China Rose- A Rose with No Thorn

China Rose-A Rose with No Thorns

House Specialties: Hunan Chicken, BBQ Spare Ribs

A small restaurant that seats only 29 people, China Rose can feel like an exclusive, boutique eatery. The restaurant has a young, fresh feel to it, with bright red walls, dim lighting, and elegant Chinese umbrellas hanging from the blue ceiling. But despite its trendy atmosphere, China Rose is anything but snobby. The owner, Xiaolan Chen, prides herself on her unusually close relationships with staff and customers. She runs her successful restaurant based on a three-part restaurant philosophy. “Respect customers and their choices,” is the first part, an interesting take on the overused, “the customer is number one.” The other important foundations of China Rose’s philosophy are a dedication to healthy and fresh, high-quality food. While all three elements of Mrs. Chen’s philosophy- customer service, health, and quality food- are standards of any successful business, the owner approaches each with a unique flair that really sets the restaurant apart. Just as anyone can make General Tso’s Chicken, it takes a true genius to make the dish original and new again. When visiting China Rose, you’ll feel like you’re eating Chinese food for the first time again.

When was the last time you were offered tea while you waited for your take-out order? You’ll find that kind of customer-centered thoughtfulness at China Rose. Located in Kingston, New York, the hustle and bustle of the city allows Xiaolan plenty of opportunity to practice one of her favorite hobbies: chatting. “If some regular customers come to pay us a visit, I will chat with them, despite how busy I am,” she says. She muses that this is what contributes to her eatery’s popularity with customers. The first tenet of Xiaolan’s restaurant philosophy is friendly and sincere customer service. According to Xiaolan, on certain occasions, such as Chinese New Year, they give customers as much as an 85% or 90% discount. It is no wonder then that his customers remain loyal and enthusiastic about returning to China Rose.

But Xiaolan also emphasizes a strong connection with her staff. She describes her employees as “sincere partners,” and holds staff parties to deepen friendships and allow for greater communication. Running a restaurant is very time-consuming work, but Xiaolan doesn’t neglect the relationships between herself, her staff, and her customers. This attitude has helped her to keep friendships and earn new ones quickly.

In addition to remaining committed to respecting customers and their choices, the second part of Xiaolan’s restaurant philosophy is providing healthy food. Xiaolan isn’t merely cashing in on the growing health-focused trend in restaurants. Nor is she paying simple lip service to the ideal of healthy dining. Her commitment to healthy food runs deep and has a surprising origin:  “Several years ago I was sick, and at that time I felt the importance of keeping a healthy diet,” Xiaolan said. “A balanced and healthy diet matters much in our daily life. As restaurateurs, it is our responsibility to guide (customers) to eat healthy.” There are plenty of options for the health-conscious here, whether it is bean curd “home style,” mixed Chinese vegetables or broccoli with garlic sauce. But as you would expect from a restaurant that focuses on respecting customers’ choices, dishes are available to be customized to a customer’s individual health specifications. For example, customers allergic to gluten or cornstarch can have their dishes prepared with sesame oil or steamed instead. This kind of flexibility can make a big difference for diners who are looking for delicious Chinese food without sacrificing their health standards.

The third tenet of Xiaolan’s restaurant philosophy is fresh, high-quality food. She describes her cuisine as very traditional, focusing on elaborate Hunan, spicy Sichuan and sweet-and-sour Cantonese dishes. A very popular signature dish at China Rose is Hunan Chicken. The chicken is marinated in cold soup and then cut into strips. The sauce consists of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar and sesame sauce. The chicken is combined with the sauce, and then a dash of sesame is added while peanuts and shallots sprinkled on top seals the deal. Of course, China Rose offers a bit of Chinese-American food as well; in fact, BBQ Spare Ribs is another popular dish at the eatery. By offering both authentic and westernized dishes, China Rose can appeal to the diverse preferences of New York City’s clientele.

As any clever restaurant owner knows, a menu needs to stay as fresh as the food. Popular dishes should be kept and improved while less popular items need to be revamped or replaced with innovative new entrees. Two chefs, one full-time and one part-time, are in charge of coming up with innovative new dishes and modifying the menu when necessary. The diverse mixture of several different types of Chinese and American-Chinese cuisine ensure that China Rose has something that everyone will like.

Have these tenets – respecting the customer, providing healthy food, and ensuring fresh ingredients –paid off for China Rose? Perhaps the fact that they plan on opening another branch soon, which would allow their current location to focus more on take-out, can speak for itself. Customers seem to endorse Xiaolan’s philosophy every time they enter the restaurant and tell their friends afterwards of the great meal they’ve had. Xiaolan’s enthusiasm for great service and great food is contagious and China Rose’s plans for the future are sure to be a success. Pretty soon, China Rose will grow from being a simple restaurant to a New York City culinary icon. If there is one man in the restaurant business who deserves such success, it’s the philosophical and passionate Xiaolan Chen.