Thursday, September 18, 2008
Bianyifang
Bianyifang is the oldest Peking duck restaurant currently standing in Beijing, China. The restaurant was first established in 1416, and a dispute among its owners in 1855 resulted in the branch that survives until today. In 1855, the Wang family, one of the many minor owners of Bianyifang failed to increase its share, and decided to use its own money to open another Bianyifang by convincing the most capable employee with last name Liu to join the new venture. Mr. Liu succeeded in drafting more capable employees from the original Bianyifang to the new branch, and since many of them still kept their share in the old ones, both sides reached an agreement of sharing the name and coexisting peacefully. The new branch esablished in 1855 has since remained to be one of two of the most famous Peking-duck specialty restaurant in the country along with Quanjude, while the original Bianyifang closed its doors due to poor management. The restaurant has carried the Beijing cuisine tradition from the Qing dynasty, past the Chinese civil war and numerous World wars to the present day form. Its main competition historically has been the Quanjude, another renowned resturant specializes on Peking Duck.
Yoshinoya
, established in 1899, is the largest chain among restaurants and one of the leading fast food chains in Japan. It is often to "Yoshi gyū" among its enthusiasts. Its motto is "cheap, quick and yummy".
A typical order might include ōmori beef bowl, raw egg , a scoop of shoga and a dash of spice. Little known to foreigners visiting Yoshinoya in Japan are the no charge special requests such as "tsuyudaku" and, less commonly, "negidaku" .
In the early 2000s, Yoshinoya triggered a discount war in Japan along with other chains such as , by introducing a regular gyudon dish for 280 yen, or around 2 United States Dollars.
In late 2001, a domestic incident critically damaged beef bowl sales. In late 2003, Japan suspended imports of American beef due to a incident in Washington, cutting off Yoshinoya's main source of short plate that is the main component of its beef bowl. This forced Yoshinoya to terminate gyudon sales in Japan on February 11, 2004. News of the removal of this item from Yoshinoya's menu caused its fans and non-fans alike to queue in massive lines at Yoshinoya restaurants all around Japan to taste what might be their last beef bowl for a long time. Yoshinoya then switched to selling ''butadon'' instead of beef. However, Yoshinoya restaurants in America continue to sell the beef bowl using American short plate, and restaurants in Japan sold a "gyū yakiniku don" .
In December 2005, Japan agreed to remove the restriction on importing US beef. A letter to customers was then put up in restaurants promising that the beef bowl would return in a couple months or so. However, in January imports stopped again because inspectors found banned cattle parts in a veal shipment from the U.S. In June 2006, however, Japan lifted the ban on imports, and on July 31, 2006, Yoshinoya reposted the letter promising to bring back the beef bowl in about two months. Finally, on September 18, 2006, Yoshinoya brought back gyudon for one day only in a ''gyudon fukkatsusai'' to promote the "return" of the gyudon on October 1, 2006.
In the United States, Yoshinoya has been selling variations from the traditional beef bowl, including a 'beef with vegetables bowl', a 'teriyaki chicken bowl', a 'shrimp bowl', and barbecue items. Their tempura bowls are no longer available.
On September 18, 2006, to promote the return of the gyudon, a Gyudon Come-back Fair was held. Yoshinoya started selling gyudon—and ''only'' gyudon—from 11 am until they sold out. They would also only sell the gyudon for one day and limit take-out orders to four per person. The goal of the fair was to sell 1 million beef bowls on a single day.
People lined up at Yoshinoya franchises around the country to have their first Yoshinoya gyudon in two and a half years, with lines stretching around the corner even at the smallest shops. People who got a beef bowl on that day were rewarded with a special banner commemorating the event and a short note discussing the return of gyudon to Yoshinoya, informing them regular gyudon sales would resume on October 1, 2006. "Regular" sales, however, meant that they would only be sold the first five days of the month in October and November. On December 1, 2006, they began selling gyudon every day, albeit at limited hours.
Yoshinoya has restaurants in the following regions:
* Japan
* Australia
* Hong Kong
* Mainland China
* Malaysia
* Singapore
* Taiwan
* United States
* Philippines
A typical order might include ōmori beef bowl, raw egg , a scoop of shoga and a dash of spice. Little known to foreigners visiting Yoshinoya in Japan are the no charge special requests such as "tsuyudaku" and, less commonly, "negidaku" .
History
In the early 2000s, Yoshinoya triggered a discount war in Japan along with other chains such as , by introducing a regular gyudon dish for 280 yen, or around 2 United States Dollars.
In late 2001, a domestic incident critically damaged beef bowl sales. In late 2003, Japan suspended imports of American beef due to a incident in Washington, cutting off Yoshinoya's main source of short plate that is the main component of its beef bowl. This forced Yoshinoya to terminate gyudon sales in Japan on February 11, 2004. News of the removal of this item from Yoshinoya's menu caused its fans and non-fans alike to queue in massive lines at Yoshinoya restaurants all around Japan to taste what might be their last beef bowl for a long time. Yoshinoya then switched to selling ''butadon'' instead of beef. However, Yoshinoya restaurants in America continue to sell the beef bowl using American short plate, and restaurants in Japan sold a "gyū yakiniku don" .
In December 2005, Japan agreed to remove the restriction on importing US beef. A letter to customers was then put up in restaurants promising that the beef bowl would return in a couple months or so. However, in January imports stopped again because inspectors found banned cattle parts in a veal shipment from the U.S. In June 2006, however, Japan lifted the ban on imports, and on July 31, 2006, Yoshinoya reposted the letter promising to bring back the beef bowl in about two months. Finally, on September 18, 2006, Yoshinoya brought back gyudon for one day only in a ''gyudon fukkatsusai'' to promote the "return" of the gyudon on October 1, 2006.
In the United States, Yoshinoya has been selling variations from the traditional beef bowl, including a 'beef with vegetables bowl', a 'teriyaki chicken bowl', a 'shrimp bowl', and barbecue items. Their tempura bowls are no longer available.
Gyudon Come-back Fair
On September 18, 2006, to promote the return of the gyudon, a Gyudon Come-back Fair was held. Yoshinoya started selling gyudon—and ''only'' gyudon—from 11 am until they sold out. They would also only sell the gyudon for one day and limit take-out orders to four per person. The goal of the fair was to sell 1 million beef bowls on a single day.
People lined up at Yoshinoya franchises around the country to have their first Yoshinoya gyudon in two and a half years, with lines stretching around the corner even at the smallest shops. People who got a beef bowl on that day were rewarded with a special banner commemorating the event and a short note discussing the return of gyudon to Yoshinoya, informing them regular gyudon sales would resume on October 1, 2006. "Regular" sales, however, meant that they would only be sold the first five days of the month in October and November. On December 1, 2006, they began selling gyudon every day, albeit at limited hours.
Locations
Yoshinoya has restaurants in the following regions:
* Japan
* Australia
* Hong Kong
* Mainland China
* Malaysia
* Singapore
* Taiwan
* United States
* Philippines
Gallery
Yonghe Dawang
Yonghe Dawang is a fast-food restaurant that specializes in noodles. Yonghe Dawang opens its first restaurant in Beijing in Dec, 12, 1995. Until 2005, Yonghe has branches throughout china, with over 70 restaurants in major chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Jinan, and Suzhou. In 2004, Yonghe King merged with one of the largest fast-food chain in Philipine, Jollibee, which is created by Chinese Filipino Mr. Tony Tan Caktiong in 1970.
The logo of the chain is a bowl of steaming noodle since its grand opening. There is a prank online page stating the logo was not a human face almost identical to KFC's Colonel Sanders and only changed to the bowl of noodle after a lawsuit in 2005. However, truth is Yonghe's unique logo has been what it is now ever since the beginning and there is no record of such lawsuit between KFC and Yonghe.
However, the name of Yonghe King is not as unique as it should be. There are several other chinese restaurant chains use the word "Yonghe" in their titles, including Yonghe Dou-jiang a famous breakfast orientated Soy Milk chain from Taiwan.
The logo of the chain is a bowl of steaming noodle since its grand opening. There is a prank online page stating the logo was not a human face almost identical to KFC's Colonel Sanders and only changed to the bowl of noodle after a lawsuit in 2005. However, truth is Yonghe's unique logo has been what it is now ever since the beginning and there is no record of such lawsuit between KFC and Yonghe.
However, the name of Yonghe King is not as unique as it should be. There are several other chinese restaurant chains use the word "Yonghe" in their titles, including Yonghe Dou-jiang a famous breakfast orientated Soy Milk chain from Taiwan.
Xian Heng Inn
Xian heng inn, Xian heng tavern or Xian heng hotel is a historic Chinese cuisine restaurant located in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China.
The restaurant is known for maintaining the classic shaoxing wine tradition that has been around since the . Though it should not be confused as a possible birthplace of the wine since it has been around many dynasties before the birth of the restaurant.
It has also been mentioned by writer Lu Xun in his work with the restaurant situating in his hometown.
The restaurant was created in 1884 during the reign of Qing dynasty Guangxu Emperor , but was closed in a few years.
It was reopened to the public on September 18, 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lu Xun's birthday.
History
The restaurant is known for maintaining the classic shaoxing wine tradition that has been around since the . Though it should not be confused as a possible birthplace of the wine since it has been around many dynasties before the birth of the restaurant.
It has also been mentioned by writer Lu Xun in his work with the restaurant situating in his hometown.
The restaurant was created in 1884 during the reign of Qing dynasty Guangxu Emperor , but was closed in a few years.
It was reopened to the public on September 18, 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lu Xun's birthday.
Quanjude
Quanjude is a famous Chinese restaurant known for its trademark Quanjude ''Peking Roast Duck'' and its longstanding culinary heritage since its establishment in 1864 in Beijing, China .
According to Xinhua News Agency, Quanjude restaurant is nationally renowned, with its newest member opening inside the famous Silk Street and the oldest one still locates in Qianmen in Beijing. The newest and first franchised Quanjude restaurant to operate outside of China recently opened its doors in Melbourne, Australia. Now the world famous roast duck is available to those residing in this major Australian city. Although perhaps unclear why Queen Street, Melbourne was elected as the inaugural site for international expansion of the Quanjude empire, it is not surprising, given that Melbourne's Mayor is of Chinese heritage and also the large population of Chinese people who call Melbourne home.
Their branches in the nation's capital and political center are relatively large scaled in nature such as the seven storey Quanjude on Hepingmen Ave., a location that was hand-picked by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai himself. Serving up to 5,000 meals a day, this restaurant covers a floor area of 15,000 square meters with over forty private dining rooms and can simultaneously occupy 2,000 guests. Having established a history and affiliation with the Chinese government at the municipal and central state level, Quanjude has often been used to hold state banquets and to receive celebrities, dignitaries, and important government figures from over 200 countries as distinguished VIP guests. The restaurant chain sells over 2 million roast ducks served in 400 different styles to over 5 million customers annually. With annual sales reaching 500 million yuan , the company has an estimated value of 8.458 billion yuan with 600 million yuan in assets and 700 million yuan in intangible assets.
Quanjude was established in 1864 during the Qing Dynasty under the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor. Although Peking roast duck can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty , Quanjude's heritage of roast duck preparation - using open ovens and non-smoky hardwood fuel such as Chinese date, peach, or pear to add a subtle fruity flavor with a golden crisp to the skin - was originally reserved for the imperial families. The first Quanjude manager, Yang Renquan, who started out selling chicken and ducks, paid a retired chef from the palace for the imperial recipe. Soon after, Quanjude became the first restaurant in the world to serve roast duck from the imperial kitchen to the common masses. Yang Renquan opened his first, small Dejuquan inside Yangrou Hutong in Qianmen, which at the time was one of the busiest areas in Beijing. His restaurant became an instant success and has since grown into the current branch in Qianmen that employs over 400 staff members and can occupy 900 guests at one time. The Qianmen restaurant, along with the many other Quanjude branches, together form one of the largest food enterprises in the nation.
Once, when Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai was hosting important foreign guests at Quanjude, one of the guests asked, “What does Quanjude mean?” Premier Zhou answered with a smile, “Quan means perfection without a flaw, Ju means gathering without departing, and De means virtues to be supreme.” Therefore, Quanjude together implies perfection, union, and benevolence.
*In 1994, Quanjude was awarded the top brand in China's catering and restaurant business by World Brand Laboratory, ranking 56th overall out of the 500 most famed Chinese brands.
*In 1999, Quanjude was awarded the title of "China Renowned Trademark," which was the first and only for the restaurant service industry.
*In 1982, Quanjude was top ranked in the Chinese and Japanese publication, "Elite of Chinese Famous Dishes."
*In 1958, Quanjude was ranked number one in "Chinese Famous Dishes" compiled by all-China famous chefs under the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.
Company profile & Branches
According to Xinhua News Agency, Quanjude restaurant is nationally renowned, with its newest member opening inside the famous Silk Street and the oldest one still locates in Qianmen in Beijing. The newest and first franchised Quanjude restaurant to operate outside of China recently opened its doors in Melbourne, Australia. Now the world famous roast duck is available to those residing in this major Australian city. Although perhaps unclear why Queen Street, Melbourne was elected as the inaugural site for international expansion of the Quanjude empire, it is not surprising, given that Melbourne's Mayor is of Chinese heritage and also the large population of Chinese people who call Melbourne home.
Their branches in the nation's capital and political center are relatively large scaled in nature such as the seven storey Quanjude on Hepingmen Ave., a location that was hand-picked by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai himself. Serving up to 5,000 meals a day, this restaurant covers a floor area of 15,000 square meters with over forty private dining rooms and can simultaneously occupy 2,000 guests. Having established a history and affiliation with the Chinese government at the municipal and central state level, Quanjude has often been used to hold state banquets and to receive celebrities, dignitaries, and important government figures from over 200 countries as distinguished VIP guests. The restaurant chain sells over 2 million roast ducks served in 400 different styles to over 5 million customers annually. With annual sales reaching 500 million yuan , the company has an estimated value of 8.458 billion yuan with 600 million yuan in assets and 700 million yuan in intangible assets.
History
Quanjude was established in 1864 during the Qing Dynasty under the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor. Although Peking roast duck can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty , Quanjude's heritage of roast duck preparation - using open ovens and non-smoky hardwood fuel such as Chinese date, peach, or pear to add a subtle fruity flavor with a golden crisp to the skin - was originally reserved for the imperial families. The first Quanjude manager, Yang Renquan, who started out selling chicken and ducks, paid a retired chef from the palace for the imperial recipe. Soon after, Quanjude became the first restaurant in the world to serve roast duck from the imperial kitchen to the common masses. Yang Renquan opened his first, small Dejuquan inside Yangrou Hutong in Qianmen, which at the time was one of the busiest areas in Beijing. His restaurant became an instant success and has since grown into the current branch in Qianmen that employs over 400 staff members and can occupy 900 guests at one time. The Qianmen restaurant, along with the many other Quanjude branches, together form one of the largest food enterprises in the nation.
Meaning of the Name
Once, when Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai was hosting important foreign guests at Quanjude, one of the guests asked, “What does Quanjude mean?” Premier Zhou answered with a smile, “Quan means perfection without a flaw, Ju means gathering without departing, and De means virtues to be supreme.” Therefore, Quanjude together implies perfection, union, and benevolence.
Awards & recognitions
*In 1994, Quanjude was awarded the top brand in China's catering and restaurant business by World Brand Laboratory, ranking 56th overall out of the 500 most famed Chinese brands.
*In 1999, Quanjude was awarded the title of "China Renowned Trademark," which was the first and only for the restaurant service industry.
*In 1982, Quanjude was top ranked in the Chinese and Japanese publication, "Elite of Chinese Famous Dishes."
*In 1958, Quanjude was ranked number one in "Chinese Famous Dishes" compiled by all-China famous chefs under the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.
Pacific Coffee Company
Pacific Coffee Company is a famous world-class Pacific Northwest -style coffee shop group based in Hong Kong, mainland China and Singapore. Its first Hong Kong outlet was at the Bank of America Tower in Hong Kong's district in 1993.
The group is owned by Chevalier Pacific, formerly Chevalier iTech, computer distributors. It acquired the chain from the founder for HK$205 million in 2005.
The group is owned by Chevalier Pacific, formerly Chevalier iTech, computer distributors. It acquired the chain from the founder for HK$205 million in 2005.
Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House
Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House, located in Kaifeng, China, is by some accounts the world's oldest restaurant. It allegedly opened for business during the in 1153 AD. Having survived numerous wars, invasions, and dynasty changes, it still offers takeout food.
Despite its reputation, it is known that restaurants existed in Kaifeng before 1153, since there is documentation of them during the Northern era of the Song Dynasty.
Traditionally, "bucket chicken" is believed to originate from roast chickens sold in the markets of Kaifeng, when it was the capital city during the Song Dynasty. The Ma family began trading in bucket chicken in Nanjing, in today's Jiangsu Province, after the Song Dynasty moved to the south.
In 1855, Ma Youren, a descendent of the original Mr Ma moved back to his ancestral home Kaifeng, bringing with him a bucket of the traditional sauce. There, Ma Youren established the "Ma Yuxing Roast Chicken Shop" in 1864, specialising in bucket chicken. In 1954, a branch store was established in Zhengzhou when that city became the capital of Henan province.
Despite its reputation, it is known that restaurants existed in Kaifeng before 1153, since there is documentation of them during the Northern era of the Song Dynasty.
History
Traditionally, "bucket chicken" is believed to originate from roast chickens sold in the markets of Kaifeng, when it was the capital city during the Song Dynasty. The Ma family began trading in bucket chicken in Nanjing, in today's Jiangsu Province, after the Song Dynasty moved to the south.
In 1855, Ma Youren, a descendent of the original Mr Ma moved back to his ancestral home Kaifeng, bringing with him a bucket of the traditional sauce. There, Ma Youren established the "Ma Yuxing Roast Chicken Shop" in 1864, specialising in bucket chicken. In 1954, a branch store was established in Zhengzhou when that city became the capital of Henan province.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)