Chef Tony Hu opening hot pot restaurant Xiaolongkan in Chinatown

Chef Tony Hu opening hot pot restaurant Xiaolongkan in former Won Kow space in Chinatown

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html

2237 S Wentworth Ave
Chicago, IL 60616

Dave148 wrote:Chef Tony Hu opening hot pot restaurant Xiaolongkan in former Won Kow space in Chinatown

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html

Interesting - all the offshoot Lao xxx's closed (to my knowledge they're all gone) and now Tony is starting anew with another concept.

chicagojim wrote:Interesting - all the offshoot Lao xxx's closed (to my knowledge they're all gone) and now Tony is starting anew with another concept.

Still a few Lao Sze Chuan's open (Chinatown, Michigan Ave and up North). No idea if they're in any way connected anymore.

spinynorman99 wrote:

chicagojim wrote:Interesting - all the offshoot Lao xxx's closed (to my knowledge they're all gone) and now Tony is starting anew with another concept.

Still a few Lao Sze Chuan's open (Chinatown, Michigan Ave and up North). No idea if they're in any way connected anymore.

Two places I frequent outside Illinois are also LSC:

Lao Sze Chuan in Minneapolis is affiliated (uses the same logo), and went from branding as Lao Sze Chuan to Little Szechuan and back. They answered the phone today as Lao Sze Chuan and said they're affiliated.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category ... 836050736/

Lao Szechuan in Sioux Falls, South Dakota told me onsite in September 2019 they are not affiliated. As mentioned by other posters it is of course a common way to refer to the province or cooking style nostalgically:
https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/ ... 436070002/

Between public reporting and some asides from Tony himself it's possible to pick up that Xiaolongkan will be very carefully operated, that there is circumspection and restitution, and that there's reason to be optimistic about the refocused effort. I'm on the side of the fence of being glad the LSC brand did emerge and expand since the regional food sings its own merits.

Interesting. For some reason I thought he was in jail. Hopefully he runs the money side of this more honestly to the government. It's a chain so better chances.

As far as the food goes, I wonder how much they'll tone it down in the us. The mild base at the last hot pot place we went to in Chengdu a few years ago was hotter than the usual hot base in the US.

spinynorman99 wrote:

chicagojim wrote:Interesting - all the offshoot Lao xxx's closed (to my knowledge they're all gone) and now Tony is starting anew with another concept.

Still a few Lao Sze Chuan's open (Chinatown, Michigan Ave and up North). No idea if they're in any way connected anymore.

I was referring to his Chinatown places that had names like Lao Beijing, Lao Shanghai, and I'm not sure if there were others. They all closed at some point.

chicagojim wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

chicagojim wrote:Interesting - all the offshoot Lao xxx's closed (to my knowledge they're all gone) and now Tony is starting anew with another concept.

Still a few Lao Sze Chuan's open (Chinatown, Michigan Ave and up North). No idea if they're in any way connected anymore.

I was referring to his Chinatown places that had names like Lao Beijing, Lao Shanghai, and I'm not sure if there were others. They all closed at some point.

Lao Hunan, Lao Youju, Lao Ma La, Lao 18, Lao Yunnan, for the record. I ate at all of ‘em and can remember pluses and dishes I miss from each. Some were or have been at the same address run by at least one member of the same kitchen after sale / rebranding.
http://www.tonygourmetgroup.com/about_us.aspx

Santander wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

chicagojim wrote:Interesting - all the offshoot Lao xxx's closed (to my knowledge they're all gone) and now Tony is starting anew with another concept.

Still a few Lao Sze Chuan's open (Chinatown, Michigan Ave and up North). No idea if they're in any way connected anymore.

Two places I frequent outside Illinois are also LSC:

Lao Sze Chuan in Minneapolis...
<snip>
Lao Szechuan in Sioux Falls...
<snip>

I was curious if the Downers Grove location was still open and was surprised at how many Chicago area locations he has...


... and then across the country? Wow!