BETTER SHAPE.
JUST DON'T FOLLOW SO CLOSELY.
NOW BACK TO YOU.
SPECIAL GUEST IS IN THE
HOUSE.
TONIGHT, A HOUSTON RESTAURANT
WILL BE IN THE NATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT AS IT'S FEATURED ON
THE CNBC REALITY SHOW,
RESTAURANT STAR-UP.
SO THIS MORNING, WE'RE VERY
EXCITE TO WELCOME THE CHEF AND
OWNERS OF HOUSTON'S PELE PELE
RESTAURANT, MICHAEL CHAN,
THOMAS NGUYEN AND CHEF PAUL
FRIEDMAN.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I HAVE SOME
FRIENDS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, THEY
BROUGHT ME TO YOUR RESTAURANT,
AND IT BODES WELL WHEN PEOPLE
WHO ARE FROM THE COUNTRY LOVE
YOUR RESTAURANT.
THEY SAID IT WAS FANTASTIC.
I LOVED IT AS WELL.
TELL US ABOUT YOU.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ON THIS
MORNING.
WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THIS FOR THE
FIRST TIME, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE, WE
HAVEN'T SEEN IT EDITED, SO I
BET IT'S GOING TO BE FUN.
SO WE'RE EXPANDING OUR BRAND BY
OPENING A FAST, QUICK SERVICE,
QSR, WHICH IS QUICK SERVICE
RESTAURANT, AND SO IT'S GOING
TO ALLOW US TO, WITH THE
CUISINE WE HAVE, TO BE EXPOSED
TO A BROADER AUDIENCE, SO I
WANTED TO DO QUICK SERVICE BUT
REALLY COMFORT FOOD, SOMETHING
YOU CAN EAT AT A FAST SERVICE,
BUT IT'S STILL GOOD AND IT'S
STILL LIKE YOU'RE EATING AT A
FINE DINING RESTAURANT.
FOR EXAMPLE HERE, WE HAVE OX OX
TAIL.
OX TAIL HAS BECOME A VERY
EXPENSIVE PIECE OF MEAT.
IT DIDN'T USED TO BE, AND NOW
IT'S ALMOST A DELICACY.
I PUT IT ON A VERY UNUSUAL
CARBOHYDRATE.
IT'S THE STABLE MALE OF AFRICA.
WE TAKE WHITE CORN FLOUR AND IT
BECOMES A REALLY HARD MASHED
POTATO.
THEN I'VE FLATTENED IT TO,
LOOKS LIKE AN ENGLISH MUFFIN,
AND THEN I'VE DEEP FRIED IT AND
THEN PUT THAT ON TOP, AND IT'S
BEEN SIMMERING IN THERE FOR
ABOUT SIX HOURS.
WAS THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF
THE SHOW, WAS TO GET A LITTLE
MORE BRAND RECOGNITION?
TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
THE PROCESS.
IT WAS BRAND RECOGNITION,
BUT ALSO TO -- WE WANTED TO
PROVE OURSELVES AND WE WANTED
TO SHOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT I THINK AMERICA WOULD LIKE.
WE REALLY ALSO WANTED TO TRY TO
GET AN INVESTMENT TO HELP US
EXPAND QUICKER AND BE ABLE TO
BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE
NECESSARY TO EXPAND PROPERLY,
SO IT WAS GREAT.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE TWO
LOCATIONS IN HOUSTON, RIGHT?
THAT'S RIGHT.
WE OPENED THE FIRST ONE IN 2009
AND WE OPENED UP THE HOUSTON
GALLERIA THIS PAST MAY AND THE
RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT.
I WENT TO THE GALLERIA AREA ONE.
TELL ME WHAT THIS ONE IS.
THIS IS A FISH THAT ONLY
COMES FROM THE SOUTHERN PART OF
THE WORLD, WHERE THE TWO OCEANS
COLLIDE, YOU HAVE WARM AND COLD
CURRENTS, SO YOU HAVE A FISH
THAT YOU'VE NEVER SEEN.
IT'S THE UGLIEST LOOKING FISH
YOU'VE EVER SEEN, BUT TASTES SO
GOOD.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'M
ACTUALLY PUT THIS UNDERNEATH
THE BROILER SO IT JUST GETS A
NICE CRUST ON IT, AND I'VE MADE
A VERY LOW CALORIE BUTTER CREAM.
AND SO IT GOES OVER WHAT WE
CALL AFRICAN RICE PILAF WITH
CURRY.
MICHAEL, WE'RE KNOWN FOR
FOOD IN THIS CITY.
WAS THERE A NEED FOR THIS, THE
SOUTH AFRICAN FUSION?
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THE INSPIRATION CAME FROM THE
FACT THAT WHEN WE TRIED SOUTH
AFRICAN FOOD, THOMAS AND I,
WE'RE LIKE, MAN, HOW COME WE'VE
NEVER HAD THIS BEFORE?
IF WE LIKE IT, THAT MEANS
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
HAVE NOVEMBER TRIED IT, AND SO
THAT'S WHY WE DID IT.
I KNOW THEY'RE WRAPPING US
UP, BUT WHAT'S THIS LAST ONE?
THAT'S THE QUEEN OF
ENGLAND'S FAVORITE DESSERT,
STICKY PUDDING, BUT IT'S NOT
PUDDING.
WHEN EUROPEANS SAY PUDDING, WE
MEAN DESSERT.
THIS IS A CAKE WE MAKE WITH
FLOUR, EGG AND BAKING POWDER,
AND FRESH EGGS.
OF COURSE IT'S LOW CALORIE.
YES, OF COURSE.
SO DON'T FORGET TONIGHT YOU
GUYS ARE ACTUALLY HAVING A
WATCH PARTY AT THE WESTIN
GALLERIA BALLROOM TONIGHT AT
9:00 P.M. SO YOU CAN WATCH
RESTAURANT START-UP.
WE HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION
AND YOU CAN SEE A REPLAY OF
THIS INTERVIEW ON-LINE AT
CLICK2HOUSTON.COM, IT'S THERE
UNDER THE VIDEO TAB ON THE HOME
PAGE A LITTLE AFTER THE SHOW.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
WE SO APPRECIATE IT.