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Chinese restaurant embraces the Olympics

By Sharon Thompson swthompson@herald-leader.com

Late last year, when Panda Cuisine was under construction, owner Tong Xu insisted that a satellite dish be installed in his restaurant for one reason: the Beijing Olympics.

Xu was planning for the event that's happening now through Aug. 24 in China. As athletes from around the world compete for Olympic gold, customers at the ­restaurant can watch the Games live — not on the American networks but on China Central Television, which broadcasts in English.

And for the official Olympics ­Opening Ceremony, to be broadcast at 8 p.m. Friday on NBC, Panda Cuisine will host a celebration sponsored by the Kentucky Chinese American ­Association. It will feature Chinese ­culture and art, including calligraphy, and arts and crafts related to the ­Olympics, plus an ­introductory show about Beijing and other major ­attractions in China. The celebration starts at 6 p.m., with a buffet at 7:30. The cost is $15. The party is by reservation only, and a few spots remained at press time. Call ­Jianhua Su, (859) 619-3304, by noon Friday to check on availability. (Panda Cuisine will be open to other diners, too.)

The Panda chefs are preparing a few special Sichuan dishes that will be served during the Games, including Beijing duck, for $14. It's a traditional Chinese dish, although there are many variations. Beijing cuisine, like the city, is a blend of many food cultures, Mickey Chang Xun said. Xun, a friend of Xu and his family, helps with marketing and language for the restaurant.

Xun explained how Beijing duck is prepared at Panda. After the duck is cleaned and prepped, air is pumped into the duck to separate the skin from the fat. The duck is then hung and basted regularly with a marinade made with maltose, vinegar, cooking wine and hot water. As the marinade works, the duck's color will change to a bronze, and the fat will drip off. It's then roasted in a 325-degree oven for about an hour.

At a demonstration last week, chef Xiaofeng Zhang sliced the duck and presented it along with ”biscuits“ (tiny slices of soft bread) and pancakes (very thin tortillas), thinly sliced green onion, and hoisin sauce. The biscuits or pancakes are spread with sauce and topped with sliced onions, slices of crispy skin and pieces of duck, then are covered with another biscuit, or the pancake is rolled up.

If you prefer fish instead of duck, Panda's chef Yongcheng Ao will prepare fillet of sole that's scored with a cleaver, dipped in a light batter, deep-fried for about 60 seconds to shape the fish, removed, then deep-fried again in another pan to make it crisp. It's served with a sweet-and-sour sauce.

Beijing duck and fried fish are prepared in the traditional Chinese methods and are always prepared just before serving. But if you're in a hurry, Panda Cuisine serves a lunch buffet on weekdays.