by Elise Krentzel

Fact Sheet:

• Name: Chopsticks II
  
• Location: 4639 N Shallowford Rd Atlanta, GA 30338-6300
  
• Cuisine: American Chinese food, Thai food
  
• Capacity: 50
  
• Offers: Take-out, Delivery
  
• Signature Dish: Mongolian Beef, Mongolian Chicken, Honey Spare Ribs
  
• Year of establishment: 2002
  
• Phone: (770) 458-3373
  
• Owner: Peter Zhang
  

What a cool name for a take-out and delivery of Americanized Chinese food (with a little bit of Thai thrown in for good measure).

Chopsticks II is located not in the sticks but right in the center of Atlanta, Georgia. Opened since 2002 it is in a strip center with several shops. Surrounded by a residential neighborhood on one side with a business center on the other, a hospital and factory pretty close by and the truism, “location, location, location” is clearly a success buzzword here. Mr. Zhang, the owner couldn't agree with us more. He feels blessed with the location and the good fortune it brings to his door daily.

The restaurant has a capacity for 50 in a total area of over 1700 square feet, featuring in dine-in business. Also, take-out and delivery service are offered. If customers decide to sit and stay for a meal they will find themselves in a clean wallpapered room with plain rosewood tables decorated with white linen under glass. Perhaps they will notice some of the Chinese arts on the walls, like the delicate embroideries, Chinese paintings, Chinese knots etc. Another highlight of the room is the large painted screen leaning to the wall. A harmonious scene featuring the nature and birds is vividly depicted in the screen. All in all, the homey relaxing ambience allows patrons truly enjoy their dining experience in Chopsticks II.

What's on the Menu?

Mongolian Beef, Mongolian Chicken and Honey Spare Ribs are what Chopsticks is known for.

Thai Curry is also a signature dish recognized and appreciated by many customers. There is in fact, one chef works up the Chinese side of the menu and another one specializes in the Thai food that is offered here. Thai Spring Rolls sell very well with the local population who go for the peanut seafood combination. It's not because Georgia is the home of the peanut is it?

Although the menu leans much more to the Chinese side, Szechwan style that is, the chef will adapt the tastes and regulate the spices according to a customer's wishes. Chopsticks takes its pride in their sauces. They will even take recipe suggestions from customers who are eager to partake in a little bit of chef-making for a day.

Perhaps this is the key to Chopsticks' success and what sets them apart from their competition, who for instance is located right across the street. Their variety of sauces sends a signal to customers who come in droves. There's a particular sauce for General Tso's Chicken which is MSG free. Then there's the Kung Pao sauce, a black sauce, sweet and sour sauce and lastly a Lo Mein sauce. Each one is used to match the type of foodstuff. For example, you wouldn't really find a Lo Mein sauce on a non-noodle dish. Black sauce would never be served on noodles for example. Customers know that the chef and waiters accommodate them on a personal level. That's why they feel comfortable – they do not need to keep reminding the staff of what they like and dislike.

Yet the top selling menu items are typically Americanized versions of Chinese fare. The Fried Beef is preserved in a home-made special sauce for two to three days. Then it is grilled until it is quite crispy. On average we learned, eight out of ten customers choose this item when ordering. Apart from this big hit, Special Noodle Chicken/Shrimp/Beef is ordered frequently. Wonton Soup is popular too with freshly made wontons, broth and chopped cabbage.

Living a healthy life is part and parcel of life in America. The routine includes exercising on a regular basis and eating in moderation. What that translates to is eating less fatty foods with no or miniscule amounts of oil. At Chopsticks they do their best to prepare healthy dishes by using no MSG, small amounts of salt and oil besides employing cooking methods such as steaming and boiling which are by far the healthiest options. What’s more, provisions are purchased daily, they are also guaranteed to be fresh and flavorful. Therefore, the Healthy Dining expert group (www.healthydiningfinder.com) was recently invited to test the healthfulness of dishes in Chopsticks II. The owner, Mr. Zhang, specifically offered four items for testing. They were Chicken with Tomato Sauce, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Stir-Fried Pork with Bean Sauce and Black Pepper Beef. Just like the old saying goes, “true gold fears no fire”. All of them impressed those experts and won high score in the healthfulness of dishes.

The Need for Speed and English

A basic guarantee to customers is speedy delivery of good food at the perfect temperature, fast and efficient service. Once orders are placed a customer will have their meal at their doorstep within 45 minutes. That is often the time it takes to deliver a simple pizza! Mr. Zhang is definitely not worried about his competition, since many customers often gossip about how bad the food is elsewhere. So long as he listens to what his customers really want and takes their criticisms and comments to heart, they will feel confident he is sincere. The trust thing is what keeps a restaurant going, especially as eating is such a uniquely personal matter. Not everyone likes the same dishes. People can be rather peculiar and picky. Mr. Zhang is ready to meet the challenge of catering to his customers demands.

In the very near future Mr. Zhang will hire a native English speaker to work the restaurant's front in order to chat up the clientele with a more relaxed and natural mannerism. His hard working Chinese staff are polite and quite friendly however communication is key amongst people. The better one speaks a language the deeper the understanding of nuances and non-verbal hints are as well.

Mr. Zhang gleefully muses, “we often visit our customers outside the establishment. We're just like friends in the way we care for each other. We also deliver gifts to them on Chinese New Year to thank them for their continued support throughout the year.”

Back to the Future

This family-style restaurant dates back to 1989 when Mr. Zhang first stepped onto American soil. It was his dream to establish a good life for himself and have his own career. His reality was at odds with his beautiful dream. As is often the case in life, idealism competed with strenuous efforts at survival. Mr. Zhang didn't give up though. After ten years he took the chance to open his own restaurant. That happened in 2001. A year later he garnered a second. For him, clarity of mind and purpose, persistence and knowing the pitfalls of any decision made are his secrets to success.

Luckily for him his wife and children support his career. At least one day on a weekend he spends time with his entire family enjoying the time together. He loves his wife and children dearly. This stable base is what enables him to work tirelessly to improve all aspects of his business.