Kong Reopens, Changes Menu

The Hong Kong Restaurant, a staple of late-night student diet for more nearly half a century, reopened last night after some extensive renovation, both to the building and to the menu.

The Hong Kong, known for its dark interior as much as for its scorpion bowls, has added three new windows and changed the way customers enter the building at 1236 Mass Ave, which was purchased 45 years ago.

"It's the time of year to do the changes," Paul Lee, who is on the staff of the Hong Kong, said. "It's slow with school being out."

The dining room was closed last Sunday and opened yesterday to allow renovations to take place.

The Kong's entire kitchen crew, including the chef, is new, Lee said.

"We have new cooks who have worked in [Boston's] Chinatown and Hong Kong," Lee said. "The [new] chef [Paul Lau] was being courted by four or five different restaurants."

Lau, a native of Hong Kong, has previously worked at Weylu's a restaurant inChinatown, as well as in Hong Kong restaurants,Lee said.

Reflecting the changes in the kitchen staff,the menu has more than 30 new items.

The new menu concentrates on seafoodselections, and has some new sections, including"chow foom, panfried noodle, or rice plate," and"chef specialties," such as House special salmon,baked salted chicken, steamed shrimp and scallopand double flavor lamb.

Following the renovations, The Kong will todiscontinue its 10 percent student discount. Leesaid that the prices were already as low as therestaurant thought feasible.

New menu range from $3.25 for a small order ofmost kinds of fried rice and some kinds of noodlesto $23.00 for Peking Duck, a two course dish.

Customers will notice changes in the physicalaspects of the Kong as well. The new entrance,which is on the right of the small alcove markingthe doorway, opens into a room now well-lit bysunlight and new electric lights.

The back area, which other customers used towalk through, is now around a corner and somewhatsecluded, which Lee said would please customerswho wish to have increased privacy while dining

Reflecting the changes in the kitchen staff,the menu has more than 30 new items.

The new menu concentrates on seafoodselections, and has some new sections, including"chow foom, panfried noodle, or rice plate," and"chef specialties," such as House special salmon,baked salted chicken, steamed shrimp and scallopand double flavor lamb.

Following the renovations, The Kong will todiscontinue its 10 percent student discount. Leesaid that the prices were already as low as therestaurant thought feasible.

New menu range from $3.25 for a small order ofmost kinds of fried rice and some kinds of noodlesto $23.00 for Peking Duck, a two course dish.

Customers will notice changes in the physicalaspects of the Kong as well. The new entrance,which is on the right of the small alcove markingthe doorway, opens into a room now well-lit bysunlight and new electric lights.

The back area, which other customers used towalk through, is now around a corner and somewhatsecluded, which Lee said would please customerswho wish to have increased privacy while dining