J’s Asian Kitchen Set To Open Second Fredericton Location
FREDERICTON – The north side location of J’s Asian Kitchen will open on November 18 after delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The restaurant, which offers a wide variety of Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine, has been operating out of its downtown Fredericton location for nearly two and a half years.
“As a new immigrant, this is a new culture and a different business landscape, but we feel we are growing with our customers and they’re watching us and they’re really happy to see us expand to a second location,” said Gina Lee, co-owner of J’s Asian Kitchen.
The second location will open at 146 Main Street in a space previously occupied by Claudine’s Eatery, which has since moved to 138 Dundonald Street. Lee said she is already receiving reservations for their opening day.
“I’m excited to see my lovely customers,” she said.
Related: J’s Asian Kitchen Opening Second Location On Northside
Since the beginning of the pandemic, J’s Asian Kitchen has only been able to serve takeout and orders through SkipTheDishes due to the size of their downtown location. The new location will be able to safely accommodate social distancing.
“People leave reviews on SkipTheDishes that say things like ‘I love your food’ and ‘I’m going to support you as much as I can,’” Lee said. “I love when they send special comments like that.”
Lee said that she has been skeptical about opening the new location during the pandemic but is happy that she will be able to see customers face-to-face and offer them fresh food in the restaurant.
“Everyone’s situation is changing,” Lee said. “Everything is a challenge, and everything is changing.”
Lee is also hoping the restaurant allows customers who have traveled to Vietnam, China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea to re-experience their travel, especially since they cannot visit in person during the pandemic.
“Many customers have lovely memories of travels to Asia,” said Lee. “Many of their memories are related to food and drink so we got a special order so they can remember their experience.”
Some of the items special ordered include Asian beer and Korean whiskey selections.
Lee said the most popular item on J’s Asian Kitchen’s menu is pad thai, but the restaurant also sells a lot of sushi, rolls, and chow mein among many other dishes.
“Customers tell me they love trying different foods and that’s why they come back to our restaurant and share it with their families.”
Liam Floyd is a reporter for Huddle. Send him story suggestions: [email protected].