Kung Fu Restaurants & Bars

[BrokenTitanium]

Earlier this month I ate at the Kung Fu fast food restruant located inside the Aquatic Center here in Beijing. It was actually pretty good.

[GeneChing]

What kind of food was it? Were there any Kung Fu oriented dishes? Got pix?

If you're in Beijing, you should go check out Feng Bo Zhuang for us. That place sounds worthy of an ezine article. Maybe you could rep us there as our official food critic and get a free meal. PM me if this sounds of interest.

[BrokenTitanium]

There is a sign posted that reads no photos. I was able to snap a few before I saw the sign.

[GeneChing]

Chen Chen is rolling in his grave. How come you LA members didn't mention this?

Where to go for flavorful Asian fast food in Northeast L.A.? Look for the Bruce Lee statue
on April 29, 2013

Cypress Park Highland Park


Ayta’s roof top icon. Photo by Martha Benedict

While pupusas, tacos, mariscos and Jumbo Jacks abound, vegetables are hard to come by on the strip of Figueroa Street where Cypress Park meets Highland Park. Enter: Ayta Grill. The small Japanese “Teriyaki House & Tea Room” (Note: I didn’t see any actual tea on my visit) opened last month, gaining attention for its roof-bound Bruce Lee statue, but the real draw is simple plates of meat, rices and fresh veggies.

The menu has zero frills. Choices include steak, salmon, shrimp and chicken, curry or no curry, vegetables or no vegetables. Portions are satisfying, the meat is well-cooked and flavorful, and the broccoli-carrot-squash-cabbage medley doesn’t have that over-steamed mushiness you’ve come to expect from Asian fast food joints—they’re actually some crispiness to speak of. Prices range from $5-$9.

If there’s any extravagance here, it’s their fruity drinks. We sampled all four flavors and settled on the sweet cantaloupe, which brightened up the whole meal. Ask for their green sauce, a creamy mix of Serrano peppers, cilantro, and potatoes that adds the perfect spicy kick to the teriyaki flavor.

Mount Washington residents will eat this place up.

–Valentina

Ayta Grill
4017 N. Figueroa St.

Story and Photo By Valentina Silva

Valentina Silva writes about food and restaurants. You can also find Valentina’s reviews and stories on her blog, Eastside Food Bites.

[GeneChing]

A tease. If it opens, hopefully someone across the pond can check it out for us.

PimpShuie?

JJ Goodman uses crowd funding to open London kung fu bar
20th May, 2013 by Becky Paskin


JJ Goodman, co-founder of London ****tail Club, is hoping to raise £50,000 to open a crowd-funded kung fu-themed bar in central London this year.

PimpShuie needs £50,000 from crowd-funding investors to become a reality

PimpShuei will be a “fun and quirky” bar inspired by “the crazy world of old school kung fu” serving affordable ****tails and food.

However Goodman and his business partner Sipheng You are struggling to find a property within their current budget, so are turning to crowd-funding site Indiegogo to ask the global bar industry for its help.

“We’d like to think that many of you will like the concept and support this project in some way,” they said in an appeal on indiegogo.com. “We simply can’t wait to make it happen and we’re really looking forward to partying with you.”

As of this morning (20 May), £3,081 has been raised, just a fraction of the £50,000 target the team hope to reach by the end of June.

Investors in PimpShuei will be rewarded with free ****tails and fortune cookies, as well as branded t-shirts and hoodies, ****tail masterclasses and grand opening invitations depending on the level of contribution.

Donations are also being sought in the way of props that relate to the kung fu theme. Contact info@pimpshuei.co.uk for more details.

[GeneChing]

...but not in a good way...

Past KFS posts here: 1, 2, 3

Kung Fu Saloon snafu ingnites racially charged social media fury
By Katie Friel
8.13.13 | 5:03 pm


Kung Fu Saloon in Austin is at the center of a social media storm.
Stephen Robinson and Michael Frey, West Sixth Street, Kung Fu Austin


Michael Frey of Houston (left) and Stephen Robinson of College Station pose on West Sixth Street after Robinson was allegedly refused entry to Kung Fu Saloon. Photo courtesy of Scott Hudnall

UPDATE: After this article was published, Kung Fu released an official statement regarding the incident. It has been added to the original story.

---

Two friends walk into a bar, and they're both wearing basketball shorts. Which one doesn't get in? The African-American guy.

According to Scott Hudnall, that's what happened on the afternoon of August 11, at Kung Fu Saloon on Rio Grande Street in Austin. And those actions set off a social media firestorm, with people leaving enraged comments about the bar on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp.

Hudnall says that two of his friends, Michael Frey and Stephen Robinson, tried to enter Kung Fu to join a group of friends, including Hudnall, who were already inside. Frey and Robinson approached the bouncer together. Both were wearing shorts that ended below the knee, a violation of Kung Fu's dress code.

Frey, who is white, was allowed to enter. Robinson, who is black and sported the same basketball shorts as his buddy, was not.

"The bouncer let some of the party in," Hudnall says. "And then he got to Stephen." Hudnall alleges that even after members of their party pointed out "four or five" additional patrons allowed in the bar who were wearing similar mesh shorts, the bouncer still refused entry.

"[The bouncer] said nothing about his T-shirt, hat or flip flops. This was just about shorts," Hudnall claims.

Another patron went to get a manager. "We pointed out that someone else was wearing the same shorts [as Robinson]," Hudnall says. "The manager just didn't seem to have anything to say."

Hudnall alleges the bouncer then said, "We just don't want to get a big ghetto population in this bar."

In the United States, any business can deny entrance or service to a potential patron, as long as that reason doesn't violate federal law (hence those "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" signs). But, according to the Department of Justice website, businesses cannot discriminate based on "race, color, religion or national origin," as protected under Title II of the Federal Civil Rights Act.

After Hudnall posted a photograph of Frey and Robinson on Facebook and Twitter, the social media controversy erupted on Kung Fu's social media pages. People chastised the arcade-themed bar for its treatment of Robinson. Some commenters, mostly young black men, have also commented with similar stories of being refused entry at Kung Fu and other West Sixth Street bars.

One Yelper, Drew N. voiced his disapproval, saying,

As if charges of systematic racial discrimination aren't enough, this bar's unwillingness to address those charges makes it worse. Its Facebook page is littered with accusations of discriminatory door policies. However, with a new charge going viral in the last 24 hours and a bunch of complaints about it on its Facebook wall, what did Kung Fu do with its social media? It posted a 'Mondays' joke.

Almost immediately after the storm erupted, the bar removed any negative statements from its Facebook page, including the "Monday joke."

On August 14, after this article was published, Kung Fu released this statement:

Management of Kung Fu Saloon is currently investigating a claim that an employee of the company made an inappropriate comment to a customer trying to gain entrance to the bar wearing unacceptable attire. Management will determine whether the comment was racially motivated and if so, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Kung Fu Saloon is home to one of the most diverse crowds in the Austin bar scene – a reputation that we value and cultivate. It is not the policy of Kung Fu Saloon to deny any customer entry based on race or ethnicity. Our aim, as always, is to continue to provide a fun, safe and welcoming atmosphere to anyone, in keeping with Kung Fu Saloon policies.

[GeneChing]

Another Kung Fu restaurant fail?

Eat Drink and Be Wary: Hunan Riverplace, Fish Daddy's, Kung Fu Buffet
by TYLER SIESWERDA / KVUE News
kvue.com
Posted on August 23, 2013 at 10:36 PM

AUSTIN -- In this edition of Eat Drink and be Wary, three restaurants ran into trouble with the health inspector. The troubles range from mold in the ice machine to a buffet line cooler not being plugged in.

KVUE began in Northwest Austin at Hunan Riverplace on FM 2222. It failed its Austin-Travis County health inspection on May 2 with a score of 68.

Among the problems observed by the health inspector were raw eggs with cracks stored over ready-to-eat food in the walk-in cooler. Another problem was the improper cold holding of chicken, shrimp and beef, and the accumulation of food particles on the cutting boards and mixer. On the required follow-up inspection on June 3, Hunan Riverplace passed with a score of 74.

The next stop was Fish Daddy's at 15119 North IH-35. It failed its May 8 health inspection with a score of 62.

Violations noted by the inspector included pork ribs and crawfish held at the wrong temperature, also red beans and shrimp sauce held past the discard date. Both were thrown out. There was also slime-mold growth inside the ice machine. On the required follow-up inspection on May 24, Fish Daddy's passed with a score of 93.

Next KVUE headed to Cedar Park for a Williamson County health inspection. Kung Fu Buffet on East Whitestone failed its June 21 inspection with 40 demerits.

Problems included a buffet line cooler not plugged in. The inspector also noted that the equipment had a history of malfunctioning. Other violations included an open container of bleach on a wire rack above an open box of fresh broccoli, and a deep clean of the kitchen floor was ordered. On the required follow-up inspection Kung Fu Buffet passed inspection with zero demerits.

[GeneChing]

not veg...

SHAOLIN NOODLE HOUSE: MASTERS OF HANDCRAFTED CUISINE
published by asingh on Mon, 10/28/2013 - 15:46


Candice's Recommendations:
Chicken with red peppers & peanuts $8.95; Fried lamb with cumin $8.95; Fried pork dumplings $9.95; Steamed pork dumplings $6.95; Seafood dragging noodles $9.55; Fried cutting noodles made with beef & broccoli $8.95; Special health teas $2.50

Shaolin Noodle House
656 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1G1
604-873-1618
www.shalinnoodlehouse.com
By Candice Macalino,
Special to The Post

Shaolin Noodle House is named after the Shaolin Temple in Northern China where manager, Kevin Zheng hails from. Shaolin is known for its kung fu and handcrafted noodles, both requiring hours of training, patience and agility to master the crafts.
As an apprenticing chef, Kevin studied Northern China's distinct flavours and soon began managing 200 chefs when he became head chef. His passion for cooking authentic dishes from home compelled him to open Shaolin Noodle House in Vancouver over 17 years ago. To do more for the whole Chinese restaurant industry, Kevin now serves as vice-chairman of Chinese Restaurant Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to unifying and promoting the development of the Chinese restaurant industry.
Conveniently located on West Broadway, Shaolin is close to public transit with access to free parking at the rear of the restaurant. We took the Canada Line Skytrain and got off the Broadway-City Hall station. The restaurant's decorative white awning and festive red lanterns were easily spotted along a row of retail stores.
When we entered Shaolin for dinner, we were immediately ushered to an available table. With a seating capacity of 80 people, the space is bright, clean and tastefully furnished with wooden tables and traditional Chinese decor.
As we began to read the extensive menu boasting over 200 dishes, it's reassuring to know Shaolin doesn't use monosodium glutamate (MSG) to boost flavours in their cooking. Famous for their handcrafted noodles, made fresh to order, manager Kevin explains they specialize in 4 types of noodles: dragging, cutting, pushing and rolling.
Dragging are pulled, twisted, stretched from a small ball of dough into long, thin noodles. Cutting are short, thicker noodles shaved off from a ball of dough using a sharp knife then placed directly into boiling water. Pushing are cut noodles using a two-handed cleaver from a ball of dough. Rolling is dough that has been rolled thin then cut into noodle strips.
To see how the noodles are made, stop by the kitchen window by the front entrance where you can watch the head chef, Tony, expertly stretch, twist and cut dough into white strands of noodles in seconds! Tony's quick performance made it look too easy but Kevin assured me that the chef has been practicing the art of handmade noodles for over 10 years.
Knowing it was our first visit, Kevin recommended their 6 most popular, traditional Northern Chinese dishes. We started with the diced chicken with red peppers and peanuts. Zheng proudly claims this traditional Northern Chinese dish tastes authentic because of the specific timing required during the cooking process.
This dish packs a spicy punch and I like how the crunch from the peanuts balances out the tender chicken and veggies.
A surprisingly delightful dish was the fried lamb with cumin. Its flavour profile feels influenced by Indian and Middle Eastern spices with the strong notes of cumin coating the strips of lamb. The bed of fresh green onions and cilantro helped to brighten all the seasonings as they danced on our taste buds.
Zheng noted they're also known for their fried and steamed handmade dumplings. The fried pork dumplings are enormous and arrived in the shape of the pan they were cooked in. Their crispy crust gives a light crunch and inside is soft, doughy and filled with perfectly seasoned pork.
I personally love the steamed pork dumplings and highly recommend they go on your "must-order" list. They're like soft white purses filled with juicy meaty treasures and a steal at $6.95 for 12 pieces.
We ended with the stars of the show, the seafood dragging noodles and the fried cutting noodles made with beef and broccoli. Loaded with fresh al dente dragging noodles, the soup was heaping with plump jumbo prawns, scallops, carrots, bok choy and Shiitake mushrooms, comfort food at its best!
The fried cutting noodles was one of my favourite dishes, the beef was tender while the the thick noodles had a meaty texture and full of flavour from absorbing the savoury special house sauce.
We finished our meals with two special health teas, a refreshing concoction of herbs, dried fruits and spices swimming in delicate Chinaware.
Shaolin's dedication to tasty traditional dishes, quick and friendly service with affordable prices keep the restaurant crowded with patrons of various ethnicities and age groups, proving authentic Northern Chinese flavours have a wide appeal. For all of this, Shaolin Noodle House has been awarded as one of the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the category of Overall Excellence in 2012.

[GeneChing]

I doubt they'll go global with their 'mascot' but the idea of Bruce kicking the snot our of Ronald McDonald, Colonel Sanders and Jack would make for some great ads.

Local firms like Dicos and Kung Fu Catering challenging McDonald's & KFC in Chinese market
Reuters Oct 28, 2013, 01.26PM IST

SHANGHAI: Bearing rice burgers and lotus roots, an army of Chinese fast food firms is cooking up a challenge to McDonald's Corp and Yum Brands Inc, tempting cost-conscious diners with healthy, homegrown fare and causing a drag on growth for the US chains in the country's $174 billion fast food market.

McDonald's said last week it was thinking of slowing expansion in China as diners are tempted by local rivals. KFC-parent Yum warned this month economic weakness in China would drag on a recovery in sales dented by a food safety scare at the end of last year.

Meanwhile, local firms such as chicken chain Dicos, Country Style Cooking, and Kung Fu Catering have been nibbling away at the dominance of their US rivals.

"I'm a bit sick of Western fast food. There's too much oil, and you hear things like chickens having six legs," said student Tang Mei, 25, as she dined at Taiwanese-owned fast food outlet Dicos. "Health concerns have really made people worried."

McDonald's and Yum are still the largest fast food chains in China but, despite heavy investment, McDonald's has seen its market share by value stagnate at 2.3 per cent since 2007, according to data from market research firm Euromonitor.

Yum, which held 6.5 per cent last year, is up slightly over the same period, but has seen same-store sales hit after a food scare last year and a local outbreak of avian flu. Yum has 5,600 KFC and Pizza Hut China stores, to McDonald's has 1,800 local outlets.

Brands like Ting Hsin International-owned Dicos, the third largest fast food brand in China, have taken note. The firm, which plans to triple its store count to around 3,700 by 2020, says it aims to "break the traditional Western fast food mould".

While conceived in the image of KFC - its name is a play on "Texas" in Chinese - Dicos now also pushes its Chinese roots. Its website displays an ornate blue ceramic bowl steaming with traditional herbal tea, while rice cake burgers and soybean milk flank the chain's more traditional nuggets and crispy wings.

"After all, since ancient times rice has been the key staple of the Chinese people," explained Zhuang Weitang, a spokesman for Ting Hsin International, adding the brand was planning to up its drive towards healthier, Chinese-style cooking.

"It's the mix (of traditional chicken) with new, health-focused Chinese specialities that has helped us create a niche in the fiercely-competitive Chinese fast-food market."

EATING THE COLONEL'S LUNCH

In a slowing economy, many consumers are trading down to cheaper alternatives or simply dining at home, said analysts, which has contributed to the growth rate in the wider fast food market halving over the last 5 years to 8 per cent this year.

Lunch at Dicos costs less than 17 yuan ($2.80) compared with a similar offering from KFC, which costs 25 yuan ($4.11), according to Mintel.

"Local establishments generally also do a better job catering to local tastes," said Karla Wang, associate research director at market research firm TNS China. "These familiar 'comfort foods' often go a long way in soothing frazzled consumers during times of uncertainty."

Diners have even started to question international chains' quality, traditionally a strong point after scandals ranging from the use of recycled "gutter oil" for cooking to industrial chemical-laced milk made consumers wary of local products.

But a number of scares over the last year, including reports that some chicken purchased by KFC and McDonald's had been fed excess antibiotics, seems to have altered consumer views. Only one-in-four Chinese thought Western fast food was healthier and better quality than Chinese alternatives, said a recent report from research firm Mintel.

McDonald's and Yum have taken note.

"We address food quality and food safety in all aspects of our communication; most recently, we launched a Moms' Trust campaign... and we will be doing more in this area," said Jessica Lee, a Shanghai-based spokeswoman for McDonald's.

Yum officials were not immediately available for comment.

The company has trimmed its local supply chain and plans to launch a new China quality assurance campaign in November that will feature KFC employees, suppliers and poultry farmers.

"We still have work to do, but we know we are doing the right things to regain consumer trust and we remain confident that our best days for KFC in China are yet to come," Chief Executive David Novak said in an analysts call on October 9.

HOME STYLE

As trust of domestic brands grows, diners are being increasingly drawn to local dishes, perceived as healthier due to a wider variety of ingredients, while there is mounting interest in traditional Chinese food and dining culture.

Last year a documentary called "A Bite of China" aired on local television drawing more than 100 million viewers, making it the most successful documentary in China since the 1990s.

Chinese heritage has become a key selling point.

Kung Fu Catering, which sports an emblem of martial artist Bruce Lee, underscores its local credentials by playing up the natural ingredients for its Chinese-style food against backgrounds of Chinese mountains, wispy clouds and bamboo.

Others such as Country Style Cooking, CNHLS and Gll Wonton, owned by Shanghai Shihao Catering, all offer fast food with a Chinese flavour. Though some way behind Yum and McDonald's in terms of size, all are taking market share from the huge independent sector of single shops and stalls.

Local brands also perform strongly in regions away from the saturated east coast market, catering to local tastes in areas seen as the China's next drivers for growth.

"Country Style Cooking is really strong in western China, while Kung Fu Catering is from Shenzhen and does well with more rice-based Chinese set meals, which fit the trend towards less oily and healthier food," said James Roy, Shanghai-based senior analyst at China Market Research Group.

China's influential netizens also suggest the US firms are struggling to remain the flavour of the month. Chatter about the two brands on China's Twitter-like Weibo fell to an almost two-year low in September, according to analysis by Reuters.

As one microblogger wrote: "I won't choose anything but Chinese fast food. We've got crab meat dumplings to Hunan-style cooking, fragrant Xinjiang breads and lamb kebabs... What do brands like Pizza Hut and McDonald's possibly have to offer?"

[Alex Córdoba]

They do a special performance in this restaurants? like Can-Can?

[GeneChing]

Does Dojo imply Japanese and not a "Kung Fu Restaurant"? They do serve Shaolin Monks’ Spring Rolls....

10:04 Monday 30 December 2013
Dojo, Millers Yard

Written byTABLE FOR FOUR

I’ve been to a dojo before. It was a huge barn of a place and in it I watched my then small son walk up to another small boy, politely bow, then grab him by the scruff of the neck and hurl him down on to a mat.

It all happened very quickly and was rather exhilarating.

Some aspects of this story parallel our more recent visit to the Dojo noodle bar in Cambridge. Others don’t.

But we’re not here to talk about our children, anyway. We are here to discover life after children. That’s what this whole Table For Four thing is about: trying to find out where is good to go out in Cambridge now that we are unfettered grown-ups.

Dojo was actually suggested to us by one of our readers, as a place with an authentic feel of backstreet south-east Asia.

Backstreet certainly, but despite tourists’ cautions on the internet we found it easily enough. We parked on the Backs and then it was a short walk up Silver Street, round behind the Anchor, over the road, past the industrial waste bins and into Millers Yard – an enclosed space whose galleried landings have a slight feel of Ronnie Barker’s Slade Prison about them.

(Of course the easy way to describe its location to a Cambridge resident of any years’ standing is to say it’s where Old Orleans used to be.)

Dojo itself occupies a small bit of the already compact yard, and this is where it differs most from my previous dojo experience, above. It’s tiny and crammed with people with hardly room to swing a cat, let alone a small boy in a judo suit.

We got through the front door to report our arrival for our pre-booked table – and were quickly issued with menus and asked to go outside to wait. Outside. It was December. Not that freakishly mild bit of December just before Christmas, proper cold December when you wear a coat and, being a man of a certain age, a hat.

Slightly taken aback, we huddled beside a spectacular blast furnace of a patio heater to discuss options. Moments later we were edging away from the thing in case we started to cook and were added to the menu. We also noticed that there were actually several heaters outside and people sitting at tables among them. In December. And no-one seemed to mind.

Moments later we were invited back inside (sigh of relief, patio heater or no patio heater) and shown to our table, a plain but neat affair hard alongside a table for two. The interior is small and the diners are packed in, making for a lively, bustling atmosphere.

Our waiter, who we later discovered was also the boss, was also lively and bustling. Constantly busy, he was a master of time management. Hesitate for too long while ordering and he was off to see to something or someone else, returning just in time for you to finish your sentence.

This approach took a moment or two to get used to, but once we realised that he was never gone for long, we relaxed into the system, managing to order drinks and some Vietnamese lobster crackers with satay and mango dips to keep us going while we tried to penetrate the rest of the menu. In keeping with the briskness of the service, they arrived in double-quick time.

Drinks-wise, Tom and I opted for beer. I had an authentic tasty Chang, imported from Thailand; Tom went for a Japanese Asahi Super Dry which he had had before (in Japan, no less) which was slightly less authentically brewed in Faversham, according to the label.

Annie and Sue shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, which was sufficiently chilled and did the trick.

So to the food. . .

Here lies Dojo’s biggest strength and weakness all rolled into one.

Whatever you order, what you get is a huge plateful of food. It’s fresh (you can see the cooks in action feet away from the tables) and it’s very quick to arrive and the portions are very generous. It’s good value. This is all excellent.

But if you don’t know your Tom Yum Kwae Teow from your Madam Wong Lasko you are gambling everything on one throw of the dice. If it turns out you love it, it’ll be the best night of your life. If you’re not so sure, it’s a humungus pile of noodly things to plough through.

The menu is helpful and unhelpful at the same time. I chose Kare Udon with duck breast (£9.05), partly because the noodles in a rich sauce, a “creamy Japanese curry”, sounded both interesting and appealing, but mostly because I couldn’t resist trying the “favourite comfort food of Japan’s corporate man”. Sounds fantastic, but what does it actually mean?

I asked our waiter to recommend a suitable side dish to go with it and he cheerfully said that I wouldn’t need one. He was right. When it arrived it was a feast of thick noodles in a tasty sauce with plenty of meat. The noodles proved quite a challenge with chopsticks (imagine trying to untangle a drawerful of hi-fi cables; with chopsticks) and the duck was a little fatty, but it was pleasant enough.

Sue also had the Kare Udon, but with Chicken Katsu (£8.70). . . a large piece of chicken cooked in Japanese breadcrumbs atop the noodles and sauce. A star system on the menu indicated that this was a bestseller. Her request for the sauce to be minus aubergines and peppers was adhered to and the result was “gorgeous”.

Annie’s Hanoi sweet and sour chicken (£8.75) was a hit, quite hot and very tasty, with lots of green peppers and crispy chicken, served with rice.

Tom chose the chicken Yaki Soba (£8.10), a dish involving more delicate (and manageable) noodles than mine from the “flaming wok tossed” section of the menu. He pronounced it very fresh with gorgeous crunchy mangetout and flavour that was “subtle”, or to put it another way, “a bit bland”. He was defeated about two-thirds of the way through.

Despite the waiter’s warnings we shared a side dish of Shaolin Monks’ Spring Rolls which came with a lovely, piquant dip.

Pudding was basically ice cream or nothing, courtesy of the Alder Tree company, of Ipswich. Light and sorbet-like, we can particularly recommend the gooseberry and elderflower!

The word dojo, according to the restaurant, means a “pathway to a place”. It is also used to describe an arena for the practice of martial arts.

Our night out at the Cambridge Dojo was an experience. Like that other dojo, it was brisk and exhilarating. It would repay several return visits to try different dishes and get a better handle on what is available. You’d definitely never leave underfed.

Dojo, Millers Yard, Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RQ
Telephone: (01223) 363471
Email: dojonoodlebar.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thu noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm; Fri noon-4pm, 5.30pm-11pm; Sat-Sun noon-11pm
Cost: £78, including drinks
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Value: 4/5

[SPJ]

This place has been covered so much here (2009, 2010, 2010b, 2010c, 2010d). Has anyone tried it yet?

China town in Las Vegas is expanded to 3 blocks.

I like food from yun nan and si chuan.

There is a cross bridge rice noodle restaurant.

Guo Qiao Mi Xian.

If you can eat hot and spicy or drink strong wine,

that is true kung fu, too.

Not taking the name in vain that is.

[GeneChing]

Anyone here every try Kung Fu Tea? I'm not that into bubble teas myself. They got popular here at the office for a spell a few summers ago but they just aren't my thing. I'm too suspicious of those 'bubbles'.

Kung Fu Tea opening at UB North Campus
By Jonathan D. Epstein | News Business Reporter | @jdepstein
on January 27, 2014 - 6:08 PM

If University at Buffalo students aren’t getting enough coffee, now they can try some tea instead.

Michael Jiang, a UB graduate from New York City, teamed up with a partner to open a new franchise on campus for Kung Fu Tea, a “bubble tea” restaurant akin to a Starbucks Coffee shop but centered around tea. The restaurant offers both hot and cold tea, as well as coffee and slush drinks.

Kung Fu Tea has 15 locations throughout New York City, where it is based, plus franchises in Boston and Houston, with stores slated to open in Georgia and California.

It also has ventures in Taiwan, mainland China and Southeast Asia. The UB store will be the only one in upstate New York.

The new location will open next weekend in 2,800 square feet of space inside The Commons on UB’s North Campus, which is managed by First Amherst Development, said broker Robert Marcus of Colby Development LLC, who handled the deal. Jiang signed a seven-year lease, Marcus said.

Kung Fu marks the 11th restaurant inside the Commons, and the third that Marcus has brokered inside the facility, after Jonny C’s Delit and a Mediterranean restaurant called Rachel’s Café and Deli.

[GeneChing]

February 23, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Will Kung Fu Noodle Be The New Beijing?
By Elysse Gorney


Who are we kidding? Of course it won’t! According to this colorful window ad, a new noodle place is opening up next to Kiwi and Wawa. Their liquor license is pending (prayers) and rumor has it they’ll have hibachi. We hope this place opens soon so we never have to leave this strip of Chestnut Street. Kung Fu for dinner, Kiwi for dessert, drunk eat at Wawa, and call in sick tomorrow.

I must say that I'm disappointed that we don't have forum member reviews of some of these eateries here.

[GeneChing]

This so doesn't work for me. First off, sushi is Japanese. It's like opening Sylvester Stallone's French Haute Cuisine. Second, Jackie has his own line of restaurants - I even have a beer glass from Jackie's Kitchen, which was formally in Ala Moana in Hawaii (it closed several years ago).

Jackie Chan’s sushi to open near Central and Oliver

WICHITA — Another Asian restaurant is moving into the former home of Sit at Thai Express on East Central just east of Oliver.

Binh Tran is opening Jackie Chan’s Sushi in the small space, which also has a drive-through.

“He’s been making sushi in Wichita for 20 years,” says Andy Boyd of Walter Morris Cos., who handled the deal.

“He’s been at Kwan Court and Sakura,” Boyd says.

“He’s never had his own spot. . . . So this is his first venture on his own.”

Tran says he’s naming the business after himself.

“Jackie Chan is my nickname,” he says.

Tran says his friends named him that years ago.

Boyd says he’s sampled some of Tran’s cooking.

“It’s really, really good.”

Boyd calls it “some of the best sushi I’ve ever had.”

Tran says he’ll also have stir fry and pho, a Vietnamese soup.

Look for the restaurant to open in mid April.

Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard...#storylink=cpy

Hmm, on searching for Jackie's Kitchen, I found this: Jackie Chan Chinese Kitchen