Blue Top, a new Chinese restaurant, has opened at 1178 Kenny Centre Mall in the former Thai Taste location.
The restaurant, owned by Lei Liu and son James Wang, serves a blend between new and traditional Chinese food, available for sit-down, takeout, and catering. Liu and Wang first started looking for a space in July 2014, acquiring the restaurant in late October. Renovations began that month, and finished last week.
Say ‘Chinese food’ to the average American, and images of MSG-laden General Tso’s chicken, crab rangoon, sesame beef, and other Americanized Chinese dishes that stray from authentic cuisine appear. Blue Top aims to serve a more healthful meal, steaming a majority of their dishes rather than frying, and using less oil in the foods that are fried. A lot of the menu consists of family recipes, like steamed pork rib, and golden egg with caramel. Their lunch special consists of a multi-compartment box, filled with rice, soup, and your choice of two appetizers and a main dish.
The inside of the restaurant is filled with pottery, furniture, and decor Lui imported straight from China, down to their heavy duty plastic takeout bags. It seats 90, including a full service bar. A food cart could possibly be in the works for the future, servicing Downtown, OSU and the surrounding offices, but nothing has been officialized as of now.
Blue Top is open 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon – 10 p.m. on Sundays, with prices ranging from $10 – $20.
For more information, visit www.mybluetop.com.
Restaurant photos by Rebecca Wagner. Food photos provided by Blue Top.
