Faux What It's Worth

Big changes are afoot at popular vegan restaurant New Harmony.

by James Saul

James Saul (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

On a rainy Tuesday night, New Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant owner Ming Chu bounces between waiting tables and taking calls at the front counter, keeping his cool all the while. Even when a fickle customer demands a single turnip cake (they come three to an order), Chu responds with deference.

"I want to focus on the best service, the best environment and the best food," he says later, taking a breather at a table in the back. It's this attitude that helped Chu gain loyal followers at his first restaurant, Kingdom of Vegetarians (129 N. 11th St.). For 10 years, Chu served up realistic mock meat dishes that were enjoyed by Chinese food enthusiasts of all stripes. 

In 2004, the restaurateur opened New Harmony (135 N. Ninth St.), a much more spacious spot that served the same delicious dishes. Recently, due to the difficult economic climate, Chu decided to sell KoV to focus all his efforts on his second venture.

For Chu and his family, it's a bittersweet end to a relationship with a well-loved Chinatown destination. KoV lives on under new management, with no immediate plans to update the menu. In fact, the uninformed diner would never know the place had been sold. The same old faded takeout menu is taped to the front counter; epic Mandarin pop ballads serenade sedate diners.

The real change is happening at New Harmony. Two weeks ago, Chu upgraded the menu, adding items like vegetable tempura, peanut beef and a vegan-friendly deep-fried cheesecake. New Harmony is also turning its basement into a VIP room, complete with big-screen TV and 10,000-song karaoke selection. The space is able to host groups of 10 to 30.

The VIP addition will debut during the restaurant's annual Chinese New Year Party, a buffet-style smorgasbord of grub honoring the year of the ox. Scheduled for Jan. 26, the celebration will feature new dishes like winter melon soup thrown into the mix with mock classics like walnut shrimp and ham fried rice.

"I'm just trying to do my best," says Chu, gesturing to the restaurant around him. This is his only kingdom now — and he's proud of it.

(editorial@citypaper.net)

Chinese New Year Party | Mon., Jan. 26, 7 p.m., $12. New Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant, 135 N. Ninth St., 215-627-4520, myspace.com/newharmony.