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CHING: My name is Ching-He Huang
and I'm known for making Chinese food easy.
So now we're going to what?
Barbecue sauce. Ssamjang.
Now I'm on a mission
to help struggling restaurants think
outside the takeout box to turn their business around.
Out with the old, in with the new.
Your new signature dish.
This is Restaurant Redemption.
I'm in Rossford in the suburbs of Toledo, Ohio.
I got a call from these three guys.
They have a failing Asian Tapas restaurant called Flame
which has only been open for a few months.
But they're losing money
and they are on the verge of closing.
They are located in a busy middle class area
not far from the University of Toledo.
Friends since their college days,
these three opened Flame with high hopes.
But instead have had a rude awakening.
We haven't made any money since we started.
Stuff is stressful when you're working 14, 15 hours a day.
All right, got mushroom chicken.
And you haven't taken home a paycheck.
We all poured our life savings into this business.
So it is definitely vital for all of us
to actually get this business to do well.
Brian has two kids and I got four kids.
And Don is taking care of his grandma as well.
So it's dire situation for all of us.
With no money for extra kitchen staff,
they recruited Don's mom to help.
My mom works with us in the kitchen as a prep cook.
My son always tell me it's okay
but I know he's a little worried about it too.
If we don't start at least breaking even,
we won't make it past this year
and we're gonna have to close.
It doesn't seem to be much back here.
Not a great location
'cause it's sort of off off the main road.
It's time to find out how I can help these guys out.
Hello?
When I walk into a restaurant
and there is no one to greet me
and I can't even tell if the place
is opened or closed, that's not a good sign.
Hello?
Hi.
I'm looking for the owners.
Oh, they're back here.
Hi.
Hi. My name is Don.
You too.
Lee?
Nice to meet you.
Don, Lee and Brian.
All right. Nice to meet you, yes.
Thank you very much.
Tell me about Flame Asian Tapas.
We wanted to build something that was different,
not traditionally all Chinese, not traditionally all Korean,
but something of a fusion.
Tapas are light snacks or appetizers.
And pan-Asian cuisine lends itself well to that concept
if it's done correctly.
You guys have Korean-Chinese heritage?
Yeah.
And you're making money?
Uh, not yet.
How much have you put in so far?
$25,000 per partner.
Tell me a little bit about
your cooking ability and your skills.
I probably have the least experience in here.
My cooking experience started
when I got out of the army which is last year.
So you've been cooking for a year?
Okay, moving on.
My family owned a restaurant
so I've been in the restaurant business
but not really on the cooking side,
so not a whole lot of cooking experience.
What's your cooking ability?
I was involved in the restaurant
my parents had since I was 13.
Do you guys have a head chef?
We're all pretty much in it.
We do everything.
So you're all cooks?
Yeah, all.
Three cooks in the kitchen
could lead to a very confused menu.
But maybe in this case more is better.
I would love to try your signature dishes.
All right. Wonderful.
And I'll be outside, I'll be waiting.
Here's your order, flaming pork.
But what did you put on there?
151.
151.
151 is a very high proof rum,
very flammable but not very tasty.
And so it literally is on fire.
Yup.
And this is to be shared or...
People can share if they choose to share
or you can just eat it by yourself.
Being able to share a dish doesn't make something tapas.
You can just smell the alcohol.
The meat's dry.
It just tastes of alcohol, it tastes bitter.
Sauce here is just too thick.
It just looks like snot.
It's not a good start.
This is a lobster bomb.
Lobster bomb.
Just set on fire.
Uh-huh.
I'm too scared to get too close
in case my hair lights on fire too.
A huge lobster tail.
Oh, oh, there is nothing in it.
It's just the shell.
We don't do this in Asia.
We wouldn't wok fry to death,
then pour 151 over it,
put cream over it and then light it on fire.
Your Korean barbecue sampler.
They have just massacred really good meat.
It's dry.
That is tough as hell.
You can just see by looking at it.
And there's a flame here that is just another gimmick
because everything is just overcooked.
So why would I go ahead and cook it some more.
Now kimchi.
Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish
that is a staple of Korean cuisine.
Nice and garlicky, spicy.
It's good.
Finally a glimpse of hope in a traditional Korean dish.
I'm thinking dishes like this,
kimchi with its simple traditional presentation
should be at the heart of their menu.
Everything is a gimmick.
And with really good food you don't need gimmicks.
The food would just speak for itself.
It's like an Asian fusion mess.
It's time to have a sit down with these guys.
After trying this food, I'm starting to understand
why this restaurant is so empty.
Hi, guys.
ALL: Hi there.
How am I doing?
Not well.
You've put your signature dishes out here
and three out of the five that I tasted
you've lit on fire.
I could taste a bit of the alcohol still.
I could still smell it.
The food is downright terrible.
I'm in Rossford, Ohio
coming to the aid of Brian, Lee and Don
who have a failing Asian Tapas restaurant.
I've just tried their signature dishes
which were big on gimmicks but short on taste.
You've put your signature dishes out here
and three out of the five that I tasted
you've lit on fire.
I could taste a bit of the alcohol still.
I could still smell it.
It just shows a complete
lack of culinary knowledge and experience.
My personal take is, you know, if we had horrible food
we wouldn't be here for even 4 months.
You've been here for 4 months
because you're plowing your own money into it.
No, no, I'm not arguing back and forth.
If you have good food, this place would be full.
But the food sucks.
It did not have spicy.
It did not have zing.
It did not have zest.
It did not have punch.
There's inconsistencies.
I don't know who of you cooked what dish.
In this case you're all chefs.
That for me spells danger and that needs to change.
You have to throw the old menu out
and we are going to start from scratch.
So nothing on the menu is staying?
Nothing on the menu is staying.
I feel like it's a extreme risk
without seeing what you've got to offer.
If you guys keep this up at this rate,
you will be closing before the end of the year.
You can mark my words.
What I want to do is shut down the restaurant,
we're gonna do a makeover in the front of house.
We're gonna take your menu
and make it really, really simple.
And then all of us will help turn this restaurant around.
This morning before we start on the menu makeover,
I want to take a good look at the décor.
It's just big, it's dark, it's not very intimate.
This dining room looks like a drab banquet hall.
Who'd even want to sit here?
So this has got to go.
And the bar looks like a confused sports bar.
I want to streamline their décor and their menu.
I want to get into the kitchen and really nail down a concept
that will have diners flock to this place.
We are going to take every single item off that menu.
We're gonna replace it with Korean barbecue.
How do you feel about that?
I don't know about all that.
I'm not gonna jump into anything and commit
because the idea was that
it's a trendy Asian restaurant that has the heritage of
not only the Korean entrees but Chinese as well.
Our name is Asian fusion.
It doesn't say Korean Tapas on the sign.
You have a short amount of time.
With the skill sets that you guys have
we're going back to basics.
Korean style barbecue
with a wink to fusion to stay true to their name.
The new menu will feature four versions
of flame-grilled and marinated beef, chicken, pork and shrimp.
This Korean barbecue is going to be juicy and flavorful.
Complete opposite of the dry tasteless version
they have on their current menu.
First up, I'm going to show them
grilled pork belly with a kimchi marinade.
Your mom, her kimchi is delicious, pungent stuff.
I make kimchi.
He cannot make kimchi.
Kimchi is very difficult.
So pop some into the blender.
I've never seen it pureed.
So to this just a little bit of the ginger,
just enhance it, a little bit of sugar.
You're not overly complicating it,
but it's going to taste amazing.
And just marinate that.
Then add a little bit of oil straight on to the heat.
You just dive in.
Tender, juicy.
Got a little spice at the end.
So what do you think about having this as a center piece
as a concept for your restaurant?
It could be our starting point
but we're not ready to jump in 100%.
I honestly, you know,
I'm very proud of what we serve here.
Am I ready to completely change the menu
and gear towards that direction?
I don't think so.
You guys have this amazing heritage.
Korean food is in right now.
And if you don't jump on it now, you're gonna close.
After our confrontation in the kitchen,
the guys are getting some air and weighing their options.
I'm going to try one last time to convince them
that drastic changes need to be made.
I've printed out some reviews.
Had the majority of dishes at other places
and the version at Tapas was either too greasy,
too salty or too bland.
Food was horrible.
Everything seemed fried, lacked flavor,
not worth the cost.
Won't be going back.
I want you guys to not even have one bad review.
We've got a new kick *** menu about to be launched.
Either you want that or you want your old menu,
you better decide.
We've got a new kick *** menu about to be launched.
Your restaurant's getting a makeover.
Either you want that or you want your old menu,
you better decide.
I think it's a concept that can work
and we can be trendsetters in Northwest Ohio,
'cause that's something that's not here, you know.
Is that how we move forward?
I'd like to just go all the way, you know,
since we're into it
and just see what kind of response that we would get.
I want to try it out to be honest with you.
Let's do it.
So what's the decision?
We're on board. We want to go forward.
Are you all in on it though because there is three of you?
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
All in.
Fantastic.
This morning while my team works
on the front of house makeover,
I'm sending the guys out to drum up
some new business.
The restaurant's location isn't ideal.
In order to get new customers in the door,
they need to spread the word
about their new concept and their unique location.
The first stop
is the University of Toledo to hand out
some samples of the new dish we just created.
Hi, guys.
We own a restaurant down in Rossford called
Flame Asian Tapas Bar and Grill.
The guys have 21,000 potential customers
right at their doorstep
and it's time to get the word out.
I like it.
I need the whole plate, please.
Next up is a stop at a local radio station
to spread word about the restaurant
on a much grander scale.
So what kind of food are we talking,
like little tiny hamburgers?
No, basically it's old Korean barbecue.
Old time influence meets modern cuisine.
Asian Tapas, entrees, you know,
where people can just sit down and share,
you know, many different dishes
and just, you know, have a good time.
Guys, thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.
Before we head back to the kitchen
I want to talk to the guys about
how they're dividing up
their responsibilities in the restaurant.
There's no one in the front of house,
no one greeting the customers,
because at the moment
the three of you are in the kitchen.
When it comes to managing this place
they need to divide and conquer.
Executive chef of this restaurant is going to be Don.
Here's your chef's coat.
Right now you're not at your potential yet,
but I see it.
Bryan, I think you belong in the front of house.
You're born to greet customers.
Now, Lee, you will communicate
between front of house and back of house.
Wherever they need assistance you jump in.
Ready to go?
Good.
It's time to show them the rest of the dishes
for their new and improved Tapas menu.
In addition to the spicy kimchi marinated pork belly,
I'm showing the guys a great beef dish,
Korean inspired, of course.
The marinade is gonna be garlicky and sweet.
It's gonna be gorgeous with the beef.
Now onto another marinade.
So next, we've got shrimp.
Fresh scallions,
some chives, some lemon and then mix it.
We're gonna add in some fermented chili bean paste.
You just give that a good mix.
The beef, shrimp,
pork and chicken will accompany
three side dishes I'll be showing Don.
First a kimchi and a fresh corn salad.
The corn is brushed with a miso glaze
and grilled alongside scallions.
The kimchi that Don's mom makes is superb.
It's the perfect way to bring authenticity to the dish.
With the kimchi just put your knife through it a bit.
Second, a cold noodle salad
with a sweet and spicy dressing.
Dry chilies, creamy peanut butter paste, some garlic,
sesame oil, a little bit of soy...
scallions, mushrooms and then toss it together.
That's a big mouthful.
That's how I do.
And Don's mom is going to help us make
scallion pancakes using her delicious kimchi.
The idea is that you're making nice stretchy layers.
Okay.
That is ready to fry.
We're turning all of these separate dishes
into one unified Tapas platter.
That's four marinated meats and three sides.
Time to taste it.
How is it?
This will go down good with a nice cold beer.
I'm very excited about the new direction
we're taking and having a lot of Korean dishes.
Of course, it's gonna instill a lot of pride in me.
You know, I'm American but still Korean at heart.
Even Lee, who was the hardest to convince
seems to have come around.
We're kind of starting to rediscover who we are
and we just needed that little push
into the right direction.
I'm so relieved it's worked out.
I really think now that they can pull if off.
One more thing to do before opening the doors.
I want to show everyone their brand new dining doom.
Now try and imagine
what the old dining room looked like.
Okay, open your eyes.
Flame Asian Tapas will be opening its doors
with a brand new concept in just a few hours.
But first, I want to show everyone
what we've been up to in the front of house.
Now try and imagine what the old dining room looked like.
Everything was black.
Looked like a funeral banquet hall.
Okay, open your eyes.
Oh, wow.
What?
I love it. Ooh, a lot better.
In here what we did was put in this large communal table.
This is where people want to come and hang
and sit and have your Tapas platters.
Over there on the left we put in the banquettes
and then we put in these gorgeous Chinese lanterns
with color just to give it more life
and just to make it feel comfortable.
It's just beautiful.
I think it's beautiful.
Okay, guys, the test is not over yet.
It all depends on your performance tonight.
Are you ready?
I'm ready and it sounds good.
They better be ready
because their marketing really paid off.
The dining room is filling up
and there's a line out the door.
I don't think these guys have ever seen the dining room
full like this in full service.
And so they're scrambling and they're struggling.
But even though it's chaos here,
the food and the feedback out there has been fantastic.
The rooms are beautiful. The staff is great.
This food is fantastic.
The fact that they give spices is really cool
and then the sauces to dip it in is also--
it's different from anything that we've had.
I think it's great.
I'm definitely gonna tell my friends to come here.
Don, you did it.
You really did it.
Don really pulled it out of the bag.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
This is the first time that I felt that this is an actual
straight out Tapas Bar and Grill.
And it was a great moment.
I'm very excited that this is a new beginning,
not only for Flame but just for our friendship
and our partnership, family, everything.
It's phenomenal.
It's gonna be a new venture.
We're ready to really kind of take on that challenge
and looking forward to what's to come.
So a few days ago I was ready to walk out on this restaurant.
No hope.
But after tonight, they've really stepped up.
And you know what, if they keep it together
and keep the Flame alive they will be a huge success.