Tenshi Sushi

HUANG: My name is Ching-He Huang, and I'm known for making Chinese food easy. So, now we're gonna wok. Barbecue sauce. Serve it now. 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." -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. I'm in Houston, Texas, and I've got a call from a brother-and-sister duo, Nina and Ung, and they own Tenshi Sushi restaurant. They've had it for 10 years, and their business is going downhill, so I've come to see what I can do to help. Nina and her then husband opened Tenshi Sushi in 2003. Her family is from Laos, but Tenshi is known for its Japanese cuisine, namely sushi. In the beginning, business thrived. When we first opened, we were the only sushi restaurant here, so people loved us. HUANG: When Nina and her husband divorced in 2008, her younger brother, Ung, stepped in, and bought a share of the business. NINA: When I was going through the divorce, I was faced with the decision of leaving. I got really sad, so my brother decided to be a partner. HUANG: With their parents' backing, Tenshi became the primary source of income for the entire family. NINA: I had to work behind the sushi bar and deal with vendors and then deal with customers. My brother's role is just working the sushi bar. HUANG: In the past five years, more and more sushi restaurants have sprouted up all over the city, and Tenshi started to lose business rapidly. There's probably like at least five sushi spots that just popped up. HUANG: Nina and Ung have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the restaurant, and money has run out. The situation is pretty dire. It's our livelihood, and we're trying not to go under. NINA: If things do not turn around in the next three months or so, then I kind of want to just give up. Hi. I'm Ching. Nina. UNG: Hi. Ung. So, you had started this restaurant with your ex-husband, and when you broke up, you enlisted the help of your brother. I just took over his debt. Yes. How well is your business doing now? Uh... Since he bought in, it's declined like 30%. 30%? As much as that? It's hard to get new customers, and then when we do get new customers, like, I feel that he's not as friendly as he should be. Her way of thinking and my way of thinking, it don't mesh. It's hard to work as a team when I still want to do what I feel like is right. NINA: Ever since he became partner, we don't have a brother-and- sister relationship anymore. It's a battle already just to get us to talk. There's clearly something between the two of you that I don't quite understand yet, but food is the most important thing. I want to try your best dishes, and then we'll go from there. Shrimp tempura cucumber. On top is crab and spicy salmon. And then this one is tuna tataki salmon. You're welcome. HUANG: Now, this is the tuna sashimi. It looks like there's very thinly sliced garlic on that. The tuna is fresh, but all I can taste now is that garlic. It really takes away from the flavor of the tuna. Authentic Japanese cooking prioritizes balanced flavors, and this garlic does anything but balance this dish. Now for the Stevie Roll. The shrimp tempura could be a lot more crunchy. Now, in terms of the flavor, it's a lot going on, and yet it tastes actually one-dimensional. The spicy mayo and spicy tuna overpower every flavor in this dish. This one is spicy tuna topped with spicy mayo and chopped scallop. This roll has a lot of seafood in it, and yet all I can taste is this spicy mayo sauce, which seems to be a running theme. And so is the spicy tuna. It's not good. It's not special. It tastes like substandard, run-of-the-mill sushi. Shame. This one is the ukalimi. Chopped octopus, habanero masago, and then it's topped with spicy tuna, tempura crunch, and a little bit of habanero masago. The combination of the habanero and that spicy tuna is an overkill. Just spicy. There's no depth to the flavor. My mouth is on fire. The flavor is being masked by spicy mayo and tempura crunch, making these rolls no better than ordinary. If this is the best that they can bring, then I can clearly see why they're losing out to the competition. And this is our special soup. So, this is their signature Laotian noodle soup. One single Laotian dish on a Japanese menu feels a bit out of place, but this is their heritage, so they should be able to get it right. The broth is good. I can really taste the cilantro. This is, by far, the most interesting dish. And I don't really know why they're doing sushi. I really need to speak with them. I've tried the food. Okay. The sushi is not good. Everything just tasted one-dimensional. The rolls -- spicy tuna, spicy tuna, spicy mayo in mostly everything. I expected something a bit more special and a bit more unique. That's really not cool. That's unfair. But that's the -- that's the truth. Like, for example, this roll. It's got five different seafood elements in it, and yet all I could taste was that spicy mayo. I mean, this one, it just blew my head off. It was so spicy, I couldn't taste anything else. Now, this tuna sashimi. Instead of highlighting the freshness of the fish, you put a lot of garlic on it, and the garlic just overpowers everything. I would have never put garlic. I don't like that stuff. Both of you are ultimately responsible for what goes on to that menu. This noodle dish here -- this is Laotian. Yes, ma'am. Well, it's flavorful, and this was the one dish that I wanted more of, but not the sushi. Why are you not doing more of Laotian dishes? We don't have that many dishes to really -- There's a lot of dishes that we could probably make. Yes, there are. No. I'm willing to listen, but my brother is very stubborn. You should be both working as a team. I feel that he micromanages to the point where the vibe that he gives out -- UNG: That's the way I am, you know, like -- HUANG: The disconnect between Nina and Ung has clearly carried over into their menu. It's littered with inconsistencies, just like their relationship. You don't even look at each other when you're speaking to each other. You don't talk to each other and really connect. I try. Like, I can't -- I have no more energy. Have you lost respect for each other? HUANG: I'm in Houston, Texas, working with brother-and-sister team Nina and Ung to revive their failing restaurant, Tenshi Sushi, but after tasting the sushi, it's clear that it's just not good enough to compete with the dozens of Japanese restaurants in the city. My mouth is on fire. Tenshi needs a radical change. Why are you not doing more of Laotian dishes? I would love to do it. If we could just change this whole place. Could we just start all over and do that? I mean, is that possible? Everything is possible. Yeah, there's actually not a Laos restaurant in Houston. Well, isn't that a good thing? It seems the natural solution is to embrace their Laotian roots because what I've seen is substandard. I don't like that. I don't think you can. Sushi being not the centerpiece of our restaurant? I don't do that. There's bad energy, there's resentment, and it's reflected in the food. HUANG: After Nina's divorce, these siblings were forced together to save the restaurant, but they haven't figured out how to work together. I can change this menu. I can work with you on transforming this restaurant, but are you going to transform yourselves and the food? If you don't, you know, this restaurant is gonna close. It's my second day at Tenshi, and I have a huge menu overhaul I'd like to do. If I'm going to reinvent this place as a Laotian restaurant, the decor will need a drastic makeover. So, as you come into the restaurant, it's a mishmash, and then the color of the walls just feels old. So, this here is the sushi counter, and this seems to be the heart of where it's all happening, and yet, it's really disconnected from the rest of the space. We just need to unify the place. Nina and Ung haven't arrived yet, so I'm taking a stroll around their kitchen. There have to be more flavors in here they can utilize beyond that dreadful spicy sauce. Poking through their fridge, I find a mysterious sauce. It's a fish sauce, and it's delicious. It's got punch. It's garlicky, it's sweet. This sauce has a complex flavor profile, and it's emblematic of what I'd like to see in Tenshi's menu. Nina and Ung have arrived, and I'm excited to share my ideas with them on how to transform their menu. I've been giving it a lot of thought. The overall concept for this restaurant going forward -- modern Laotian dishes. And the sushi that you do, I want you to think about putting Laotian influence into sushi. I don't know what kind of reaction I'm gonna get from my clientele, our old customers. That's the scary part. I'm used to what I'm used to, and it's hard for me to grasp this. You guys don't have time to think about it. NINA: Something needs to change, but I saw his reaction. He's pretty hesitant about it. We're gonna launch with a new menu, and that is the new direction for your restaurant. Ung is doubtful as to whether Laotian cuisine would work here, but I really need him on board fully in order to take this restaurant into a new direction. Mama sauce. Yeah. This is your secret weapon right here. HUANG: This fish sauce is sweet, spicy, and I can't say much more about it because Mama won't give up her secret recipe, but we're free to use it as the base of our new menu palate. I'm going to make Laotian sashimi. We start by removing the skin from our grouper fillet. We create a coating for the skin out of a Laotian favorite, ground toasted sticky rice and ground chili peppers. Toss and then fry until crispy. We're going to separate this delicious fish into small, thin pieces. We create a herby, pungent sauce by grinding lemongrass, a bird's-eye chili, and our ground, fried chili flakes, along with more of our toasted rice. Add mint and cilantro. What do you think I'm gonna go for now? Mama sauce. Yeah. With the skin, you can just dot it around. Okay, so let's taste this. Try and get some of that sauce. I would eat that. I really like that. I don't like that stuff. I think I would probably do it with different fish. I'm still skeptical with this Laos thing. I can totally play with it. It's too much to handle for me and the staff. So, you know what? I don't want to fight with anyone. I don't want to argue, just -- HUANG: Nina wants to try new things, and she's frustrated because she wants Ung to really embrace that change. But you both have to agree on the menu going forward. I liked it. I liked it a lot. But I'm not really sure if my brother will accept this. Eye on the prize. It's to beat that competition and battle everyone else, but together. Ung continues to resist the new concept, and now Nina is ready to give up. So, I'm going to spend some one-on-one time with Nina. I want to hear her thoughts on how she'd like to see Tenshi moving forward. How did the decor come to be like this? When we first opened this restaurant, my ex-father-in-law and mother-in-law, they just wanted this way. Okay, so you didn't really have much of a say? No. After the divorce, I still have that feeling like I could never make a decision on my own and was comfortable with it. This place needs to be exorcised of the past, and in order to do that, I think a front of house complete overhaul. It's what's been needing to be done, like, let go completely of everything. NINA: I could make this place my own like I've always wanted. Actually feel like I have a new lease on life kind of thing. I want you to pull all of this out. You're gonna rip out the old and put in the new. This is crazy. HUANG: With Nina and I on the same page, I've got one mountain left to climb. HUANG: I sense a real change in Nina. I want to get her back into the kitchen to make a Laotian classic, green papaya salad. We start by grinding a garlic clove, a couple of bird's-eye chilies, and more of that toasted sticky rice. We're also adding tomatoes, cucumber, and jalapeño. Fish sauce, one tablespoon. We finish it off with lime juice for brightness and refreshing papaya shavings. And that's going to soak up all those flavors. Should we try it? That's really good. Yeah. Do you think you can agree on this? He doesn't want to listen a lot of the times. Well, do you listen to him? I'm sure I listen. I just don't hear. When I feel that I'm right, or he feels that he's right, we just stop listening completely. It just breaks down. It's not gonna take 3 days for us to work on our 38-year relationship. It's always arguing and fighting and bickering. It's not gonna be fixed in a few days. HUANG: Nina desperately wants to make a change to remake this place as her own, but her progress will be lost if she continues to let Ung wear her down, so I need to speak with him. I know it must be difficult. You do own half the restaurant. So, quite rightly, you want to run the business your way. Laotian food, it just needs to be put on the map. You guys have the opportunity to do that. UNG: It's tough because we can't be too different. We try to please the customer. Without each other, this place isn't gonna survive. HUANG: Ung knows something needs to change, but he's quite set in his old ways. One thing I have to do is get them working on the same page for the good of this restaurant. My team is working to finish the front of house in time for tonight's grand reopening. They're incorporating traditional Laotian elements that will create a clean, bright atmosphere to match the new menu. Meanwhile, I'm going to prepare one last dish with Nina and Ung. We only have a few hours to get Ung on board with this new concept. The grand opening is happening in a few hours. We don't have time to dillydally and be hesitant. Laab is the national dish of Laos. Laab is a traditional minced meat dish that combines chicken, beef, pork, or fish, with herbs and spices. I decide to use pork because it tends to have the most flavor. This is using ground pork shoulder and belly pork. First step, a spice rub for the pork. I combine a teaspoon each of cinnamon, citron pepper, cloves, cumin, and star anise. Then into hot oil with some cathia lime leaves. And then get some of the pork in. Some fish sauce. A little bit of sake. We finish with shredded cathia lime leaves and lime juice. Those nice, crunchy bits. You can serve the Laab with rice. I mean, people would love it. It's exciting. It's very exciting because I don't think anyone's seen that. Right. Now, let's taste this. So, the sticky rice you grab. Grab it with your fingers. Grab it with your finger like that and then like that. Yes. HUANG: It's customary in Laos to use your hands while eating because it's the easiest way to grab that sticky rice. I love it. This is one of my favorite dishes. Ung, what do you think? It's different, but it's good. You're looking very unhappy. I'm worried. NINA: I know you're worried. I can see it in your face, but I'm just telling you, you can do it. I still don't know how this is gonna work out, but if we can execute it well, I think this is gonna be really awesome. Listen, I get it. It's a totally new menu. I wouldn't do this if I didn't think you could do it. Are you on board? You're on board? Seriously, what do you think? I just want you to don't be so simple. All right, then. Okay. You're both on board. HUANG: I love seeing Nina take control and reasserting herself as a new person. It's full steam ahead. With the menu finalized, I'm both anxious and excited to show Nina and Ung their new dining room. One, two, three, open your eyes. Whoa. HUANG: It's been two days of hard work to transform Tenshi from an average Japanese restaurant to a unique and upscale Laotian eatery. The time has come to show Nina and Ung their new dining room. When I first came here, this place was a mess. We've cleaned out your restaurant. Open your eyes. Whoa. Wow. Oh, my God. Oh, my God, I love it! It's incredible. Gone are the horrible green walls, and in its place are really beautiful walls. We ripped up the carpet to give it that urban feel. Instead of those segregated tables, we put in the long tables. People can connect, come together. We cleaned up the sushi counter, too. We're gonna have a great night tonight, yes? It's gonna be incredible. Still got a lot of work ahead, so still stay focused. All right, let's go. Oh, my God. HUANG: The neighborhood's been buzzing with news of a Laotian-themed restaurant, so before we knew it, there was a line out the door. They are now open for business! Thank you for coming! [ Bell dings ] You need to explain what this is. This is the sashimi. New Laotian-style sashimi. Think about the presentation as you're doing this. I'm moving around. It's fast pace. I'm sweating in the back kitchen. I'm cooking. I'm jumping to the front. It's exciting right now for me, it's new. Whew. Your new-style Laotian sashimi. Mm, really good. All right, we're gonna make y'all some food now. Nina is doing great. She's got it all under control. She's charming the socks off her customers, as usual. Have you been here before? MAN: First time. What do you think? It will not be the last time. HUANG: Love it. Yes. We've got lots of happy people in the house. A lot of happy people. They love your food. You know what they say? My wish. Being in the kitchen with my brother cooking Laos food today is really fun. So, it brought all those memories back. We were happiest. Hello. I just wanted to tell you thank you. We have something for you. You're Laos now. Oh, my God! My mom made it for you, especially. Oh, my God. Now I just got to go to Laos. When I first came here a few days ago, this restaurant was pretty forgettable. Ung and Nina were at loggerheads with each other, and they were really unhappy. Look at them now. Completely transformed. The restaurant is happy. They're happy, and above all, their food rocks. They've put Laotian cuisine on the map in Houston, Texas, and I'm so proud of them.