'The greatest comeback'? Nankin and original Hong Kong Noodles owners unite to open Jade Dynasty

Chuen "Paul" Wu and Eric Zeng first met in the early 1990s. Wu was the general manager at his parents' Nankin restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. Zeng, a chef whose family owned a restaurant in Hong Kong, had just moved to Minnesota with his wife after a stint in Hawaii. The chef stopped into Nankin to see if any cooking jobs were available.

"At the time we didn't have a position for him and he was hired by another restaurant," Wu said. A few years later, the Nankin manager once again ran into Zeng, who by then was making a name for himself with his own restaurant, Hong Kong Noodles in Stadium Village.

Now, the families behind the two groundbreaking Asian restaurant powerhouses, one with a cult following for its authentic Cantonese and the other for its Chinese-American dishes and signature Wanderers Punch, are joining forces. They recently rolled out Jade Dynasty in Minneapolis' Lyn-Lake area, ushering in a new era while honoring their pasts.

For Wu, whose parents owned Nankin until it closed in 1999, the restaurant is meaningful in many ways.

"My mom passed four years ago, but she was here when I bought the building. Unfortunately, my dad didn't get to know about it, but my mom knew about it," Wu said. "This does not replace the Nankin, but for me, it's reclaiming something for my family. I'm just hoping they're looking down and are proud."

Steeped in history

Wu's family came to the United States from Hong Kong in 1980 and purchased Szechuan Star Restaurant in Edina the following year, ran it for about a decade and eventually sold it. In 1989, they bought the Nankin, becoming the third generation to own the institution that began in 1919. Like Szechuan Star, the Nankin was a family affair in which his parents and sister Emily took on various roles, while Wu took the lead in the front-of-the-house and business sides. Their family ran Nankin for 10 years, until the restaurant closed when its lease inside City Center was not renewed.

Meanwhile, across town, Zeng and his wife, Jennifer, opened Hong Kong Noodles near the University of Minnesota, serving up traditional Cantonese dishes and other Asian fare. "I learned to cook from growing up in Hong Kong because of my family's restaurant," Zeng said. "It's a tradition."

They ran the restaurant from 1999 until they sold it four years ago.

"Eric wanted a larger restaurant. That was his dream, so he sold Hong Kong Noodles so he could plan a larger restaurant," Jennifer Zeng said, adding that while they sold the restaurant's name and brand, they own the original recipes, which are being served at Jade Dynasty. (Hong Kong Noodles continues to run under new ownership and is relocating to Bloomington. The original Stadium Village location is one of several area businesses closing or relocating to make way for a mixed-use development.)

By the time the Zengs sold Hong Kong Noodles, the couple had already found a business partner in Wu, who remained in the restaurant world in managerial roles. "One day he approached me and said he always wanted to have a bigger restaurant and [asked] if I would be interested," Wu said. "After a few days of thinking and talking to my wife, we teamed up."

Wu and his wife, Icy, would run the front of the house and the business part while the Zengs would be in charge of the culinary side. For both parties, serving up Hong Kong Noodles' food with Nankin's signature drink and hospitality was the best of their two worlds.

"My husband loves to cook and Paul loves managing. This way, Paul can manage and we can concentrate on the kitchen," Jennifer Zeng said. "We're all doing the things we love and know."

Betting on Lyn-Lake

When they looked at the former Fuji Ya, which was shuttered after being damaged during the 2020 civil unrest, the business partners weighed the pluses and minuses. They had to consider that some might be intimidated visiting the area as incidents of crime made headlines.

Despite the risky proposition, the team liked that the former Japanese restaurant space was sizable with a bar and lounge in the front and dining room in the back. Another big plus was the large city-owned parking lot directly behind the building, providing ample parking for nearby businesses just outside the restaurant's doors. And just like they were used to with their other restaurants, the location was in a bustling urban area with a strong business community. They bet on Lyn-Lake and worked with the city to increase lighting and add cameras to the parking lot and nearby alley to enhance safety.

"The location and the parking attached to the building were attractive. There isn't other parking like this in the area," Wu said. "And it's near the intersection of Lyndale and Lake; people recognize those two major roads."

Ringing in the new year

Now that the restaurant is up and running (currently in the soft opening stage with a grand opening date to be announced), Hong Kong Noodles' best sellers such as the Cantonese pan-fry noodles, short-ribs and fried fish are on the menu.

The space has also been given a major makeover, including a new kitchen with state-of-the-art, high-efficiency equipment complete with dim sum steamers and a Hong Kong-style barbecue grill and wok stations. "Before, we had a small kitchen but here we can do more things, add more items," Jennifer Zeng said.

The expanded lineup now includes seafood towers, a la carte dim sum as well as a full bar program. Live seafood tanks line the walls, holding a dozen varieties of crab, lobsters and more that can be cooked to order. "We get them flown in weekly from Boston, Maine and different vendors throughout the state," Wu said.

The space is a mix of classic and contemporary. Reds, golds, soft lanterns and gleaming chandeliers along with warm woods are prominent throughout. The 250-seat restaurant is set up for family-style dining at round tables with lazy Susans. The centerpiece in the main dining room, a series of hand-carved wood grates that float along the ceiling, were custom-built in China with symbols etched into them that read "Jade Dynasty." A four-season patio is planned for the warm-weather months.

Visual nods to Nankin, most prominently a second-story balcony addition, can be found. Wu is spearheading the drink program, with cocktails that include the Nankin's Wanderers Punch original recipe, with four types of rum.

Generation next

The Lunar New Year, coming up on Jan. 29, is an important holiday for the owners. It's the year of the snake, symbolizing change and new opportunities.

For them, the measure of success will be whether the community embraces this new iteration. So far, generations of regulars at their past restaurants have dined with them. "Hopefully, it will [continue to] be a meaningful place for all generations," Wu said.

During a recent lunch rush, Amy Wong, a Hong Kong Noodles regular for 30 years, met a group of girlfriends for dim sum. It was the fifth visit for the Plymouth resident, who said the familiar faces and the food have kept the Hong Kong native returning. "It's very authentic, very fresh ingredients," she said.

Marshall Nguyen, CEO of the Wyn Group, the commercial real estate and investment firm behind Eat Street Crossing, also stopped in for lunch. For him, the new partnership represents an exciting chapter in the local dining scene.

"People are coming here because of Jade Dynasty" and from there it will bring more business to the area, he said. And, as a longtime fan of both restaurants, "It's the greatest comeback."

If you go

Where: 600 W. Lake St., Mpls.

Hours: Sun. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Prices: $13 (stir-fries) to $25 (seafood hot pot and clay pots).

More info: 612 584-3360; jadedynasty.kwickmenu.com