Fu’s bringing a bit of China to Ellsworth

Sam Fu liked using the word “king” in the name of his new Ellsworth restaurant because kings have been part of his native China for 5,000 years.

And Fu’s almost ready to create perhaps only a slightly smaller dynasty with the King House Chinese Restaurant, set to open in the coming two weeks in a strip mall next to the local post office. Friday, he shared an extensive tri-fold menu of Chinese food in Hunan, Cantonese and Szechuan styles he plans to serve.

“We’ll be getting our ingredients from Asian Foods and some from Sysco,” he said about his suppliers. “Every day there will be a delivery, so they’ll be fresh.”

Asked about favorite dishes, Fu pointed on the menu under “Chef’s Specialties” to “General Tso’s Chicken,” described as “chunks of chicken with house special hot plum sauce. Our chefs follow general Tso’s recipe from Ching dynasty. Very popular dish in east coast (New York).”

An appetizer on the menu having wide favor is Crabmeat Rangoon with sauce, he said. Appetizers are one of 16 separate sections, accounting for 120 items and including: soup, fried rice, sweet and sour, chow mein, chop suey, egg foo young, chow malfun, lo mein, pork, chicken, beef, seafood, moo shu, vegetables and side orders. Additionally, there are dinner combinations, a health food section and the aforementioned specialties.

In the restaurant’s fully equipped kitchen (containing all-new equipment ordered from New York), Fu demonstrated his chef skills. Showing one of six stainless steel Woks in which most of the cooking will be done, he used a large metal spoon to swing a faucet directly over the special pan, at which point it automatically dispensed water, then push it away for automatic shut-off. The kitchen is almost entirely covered in stainless steel; among its other fixtures are a walk-in cooler and dishwashing sink.

Read more in the print version of the Herald June 17.

Tags: pierce county, new business, chinese restaurant, ellsworth