Downtown dynasty: Zeng Chinese Restaurant opens to raves on Old Santa Fe Trail
Apr. 22—Jason Zeng has known only the restaurant business.
When he was a kid in China, Zeng said, his sister had a restaurant. In his years after school, he opened or partnered in eateries from New York to Chicago to Russellville, Ark.
"My first job was a restaurant job," Zeng, 38, said.
Zeng since 2020 has created three dining establishments in Santa Fe, with his latest, Zeng Chinese Restaurant, opening to much excitement from visitors and residents alike.
Situated at El Sendero Inn on Old Santa Fe Trail and East Alameda Street, Zeng and his team serve up what he says is a mix of traditional Chinese dishes — such as handmade dumplings — and other more common plates, like fried rice and rice noodle dishes.
On the Santa Fe Foodies group on Facebook, Zeng's latest effort has collected more than a dozen posts. One user called his food "delicious," while another said the restaurant's pork wonton soup was "fantastic" and "pretty darn close to New York."
Others have pointed to the restaurant's interior design, which Zeng says features a mix of modern and more traditional Chinese elements.
Zeng Chinese Restaurant is one of its namesake's biggest investments yet, one that has required more than $600,000.
The restaurant is about 5,000 square feet and, once the proper licensing is acquired, will include two full bars on each end of the space. He's spent money on the needed equipment to cook some of the foods and has paid special attention to the little things, such as buying specially crafted plating and cups for guests.
He has also spent a sizable amount of money on two robotic servers, which bring food to guests' tables. It's a practice that has become more common coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. He said some guests are shocked, but overall it's been a pleasant and new experience for them.
"I watched [on] YouTube and saw a very high-quality hotel had these robots, and I called the company [who makes them] and said, 'Do you have those?' " he said jokingly. "The customers — they like them."
For Zeng, the new restaurant solidifies his love for Santa Fe, where he moved after vacationing here in 2020. He said when he first visited, he noticed a need for more Asian-style restaurants and thought it would be a good idea to open one of his own.
That led him to open Sushi8 and Dumpling Cafe with mother Sani Zeng before Zeng Chinese. They also own Dumpling Tea.
"Santa Fe is more comfortable for me," he said. "Everybody's nice here [and] that's why I want to stay here."
At his newest creation, the location also plays an important role in bringing in business. The restaurant is just a short walk from the Plaza and some government buildings.
"There's so much traffic with people from the Plaza. This stretch of road is really highly trafficked," said Alicia Bertram, a broker with SF Brown Real Estate who worked with Zeng on nailing down the location for Zeng Chinese Restaurant. "Then you have all the state buildings, so all the locals can come, too."
Zeng's ambition has him already looking to potentially open another Asian-style place in the coming months on the south side of town.
But his plans for Zeng Chinese, he said, are to create a welcoming environment for residents and tourists alike. Soon, he said, the eatery may open even earlier than the current 11 a.m. And the patio also will be open soon.
"I want to keep going — however long we can do it," he said. "I have family here. I bought a house here. I think I got to live here for a long time."
