STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 8
Chen keeps Stillwater ’ s Asian food scene bustling
Whenever it ’ s time for Stillwater to vote on some of their favorite eateries , ballots are often filled with Calvin Chen ’ s creations .
Calvin currently owns three of Stillwater ’ s best Asian restaurants and shows no signs of slowing down . Mr . Chen studied Engineering at OU and joked that all Asian parents want their kids to be engineers or doctors ! While going to school in Norman , he worked at different hotels and restaurants around the metro area . He even spent nine years dabbling in daytrading , but nothing could compare to his love of cooking and passion for food .
In 2010 , Calvin had the opportunity to buy Golden Dragon . At the time it was a small operation with just five employees . With his love of cooking and knowledge of business he was able to expand in 2014 , buying the space next door . With a bigger restaurant and more employees , Chen rebranded as Golden Dragon Cafe and started offering delivery . Under his watchful eye , Golden Dragon has been a Stillwater mainstay for Chinese and Thai cuisine for almost 15 years ! He shared that most of the repeat customers have their goto order or comfort meals that only Golden Dragon can provide . The dishes they offer are standard staples that range from Fried Rice and Kung Pao Chicken to Pork Dumplings and an array of Bubble Teas and smoothies .
He even makes all of their sauces ! Calvin also told me that if a larger space opened up in that area , he ’ d love to move PHOTOS by DENVER and COCO EVANS the entire restaurant to its own building .
In 2016 Calvin married his wife Patricia , who kicked her Industrial Engineering job to the curb to embark on a food journey with her new husband . The Chens love to travel , mainly throughout Oklahoma and Texas , trying out different restaurants , bistros and pubs drawing inspiration for their menus . Calvin told me that his ideas would never come to fruition if he didn ’ t have such an understanding and supportive partner ( I can absolutely attest to that ). His mind never stops and his imagination is always brewing up something new . He also mentioned that Patricia is an amazing baker who makes delicious and delicate Asian pastries . Always keeping an eye on food trends , Calvin decided his next venture would be a Japanese fusion restaurant that served Poke bowls . He loved the idea of an Asian bistro that was family-friendly . And just like that , Nooki opened on The Strip in 2019 . Traditional Poke bowls started as a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine . Poke began with fishermen seasoning their cut-offs from
Miso sushi roll / PHOTO by Miso
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 8