On Saturday, customers began filing into the door, eager to sample the food at Kewanee’s newest restaurant. On Friday, China Fortune Express, which offers Asian cuisine, a buffet and sushi, took up where Wang’s Asian Cuisine left off.
The retail space, located at 544 Tenney St., was the former location for several Chinese restaurants including the Great Wall, and more recently Wang’s. Under the new owner, Jackie Chen, the eatery will feature his signature menu items Crab Rangoon and sushi.
With the assistance of a customer, Jackson Pollock, who lived in China for 15 years and acted as interpreter for the interview, Chen said that he was a longtime owner of a restaurant in Virginia but was approached by a friend from the area who told him about the opportunity in Kewanee.
Chen said he visited the town and the business location and liked it enough to move his restaurant here. He operates the restaurant with the help of his sister and a student, who he said he is teaching to cook.
Several customers on Saturday said they enjoyed the buffet and variety, with one customer sampling and liking the squid salad.
The buffet is served all day and includes a variety of menu items from chicken dishes to pork and beef selections. Also on the buffet is sushi, shrimp, a salad bar, desserts, soups, lo mein, fried dumplings, sweet donuts, sweet and sour chicken and fried rice.
The restaurant offers carry-out, dine-in and delivery and is open every day except Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Wednesdays.
