Latest news with #Beijing-style
Yomiuri Shimbun
12 hours ago
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Kyoto: Landmark Chinese Restaurant Maintains Traditional Design of Vories' Building As Well As Taste
KYOTO — A Western-style building with a remarkable exterior stands at the western side of Shijo Ohashi Bridge over the Kamo River in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto. Tohkasaikan Honten is a long-established Chinese restaurant serving Beijing-style cuisine. The restaurant is famous for its delicious dishes as well as having one of the oldest elevators in Japan, making its building a Kyoto landmark. The exterior of the entrance is adorned with sculpted sheep reliefs with elaborate horns, open-mouthed fish and stone pillars with traditional Japanese patterns. Gazing up at them, I was overwhelmed by their detail and diversity. Based on a 'Spanish Baroque' style, influenced by both Christianity and Islam, the decorations also adopt Buddhist and traditional Japanese designs. 'I believe our restaurant was able to fit in well in Kyoto thanks to the city's receptiveness to diversity,' said Shuchu U, 54, manager of the restaurant. The building was designed by William Merrell Vories (1880-1964). The U.S. architect designed various buildings in Japan, including schools, churches and residences, but a restaurant is rare. Vories was asked by Western-style cuisine restaurant Yaomasa to design a building in 1924, completing it two years later. But the Western cuisine industry later took a hit due to World War II and U's grandfather, Eizen, took over, having been friends with the in December 1945, Tohkasaikan has five stories and a basement floor. It has also been used as a venue for events like weddings and as a setting for a novel. The exterior and interior, as well as the flavors of the restaurant's dishes, are etched in the hearts of many Kyoto residents. In his childhood, U's grandfather told him, 'This is an important building, so we have to protect it.' However, maintenance is difficult. The exterior walls, floors and windows are prone to damage, air-conditioners need to be replaced and restrooms need to be repaired. The family always struggled with how to allow customers to enjoy their meals comfortably while preserving the original atmosphere. U's father, Junsei, who passed five years ago, instructed him to 'make sure you preserve the original appearance when you refurbish the building.' He has repeatedly conducted renovations but said he 'never loses sight of the basics,' even restoring the original lighting from the time of the restaurant's opening. 'If I understand why it looks the way it does, I can always go back to the basics and preserve tradition,' said U. 'The same can be said for cooking.' The renowned restaurant suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they had fewer customers, making it difficult to stay open. Then, long-time regulars showed their support, saying, 'Let's protect Tohkasaikan.' 'I felt strongly that our restaurant is being protected like a treasure by the people of Kyoto and being kept alive thanks to them,' U said. 'I believe my mission is to preserve this place.' Travel back in time with manual elevator The elevator in the Tohkasaikan Honten building was made in the United States in 1924, making it one of the oldest existing elevators in Japan. It has an old-fashioned collapsible gate and requires an operator to manually control it with a lever. The elevator's car has doors on the right and left sides. On the fourth floor, people use the right door, and on other floors, they use the left one. As it is two years older than the building itself, the elevator is thought to have been designed by Vories himself. 'Vories may have designed it together with the building and ordered it to be made by sending blueprints to the United States,' U the elevator door is a semicircular dial, with hands like those of a clock to indicate floor numbers. To balance traditional design with safety, regular inspections and updating major components such as the motor and brakes, which are placed in hard-to-see places, are essential. It goes up and down smoothly, and when the door opens with a creak, it evokes the feeling of standing in an old movie, like a time machine. Popular Beijing-style cuisine Tohkasaikan is known for Beijing-style cuisine. Beijing cuisine is rooted in Shandong cuisine, one of the four major styles of Chinese cooking. The dishes feature rare ingredients from various regions, including dried shark fin, abalone and sea cucumber, and are characterized for their elegant, nutritious salty menus are priced between ¥6,600 and ¥27,500 per person plus service fees. Some include high-end delicacies like Peking duck, simmered shark fin and bird's nest soup. Among the a la carte dishes, spring rolls made with thinly fried egg with fried pork and vegetables, are popular. The price is ¥2,200 per plate. TohkasaikanHonten main restaurant at Shijo Ohashi Bridge is a short walk from Hankyu Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station or Keihan Gion-Shijo Station. Opening hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, and 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekends. Closed one day a week irregularly.
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
La Grenouille, the epitome of fine French dining, has been transformed into a delicious chain restaurant — but it still looks the same
La Grenouille, widely acknowledged as the city's prettiest restaurant for more than a half-century, closed last fall. But its gorgeous ghost is back at 3 E. 52nd Street, where frogs' legs have given way to Beijing-style duck. The former home of classic French cuisine has surprisingly been reborn as a location of iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House — an empire of fowl-focused restaurants that originated in 1864 in the Chinese capital. Remarkably, the new owners have lovingly preserved the timeless look of La Grenouille. 7 The fabled La Grenouille closed last fall after more than five decades. Gabriella Bass 7 The location has been reborn as a location of iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House — an empire of fowl-focused restaurants that originated in 1864 in the Chinese capital. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post General manager Wayne Pan explained, 'We had many thoughts about redesigning it like our restaurant in Vancouver' — the Quanjude brand's only other North American location that's elegant in a cool, modern style. (There are about fifty in China.) 'But people suggested not to do that, and to keep most of the old La Grenouille, because it has so many good memories for New Yorkers,' Pan said. The new restaurant's owner, Andy Zhang, also owns the Canadian location, and he bought the chateau-like 1871 former carriage house in Midtown NYC last year for $14.2 million. He and his wife divide their time between NYC and Vancouver and had enjoyed dining at La Grenouille. 'They made a decision to preserve it,' Pan explained. The jewel-box, 80-seat dining room looks almost exactly as it did when its predecessor drew luminaries from Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor to Blake Lively and Adrien Brody. The room's seductively retro crimson banquettes, gold fabric walls, beveled mirrors, and flattering lighting — from recessed ceiling fixtures and sconces — have all been perfectly preserved like a ship in a bottle. An abundance of fresh flowers in the L-shaped dining room further keep the La Grenouille spirit alive. Only the wall paintings are new, although in the same Belle Epoque style as before. The vibe is still romantic, sexy and hushed, save for classical strains of Haydn, Schumann and Mendelssohn. 7 La Grenouille was famed for its elegant interiors, which included gold-fabric walls, red booths, soft lighting and fresh flowers. Victoria Will 7 The owners of the new restaurant have preserved the iconic interiors. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post The food, however, is a different animal entirely. Instead of Dover sole in Dijon and Hollandaise sauces, Quanjude's menu is built around crispy-skin Beijing duck, which is carved tableside for guests to roll into thin Chinese pancakes with scallions and Hoisin sauce. The bird from Pennsylvania's Jurgielewicz farm was flavor-rich and winningly moist beneath its amber skin. Pan said only the kitchen and second floor needed to be updated. But there's work ahead to bring the service fully up to speed. On my early visit, nervous waiters oddly kneeled while taking orders and first brought us an effervescent mystery beverage when we ordered Sauvignon Blanc — the only white-by-the-glass available from a wine list yet to be written. They're taking a very limited number of reservations 'while we're training the staff,' Pan said. 7 iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House is best know for its Beijing duck. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post 7 Allen Ren is the chef at the New York restaurant — and the Michelin-starred Vancouver outpost. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post 7 The duck is delicious, and there are many other fine dishes on the menu. Olga Ginzburg for NY Post The menu is already worth a try. In addition to the $128 'signature' duck that three of us couldn't finish, chef Allen Ren, who's also the toque at the Michelin-starred Quanjude in Vancouver, is turning out other fine dishes such as tangy, Shanghai-styled smoked fish and plum sauce and beef Zha Jiang noodles. The food is as grown-up as the vibe, which mercifully restores decorum to the room after La Grenouille's zany final decade. Owner Philippe Masson turned the place into a part-time cabaret that chased away its boldface buzz. Masson himself crooned 'in a voice that combined the boom of a sportscaster with the swagger of an Elvis impersonator … even growling like a cat,' the New York Times snarked in 2021. All that aside, the good news is that the unabashed glamour of the city's most beautiful place to eat lives on.
Eater
28-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
An IYKYK Duck-Centric Menu Just Launched at Mister Jiu's
Power diners in San Francisco know all about where to get their hands on crackly-skinned, Beijing-style roast duck, but one of the best-known spots is undoubtedly Mister Jiu's in San Francisco's Chinatown. It's a frequently referenced dish in chef Brandon Jew's repertoire, earning praise in the Michelin Guide, receiving its own ode in Eater SF, and even spawning a cheeky t-shirt declaring it the top roast duck in America. Whether you believe that sentiment to be true or hyperbole, diners can find out for themselves as Mister Jiu's is finally unleashing its roast duck from the tasting menu and launched two new options for diners: a four-course, duck-centric, banquet-style menu and a limited availability (read: very limited) a la carte option at the bar. Mister Jiu's switched to a tasting menu format in 2023, and while it made the restaurant more sustainable and allowed the team to curate a dining experience for guests, it relegated the hit duck dish to an add-on component. Now, diners can experience the Beijing duck in its umpteenth update and in all its glory — meaning, with pancakes, peanut butter hoisin, duck liver mousse, and cucumber — as part of a four-course dinner, at a much lower price of $125 per person. It's a small gift to diners and coincides with the news that the tasting menu is now expanding to eight courses for $175. But if circumstances coincide with luck, as mine did last year, the secret is that the duck has been on and off the a la carte menu at the bar since the 2023 menu change. Dipping into the bar at Mister Jiu's after a San Francisco outing on the water, it felt like such a boon to order the duck at the bar with a friend, cocktails in hand, for a Michelin-starred experience a la minute (i.e. no reservations and no advance planning on my end). I haven't seen the duck on the a la carte menu since, but a rep for the restaurant confirmed that it can still be ordered at the bar, although it's subject to availability — namely, you're third in line behind the already-ordered ducks in the dining room. Still, if you're willing to roll the dice, this isn't a bad bet to place and perhaps your next Move this summer. Mister Jiu's (28 Waverly Place) is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are available via Tock . Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Popular Asian Restaurant Closing Its Las Vegas Strip Location
Famous international Chinese restaurant chain Mr. Chow has shut down its Las Vegas location. Founded in the 1960s by British-Chinese restauranteur and artist Michael Chow, Mr. Chow has locations in London, Beverly Hills, New York City, Miami and Riyadh. 'Mr. Chow features elegant white, modern decor with one-of-a-kind design elements including a kinetic 'moon' sculpture that hangs over the main dining room," said the chain's official website. "Touches like the sculpture add a bit of a show element to your meal and that's exactly what Mr. Chow likes to do. Not only is it a culinary experience, you'll also be entertained during your evening. The sculpture is suspended from a domed ceiling in the center of the room and it comes to life every 20 minutes slowly morphing into different shapes.' The Las Vegas iteration was the seventh Mr. Chow outpost to open. Located inside Caesars Palace, the establishment opened its doors in 2016 and quickly became a celebrity hotspot. However, after nearly a decade in business, the Las Vegas Mr. Chow shut down following its final day of service on May 17. "Business levels are the culprit, as well as the terrible location with low visibility in the sprawling resort. There are no current plans for what will replace Mr. Chow on the second floor of Caesars Palace in the Forum Tower," reported Vital Vegas. In its nine years in business, Mr. Chow served high-end Beijing-style cuisine to Caesars Palace patrons under the famous "Moon" sculpture, designed by Chow himself. Popular menu items included Beijing duck, Mr. Chow noodles, salt and pepper prawns, Dungeness crab and other traditional dishes. Popular Asian Restaurant Closing Its Las Vegas Strip Location first appeared on Men's Journal on May 26, 2025
Eater
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Iconic Chinese Restaurant Closes on the Las Vegas Strip
With its Champagne lounge, tableside-prepared Mr. Chow noodles, and 3,800-pound kinetic sculpture based on the moon, Mr. Chow at Caesars Palace was the kind of dining experience one could only find in Las Vegas. After a nine-year run as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas, Mr. Chow closed permanently on Saturday, May 17, as Caesars Entertainment confirmed to Eater Vegas. Mr. Chow Las Vegas debuted in 2016, bringing high-end Beijing-style cuisine to a dramatic two-story space above the casino floor. Guests arrived via private elevators to a sleek white dining room overlooking the Garden of the Gods pool, anchored by The Moon — a massive kinetic sculpture designed by Michael Chow himself. Michael Chow, the restaurateur, designer, and artist behind Mr. Chow has personally overseen the design of every restaurant location since launching the original in London in 1968, including outposts in New York, Beverly Hills, Miami, and Saudi Arabia. 'Each space tells me what to do, and the Las Vegas one offered me a 60-foot-diameter, 35-foot-high dome,' Chow told Architectural Digest of the Caesars Palace outpost in 2016. He designed a giant 3,800-pound, 26-foot-diameter kinetic sculpture that loomed over the dining room and sprang to life every 35 minutes. 'It's basically this romantic idea of dining under the moon, but with a Close Encounters of the Third Kind twist,' Chow told AD . Dishes in the glossy white restaurant were served family-style, with the Beijing duck as the signature offering — its dramatic tableside carving verging on performance art, even without the lunar theatrics overhead. The hand-pulled Mr. Chow noodles provided a similar spectacle, with chefs expertly stretching and spinning dough into long, delicate ribbons before diners' eyes. Other standouts included glazed prawns with walnuts, delicately seasoned green prawns, and a house-specialty Dungeness crab — rich crabmeat folded into pillowy egg whites and served in the shell. Caesars Entertainment did not offer a reason for the closure or comment on future plans for the space. Meanwhile, another celebrity chef has made a recent debut at the resort: José Andrés opened a Las Vegas outpost of Zaytinya in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace on May 13. Sign up for our newsletter.
