Opening of Long Jin fulfills longtime dream
Gary Chan was 12 when he realized Chinese food was his future.
Twenty-six years later, he has opened his own restaurant, Long Jin, 4825 S. Rainbow Blvd., but it was worth the wait.
“I knew early on that I’m very interested in running a restaurant,” Chan says. “That’s probably like my calling. That’s what I know best.”
Chan started in the restaurant business when he was 14, after his mother taught him to cook in her absence. When she left Hong Kong to work in the United States, Chan stayed home and cooked for his father, uncle and younger brother. The family reunited a few years later in the United States.
He worked his way up from dishwasher to bus person before becoming a server in several restaurants in California. After server came manager, general manager and, now, restaurant owner.
Chan moved to Las Vegas in 2004 because the town offered more opportunities for fledgling restaurateurs, he says.
At first, he found a job as the buffet manager at Mandalay Bay. He worked as a casino host before going to Wynn Las Vegas to work as a butler. Being around the Chinese chefs at several Wynn restaurants inspired him, Chan says. He was exposed to ingredients he had only heard of.
When he opened Long Jin in July, Chan wanted to offer the kind of cuisine that would appeal to American palates as well as Asian. The menu offers a mix of about 60 Cantonese- and Mandarin-style dishes.
The dining room, which seats 50, is intimate but casual. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are not required.
Specialties: honey walnut shrimp, $14; barbecue spareribs, $10; hot and spicy eggplant, $8
Appetizers: vegetable spring rolls, $5; pan-fried dumplings, $6; shrimp tempura, $8
Soups and salads: chicken lettuce wraps, $8; Asian chicken salad, $7; hot and sour soup, $3 (cup), $5 (bowl)
Entrees: sizzling seafood platter, $16; boneless duck, $14; kung pao chicken, $9; egg fried rice, $5
Desserts: Nutella banana eggroll with coconut ice cream, $6; New York cheesecake with mango puree, $5; red bean ice cream, $3
Information: 873-3288
By SONYA PADGETT