China’s Insanely Popular Fast Food Chain You’ve Never Heard Of Is Coming To The U.S.
Image courtesy of the Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice chain.
One of China’s most popular and fastest-growing restaurant chains is coming to the United States, and folks better watch out. This braised chicken rice shop could upend a lot of competitors in the area.
First opened in 2011, Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice is definitely the new kid on the fast food block. However, the chain already has a staggering 5,000 locations globally, proving that they’re no slouches when it comes to speed, service, and flavor. They’ve even been compared to West Coast cult icon In-N-Out for their sleek model, swift output, and delicious food. Similar to the burger legend, Yang’s specializes in just one item and does it right: Huang Meng braised chicken rice. The only customization you can make to this dish is the level of spiciness. Other than that, the base to every clay pot of this Shangdong cuisine staple is the exact same.
In fact, the recipe has barely changed over the past 80-plus years. That’s because Yang’s Huang Meng chicken recipe is originally from the 1930s. Xiao Lu Yang, the founder of the new restaurant powerhouse, has inherited the recipe from his grandmother. He’s made some slight changes, but otherwise it’s the same chicken dish Yang’s grandmother first sold in the 1930s. Yang first opened his namesake chain when he discovered the national popularity of Huang Meng chicken served with rice, and it’s still the only item sold in the chain’s 5,000-plus locations. Many of those locations are in China, but some locations are in Melbourne, Singapore, and Japan as well.
Xiao Lu Yang, the 37-year-old founder of Yang’s. Image courtesy of the Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice chain.
On September 10th, Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice will open its first USA location in Tustin, California. Yang’s sole menu offering, the Huang Meng chicken with rice, sells for $9.99 per clay pot. Each pot comes with a generous helping of rice and chicken thighs that braise with vegetables in Yang’s secret sauce. The sauce is actually made in China and shipped to the US, meaning the flavor should almost perfectly replicate what Yang’s sells in China.
If you want to be one of the first people to taste the food in the US restaurant, make sure to reserve a spot for the September 10th grand opening. Otherwise, Yang’s does plan to expand out to the rest of the country and beyond. Franchise offers have already come in from Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Canada.
You’ll definitely want to get a taste of this soon. With the wide popularity its had already, Yang’s could take the entire USA by storm in the very near future.
