as Power Rangers. As the story made the rounds on social media, it also brought attention to the eatery’s flamboyant staff and quirky decor. The establishment’s most essential element — its actual ramen — was given a well-deserved signal boost, too. They haven’t held back any punches since then.

    Since it opened in the summer of 2022, Noka has been serving up some of the tastiest (and spiciest) ramen in the East Bay. The colorful shop has mastered the art of flavorful presentation, with its stylish Power Ranger–themed tiki drinks, anime playing in the background and over-the-top menu items like the Ikari Steak Ramen, which features slow–cooked beef rib confit, creamy spicy miso and a splash of 151 rum that’s been lit on fire ($36).


    A server at Noka Ramen embodies the restaurant's stylish vibe. (Alan Chazaro)
    But for me, it’s the simpler ramen dishes that keep me coming back for more. The spicy miso ramen, in particular, is one of the fiercest broths I’ve found in the Bay and packs more than enough heat (hack: order the shi****o pepper appetizer and mix some of its spicy sauce into your bowl for an extra kick).

    What helps Noka stand out from the competition is the vision of Pop-Kasem Saengsawang, the creative owner of a local Thai restaurant mini-empire that includes Farmhouse Kitchen, Son & Garden and Daughter Thai Kitchen. With the help of Kenichi Ota, the consultant and teacher behind the Los Angeles-based Ramen School USA, Saengsawang is now adding his own spin to the ramen circuit.

    Here’s what the two collaborators and friends had to say about serving noodles on the docks of the Frisco Bay.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    ********

    ALAN CHAZARO: You both grew up in Asia before immigrating to California. What brought you here, and what has been your experience with the U.S. food industry?

    POP-KASEM SAENGSAWANG: I’m originally from Thailand. I moved to the States with the hope of becoming Bill Gates (laughs). I was a computer scientist and moved here to continue my studies. During college, I had to start working and learn how to live on my own. I worked in a kitchen and served as a manager for six years and fell in love with food. I opened my first restaurant back then, but only nine months later it closed down (laughs). I was 26 years old. It was a Japanese sushi restaurant. My chef taught me a lot about raw fish, sauces and to care about the traditions. It was all new to me. One day my chef didn’t show up, and I realized that I didn’t understand it well enough, that I needed to learn more. Eventually I opened Farmhouse Kitchen. It was fun. My wife [Ing Kumo] and I enjoyed that, because it was totally us.

    KENICHI OTA: I came 18 years ago and started working at a Japanese grocery shop in San Jose. I eventually opened a ramen shop of my own, but I had some issues at the time and had to return to Japan, so I closed it down. Five years ago, after I returned, I wanted to enter the ramen market, but nobody was making the sort of ramen that I wanted to make. I decided that I could help others who wanted to learn how to make ramen. I thought, let’s try to support the restaurants who have a passion for Japanese food and products and who want to learn to make it. That’s when I started to do consulting and teaching.

    Why did you decide to open Noka? Why ramen?

    SAENGSAWANG: After the pandemic, I learned a lot about comfort food and what people wanted. I was always dreaming about a noodle bar for so long. I grew up in Thailand, [where] the two key ingredients are rice and noodles. I had time to learn and study during [the pandemic]. I went to different noodle shops, tried to get a feel, talked to the chefs. But I didn’t have the answers until I found Ken. The way he taught me is to jump in and make it your own experience. I feel like it’s something that I really enjoyed and could adapt and turn into my own recipes. With his knowledge and help, we created a beautiful broth and chewy noodles. I didn’t want my ramen shop to feel like traditional ramen, so I added lobster, short ribs, those kinds of things to the menu. I didn’t want to mix with Thai or anything else, though. I wanted it to be Japanese ramen. Over many months, Ken returned to check the recipe and make it better. I’m super grateful for him.

    OTA: For Japanese people, ramen is an important part of food. I started making ramen about 14 years ago. I was working at the grocery store and making ramen there. I was working with ramen chefs to make it and started going to outside events and pop-ups as well. People think ramen is just general. But it’s a whole process with many varieties and styles. It’s about details and careful directions, but the whole process is enjoyable. It’s not stressful for me. Making ramen is simply fun.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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  6. #216
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    continued from previous post


    The Spicy Miso Ramen (spicy ground pork, chili paste, bamboo shoot, corn, egg, thin noodles) is a personal favorite for this writer. (Alan Chazaro)
    Where did the whole Power Rangers concept come from?

    SAENGSAWANG: The Power Rangers idea is about having fun, first of all. It’s also a good look. I grew up with Japanese cosplay, so I really enjoy the Power Rangers. The Power Rangers don’t have just one guy or person — it’s a team. That was our goal. Then my wife, Ing Kumo, created the Power Ranger cocktail. When we bring it out, the server might do the Power Ranger move (chops the air). We might as well wear it and have fun. For our shyest servers, they become different people when they wear it. Customers can’t see you. It changed the way they walked from when they would dress regularly. It just brings a unique experience to everyone — customers and workers. At first everyone laughed and didn’t want to wear it. But now they love to pick their colors each week: pink, black, green, white.

    Noka Ramen went viral last year after an incident involving staff members dressed as Power Rangers — when your employees helped to end a physical altercation in public. How did you all deal with that and in what ways did it affect the community?

    SAENGSAWANG: The first couple of days I told everyone I don’t want to say that we were heroes. I don’t want to twist it since we weren’t really sure what was going on with the gentleman and lady who were fighting in our restaurant. Our goal is to protect our customers, always. The cosplay heroes were the story that day by coincidence. My manager pushed the guy out of the restaurant. It’s difficult because we don’t expect our staff to fight like that. It’s dangerous. There is one instance in San Francisco where a worker was stabbed because they ran after a customer who didn’t pay. I told everyone that we didn’t want to celebrate or share what happened because it’s a tricky situation. When the media came, I didn’t want to put my workers in the spotlight. What if the man came back and tried to attack my workers? So we focused on what we serve, how we value the customers.

    "Our goal is to protect our customers, always. It’s difficult because we don’t expect our staff to fight like that. It’s dangerous. ... So we focused on what we serve, how we value the customers."
    Pop-Kasem Saengsawang
    We went to court as witnesses, and we had to make sure the woman who was attacked got the support she needed. We hired a lawyer to make sure that one of our employees wasn’t involved [with any charges]. We were just trying to protect ourselves and everyone. That guy who attacked went to other locations nearby; he was also at Plank, and the police were involved there and arrested him. We don’t want our employees to be in those situations, but we appreciate the community that keeps supporting us because they feel like it was a heroic thing. It turned out positive. In Oakland, we have many people who are protecting the community and making sure no one gets hurt here in this city.

    That incident brought a lot of positive attention to Noka and put it on many people’s radars as a ramen destination. What are your thoughts on the ramen scene in the Bay Area, and what is Noka doing differently, besides dressing up as Power Rangers, to stand out?

    OTA: There is high-quality ramen in San Francisco, and there is a huge market in the Bay Area. It’s competitive for the United States. Noka is joining that market later, so Pop and I talked about concepts. We don’t need to only follow the exact authentic recipes. It’s not our goal. Our goal is to have ramen lovers come back; maybe they’re new to ramen. We focused on the mix of American people here and what we could do to make them like Noka. That’s how we approached it.

    SAENGSAWANG: To my understanding, when people experience something and they enjoy it, they want to return because they liked it, whether it’s traditional or non-traditional. Some people grew up with ramen being cooked at home by mom. Noka Ramen can’t recreate that. Noka Ramen is about bringing a fun new experience. Ramen is about joy and we try our best to represent that feeling. Of course, we can’t replicate the most traditional. It can’t ever be exactly like home-cooked ramen. There are too many factors. So we focus on providing a good experience with noodles with love and joy. That’s the concept.

    We don’t like to compare ourselves with others. Every ramen [shop] has their own unique story of making ramen. Some restaurants here are owned by Koreans, so they add kimchi. Some are Chinese-owned and have catfish or ingredients mixed from Chinese culture. That’s great. The generations that grew up with mixed cultures can adapt and adventure easier. But I told Ken that I wanted Noka to be Japanese without any Thai [influence].


    Noka, which is the Thai owner's ode to Japanese cosplay and culinary traditions, translates into "farmhouse." (Alan Chazaro)
    What’s the secret to making good ramen?

    OTA: My teaching program is about making everything from scratch and using premium ingredients. Everything from scratch, including appetizers and other dishes. Lots of people use [pre-made] concentrated stuff, and the broth isn’t as good. Or [they use] cheap ingredients. We use so many steps to make our ramen that it’s almost too much to follow (laughs).

    SAENGSAWANG: We probably use about 40 pounds of bones or more in each batch of our broth, and it takes about six hours just to make the broth. Ken brought his technique to Noka, which is the high-pressure machine. We use that, too. Ken imported that from Japan. Traditional style uses an open-faced pot, but this high-pressure pot pushes all the ingredients into water and makes it super creamy. That makes it different and isn’t a common technique here. Ken’s [noodle] recipe is really unique. It’s high-end flour imported from Japan. I also purchased a noodle machine from Japan. Everything is written in Japanese and I can’t read it (laughs). Google Translate didn’t help. Ken came in and showed us the steps and how to operate it.

    I thought you could just buy noodles and put it in a broth (laughs). Not at all. It’s all worth it though. I want our customers to eat with love. That’s our goal.

    Besides Noka, where is your favorite place to get ramen in the Bay Area?

    SAENGSAWANG: My spot to go for ramen is Nagi Ramen in San Mateo.

    OTA: Yes, Nagi is good. Very unique ramen. They come from Japan. I enjoy it. But also I have to say: Go Noka!




    Noka Ramen is open Mon. through Fri. from 11 a.m.–2 pm and 5–9  p.m., and Sat. and Sun. from noon–3  p.m. and 5–9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 90 Franklin St. in Oakland.
    Real Life 'Superheroes'
    Power-Rangers-(2017)
    Kung-Fu-Restaurants-amp-Bars
    Gene Ching
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  7. #217
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    Samurai Restaurant Time

    Samurai Restaurant Time gives kitschy thrills fit for Kabukicho

    By the finale, I had completely bought into Samurai Restaurant Time's spectacle — a neon-lit festival with chants and cheers. | LAURA POLLACCO
    BY LAURA POLLACCO
    CONTRIBUTING WRITER
    SHARE
    Nov 12, 2023

    Tokyo’s Robot Restaurant was a top tourist destination for years before it closed during the pandemic. A gaudy experiment in dinner theater, it often sated appetites for “wacky” Japan even if the food left visitors wanting.

    The neon-soaked streets of the Kabukicho nightlife district are now serving up a similarly kitschy second course: Samurai Restaurant Time. In the same location as its predecessor, the show opened Oct. 10. It’s run by the people behind Gira Gira Girls, a “girl’s bar” in the same building that delivers what would be considered adult entertainment in most countries.

    This association with Gira Gira Girls confused one honeymooning couple who were visiting from Los Angeles. Even more confusing was the scene that awaited them on their pre-2:30 p.m. arrival: a BDSM stage performance complete with revealing leather costumes and flogs (the show now asks ticket holders to arrive at 2:30 p.m. in order to avoid any adult content).

    “We were recommended this by a friend,” says Juan Lopez. “She said, ‘It’s going to be kind of weird but you have to go check it out.’ When we put in the directions and it said Gira Gira Girls, we thought, ‘What’s going on? Should we cancel?’ In the end we decided to go for it.”

    His partner, Andrea, chimes in. “We had the reservation already, so why not?”

    Another couple, this time from Texas, seemed equally bewildered.

    “We didn’t even know this was a different thing,” says Eric Luikens, adding that he and his partner, Kansas Johnson, thought they were in fact going to the Robot Restaurant.

    “We saw videos of the robot show online,” adds Johnson, “so we guess this will be kind of similar.”


    While not officially affiliated with the defunct Robot Restaurant, the new Samurai Restaurant Time lunch show scratches many of the same itches. | LAURA POLLACCO
    Samurai makes use of the same font and colors that its popular predecessor once employed, and is located in the same spot. Robot Restaurant’s now-defunct URL even redirects to the new restaurant’s page, but Gira Gira Girls stresses that Samurai is its own show.

    “Rather than replacing something, we want to create a completely new and unique form of evolving entertainment,” says sales representative Kazuyori Hayashi . The concept, he continues, is to give tourists a “show full of Japanese hospitality and energy ... where you can experience the ‘Japanesque’ of the past and future and be surprised.”

    I arrived for the show expecting something akin to what I had experienced at Robot Restaurant, and the entrance at least didn’t disappoint. An enthusiastic host led me down a flight of psychedelic stairs to the seating area, which was arranged in eight booths that lined the back of the showroom’s wall with a long table right at the front of the stage. My seat was almost dead center of the long table, allowing me to feel the full energy of the performance, even if I did need to occasionally turn my head to take in everything.

    At 2:30 p.m., the room began to fill. The opening acts consisted of various dance performances accompanied by live singing, which was a good way to keep up the energy in the room as stragglers found their seats.


    Samurai Restaurant Time delivers two hours of showy, over-the-top and exuberant performances complete with bright lights, bright costumes and even brighter set dressing. | LAURA POLLACCO
    As with Robot Restaurant, drinks and foods are available. My ¥9,000 ticket (reserved through the official site) included a set meal or drinks, with the option to purchase off the menu later on. The set meals range from beef steak to ramen noodles, which come in self-heating bento boxes. Additionally, snacks, soft drinks and alcohol are also available for purchase, with a can of beer going for ¥500 or ¥600, and popcorn for ¥700.

    The meals themselves are standard fare — not bad, not great — but, let’s face it, the food isn’t really why people come.

    The main event kicked off at 3 p.m. and went on to deliver two hours of showy, over-the-top and exuberant performances complete with bright lights, bright costumes and even brighter set dressing. The performance I attended began with a Halloween-themed opener, complete with free treats to get us all in the mood. Eventually, the show turned its attention away from spooks and toward its namesake theme: samurai.

    The samurai segment consisted of a mythical storyline that, if we’re being honest, you’ll struggle to recall once you’ve left the premises. If you’re looking for a riveting retelling of the story of Tokugawa Ieyasu — you’re in the wrong place.


    If you’re looking for a riveting retelling of the story of Tokugawa Ieyasu — you’re in the wrong place. | LAURA POLLACCO
    Instead, Samurai Restaurant Time delivers a tale of flashy samurai, evil lords, shrine maidens, magical armor, betrayal and sword battles with flips and spins — and lots of long-haired wigs. It’s a cliched stew of what Japanese theme restaurateurs likely believe Western tourists want and, well, they may be right on that front.

    The whole show is targeted at English-speakers, with English text displayed in the background while performers lip sync to some questionable and clunky dialogue. The English itself is likely to grate on the legions of English-teaching locals that may want to make an afternoon out of Samurai, but I thought it added to the whole aesthetic — a fusion of early Japanese 8-bit games, 1980s anime and all the unpolished English translations those genres entailed. If this was deliberate, then I say to Samurai’s scriptwriters, “All my praise are belong to you.”

    Despite Samurai’s scheduled two-hour running time, the show itself is filled with numerous intermissions that are designed to get you to buy more drinks, snacks and even merchandise while stagehands change the set and allow performers to catch their breaths. On that note, while the script may not be winning any awards anytime soon, the staff at Samurai are pretty great at helping you from the moment you arrive. Most have excellent English and are attentive in their service.

    The roughly 20-minute finale is where Samurai could most closely be considered a sequel to Robot Restaurant. Out came the big mechanized floats, taiko drummers and fan wavers, a visual and audio assault that climaxes in a cacophony of celebratory joy. By this point, the audience and I had completely bought into its spectacle — a neon-lit matsuri-style festival with chants and cheers.

    Is the Samurai stage show rough around the edges? Sure. Could it be more polished? Absolutely. Is there a lot of razzle dazzle trying to gloss over the cracks? Yes. But the performers give it 100% and are rewarded with a roomful of smiles and applause in the end.


    Elements of the performances at Samurai Restaurant Time evoked the energy and exuberance of a traditional Japanese festival. | LAURA POLLACCO
    “I thought it was great,” says Swiss tourist Kamil Kosmalski. “It was very Japanese in the most commercial, modern way we know it.”

    Despite their previous concerns that they'd signed up for something of a strip show, the Lopezes were also satisfied with the outcome.

    “It’s super kitschy, but charming in its own way,” says Juan, “It feels a little amateur but that’s part of the charm. If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, it reminded us of some of the shows there. It may not be 100% put together — but still very fun.”

    Samurai Restaurant Time scratches many of the itches left behind by the closure of Robot Restaurant, providing the same over-the-top presentation of Japanese culture, for better or worse. As someone who lives here, I tend to try to avoid what are considered gimmicky tourist spots, but I found myself getting swept up in the overall madness and joy in front of me. Like climbing Mount Fuji, however, once is enough.

    The robots are dead. Long live the new age of samurai.

    For more information on Samurai Restaurant Time, visit giragiragirls.com/reservation.
    Someday I must visit Shinjuku...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #218
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    490

    Gimmick

    The name of these restaurants, their food dishes, is gimmick to me. At least some of these restaurants operate so.



    Regards,

    KC
    Hong Kong

  9. #219
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Ninja Burger


    Experience the Ninja Burger Difference!

    Ninja Burger is the world's original premier fast food delivery service, founded in 1954 in order to cater to an exclusive set of clientele who sought good food, fast service, and above all else discretion. The company opened its doors to the general public in 1999 with the launch of the Ninja Burger website. Ninja Burger looks forward to serving its one-trillionth customer in the near future. One of the previous three sentences is true.


    For Information
    1-800-373-3411
    Not sure how these guys escaped us for so long. Oh right. Ninjas...

    Kung-Fu-Restaurants-amp-Bars
    Ninjas!

    I know this is a parody site but it popped up this morning whilst researching International-Ninja-Day-is-December-5th
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #220
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,907

    Tai Chi Bubble Tea

    Coming next week: Tai Chi Bubble Tea along with ramen, poke and sushi burritos
    By Eddy / December 28, 2023 / News
    Tai Chi Bubble Tea



    Northwest Wichita is about to get an option for bubble tea, poke, sushi burritos and ramen when Tai Chi Bubble Tea opens in NewMarket Square at 2413 N. Maize Road. This will be in the same strip center as Buffalo Wild Wings.

    Barring any last second setbacks, the opening date has been set for Wednesday, January 3.

    When they open, the menu, which is shown on the front of the building without prices, will feature bubble tea, poke bowls, sushi burritos and ramen. It should be an exciting new eatery for the west side of town, which doesn’t have a lot to choose from when it comes to many of those dishes.

    Tai Chi first opened in 2015 and has since grown to nearly 40 stores, mostly found in the northeast part of the country. The closest location can be found in Oklahoma City.
    Kung-Fu-Restaurants-amp-Bars
    Bubble-Tea-Boba
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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