Middle America Goes Upscale Chinese - Golden Buddha

Established in 1977, Golden Buddha is an American and Cantonese restaurant located in the midwest. It is often said that Chinese restaurants take on the character and taste of the region they inhabit. For that reason many of the thousands of Chinese restaurants that dot the American landscape are very far from authentic. If a native Chinese were to dine at one of these places they would probably find the food as foreign as say, American food.

Yet the casual yet upscale Golden Buddha of Howe, Indiana won first place in the Reader's Choice Awards of Indiana five times in a row from 2004-2008. Good fortune has been the bane of its existence since its inception. Perhaps that is due to the old adage, “location, location, location?” Since it's located right on a highway at the junction between the states of Indiana and Michigan it has very high traffic. Perhaps it is due to the consistency of the quality of its food. It doesn't claim to be anything but Chinese and American, meaning Chinese American food as good as it gets. Its current owner, Daixiong Chen bought the 100+ seater, 3,000 sq. ft. operation in 2006 and has been enjoying prosperity ever since.

Name of the Game

The name of the property tells a story by itself.

There are six Buddha statues in the restaurant. Two are palm sized and gold plated and the other four are as large as 1.7 meters high. The Buddhas are strategically placed throughout the dining room to create harmony and good fortune. Once you enter the restaurant, there is an attractive fountain with a laughing Buddha in the front foyer. There's a tree and a pool filled with water, where a standing Buddha welcomes the guests. Needless to say, the placement of all elements is based on the principals of Feng Shui to usher in harmony. Customers like this scene and many of them take photos of it.

The interior décor of gold and red keeps to a temple theme although wall ornamentations stick to the traditional Great Wall monument and Pavilion along the West Lake. These are the typical two paintings in the room offset by the white and purple wallpaper. The carpet is red and the ambiance can be relaxing due to the background sounds of Zen music. Dining in as well as take-out is popular as there is no delivery service offered.

House Specialties

The restaurant's signature dishes include Steak Kow, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, Mixed Sautéed Vegetables and other popular Cantonese dishes which are authentic and traditional. Golden Buddha water boils most dishes as opposed to drenching them in oil. There are three chefs given at any time in the kitchen, all with years and years of experience under their belts.

This seems to be a healthy alternative to direct stir frying. When food is stir fried they use less salt and oil, even in the sauces. All sauces are made fresh rather than pre-made.

The mixed vegetables (subgum) are great examples of the healthful cooking methods employed here. Made with fresh celery, carrots, onion, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and almonds, the Steak Kow is made from top quality flank steak. The steak and vegetables (cabbage, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, snow peas and water chestnuts) are dipped in hot chicken soup for 2 minutes, stir fried and then stewed for an additional 3 minutes. It is then topped with a delectable Cantonese sauce. Customers rave about the natural sweetness emanating from the food.

Customer Profile

Most of the customers are Americans; in fact 70% are elderly. They are certainly repeat customers who have come back for many years. One patron the owner recalls has been frequenting the restaurant for 30 years since he was 15 years old. His love for their food remains constant.

Another frequent customer used to dine in the restaurant every week for years with his whole family. He moved relatively far away and yet he keeps up his family tradition albeit in a slightly different manner. He brings his own heat insulated box to take out all the dishes he and his family have come to know and love over the years.

Keys to Success

Quality. Quality at Golden Buddha is defined as top food and service. From the point of view of DaiXiong Chen, there is no compromise over time. He will not speed up the traditional cooking process even if there are many takeout orders. To do so would reduce the quality of the food. Instead, he says he explains this philosophy to the customers. Luckily, they understand. “We may lose some business in the short term he chuckles but in the long terms we win their trust!”

Service & Sanitation Aspects

Unlike most Chinese establishments, most of the staff are American. They are polite and friendly. The sanitary conditions of Golden Buddha are exemplary as they have a professional cleaning person who maintains the high standards evident throughout the operation – from the front room to the back kitchen. The entire place is clean and tidy including the bathrooms where extra attention is paid. The floors are mopped, air is fresh and supplies are replaced in a timely fashion.

They have a disinfection cabinet for the kitchen utensils however the best way to maintain sanitary excellence is to put the utensils in a caldron for a thorough pasteurization every two weeks.

The staff work as a closely knit team and are also friends, on and off business hours. They exchange gifts at Christmas time and receive bonus packets from the boss.

Changes Planned

Some interior decorating updating that is needed such as replacement of the carpets, tables and chairs are underway. Golden Buddha will create a new environment in the dining room and party hall but how they will do this is still a well kept secret. Within the next three years they will be creating a buffet restaurant offering purportedly the best buffet options around.

10 W 815 North

Howe, IN 46746

260-562-2646