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Kung Fu Restaurant

Fast food chain kung fu chops your taste buds - By Michael, Aug 27, 08

Fast food chains don't normally get reviewed by restaurant critics. We're making an exception for Kung Fu, though, because we think they're awesome.

The Kung Fu fast food chain was started about ten years ago by a 22-year-old Chinese entrepreneur and now there are 13 locations in Shanghai, and over 270 locations around China. Despite their success, they still haven't made it into the minds of most foreigners here. It might be due to poor marketing -- even though they've got a memorable company logo with Bruce Lee's familiar face, we rarely see advertising from them, and they were impossible to find on Google searches. Had to call corporate: here's their website.

Kung Fu is by far the cleanest, most efficient, and best-designed fast food chain we've seen on the mainland. We don't know how they do it, but they seem to beat out KFC and McDonald's for efficiency (all orders are proudly promised in under 60 seconds). But that's not why we're writing about them. It's the food. And the prices.

One side of the bilingual menu (yes, and you don't even have to ask for it) is a selection of set meals, and the other side is a la cart. The set meals cost you 18 to 28rmb, and include a rice bowl, soup, boiled lettuce, and a meat main -- spare ribs, sautéed beef, chicken leg, grilled eel, or stewed duck. These are easy eatin' without the bunch of bones you'd find in the mom-and-pop places. Chinese comfort food.

We like to pour the meat main on the rice bowl to flavor the rice. Ask for hot chili sauce if you like that. The mains are mostly meat stews flavored with oil, soy, and oyster sauce -- but not sticky gloopy gravy like the kind you get at most cheap places.

A side of soup is usually an after-thought at cheap restaurants, but it's probably Kung Fu's shining star. Black, silky chicken with American ginseng of this quality is usually an expensive, medicinal item at fine Chinese restaurants. Here it's just part of the meal, and it's really good. Served piping hot too.

We also tried several of the a la cart items -- steamed broccoli, steamed egg custard, red bean dessert mouse -- all substantial portions for 7rmb or less, and all very good. The red bean dessert was particularly enlightening, as we normally don't like these.

Drinks? Kung Fu loses points for picking Pepsi (rhymes with "nasty") as their soda of choice instead of Coke. But they do have milk tea, hot or cold soy milk, or mung bean iced drink (6rmb) that's better tasting, and more healthy anyway. Imagine that for a fast food chain!

We hope Kung Fu continues to expand, without losing the quality it can currently boast. There's 13 locations in Shanghai, including at least 2 in Xujiahui, and one at Hong Kong Plaza on Huaihai. Check the website for all location details.

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