Meet the man behind Houston's affordable new Chinese restaurant

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” CultureMap editor Eric Sandler talks to Allen Lin about Fortune Eight, his recently opened Chinese restaurant on Washington Avenue.

The conversation begins with Lin explaining how Covid restrictions and political turmoil in Hong Kong prompted him to close his four restaurants and relocate to Texas. Whereas his Hong Kong restaurants were full service, Fortune Eight is an affordable, fast casual concept.

“If I could do Chinese restaurants all over again, how could I streamline it so I wouldn’t have to be faced with so many inconsistencies in how we produce the food. I started looking at Chinese restaurants across America. Why is there only one restaurant that’s been able to do it on a wide basis? It’s Panda Express,” Lin says.

“I wondered if I could modernize Chinese food but make it with better ingredients. I wanted to create something that’s comfortable and familiar, but I want to elevate it a bit to make it taste better. You don’t feel so bloated and greasy afterwards. That’s what we’ve tried to focus and lean in on to create that consistency and taste.”

Towards that end, Fortune Eight uses automated cooking tools to saute the meats and vegetables in some of its dishes. Not only do these methods help Lin achieve the consistency he’s aiming for, they allow him to charge almost fast food level prices for Fortune Eight’s dishes. Diners can expect to pay about $13 for an entree, drink, and tax.

The tidy menu includes a greatest hits-style menu of Chinese and Chinese American fare, including Mongolian beef, beef with broccoli, walnut shrimp, sauteed green beans, chow mein, and, of course, General Tso’s chicken.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Lin’s time in China. He also discusses his plans for marketing the restaurant and adding additional locations.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Felice Sloan discuss the news of the week. Their topics include chef Justin Yu’s plans to open House of Louie in Montrose, Barnaby’s Cafe opening a new location in Garden Oaks, and Uptown Italian restaurant Tavola closing just shy of its three-year anniversary.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Sloan and Sandler share first impressions of Galaxy Pizza, chef Anthony Calleo’s neighborhood pizzeria in Spring. Both of them find a lot to like about the casual eatery, including its crispy crust and plentiful toppings.

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