by Tommi O. Peters
For The Tribune
Happy Wok restaurant is currently in preparations to open in the previous Mr. Chen’s location at 1423 Gadsden Hwy. Though this will be the third restaurant in the location to offer Chinese cuisine, Happy Wok’s menu will also include additional Asian dishes.
“Our signature dish is Peking duck and we will also have Thai food,” shared General Manager Helen Xu.
Those with fond memories of Lee Garden will be happy to learn that the same chef will be running the Happy Wok’s kitchen.
“After Lee Garden closed, chef King Yeap spent time working at other restaurants to gain more skills,” said Xu.
Another dish that Yeap is looking forward to sharing with customers is Chow fun. This stir fry dish hails from Singapore and typically involves egg noodles, though Yeap’s version is made using different flour types. Xu said the noodles will be made fresh daily in batches of limited quantities.
Xu said that Happy Wok will use fresh ingredients which will allow for customization of recipes that restaurants may not be able to offer if using a pre-packaged restaurant blend, for example. Another example provided by Xu would be to substitute a black bean sauce in a recipe that calls for brown sauce.
“We will offer healthier foods like duck bone soup to build immune systems and fresh ingredients with no additives,” said Xu.
When asked why Trussville was chosen as the location for the new eatery, Xu said,” I think people in Trussville care more about healthy food. And there are some delivery places, but they need nicer dining options, too.”
“And even though we will use higher grade ingredients, we’re trying to keep our prices the same as the the restaurants that were here before.”
Happy Wok hopes to open mid-September and is currently accepting applications in person. For questions or more information, contact Helen Xu at (606)207-4382.