by Cuiyin Zhang

Chung Chinese Restaurant, a simply decorated restaurant is conveniently situated around the corner of a small shopping plaza where the prosperity of a variety of businesses attracts an amazing flow of visitors.

One of the first steps the owner, Chung Lee, took when he opened Chung Chinese Restaurant in 1989 was redecorating the 1,700 square foot restaurant. In order to keep customer curiosity piqued, Lee periodically makes changes to the décor. Throughout the last twenty years, the restaurant has been renovated four times. However, rather than going for luxury, Lee always insists on creating a cozy ambiance, because he feels that customers enjoy themselves more when they feel at home.

While there definitely isn’t a shortage of hungry people to serve, there is strong competition. With so many restaurants serving Chinese and other cuisines nearby, it’s up to Lee to make his restaurant stand out from the pack.

Food

Chung Chinese Restaurant specializes in both Americanized and traditional Chinese cuisine with small modifications to suit the tastes of locals. Lee is very particular about the food that is served in the restaurant. The portions are large and every dish that comes out of the kitchen is fresh, authentic, and savory. Lee has more than 30 years’ experience in the field and his creations must meet a rigorous standard: colorful presentation, aromatic flavoring, and a mouthwatering taste. These are the three tenets of Chinese cooking that any chef learns early on.

House specialties of this restaurant that consistently sell out include Chicken w. Broccoli, Seafood Combination Soup, Walnut Shrimps, and Crispy Flounder on the side & Stir-Fried Flounder Fillets.

“You name it, we cook it,” says Lee. According to an online reviewer, “Tell Chung how you like your meal, he will make it your way. Good food!” Chung Chinese Restaurant can customize any dish to ensure that a customer is satisfied.

Chung Chinese Restaurant caters to the demands of diners seeking a healthy alternative. Chefs use little salt or oil to make everything a lighter flavor. Many times, foods catered to those with health restrictions or preferences seem unappetizing or unpalatable. “It’s not easy to use a healthy way to prepare dishes because to reduce the use of salt/oil may unavoidably affect the taste,” Lee told ARN that he and his chefs try every possibility so as to develop their recipes to perfection.

Customers can also be sure that the food they’re enjoying is fresh, too. The first step to follow this requirement is to use the “real thing”. Lee senses this is one of the reasons customers like coming back. In Lee’s mind, fresh ingredients are the basis of a strong Chinese culinary tradition. He also believes that each of his customers has an innate sense of what good food made with fresh ingredients tastes like. Artful positioning and blending of sauces complemented by utilizing only the best cooking techniques makes for quality that an absence of freshness can never compensate for. Following that tradition, he purchases materials for their freshness; even paying a higher price to guarantee the original flavor in a dish. High quality ingredients are delivered at least three times each week from a large and trustworthy catering supplier. Anything that doesn’t meet Lee’s standard gets rejected and he never overstocks.

“Besides the ingredient, the sauce is also very important” Lee said. Fresh soup base which is made of chicken bone and different Chinese spices is used to prepare sauces. “I make the soup base everyday by myself.”

“Scary” Food

With years of cooking experience, Lee is very clever solving the unique needs of his customers. He remembers a customer that once came to Lee’s restaurant and made a reservation for a party. This customer asked for ten “scary” dishes (dishes made with gizzards, chicken feet, and fish heads) for the party to surprise his friends and, even better, to make them scream.

It’s known that these foods are often considered inedible by most Westerners. However, Lee used his own special method to prepare the dishes. “For example, I deboned the chicken feet and stuffed them with a mixture of chicken, celery, water-chestnut, mushroom, asparagus and coriander. The dish finally still had a ‘scary’ chicken feet appearance, but actually it was made of something people eat everyday.” Lee explains. Using the same technique, he made the fish head with ham, black mushroom and finally decorated with colorful cherries. This “scary” party was very successful and Lee’s creations were a hit.

A Lifetime Learning…

Around 1980, Chung Lee arrived in New York and later got involved in the hospitality business at his father’s restaurant. He helped out in his spare time after school. Lee likes cooking which is a reason why he has devoted his life in catering industry. Even so, he believes that there is still space for the restaurant to improve. He regularly updates the menu offerings in order to introduce new culinary innovations to his customers. When talking about what keeps Chung Chinese Restaurant going strong in the face of tough competition, he says, “Knowing how to give customers the VIP treatment is very important.”

Besides providing great service, Lee is constantly searching for ways to further hone his cooking techniques and restaurant managing skills. “The longer I am involved in the field, the more I am eager to learn. There’s always gonna be another mountain,” Lee says.

Chung Chinese Restaurant

2020 North Rd. Se, Warren, OH 44484

330-652-7277