'A lot of theatrics': Quincy Asian restaurant aims for Instagram-worthy food and drinks
QUINCY − After nearly 15 years of working in restaurants, Jeffrey Huang said he was looking to get out of the industry and try his hand at something else.
But when a Chinese restaurant on Quincy Avenue closed, Huang and three friends saw an opportunity they couldn't pass up. The idea for Cloud Asian Fusion & Bar was born.
"It was very spontaneous," said Huang, who opened Cloud in June 2023 with fellow Quincy natives Jacky Mei, Judy Mei and Peter Chan. "We took a leap of faith, and it's been great."
Tucked in the corner of President Plaza on Quincy Avenue, Cloud from the outside blends in with the row of storefronts. Inside, you'll find what Huang describes as "industrial chic," including concrete walls with exposed rebar, partitions made of long black chain, and a large concrete sculpture of hands holding greenery sticking out of the wall.
Huang said the vision for Cloud is to create a dining experience through Instagram-worthy food and drinks that look as good as they taste, coupled with great service.
"Dining is an experience as a whole, so good service, food and drinks, presentation and ambience − those things together is what makes us different," Huang said.
He described the cuisine as Asian fusion, and said customers can't find many of the items on the menu at other restaurants.
"We're taking traditional Chinese dishes and adding modern techniques and flavors," he said.
For example, the mango mayo shrimp is their take on the Cantonese dish honey walnut shrimp.
Huang said Cloud elevates its food with the presentation. The lobster fried rice, for example, is served in a bowl suspended from a crescent moon base with dry ice smoke pouring from the base.
Other favorite dishes include steak fried rice, fire street noodles and xo fried rice. The restaurant serves $1 oysters on Monday and Tuesday, and often offers specials.
Jacky Mei, who runs the kitchen and cooks alongside his father, said he and the co-owners spent many nights up late after working other jobs to develop the dishes and craft the menu item by item.
"The feedback has been amazing," he said.
Cloud has gotten a lot of attention on social media for its photo-worthy cocktails as well.
"We take popular cocktails and put our own spin on it," Mei said.
Its signature drink, the Influencer, is served in a treasure chest filled with smoke made from dry ice. When opened, the smoke clears, revealing the cocktail made with Casamigos tequila, guava, grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice and triple sec.
"People always come in and say, 'What is that drink in the box with the smoke?'" said Huang, who is a travel influencer himself, with thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. "There's a lot of theatrics with it."
Other popular cocktails include the Black Pearl − Bacardi rum, Chambord, blackberry, lemon-lime soda and edible glitter − and the Lycheetini, which includes Tito's vodka, Soho lychee and lychee juice.
Cloud Asian Fusion & Bar
Location: 217 Quincy Ave., Quincy.
Hours: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Sunday. Kitchen stays open until midnight.
Contact: cloudfusionbar@gmail.com, 617-405-4078 or cloudfusionbar.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy Asian restaurant serves Instagram-worthy food and cocktails
