EAST 180 Will Combine Authentic Regional Chinese Cuisine with Distinctive Western-Style Design

DIAMOND BAR, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the world’s attention turns to China for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, restaurant visionaries have announced a one-of-a-kind Chinese dining experience that will give Southern Californians of many cultures a truly unique lunch and dinner destination this fall.

EAST 180^o Cuisines of China opens in October 2008 in Diamond Bar, Calif., as the first Southern California restaurant to blend authentic cuisine from a wide variety of Chinese regions with a dramatic, American-influenced dining environment marked by an attention to architectural design, detailing and service not often associated with Chinese establishments.

Ta Siu, a Chinese-American entrepreneur who emigrated to the U.S. in 1978, is establishing EAST 180^o to appeal equally to ethnic Chinese and mainstream diners looking for authentic, innovative Chinese cuisine in an upscale setting. A strategic location near the intersection of the 57 and 60 freeways will offer close proximity to the growing San Gabriel Valley Chinese community and the mainstream neighborhoods of Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Jason Lin, formerly executive sous chef at Oya Restaurant in Washington, D.C., is relocating to Southern California to assume EAST 180^o executive chef duties. Lin, who trained at Los Angeles’ own Ling (later Ortolan), Max Restaurant, Vermont and Bouchon, is creating signature lunch and dinner menus that combine elements from many of the eight main Chinese regional cuisines.

The EAST 180^o menu will stress fresh seasonal and sustainable ingredients, and include appetizers; a small-plates menu; authentic Chinese regional entrees; a Chinese grill; fresh seafood; a daily chef’s tasting menu; and vegetable-, noodle- and rice-based selections. Chef Lin and his staff will place a heavy emphasis on healthy, innovative new incarnations of existing Chinese preparations delivering superior taste.

EAST 180^o prices will range from $7 to $27 for lunch and dinner entrees, and $5 to $13 for small plates and sides. The restaurant will feature a full bar and separate tea sommelier.

EAST 180^o will be located at 23525 Palomino Drive in Diamond Bar. The restaurant is assembling a team of professionals that can bring the unique EAST 180^o vision to reality. Interested applicants should visit the EAST 180^o Web site at www.east180.com.

XPR, LLC
Bob Ochsner, 949-748-7000 ext. 100
BOchsner@xpublicrelations.com