China Star to open in Austin

By Katie Johnson (Contact) | Austin Daily Herald

Published Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A new restaurant is bringing a flavor for every palate to Austin starting this Friday.

China Star Mongolian Grill is opening its doors as the first in the area to offer custom stir-fry dishes made to order.

“The reason we chose this location is I’ve seen a good population,” owner Jeff Lam explained. “There’s a lot of retired people looking for a good sit-down restaurant for lunch and dinner.”

Located in the Super Center Place strip mall across from Wal-Mart, the 5,000-square-foot restaurant is all about options: from sushi and crab legs to pizza and macaroni-and-cheese, China Star prides itself on universal appeal.

“A lot of kids — they don’t like Chinese food,” Lam said.

Photo by Katie Johnson

Jeff Lam, owner of China Star Mongolian Grill, poses in front of his new restaurant in the Super Center Place strip mall, across from Wal-Mart at 1906 Eighth St. N.W. Opening Friday, the restaurant will feature a full menu, buffet and a create-your-own-dish Mongolian grill.

The buffet, which Lam says is affordable at $7-8 for lunch and $10 for dinner, is an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of American and Chinese cuisine as well as seafood.

At the Mongolian grill, a trained cook prepares if front of customers their choice of sauces, vegetables and meats to their specifications.

Born in China, Lam has managed and owned restaurants everywhere from San Francisco to Minot, N.D. The Austin site is the 18th China Star location.

After an Austin resident visited a China Star and suggested they open a location in Austin, they sent a marketer to the city to research the feasibility of a restaurant. They found that Austin has an older population, and many travel elsewhere to dine out.

“We want customers to stay in Austin,” Lam said. “We want to bring customers from Albert Lea because they don’t have a Mongolian grill there.

“Austin’s a small city, but I think it will do well here,” he believes. “A lot of restaurants are Chinese food-only. At China Star, there’s something for everyone.”

Take-out is also available, and China Star offers a senior discount. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. China Star is located across from Wal-Mart at 1906 Eighth St. N.W.

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