FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — The Panda House restaurant is back in business after a three-week hiatus that was caused by a kitchen fire, according to owner Frank Qiu.
The ethnic eatery in the South Freehold Shopping Center (ShopRite), Route 9 north, features Asian Fusion cuisine.
Qiu said that after the fire three-and-ahalf weeks ago — which started in the kitchen and was contained in that space — he found it necessary to replace the contents of the dining area and therefore he decided to renovate the entire restaurant.
The renovations include new carpeting, new wooden tables, and wooden and upholstered chairs, as well as new booths in a peach color. The walls have been freshly painted in a soft gray on the top half of the walls and have gray and white speckled Formica on the lower half of the walls. Ambient lighting for a relaxing meal is provided with amber lamps and chandeliers.
Asian Fusion, according Qiu, is a blend of four Chinese cuisines, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hunan and Thai. The mix makes for an interesting blend and taste experience, and one that keeps his customers coming back, according to Qiu.
“If a customer wants a specific type of cuisine, we will make it for them,” Qiu said.
Panda House offers fresh fish daily, some of it even caught by Qiu and his family members in Point Pleasant or even as far away as Long Island.
Specialties include basil shrimp, crispy beef dishes, homemade dumplings, and homemade crispy noodles among many other treats.
The family-owned business has been operating for the past three-and-a-half years. It was formerly Sun Hing, which had been in that location for more than 20 years.
Qiu takes pride in using fresh products in his dishes.
“Most of our vegetables come from Delicious Orchards. It’s more expensive, but it is worth it,” he said.
The Panda House offers a selection of foods that are gluten-free. Qiu said he has a separate oven and a separate refrigerator to cook and cool the gluten-free foods.
“We are very careful to do this because if a customer who is allergic to wheat comes in contact with some of the wheat they can get very sick,” he explained.
Qiu said he is a vegan (someone who eats no animal or dairy products) and he said that his customers who are vegetarians trust that he will prepare their food the way they want it to be prepared.
The restaurant also offers pork, chicken, beef and seafood dishes in a number of combinations.