Carousel mall gets new Asian restaurant

Published 11:15 am Friday, April 17, 2015

Suite 22 in the Seaside Carousel Mall is still a place for locals and visitors alike to get Chinese cuisine, but with a new name, renovated interior and distinct menu, the new owners are creating a different experience for patrons.

Candy Qu and her husband, Jo Zhue, opened New Garden Asian Cuisine in the mall on March 4. Zhue oversees the kitchen, and Qu manages the other aspects of the restaurant.

They both are from China, although they were born in different regions. At age 12, Qu moved to the United States with her mom and brother. Several extended family members already were living in America at the time. Zhue’s family also resided in the states prior to his arrival in 2006.

The couple met in 2008 while both working at Shun Lee West, an upscale Chinese restaurant near the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts in New York City. They were married in 2012, and not long after set a goal to have a restaurant of their own.

They were drawn to Seaside because they like the beach and the pleasant atmosphere, from the bumper cars and arcade to the carousel in the mall – “it’s a lot fun,” Qu said. The couple has two children, 2-year-old Derek and 3-month-old Kimberly. Zhue’s mother, who lives in the area, helps watch the children while the parents are at the restaurant nearly seven days per week.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For the summer months, Qu said, they plan to stay open until 10 p.m.

Zhue has worked in the restaurant industry since he was a teenager and he’s been a chef at many restaurants in China and the United States. He has a passion for cooking and making people happy with good food. Through traveling and working at numerous locations, he learned a variety of skills, techniques and recipes.

“He picked up different little things and we put it together” for New Garden Asian Cuisine, Qu said.

Their menu is extensive, containing more than 175 items, and features a combination of Japanese, Szechuan, Catonese and other Asian cuisines. The restaurant also serves vegetarian dishes and $5 kid meals for children younger than 12. Additionally, they try to prepare some items that are hard to find in the area, such as string beans, salted squid and eggplant dishes. Each dish is prepared upon being ordered.

They are willing to vary the spiciness level of the dishes to suit their customers’ preferences and tastes. Trying to keep their customers happy is the main focus, Qu said.

“Everyone likes different things,” she said.

As they learn what dishes are most popular to patrons, they may change the menu accordingly, Qu said. They would like to serve sushi, but preparing sushi is a task in itself and not feasible right now. The restaurant is run by a small staff of five people, including Zhue and Qu, as well as her father-in-law and brother. Sometimes they will call in another waitress.

The biggest struggle for the couple so far has been to inform the public there is a new restaurant at the location, which used to house the Golden Horse Restaurant. Many people think the restaurant has the same owners, Qu said.

She changed the color scheme in the restaurant from primarily yellow to red to create a distinction. They’ve also repainted, created a new menu and other things “to make people realize it’s different,” she said.

For more information, call (503) 738-9639 or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page. A website is under construction.