By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — Hungry for pad Thai, General Tso’s chicken or Peking duck? Cranbury residents and visitors now have no farther to look than downtown.
Minghui Pan and her husband Ben Shao, of West Windsor, opened Food Sing Asian Cuisine at 57 N. Main St. on Sunday. The dine-in and take-out restaurant offers Chinese, Japanese and Thai food.
With over 20 years of restaurant experience between them, Ms. Pan and Mr. Shao have both owned restaurants in the region before. Ms. Pan owned a take-out restaurant in Trenton and Mr. Shao owned a buffet in Hamilton.
Owning a more relaxed, sit-down eatery in a quaint little town was “an inspiring vision” for Ms. Pan, according to her son, Jason Pan.
Having a small mom-and-pop shop where he could use fresh ingredients to create his specialty dishes was Mr. Shao’s dream.
“With no other Asian place around town, we also fill that demand,” Mr. Pan said.
It was apparent on Sunday that Food Sing would be meeting a need in the area, as many flocked to the new eatery to try free food samples.
“We got packed at night,” Mr. Pan said. “We realized quickly we didn’t have enough staff. We’re looking for more people.”
He said current and future staff are charged with keeping a relaxed ambiance in which customers can feel comfortable asking about items on the menu.
When asked what his favorite dishes are, Mr. Pan said the Peking duck, pad Thai and General Tso’s chicken. He said each restaurant makes these dishes in different ways and Food Sing’s are truly unique.
There are 29 appetizers on the menu including dumplings, spring rolls, spare ribs, scallion pancakes, Thai fried calamari, Indian pancakes, aged tofu, steamed pork buns, wontons and beef tendons.
Soups include wonton, hot and sour, egg drop, miso, Tom Yum, pumpkin, chicken corn and noodle soups.
The menu features various seafood, chicken, beef, pork and vegetable dishes as well as fried rice and noodle dishes, with no dish exceeding $13.95.
Specialty dishes cost more but include entrees such as grilled rack of lamb, pineapple curry duck, Chilean sea bass Chinese style and salt and pepper flounder among a number of meat and fish combination platters.
There is also sushi and sashimi a la carte, sushi bar entrees, Japanese kitchen entrees, special sushi rolls as well as rolls and hand rolls.
“Just stop by, try the food and meet the people,” Mr. Pan said.
Food Sing is closed on Mondays, open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The eatery offers delivery for a minimum purchase of $20.
For more information about Food Sing Asian Cuisine and to look at the menu, visit foodsingasiancuisine.com.
