60328 Tue May 18 03:02:21 -0700 2004 16 2 Los Angeles Area 0 318982 Does anyone know why they closed down both SensAsian Restaurants in Irvine and the newly opened one in Costa Mesa? There is a note posted on their door stating where employees can pick up their last paycheck. What a bizarre and abrupt end! Calls to the restaurant are unanswered. The restaurant website remains up with no updates. Not that this was my favorite joint, but still very curious on what could have happened. Bankruptcy? Health code violation? Hostile takeover? Any insiders out there? Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/60304#318867 Tue May 18 03:02:21 -0700 2004 0 elmomonster 1 318988 Darn... and we had just received a coupon for a free dessert! :( Tue May 18 10:36:50 -0700 2004 318982 0 Kirstine 2 319008 I'm not sure but could be a health issue. I became very ill after eating there and the restaurant could not care less. Horrible Management at Wybridge Holdings, the owner of SensAsian Tue May 18 12:46:31 -0700 2004 318988 0 David Luong 1 319010 Good riddance. I'm not going to miss it. It was the worst Chinese food i've ever had. I don;t know how he can live with putting his name on bad restaurants. Is Yan Cans are horrible too. Tue May 18 12:49:14 -0700 2004 318982 0 dodgerx88 1 319039 Yan can cook, but he can't run a business. Which is typical of a lot of chefs. Personally, I think any restuarant that opens in that center will eventually fail. Tue May 18 15:55:08 -0700 2004 318982 0 Diamond Dog 2 319059 I was surprised to see it down at the Robinson's/May end of SCP - just can't see it making it - Troquet is the only restaurant in SCP worth visiting IMHO. Tue May 18 18:37:55 -0700 2004 319039 0 torta basilica 3 319064 Actually you are thinking of Yujean Kang's China Bistro. Martin Yan's SensAsian is on Anton next to Romano's Macaroni Grill. Tue May 18 19:07:47 -0700 2004 319059 0 elmomonster 4 319067 Actually to be completely correct, it is called Yujean Kang's Asian Bistro. It is still in business. Tue May 18 19:17:59 -0700 2004 319064 0 elmomonster 5 319075 You are oh so right - I knew I saw 2 new restaurants - just had the names switched. BTW, has anyone been to Yujean Kang's? Is it anything like the one in LA? Or no relation? Tue May 18 19:56:50 -0700 2004 319067 0 torta basilica 6 319107 I've been to Yujean Kang's South Coast Plaza location. I wrote a review not too long ago, but I can't find it any longer. The food was nothing spectacular. The crispy beef I had was good, but had a very vinegary after taste and the sliced thai chilis in the dish were dangerous. A vermicelli noodle stir fry was greasy and just came flavored with soy and not much else. A sushi roll appetizer was so-so, but seeing as how I can't remember how it was, it was nothing impressive. Wed May 19 00:34:46 -0700 2004 319075 0 elmomonster 2 319066 What make you think Yan can indeed cook? He is a good showman and his shows are entertaining. But I haven't heard anyone thinks that he actually can cook. Tue May 18 19:15:06 -0700 2004 319039 0 Peter 1 319070 So I guess other than Martin Yan and SensAsian bashing, no one really has any facts or details about what happened that had them close so abruptly. Tue May 18 19:29:35 -0700 2004 318982 0 elmomonster 2 319103 So it would seem, and I found this puzzling enough to try tracking down the facts. After a lot of hunting, I found the following in the quarterly financial report for YUM! Brands, dated April 21,2004: "Following the unexpected death of Arthur Ho, the principal of our Yan Can joint-venture, the company decided to dissolve this partnership. The company plans to liquidate the business. The financial impact of the dissolution was not material and is included in unallocated other income (expense)." I am uncertain if YUM! was a participant in Sensasian as well as the Yan Can fast-food venture, but from another website I found a March 10, 2003 Nation's Restaurant News report as follows: "Teaming up with Yan on the restaurant (Sensasian) are partners Arthur Ho, a KFC and Pizza Hut franchisee in Asia through his Favorite Restaurant Group, and Jim Gressert, a property developer. The Hong Kong-based Favorite Restaurant Group holds the rights to develop Yan's restaurant concepts." So it would be a reasonable guess that Mr. Ho's death has led to some kind of retrenchment at the Favorite Restaurant Group, and this may account for the apparent demise of both Yan Can and Sensasian. Just a guess. Tue May 18 23:36:55 -0700 2004 319070 0 PayOrPlay 3 319105 Excellent detective work! Very impressive! Out of curiousity, I went by to read the sign posted outside the Irvine SensAsian today. The wording on the note seems to imply that they "hope" to reopen sometime soon. But judging by the information you found, it's probably unlikely. Thanks for your efforts! Wed May 19 00:08:48 -0700 2004 319103 0 elmomonster 4 319149 Here are some facts: The Yan Can Cook ( quick serve ) restaurants are part of the YUM Brands portfolio which also is the owner of Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, A&W, etc...SensAsian Grills ( there are two SensAsian Grills, one in the Irvine Marketplace and one in Costa Mesa, one was scheduled to open in San Jose soon) they are owned by Wybridge Holdings of Anaheim Hills, ca - Mr. Ho is from a Hong Kong based company that happens to be the largest franchisee of KFC restaurants outside the USA. Yan Can Cook and SensAsian are NOT related (although both have the Yan influence) and for the Record all Yan Can restaurants are in Northern Cal and are still open for business. Now the question remains.. WHY did SensAsian close so abruptly?? Wed May 19 12:05:30 -0700 2004 319105 0 BRH714 2 319146 Here are some facts: The Yan Can Cook ( quick serve ) restaurants are part of the YUM Brands portfolio which also is the owner of Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, A&W, etc...SensAsian Grills ( there are two SensAsian Grills, one in the Irvine Marketplace and one in Costa Mesa, one was scheduled to open in San Jose soon) they are owned by Wybridge Holdings of Anaheim Hills, ca - A Hong Kong based company that happens to be the largest franchisee of KFC restaurants outside the USA. Yan Can Cook and SensAsian are NOT related (although both have the Yan influence) and for the Record all Yan Can restaurants are in Northern Cal and are still open for business. Now the question remains.. WHY did SensAsian close so abruptly?? Wed May 19 12:02:59 -0700 2004 319070 0 BRH714 1 319326 This was in the Register's business section: SensAsian restaurants at the Irvine Marketplace and on Anton Boulevard in Costa Mesa unexpectedly closed May 10. A woman who answered the business line for the company said the closure had to do with the recent death of Arthur Ho, a Hong Kong restaurant executive who teamed with celebrity chef Martin Yan in creating the restaurants, which featured food from different Asian countries. Thu May 20 09:15:31 -0700 2004 318982 0 NinoHB