First look (by a magazine) at Jian's Kitchen.

Hal B. Klein reviews Jian's Kitchen for Pittsburgh Magazine this month in a profile of new restaurants.

There’s a lot to celebrate with this opening, and foremost is the depth of its menu. You Shan Pei, the former head chef of Northeastern Kitchen, remains on staff, and he’s joined by Michael Chew, a Taiwanese chef with 40 years of experience; Chew first cooked in Pittsburgh 30 years ago when he was the chef of Chef Chow in Fox Chapel.

Rather than focus solely on the lesser-known (though utterly delicious) cuisine of Heilongjiang province, as was the case at Northeastern Kitchen, the two chefs are collaborating on a pan-Chinese menu. Those dishes go beyond the typical Chinese restaurant menu to celebrate the nation’s culinary intricacies, and they’re also exploring the depths of regional cuisine.

Jian's Kitchen (品江南) opened in December in Squirrel Hill, in the spot formerly occupied by Northeastern Kitchen.

2011 Taiwanese movie Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (賽德克·巴萊) February 23 at Pitt, followed by discussion with director.

The University of Pittsburgh's Taiwanese Student Association and Asian Studies Center will present a screening of the 2011 Taiwanese movie movie Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (賽德克·巴萊), followed by a discussion with director Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖). An overview, from a 2012 New York Times review:

Its story is based on the little-known Wushe Incident in 1930, when 300 warriors of the Seediq, an aboriginal people centered in Taiwan’s interior highlands, rose up against their Japanese oppressors. A brief historical preface explains that in 1895, the island of Taiwan was ceded by China to Japan, which subdued the native population and turned them into demoralized, alcoholic slaves. Steeped in mysticism, tribal folklore and Asian machismo, the film is a two-and-a-half-hour bloodbath that fetishizes the machete as the ultimate human slicing machine.

The movie starts at 5:00 pm, and the discussion at 8:30. Registration details for the movie are not yet available, though registration for the discussion with Wei is now open.

Oriental Market to move to new location in early March.

Signage at Oriental Market, an Asian grocery on McKnight Road, says it will move to its new location further up the street in early March. Its new store will be at 7300 Old McKnight Road (map), which used to house David's Bridal.

Mosaic Leaf Matcha Tea Bar opens in Lawrenceville.

via @mosaicleaf

The Incline shares news of Mosaic Leaf Matcha Tea Bar, which opened recently in Lawrenceville.

Mosaic Leaf is Pittsburgh's first matcha tea bar and botanical blending company located in Lawrenceville. We feature Ultra Matcha, our artisan matcha tea blends and premium Japanese matcha straight from the farm.

It is located at 3511 Butler St. (map).

Signage up for new Panda Supermarket location in Squirrel Hill.

Signage recently went up for the new Panda Supermarket (熊猫超市) location in Squirrel Hill, a few storefronts down from its current spot on Forbes Ave. It purchased the building at 5818 Forbes Ave. (map) in August 2019 and began renovations on the spot last summer. It originally opened in 2017 and will stay open at its current spot until it moves in a month or two.

Pad Thai Noodle opening soon in Oakland; N. Craig St. storefront changes hands yet again.

Pad Thai Noodle will soon open at 256 N. Craig St. in Oakland. It is run by the same couple who opened Street Noodles on the South Side in October (and who ran Golden Land Asian Cuisine the last few years until its reecent closure).

This particular location has changed hands numerous times over the past few years. It was Chiang Mai Noodle from August 2020 until recently; a different Pad Thai Noodle from August 2019; and a quick succession of Tan Lac Vien Express, Ana's Vietnamese Cuisine, and Miss Saigon 88 between 2012 and 2018.

Oriental Market moving up the road to Old McKnight Road and the former David's Bridal.

Work is underway on Old McKnight Road in the North Hills on a new location for Oriental Market, an Asian grocery that operated a little further south on McKnight Road since 2011. A reader sends this photo of this building at 7300 Old McKnight Road (map), which used to house David's Bridal.

Ineffable Cà Phê owner and family opening Phat's bar in Oakland this month.

via @phats418

Phat's is scheduled to open on Semple St. in Oakland on January 21, 2021. It's located at 418 Semple in the spot formerly occupied by Panther House Bar & Grill. It will be owned and run by the family behind Ineffable Cà Phê, a Vietnamese cafe that opened in Lawrenceville in 2017.

Atarashi, formerly known as Sushi Fuku, to open a South Hills location this spring.

Atarashi, the new name of the small Oakland chain formerly known as Sushi Fuku, aims to open a South Hills location in May 2021. It will be located at 1720 Washington Rd. (map), across the street from South Hills Village Mall.

Two of the Sushi Fuku locations in Oakland rebranded as Atarashi---meaning new in Japanese---in August; the South Craig St. location split with ownership and retains the Sushi Fuku name.

芋见BAO now open in Oakland, offering dim sum, noodle dishes, bubble tea, and more.

芋见BAO has now opened in Oakland, in the spot formerly occupied by Night Market Gourmet and TOP Shabu Shabu. The old Night Market Gourmet website points to the new restaurant, where the menu offers a variety of dim sum, dumplings, noodle dishes, bubble tea, and more; the new website is meetbaopgh.com and online ordering is available. It is located at 114 Atwood St. (map).

Work progresses on new "Chat Time" in Squirrel Hill, but it's bubble tea is coming soon.

In November, signage went up for "Chatime" in Squirrel Hill, though December paperwork says the restaurant and bubble tea shop will be called "Chat Time." It passed a December 7 health department inspection, and has put up a menu online, though work progreses. It will be located at 5867 Forbes Ave (map), in what was most recently Capriccio Boutique.

Jian's Kitchen (品江南) opens in Squirrel Hill.

Jian's Kitchen (品江南) has recently opened in Squrrel Hill, in the place occupied by Northeastern Kitchen (东北小厨) since May 2018. Check out the restaurant's website for a menu and pictures. It's located at 5824 Forbes Ave. (map).

Asian grocery opens in Indiana, PA.

via owner (@por.rider)

Chai-yo, a Thai-owned Asian grocery, recently opened in Indiana, PA. It's located at 1830 Oakland Ave. (map), along with Bann Thai Restaurant, and both are owned by a former manager at Bangkok Balcony.

Robokyo Hibachi Express opens in Wexford.

Robokyo Hibachi Express opened in Wexford on November 15 and was listed among the county's newly-opened restaurants today. It served boxed hibachi meals to go and is open 3 to 8 pm Tuesday through Sunday.

We’re located next to Soergel Orchards just off of the Route 79 Wexford exit. Our hibachi dinner boxes are ready for you to pick up at the window or order online and pick up at our contactless designated parking spaces.

Hibachi dinner boxes start at $12 tax included. Robokyo Hibachi Express is take out only and we’ll soon have delivery available powered by DoorDash. We’re very happy to now serve you at both our Greensburg and Wexford locations!

It is located at 2569 Brandt School Rd. (map).

Oishii Donburi, from the team at Oakland's Oishii Bento, coming very soon to Lawrenceville.

via @oishiibento412

Signage is up in Lawrenceville for Oishii Donburi, a new restaurant from the owners of Oishii Bento and Chick'n Bubbly in Oakland. Work began on the the former Design Island and Artisan Harvest spot at 5227 Butler St. (map) last summer. The company purchased the spot back in May 2018.



Design photo via Margittai Architects.

More bubble tea coming to Squirrel Hill with Chatea.

Signage recently went up for Chatea in Squirrel Hill. Construction started at 5867 and 5869 Forbes Ave. (map) in July.

茶

Teppan-BBQ (板川名府) now open in Squirrel Hill.

Teppan-BBQ recently opened in Squirrel Hill, quickly filling the spot long occupied by Ka Mei. Signage went up last month at 2209 Murray Ave. (map), and a menu is available online.

New Thai place "Street Noodles" now open in the South Side.

A new Thai restaurant, Street Noodles, is now open on the South Side after being permitted to open last month by the county health department. It is located at 1703 E. Carson St. (map), in the former location of Dancing Crab TOO, and is run by the Burmese couple behind the Golden Land Asian Cuisine that existed in Allison Park from 2017 until recently.

Teppan BBQ (板川名府) coming soon to Squirrel Hill in old Ka Mei spot.

Signage recently went up for Teppan BBQ (板川名府), coming soon to 2209 Murray Ave (map) in Squirrel Hill. It is going in the spot most recently occupied by Ka Mei, which closed in August.

New Vietnamese restaurant opening in Bethel Park next week.

Pho SAIGON Cafe is scheduled to open in Bethel Park on September 8. Previews of the menu online show banh mi, pho, Vietnamese coffee, and bubble teas. It will open at 2822 South Park Road (map) in what was formerly The Old Bridge Restaurant. They also own SAIGON88 Express in McKees Rocks.