Golden Harbor
*all the following information is the result of personal research and interviews with Tina Wu, who was gracious enough to take time out of her day to aid in this research
History |
Golden Harbor is a family-owned Chinese restaurant and the second culinary endeavor of a couple from Taiwan, Roger and Mei Wu. In Taiwan, the current head chef and owner of Golden Harbor, Roger, worked as an assistant cook for various restaurants. When he and his wife moved to the United States, he decided to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. The couple tried opening smaller chinese takeout restaurants in several states. These businesses all catered to stereotypical, americanized Chinese tastes and were not authentic.
In 1997, Roger and Mei opened Mandarin Wok in Champaign, Illinois. They started this restaurant in order to be close to their daughter, Tina, who would attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The menu started as a stereotypical Americanized Chinese restaurant, serving recognizable dishes such as orange chicken and beef and broccoli. This was done in order to appeal to the palette of the students at the university. A few months after opening their business, a Taiwanese couple came in for dinner. Upon hearing Mei speaking with a heavy Taiwanese accent, the couple inquired if she was the owner. After talking to her for several minutes, the couple insisted that if the owners of Mandarin Wok could cook traditional Taiwanese food then they should. This encounter convinced the owners of Mandarin Wok to branch out. They altered their menu and added ten authentic dishes. This was a bold business move and they were quite nervous. However, this anxiety proved to be for naught as business increased as a result. The Taiwanese couple that had motivated them became weekly regulars. In 2004, the owners sold Mandarin Wok to its current owners. Six years later, the couple and their daughter returned to Champaign, Illinois. They purchased a large restaurant minutes away from campus. This restaurant became the current Golden Harbor Restaurant. The current menu includes over 1,000 dishes and features normal eating tables along with traditional Chinese family style restaurant tables. According to the owners of this family-run establishment, business is doing very well. |
Menu InfoProgressionThe menu at Golden Harbor differs from the Wu's previous restaurants. Some Americanized elements such as fortune cookies and "American" versions of dishes like General Tsao's chicken remain, but the vast majority of dishes are traditional and use traditional ingredients and spices. The recipes for most dishes come from the head cook's time as an apprentice chef in Taiwan. The food is supposed to expose customers to authentic Taiwanese cuisine and evoke a sense of "the old country" and "grandma's recipe" in Taiwanese customers. Golden Harbor's menu currently features over 1,000 dishes, with a Chinese menu and an "Americanized Chinese Menu" in English. Since opening, Golden Harbor has constantly been revising their menu, adding and removing items based on popularity and the whims of the head cook. Specials are regularly added and tested in a trial and error system. Unpopular items are removed or rotated out for a year or two and then tested again at a later date.
Popular Items The most popular items at Golden Harbor are their crispy tofu, a signature dish that the Roger Wu created, three-cup chicken, and any dishes with basil in them. Golden Harbor uses Thai basil, an essential and very popular ingredient in many Taiwanese dishes. Translated Menu Upon opening a larger restaurant, the owners of Golden Harbor had to alter their menu. Previously, their menu had only been in Chinese and the hostess at the cash register, where one orders and pays, would explain the menu and offer suggestions to customers. This became impossible with the larger restaurant and heavier customer flow so a translated menu was introduced. The original menu in Chinese, which Golden Harbor put on the wall as their own signature, is still in place. However, an English menus sit on a table directly next to the wall and original menu. The translated menu includes descriptions of dishes that may be unfamiliar to English-speaking customers. Traditional and "Americanized" Food Golden Harbor's full name is Golden Harbor Authentic Chinese Restaurant, making it obvious that they pride themselves in their authentic Chinese cuisine. Authentic dishes such as pan-fried Cantonese noodles, three cup chicken, and numerous fish dishes are recipes that have been passed down. While the presentation may differ slightly, the "base is always the same." Golden Harbor also features menu items that come in two versions: authentic and americanized. For example, they feature dishes recognizable to most Americans such as kung pao chicken or General Tso's chicken in two different versions. The American versions are usually sweeter, less spicy, and less smoky. This is done to appeal more to the American palette since American food tends to be sweeter and saltier than Chinese food. This is done by using different spices in the two versions. |
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Customer Base
" as long as you are willing and open to try new things"
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When the Wu's opened Mandarin Wok in 1997, the customers that their food appealed to were those that wanted americanized Chinese food. After altering the menu to include more traditional dishes, there was a huge influx of customers from Asia. Customers from all races and age groups make up Golden Harbor's customer base. The majority of customers are students and faculty from the university. Most customers are Asian or Caucasian, though there are days when the entirety of the restaurant will be filled with Asians. Some days the customer base is equally balanced, but, according to Tina Wu, there are days that can look "intimidating" to new customers because one racial group is completely unrepresented. Golden Harbor has a steady group of regular customers that the small staff knows very well. The staff is willing to explain the menu to new customers, listening to their preferences in food types and suggesting potential food items. They allows kids to bring in food from other restaurants, understanding that kids unfamiliar with Chinese cuisine may need to be gradually introduced to it, exposing them little by little until they find something that appeals to the child. |
Conclusion - "Authenticity" and Panda ExpressInterview with customers:
Lexa Nelson: This is her first visit to Golden Harbor. She came because her friend wanted to eat here. She would not have come otherwise because she finds it intimidating to go to the "actual Chinese restaurants" on campus. She considers Golden Harbor to be authentic. She does not consider Panda Express authentic, but she likes it. Kelley Tran: She has come here several times before. She considers this authentic Chinese food. She is Vietnamese. She does not consider Panda Express to be authentic but she likes both Panda Express. |
Authenticity
Tina Wu's definition of authenticity: She thinks "anyone can say their food's authentic". If a recipe is passed down and has been kept original from the initial source then it can be thought of as authentic. It would be unfair to say Golden Harbor is the only authentic Chinese Restaurant in the area. Golden Harbor's food is authentic because the recipes and cooking come from Roger Wu's experiences and time as an apprentice cook in Taiwan. Authenticity is based on history. They focus on their food and try to make it as authentic as possible. They are not concerned on "authentic" decorations as they focus on the quality of the food. Panda Express Tina Wu's response to Panda Express's impact on American views of Chinese food and culture: For Tina, Panda Express is a fusion type of Chinese fast food. Their teriyaki chicken is prepared in a more Japanese style and their Kung Pao chicken is not as spicy or smokey as Golden Harbor's. She said she likes Panda Express's food a lot and eats there. She believes Panda Express helps American views of Chinese food and culture. She says, "it is education." Everyone can try Panda Express's food and get exposure to Chinese food. People who come into Golden Harbor will sometimes ask Tina how Golden Harbor's orange chicken or fried rice tastes in comparison to Panda Express's. She is glad they at least know what orange chicken is, and this is probably because of Panda Express. The more exposure people get to Chinese food and culture the better, even if it is just a gateway to introduce them. Tina Wu's response on if Golden Harbor views Panda Express as competition: According to Tina's father, the owner and head cook at Golden Harbor, he does not view Panda Express as competition. He only sees the more traditional Chinese restaurants as competition. |