Group of friends trying to preserve Chinatown's legacy through food
CHINATOWN, Manhattan -- At Potluck Club in Chinatown, it's Cantonese food with an American twist.
There were rice rolls and braised short rib with squash, salt and pepper chicken, and scallion biscuits with chili jam - an infusion of Southern flavor.
For the staff, the food and the space is about telling their story.
"There was a big movie theater on Bowery Street where we used to go and watch movies at. As young kids born and raised in New York, you know, we weren't from Hong Kong, but everything we learned about the culture, the language, and everything we knew about our parents, and where they were from was through film. So we kinda wanted to pay honor to all. The old classics but also the new Asian American stuff like Romeo Must Die and Rush Hour," said Cory Ng.
Meanwhile, most of the staff, they have all been friends since childhood. They are all born and raised in New York and they're all equal partners in this business because they all share in its mission statement.
Through food, their mission is to preserve Chinatown's history and protect its legacy.
"There's not any places that open in Chinatown. If anything, after the pandemic, a lot more close than open and essentially we felt like there was a vacuum that needed to be filled," said Head Chef Zhan Chen, "Chinatown some people will say it's aging out. That's why we wanted to continue doing business here, creating new energy here."
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