Many international students arrive at LSU with no mode of transportation, few friends and appetites not accustomed to American foods. For some of these students, Charlie‘s Seafood Kitchen at 228 W Chimes St. provides a slice of home in the form of traditional Chinese and Japanese cuisine.
This quaint, hole-in-the-wall establishment delivers a combination of both basic restaurant fare and Asian cuisine. Menu items available to the public range from the standard chicken tenders and burgers to the more common Southern Louisiana cuisine consisting of seafood platters and overstuffed po’boys. There is also a hidden menu that the general public is unaware of, which contains authentic culinary selections.
The Asian international student community is not exactly tight-knit, but this spot is the tie that unifies them since it connects them to tastes of home.
The owner, nicknamed “Charlie,” who is from Shanghai, China, oversees day-to-day operations. It’s comforting for the students to know that the meal they’re consuming is prepared by a person who also has an understanding of what their food looks, smells and tastes like.
“It’s very traditional,” landscape architecture sophomore Guao Yue said. ”I can tell it’s better than American food, for me at least. I have a Chinese stomach and sometimes I can’t stand American food.”
Daily consumption of fast food dishes is not even a consideration for many of the students that rely on Charlie for meals often. Every day around 6 p.m., they shuffle in already knowing their desired dinner option.
For those already aware of the secret menu, there is a group chat in which they can all see and discuss the secret menu items. For those unaware, students who have been here for a while often refer Charlie’s to newer students, such as junior film and television transfer student Aicheng Yao, who was alerted of a nearby chef from his home country soon after arriving at LSU.
“We miss home very much and we want to eat Chinese food sometimes, but there’s very limited options,” Yao said.
It is apparent that these students are looking for more than the typical lo mein noodles and fried rice that you see at many Chinese restaurants, and Charlie’s offers that.
“Almost every week I will come here around 3-4 times,” Yao said. “You can’t find food like this anywhere else. I would definitely recommend this for others.”
More than a provider of familiar tastes, Charlie supplies a friendly face to all and a common language to the students who do not speak English as a first language, which contributes to his expanding clientele.
The establishment was not as well known a few years ago as it is now according to Yue, though it continues to grow among the general public and also as a go-to spot among the Asian international student community craving this niche flavor that Charlie provides so close to where they reside.
Sophomore landscape architecture student Minghan Lin, who lives at the Nicholson Gateway apartments, thrives on the convenience of the nearby eatery.
“The main reason that we eat in Charlie’s is because is close to campus,” Lin said. “Charlie’s food makes me miss my hometown more.”

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Matthew Perschall

Charlie’s Kitchen sits open on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, at 228 West Chimes Street in Baton Rouge, La.