Presence

They probably are losing money now that my wife and I are no longer in Baltimore. It is amazing that my wife can survive without their sweet and sour chicken. We can drive to New Haven for kosher chinese but it ain't the same. If true, one less reason for us to ever come back and visit Bawlmer.

Are you joking me? It is the only kosher place that I can go with my fam! Even though my dad grumbles about the prices, he still will eat there, unlike anywhere else here!

This may be a controversial statement, but to me, being sold to a Jew is the same thing as becoming non-Kosher. Jews don't know how to run a restaurant. Chu's has been so succesful because it's been run by CHINESE people, not Jews trying to run a Chinese. If they aren't turning it into another Tov Pizza, the place will go under a year. Mark my word. Hashem Yerachaim.

With Baltimore kosher restaurants nose diving, we may as well move back to Atlanta.

We went there last night. Place was crowded. Service was pretty good. (As I lifted my glass to drink a partially full glass of water our waitress came by to fill the glass.)
I can't imagine why he'd sell. Too much business?

I can't imagine someone wanting to buy Chu to make it treif. I must say that although Alan has a point, I do feel a twinge of guilt giving business to a non-jew when there are jews supporting our community (tzedakah, tuitions, etc.) who own other restaurants. When ordering or going out to eat I will sometimes go to other establishments just because they are jewish owned. I have also heard from people that eating in an establishment owned by a non-jew (albeit under a reliable hasgacha) is a bdieved, relative to eating in frum owned establishment. Not saying I subscribe to such a philosophy, but I can understand the theory.

Let's get the halacha straight, before you have one half of the readers rolling their eyes in anti-chniyok disgust and the other half about to be needlessly machmir. :)

The inyan of buying from our brethren only applies when all things are equal or almost equal.

If all things are not equal, i.e. you hate the food in the brother-owned establishment, then don't worry about it.

alanlaz-Why do you assume it will be sold to a Jew? Unless you're just putting in an editoril with that opinion, which I happen to agree with. I wish the place would remain in control of David Chu.

I haven't heard that it is being sold to a Jew, in fact, I have heard the opposite.

SoccerDad: if business is good, it's the best time to sell. It's a lot better than selling when business is bad. ;)

First, I thought you were trying to tell us that David Chu's was opening up a branch on The Block... which would be very interesting, although nasty, commentary.

Second, Jews can do decent restaurants as long as they bring in the appropriate talent. There's an absolutely amazing kosher chinese restaurant I was at recently, in Toronto, which is owned by a Jew. I just wish I remembered the name of the place.

My sister-in-law told me that it was being sold to a Jew - although, I'd hardly consider her a reliable source.

Opinions - when I go out to eat, I'm looking for good food and good service. The food is the best in town, and the service is even better than the food. If all else was equal, I'd go to the Jew - unfortunately, all else is not equal.

One other issue - David Chu's is the only option for a nice, sit-down restaurant at a reasonable price. I love the Brasserie, but I can only afford to go there on special occasions. David Chu's has a niche that will be hard to replace.

My understanding is that they have had many problems with their chefs using non-kosher ingredients and trying to trick the mashgichim. About 6 months ago, he was complaining that he was going to close because the cost to have kosher certification was too expensive but when I spke with him, he agreed that the Vaad was harassing him because of the behavior of his chefs. He felt that that was too much of an intrusion on his business.

Phew! I got out of Baltimore just in time. No fear of a lack of Kosher restaurants in NY... ;-)

I have a source who tells me that the people at the Star-K have had nothing but praise for David and how cooperative he has always been with the mashgichim. This dates from a year ago.

I just got take-out from David Chu's today and met the new owner. She seemed very nice. She reassured me that David Chu's will be staying kosher.

I got from Chu last night as well. I did not recognize the lady who rang me up...maybe she is the new owner? I did, however, see Mr. Chu and wife (I think that's his wife) in the background looking at something on a wireless laptop...

I'm sure they were reading this blog...look at all the business I sent them...

I'm nervous.
If the owner is a non-Jew, no problem.
But if the owner is a non-frum Jew, they don't have a good track record of maintaining kosher establishments in Baltimore. Look at what happened with Sabra Grill. If the owner is a non-frum Jew, I'm scared that she will start seeing dollar signs when she imagines all the business that could be brought in by being open on Shabbos and cutting the costs of kosher meat.

Greg, I just heard the Brass' is going treif...true??

SH