Xie

(female #1) My name is Ching-He Huang, and I'm known for making Chinese food easy. So now we're gonna work. 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. [theme music] ♪ [dramatic music] I'm in Iowa City in Iowa, and it's home to 30,000 college students. I've come here to help a failing restaurant. It's called Xie. Jennifer Xie opened her eponymous restaurant in 2012, introducing Japanese-French fusion to Iowa City. (Jennifer) I grew up in China and I moved to Iowa since, uh, 1992. (Ching) The restaurant features upscale food at high-end prices, which unfortunately never took off with the college demographic, and now they find themselves on the brink of closure. (Ching) But recently, an ambitious server named Wes Lewis stepped in. (Wes) A month and a half ago, I applied here to be a server. I had been serving for about 11 years. (Ching) Unwilling to see the restaurant close, Wes and his coworkers came up with a plan. (Wes) I knew exactly what I needed to do with this place. We were known for producing really good entrees, but there was really no customer service. I'd had a sit-down conversation with her which lasted about three hours. I wanted to explain to her that if you give me the opportunity and the time, it will be a success. (Ching) Jennifer gave Wes that opportunity and promoted him to manager, and now he has a brief window of time to get the restaurant back on its feet. But if he does turn Xie's fortunes around, Jennifer agreed to give him a share of the restaurant. I would own my own restaurant at the age of 26. Like, you know, that's huge. You don't really hear that often. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I plan not to screw it up. (Ching) So I'm here to help Wes turn a profit, save this restaurant, and save his coworkers' jobs. As I walked in, I was really surprised. The decor is elegant, upscale, and the restaurant is right in the heart of a college campus. It's a little bit out of place. Hi. I'm getting this makeover started by meeting with Wes along with his bar manager Michael and his head server Cynthia. So tell me what's going on. Our owner essentially told us that we had to reach 30,000 dollars in our first month, and if we didn't do that, she was gonna close this place down. Uh, we have a week and a half left and I have 15,000. (Ching) That means Wes needs another 15,000 dollars to keep Xie's doors open. (Wes) It's a lot to deal with. (Ching) It is a lot. This is a monster of a project. What do you think you need to do? (Wes) If we can focus on customer service, 'cause if the food is lacking, if they're enjoying themselves, that's gonna keep the clientele coming. If we can just separate ourselves by giving great customer service, that's what's gonna draw people in. (Ching) If Wes thinks customer service is the most important entity in a restaurant, Xie is in big trouble. Mm-hm? (Ching) The food is the most important. First thing I'm gonna need to do is I'd like to try Okay. (Ching) And we'll see how it goes. All righty. (Ching) Xie's head chef, Luis, is going to prepare some of the restaurant's signature dishes for me, so while he does that, I'm going to take a closer look at the dining room. Let's see if I can find any additional clues as to why Xie's failing. First impressions, I think the decor is confused. I feel like I'm in a cellar. This does not speak of an Asian fusion restaurant. We're definitely going to bring more Asian accents. These two spaces don't seem to connect. This is the bar space, and it feels a little bit empty and slightly awkward. It doesn't feel inviting or warm. And then this here is a separate dining space. We could really open it up and make it a relaxed cocktail lounge. The look and feel of this place doesn't speak to college students, so this food better be outstanding if Xie expects to reach their 15,000 dollar goal. Okay, thank you. Thank you. This menu is a lot more expensive than I expected it to be. This is the beef skewers. ♪ Tough and chewy. ♪ There's a sour note to this, and that's not a good sign. So we've got here some crab rangoon. That is some chewy dough, and it's really greasy. That just tastes like a really bad cream cheese sandwich. ♪ This is their duck dish, and on the menu, duck, 23 dollars. ♪ This duck is both undercooked and overpriced. What college student would want to eat here? I really need to speak to these guys. ♪ So I've tasted the food, and... it's obvious why you guys are not doing well. The fact that you guys are right on the doorsteps of a busy campus with no business shows that there is something very, very wrong here. The food is terrible, especially for this location. The duck dish-- on the menu, 23 dollars. This is not upscale food. This is mediocre. The crab rangoon-- it's greasy, it's tough. You can see the amount of grease. That paper should be white. ♪ (Wes) The fryer that they use for the crab rangoons prohibit us from producing the quality of crab rangoons or anything fried. (Michael) We do not have a real fryer, so you're almost putting it in a pot (Ching) So here's the thing: if the kitchen can't handle the process, why the hell are you serving it? ♪ The owner left you in charge and you're holding on to dear life to save this place. To hear you say that everything was disgusting, I thought the food was there. The flavors are spot on, the presentation is there. The food is not what's holding this restaurant back. This is above average. It needs to be the best. ♪ I'm in Iowa City to help failing restaurant Xie boost its business, but before I can rebuild it, I have to break it down. ♪ Part of me sees three bright young people who clearly care about this restaurant, and I see some potential in the three of you, but here's the thing: This menu is currently not working, especially for this location. You have so many college students here, and yet this food does not attract them. So the first thing that's got to go is this menu. They're young. They just lack the experience to really pull this off, but I'm going to give it a shot. Let's get to work. (Ching) Good. I want to transform Xie into a relaxed, cost-friendly bistro that features fresh, flavorful bites, so the first thing I'm doing is having Wes meet myself and his head chef Luis in the kitchen. It's imperative that he understands how to efficiently manage both the front and the back of the house. Okay, now the crab rangoon dish was greasy because you don't have a proper fryer. (Ching) That could be dangerous. The fryer has old oil, isn't hot enough, and smells of all the food that's been cooked in it. So, welcome your new fryer. (Luis) Oh my God, thanks. You've got a double fryer over there. This is a top-of-the-line dual action fryer, and it'll be perfect for the first dish we're about to make: a hand-rolled vegetable tempura. Egg yolk, equal amounts of potato starch and corn starch. Seltzer water. You can use any vegetables for tempura. I like asparagus, yams, and eggplant. [hip hop music] ♪ See how beautiful it is? (Ching) Beer and alcohol food. That's what's going to really bring the crowd in. With this, what we're gonna do, we're going to make it into a hand roll. (Luis) Okay. Nice! Yeah. (Ching) Easy. That's it. So you can have these on its own, or like that. A plate to share. Let me know what you think. Nice crunch. It does taste exactly like French fries. You like it? (Luis) That's amazing. [yawning] ♪ (Ching) Luis is very attentive, but I'm concerned about Wes's lack of enthusiasm. Wes, I don't think you're that engaged. I've hardly heard, like, more than five words out of you during this whole cooking process. (Wes) I have no experience in cooking. It's not about cooking, it's about getting excited and passionate. Well, I'm not a chef so I don't know. You're cooking in front of me. This is a different language to me. As a general manager, you need to know the food inside out so you can know whether it's being done properly. I want him to own it all, to be positive, to say, "Yes, I don't know, but that's why I'm here. What do you want me to do?" I just want that keenness, that excitement, that passion, and I'm just worried that it's not there. (Wes) You don't know me. Like, how are you gonna tell me that I haven't been committed? You don't have to be a chef to be curious. Well, I'm not saying that I'm not curious, I'm just saying that I have no experience when it comes to cooking, so for me to give my opinions on the food here I think are premature. (Wes) Yes, I'm in the food industry. (Ching) You have to be passionate about food, and right now, I'm still not getting that energy from you. It's like... [dramatic music] That's your whole body language. (Wes) I don't know how many times I can say it. I don't know anything when it comes-- (Ching) It doesn't matter. Leave that fear aside. You don't have to know anything. I didn't go to culinary school. I learned on the job. You learn on the job. You're learning on the job right now. Yes, we do. See? I've got yes, yes, great, and I've got there... (Wes) I mean, that was just that last straw. What Ching said to me, you know, that kind of hurt because, you know, I had invested so much already into this restaurant. Okay, I need to step out. ♪ I'm in Iowa City's Xie restaurant, a struggling Asian eatery that needs to make 15,000 dollars in the next 10 days in order to stay in business. But their manager Wes has to step it up and own both the front and back of the house in order for this to be a successful business. Unfortunately, though, he's refusing to learn about the food, and I can't have that. ♪ Wes, let me talk to you. You have to be tough. If you're not tough, it's gonna go down. (Wes) Yeah. I think Ching understands where I'm coming from and really genuinely wants to help me. (Ching) I know I'm being really hard and tough. It's because I can see how much potential you have, okay? (Wes) Yeah. (Ching) I believe in you guys. (Wes) It was definitely something that I needed to hear so that we are able to take this place to the next level. (Ching) I have been tough on him, but it's coming from a place of tough love. I really want him to step up. After getting Wes back into the kitchen, there's no time to waste. Xie's a week away from closing its doors, so we need to get to work immediately. Oh yeah. Quick to do, simple, and everybody's gonna love it. It's called okonomiyaki. "Okonomiyaki" means "everything fried." Vegetables put with egg, flour, pancake, finish. Easy. So this is nice and hot. Little bit of batter, nice and thin. I'm introducing dishes that are bright, bold, flavorful, that are fun to share. Chinese cabbage, carrot. [upbeat music] Gorgeous. ♪ Japanese sweet mayonnaise. Not too much. This is okonomiyaki sauce. It's like a cross between a Worcestershire and a barbecue sauce. This you can buy. Bonito flakes. Just a little bit like that. So you can put that on the plate. That's nice. Want you to try it. Oh yeah. [soft orchestral music] What do you think? It's good. This is great ideas right here. Wes, do you feel comfortable with this? Because you're gonna have to own this. Yeah, I think college students will really enjoy it. I mean, I really enjoy it, and it's something different that other restaurants are not offering. So why did you hold on to the old menu? (Wes) Uh, just because I was scared to kind of make that jump or try to figure out what I could do. I didn't know exactly where our kitchen talent was at so... Right. That's why I'm here, to really tell you you can think outside the box. No more elegant fine dining menu that's making your business go like this. I realize that. Out with the old, in with the new. Small, young, vibrant dishes to match the crowd out there. Wes is finally changing his mindset and realizing what it means to manage. Meanwhile, back on the floor we're also working to attract a young crowd by making it a bit more funky, a bit more casual, and really opening up the bar area. Back in the kitchen, I have one more dish that'll help Xie bring in enough customers to reach their goal. On the old menu, they were offering a 23-dollar plate of duck. Definitely not student friendly. So we're throwing out the French-inspired duck and throwing in some Japanese-inspired miso chicken wings. What college student doesn't like chicken wings? First thing we do is we make the marinade. It's both sweet and savory, with hints of miso, sesame, and soy. For the chicken wings. And we're just gonna separate it. I like that. Gonna pour some of this marinade in. Okay. (Ching) It's quite an intense-flavored marinade. It's really gonna get right in there. Good, so let's bake these. [rock music] ♪ After they're baked, they go onto the grill to get some nice smoky flavor. (Luis) Yep. (Luis) Yes. (Ching) What do you think, Wes? I could do this. You could do it, exactly. And I think the college students are just gonna love it. Now we're gonna plate. Fresh scallions sliced really well on the angle. (Ching) Like that. Simple, but modern. (Wes) Okay. Okay. [soft orchestral music] It's sweet. I like it. Mm-hm. I love it. What do you think, Wes? I think it's great. I think it's new, it's something a lot of restaurants are not doing, and I think the college students will really like this. It's something that we were lacking in the beginning, so I'm really confident with it. (Ching) It's great to see Wes embracing his role in the kitchen. For Xie to make a comeback, their back-of-the-house service needs to be top notch. (Ching) You'll be packed here! Yeah, you're gonna be busy in this kitchen. But before we can open up shop, I need to show Wes and his team the changes that have been made to the front of the house. Keep your eyes closed. And Xie's owner Jennifer is joining us for the big reveal. You guys have put a lot of heart and soul into this place. Worked really hard the last few days. You ready? Open your eyes. I've spent the past week in Iowa City helping general manager Wes Lewis fight to keep Xie restaurant open, and now it's time to show owner Jennifer and the rest of the gang all our hard work. You guys have put a lot of heart and soul into this place. Worked really hard the last few days. You have a lot riding on this. You ready? Open your eyes. (Michael) Wow, very nice. (Ching) We opened up the main dining room, hung festive lanterns, and changed the table settings. But the big change happened by the bar. Guys, come over, look. This is my favorite space in the entire restaurant. It's the new Xie lounge. Look at it, you've got comfy cushions, sofas, leather seating. You like it? Yes, I do like the colors, yeah. (Ching) You can sit here, you can chill out with your friends. (Cynthia) Yeah, I love it. I love the pillows. Red makes you hungry. You're thinking about marketing, I like it. I'm surprised by this, actually. This is cool. I think a lot of college students will like it. It's very modern, it's hip. It's exactly what we want. (Ching) Having empty tables here was just wasted space. Now we can really attract the college crowd by expanding the bar area and making it an inviting place for cocktails or shared plates. And outside, the word spread about Xie's new student- friendly decor and menu. So now it's time to open the doors and help Wes reach his goal. Welcome to Xie, guys. Thank you, guys. (Michael) Two mojitos? (Ching) The cocktails are flowing. Now let's see if the back and the front of house can keep up. Luis, you've got waiting staff here. (Luis) How many more tables waiting? Every--oh no. (Wes) Yes. I got too many tables waiting for food, guys. (Ching) Sushi's just sitting there. Ask your servers, "How many more dishes?" How many more dishes do you guys need? Okay. (Ching) I really need Wes to step up a bit more because he needs to keep an eye on what he's doing but also on the rest of the team. The beef is too dry. With Wes incapable of expediting the orders, I had no choice but to hop in and help. Get some sauce and put it on. It's coming up right now. [upbeat rock music] ♪ (male #1) Atmosphere is great. Chicken wings are phenomenal. Top of the list in Iowa City for me. Number one restaurant easily. (Wes) This is our fried tempura. What it is is going to be vegetables, seasoned. It kind of tastes like French fries, it's really amazing. (male #2) I like the sitting area back here. It's like more casual. (female #2) Before, yeah, it just looked like a fancy restaurant that we had no business going into. Now it looks a little more younger and fun. (Wes) Have you guys been to Xie before? (Wes) You have? Now what we offered tonight was a little taste. What we're trying to do is we're trying to gear it towards our demographic, which is college students, and beautiful women like you. (Ching) Wes certainly has the people skills to turn Xie around, but he needs to embrace managing the kitchen or they'll never make it. For the moment, though, this place is packed with college students and potential patrons. Let's just hope they can keep the momentum going. Wow, what an experience. I really want them to do well, I hope they will do well, but I don't know if they'll make it. Only time will tell. My job is done. [soft music]