Eldwin Chua had the humblest of beginnings in the food industry: He operated a small street stall. “I always say I’m a Cinderella,” says Chua, founder and CEO of the Paradise Group. “I came from zero to this mini food empire.” Chua’s “mini” food empire is, in fact, Singapore’s largest: 140 restaurants in Southeast Asia. Among the group’s latest concepts: Le Shrimp Noodle Bar, new at Irvine Spectrum Center. The centerpiece is a hand-painted mural inspired by 19th-century Japanese wave art. Shrimp ramen stars; other attractions include chilled silken tofu in oyster sauce and the distinctive Longjing tea lava egg.
Your shrimp ramen is known for its wok hei. What is that?
It translates to “the breath of the wok.” In Cantonese cooking, we fire the wok until it is extremely hot, then stir-fry cabbages until they become slightly charred and very aromatic. We add a rich stock and simmer for eight hours. Spices include star anise, cinnamon, clove and white peppercorn. The flavor has many layers.
What are your top-selling items?
Prawn lovers come for the Signature Trio Shrimp Ramen. We’re adding options in Irvine: spicy shrimp broth, black-garlic chicken broth, thin or broad noodles, toppings such as green onions, even a little chile bomb. Crunchy pickled cucumbers are our top appetizer.
Who comes up with the concepts?
There are 12 concepts; I created them. Le Shrimp was accidental. I was visiting Hokkaido in Japan, and near the airport is a ramen street. One shop had an extremely long line. It was serving Japanese ramen with shrimp broth. That inspired our version – shrimp broth and noodles, Chinese-style.
Why Le Shrimp for the U.S.?
There were lots of Chinese noodle and Japanese ramen places here, but no Chinese shrimp ramen. It was new to the market, a niche.
