For Han Zhu, opening a restaurant in Middletown, NY, was never part of a carefully mapped-out career plan.
After years in California as a professional hip-hop dancer and teacher, Zhu found himself considering an unexpected opportunity: taking over a restaurant in Middletown whose owner was retiring. A few months later, Far East Gourmet was born.
The restaurant, which opened in late May and remains in its soft-opening stage, has given Zhu a chance to combine something he has enjoyed since childhood—cooking—with a new goal of becoming part of a small-town community.
“I have a passion for cooking,” Zhu said. “I can make it happen.”
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A long road to the restaurant
Zhu grew up in China and moved to the United States at 18. Before that, he said, he had not seen his mother for 12 years.
His mother eventually came to the United States, while Zhu was raised for much of his childhood by relatives who operated a restaurant and were good cooks.
After coming to California, Zhu studied economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, but never pursued a career in the field. Instead, he spent about 12 years as a competitive dancer and hip-hop dance teacher.
He also explored cooking as a private chef, preparing food at home for friends and families.
The restaurant opportunity came at a time when his Airbnb business had become largely passive, giving him the freedom to consider something new. The lower cost of opening a restaurant compared with California was another factor.
“In California, it can easily cost a million dollars to open a restaurant,” he said. “That’s not something I can afford, but here, it’s much more affordable.”
The opportunity also brought him closer to his mother, who lives nearby.
Bringing a taste of home
Zhu said he did not come to Middletown with the idea of opening a typical American-Chinese restaurant.
His hometown is Harbin in northeastern China, and he wants diners to experience flavors from that region as well as other parts of Asia.
“I want to bring my hometown flavor to Middletown and introduce it to people who have never tried it,” he said.
One dish particularly represents that goal: Guo Bao Rou, or sweet-tangy pork, a traditional northeastern Chinese dish.
Zhu describes it as an iconic dish from his culture, with a strong vinegar aroma and a crisp texture. He said his interest in perfecting it came partly from his difficulty finding an authentic version elsewhere.
“That flavor is what I grew up with,” he said. “I know what it tastes like. I know how it’s supposed to look and smell. I want to make it as authentic as possible.”
Other house favorites include Korean fried chicken, short ribs and pan-fried crispy-skirt dumplings. The menu also includes dishes influenced by Japanese, Korean and Chinese cooking, as well as foods Zhu enjoyed in the Bay Area.
“I never see food as a separate concept because nowadays everything is fusion,” Zhu said. “If it’s good food, it’s good food. That’s all I care about.”
Learning as he goes
Running a restaurant has been a steep learning curve. Zhu had never worked in the restaurant industry before opening Far East Gourmet.
“I have to learn everything from top to bottom, from stocking inventory to training and hiring people,” he said. “I’ve had to learn everything, and it has been a big challenge, both physically and mentally.”
He is also learning what local customers want.
At first, he thought part of his role would be to introduce customers to the history and culture behind Chinese food. But he has since adjusted his approach.
“Most people, when they eat, they just want to eat,” he said. “They’re here to get good food. That’s all.”
Rather than trying to educate customers, he now focuses on creating food people enjoy while gradually expanding their choices.
His menu continues to change, with seasonal and weekly specials under consideration.
Finding a place in Middletown
Zhu said the restaurant’s setting is important to him. He prefers the pace and personal connections of a smaller community to the anonymity of a major city.
“I like small towns like this,” he said. “You get more personal connections with customers. Those connections are very important.”
He hopes Far East Gourmet can become a familiar gathering place for local families—a quiet, comfortable restaurant where people can try something different.
“I want to create a local connection with every family who comes to the restaurant,” he said, “and give them a different choice for eating with their family and their kids.”
That connection is already beginning to take shape. Zhu has attended local community events, including a Moon Festival and a Chinese cultural event, and said meeting people has led to opportunities he never expected.
For Zhu, those relationships are becoming as important as the restaurant itself.
“That’s my goal,” he said, when asked whether he hopes the restaurant will become part of the local community.
A new chapter
Zhu’s path to the restaurant has been unconventional—from China to California, from economics to professional dance, and now from cooking for friends to running his own restaurant.
He said he has also come to see himself as someone shaped by more than one culture.
“I love both cultures,” he said. “I am American, but I’m also not fully American. I’m also not fully Chinese. That’s who I am. I’m somewhere in the middle, trying to make the best of both.”
Now he hopes to build something lasting in Middletown.
“My dream is to make this restaurant an iconic place for people who come to Middletown to visit,” Zhu said.
For now, he is still learning, adjusting the menu and meeting his neighbors—one dish and one conversation at a time.
“I want to learn,” he said. “I want to see what people think about food. I take advice here and there.”
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