North Gate’s Koi Sushi is well-known for its signature sushi rolls and college-friendly prices. What they are less renowned for is an authentic Chinese menu that’s only available upon request.
Koi manager Darren Deng said he and his family have managed the restaurant for about two years now. Once his father, Guang Deng, took over, they started offering Koi beef noodles. Members of the Chinese community heard about the traditionally-prepared noodles and came to try them.
Deng said the noodles were so well received that customers started making requests for other Chinese dishes. The restaurant started writing down all the requests, and a menu developed.
Deng said the Chinese items are separate from the regular Koi menu because restaurant owners don’t want to deter customers with the Chinese dishes, the names of which are written in Chinese symbols with a short English translation below it, but no description is given.
The English name for the first item is “Ants Climbing pao.” In Chinese, the phrase is actually “gong bao,” but Deng said they kept its American form because it’s more commonly recognized.
“Even if you’ve never eaten the dish before, it sounds familiar,” said Deng.
Kandyse Aube, public relations senior, is a new fan of the authentic Chinese menu. She said a friend told her to try it two weeks ago and at first she was hesitant to ask her server for it.
Aube encourages fellow Koi customers to try some of the authentic Chinese dishes.
“Don’t be intimidated just because it’s in another language,” Aube said, “Give it a