Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2007/January 2008 | Page 98

life

FOOD & DRINK

Bembridge gets
top new Chinese
restaurant
Bembridge, home to the new China
China chinese restaurant. We
speak to Mark Fan and Steve Tang
about their latest acquisition.
Lucky, lucky Bembridge.
The people of this lovely
village are about to receive
an exotic Christmas present.
China China, the Chinese
restaurant which has taken
Cowes by storm, is about to
open on their doorstep.
“We’re building on the

98

success of the Cowes
restaurant to service the
other side of the Island,” says
Mark Fan, joint proprietor
of China China. “It’s 17miles
from Bembridge to Cowes,
which is quite far to have to
travel for a good meal.”
Phenomenally good food and

Photo: Left Mark Fan and Steve Tang
tremendous ambience made
for the runaway success of the
restaurant on Cowes seafront.
As a result, Mark got together
with Steve Tang, fellow chef
– and his former boss – and
came up with the idea of
creating a China China brand.
“Steve has been my mentor
in the business. I learnt so
much from working with
him,” says Mark. “He is a
dedicated chef, and is very
experienced in all aspects of
the food trade. He has the
restaurant game in his blood.”
One of the great things
about the brand is that
despite its exotic appearance
the restaurant in Cowes
has a rel axed and inviting
atmosphere. You might not
expect such an upmarket
place to do home takeaways
– but China China not
only does takeaways, it has
developed a reputation for

doing the best takeaways.
Can Bembridge look
forward to a similar service?
“Oh yes,” says Mark, “we
plan to do takeaways. The
restaurant is on about half
the scale of our first branch,
but the food and the service
will be just as good.”
He admits it might be a bit
of a gamble: two restaurants
might mean fewer customers
for the Cowes branch. But
somehow you get the feeling
that, with its reputation
preceding it, and with Steve
and Mark’s expertise, the
China China brand can
only go one way. Up.

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net