Chou's Kitchen to Open Second Location in Tempe This Summer

There aren't many places in metro Phoenix where you can find northwestern Chinese fare, a regional cuisine perhaps best known for its dough-y offerings including scallion pancakes, beef pies, and xiaolongbao, or delicate dumplings filled with hot soup broth.

But for those seeking these hard-to-find dishes — plus bubbling clay pots, excellent stir fry, and more — Chou's Kitchen in Chandler has been a singular haven, well worth the drive from just about anywhere in the Valley. And if you've been making the trek to Chandler to get your fix,  then we've got good news: this summer Chou's Kitchen will open a second location in Tempe. 

According to Chou's Kitchen co-owner Sunny Zhau, the new restaurant is expected to open sometime around the end of July or beginning of August. It will take over the space most recently occupied by The Copper Kettle at 1250 East Apache Boulevard, on the northwest corner of Apache and Dorsey Lane.

Zhau, who co-owns the restaurant with Lulu Zhou, says the owners have been looking to open a second restaurant for about a year. The slightly more central location of the Tempe restaurant will be easier to get to for customers who have been driving to the original restaurant from the northern part of the Valley. It will also appeal to Arizona State University students, some of whom don't have cars and have been taking Uber or cabs to the Chandler restaurant, Zhau says. 

The new restaurant will also be bigger than the original location, which will allow for more seating, of course, but also an expanded menu. According to Zhau, dishes that have previously been offered only as white-board specials at the Chandler restaurant will be incorporated into the regular menu in Tempe. The new restaurant will also be open for lunch and dinner daily, and will offer delivery and pick-up dining. 

Chou's Kitchen in Chandler is located at 910 North Alma School Road. For more information, call 480-821-2888.