From our friends at ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen...
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen Opens August 25 at the Outdoor Shops on the Plaza at the Mall in Columbia
Southeast Asian Restaurant Created by Chipotle Expands to Columbia, Maryland
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, the Southeast Asian restaurant created by Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), will open the doors to its newest location at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, in Columbia, Maryland on Monday, August 25 at the Outdoor Shops on the Plaza at the Mall in Columbia.
“We serve the fresh, bold flavors of Southeast Asia, much like the traditional Thai food I grew up eating with my mom and aunt,” said Tim Wildin, brand director for ShopHouse. “I am proud that the menu showcases these flavors in a fast, nutritious and affordable way.”
In celebration of its newest location, ShopHouse will partner with Howard County Food Bank, which is run by Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), for a Grand Opening fundraiser. For each purchase made opening day, August 25, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to CAC and the Food Bank. All customers who come in to the Mall in Columbia restaurant location and mention the fundraiser or present the flyer on their phone or printed out will be eligible.
ShopHouse’s menu is influenced by the traditional ingredients, flavors and cooking techniques of Southeast Asia, and the restaurant gets its name from traditional shophouses, a common form of architecture in Southeast Asia in which families live upstairs and operate restaurants or fresh markets on the ground floor. The ShopHouse model closely resembles Chipotle, including a commitment to serving food made with highest quality ingredients from more sustainable sources, preparing food in an open kitchen using classic cooking techniques, and serving customers in an interactive format that allows each individual to pick and choose exactly what goes in to their own order.
At ShopHouse, guests customize their meal by choosing a base including jasmine rice, brown rice, chilled rice noodles, or salad; add grilled chicken satay, steak laab, pork and chicken meatballs, or organic tofu; a choice of various wok-cooked fresh vegetables; one of three sauces that include green curry, spicy red curry or a tamarind vinaigrette; garnish with green papaya slaw or pickled vegetables; and top with a choice of crispy toppings that include toasted rice, crushed peanuts or crispy garlic. The entire ShopHouse menu is gluten- and dairy-free.
Housed in a minimal space, ShopHouse pairs the bold and complex flavors of Southeast Asia with fresh, sustainably raised ingredients, drawing on the dishes and cooking techniques of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. The menu at ShopHouse features bold, assertively spiced dishes that are remarkably light and well balanced. ShopHouse’s chicken satay is made with naturally raised chicken, marinated overnight in coconut milk, dried spices, lemongrass, and other herbs, and then grilled. Steak laab takes naturally raised beef, which is crusted in spices and seared, then tossed in a cilantro-lime fish sauce and mixed with toasted rice.
Vegetables are cooked in a hot wok, and include green beans with roasted chili jam and shallots, and charred corn with garlic and sesame. In May 2014, ShopHouse introduced seasonal vegetables in each of its locations. Sourced from local farms whenever possible, wok-fried kale with chili-vinegar and summer squash with Thai basil debuted on the menu as the spring and summer offerings, with new vegetables scheduled to debut this fall and winter. Priced well under $10, dishes are prepared using traditional Southeast Asian herbs and spices like galangal, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and chilies. Customers order at the counter, and can see directly into an open kitchen - a format similar to the one that has become a hallmark of Chipotle restaurants.
ShopHouse also recently introduced its first-ever dessert: coconut rice and mango parfait. Made from a combination of Jasmine rice, creamy coconut milk, pureed mango, salt and sugar, the dessert is finished with sesame seeds and toasted coconut flakes and served chilled.
The first ShopHouse restaurant in Maryland opened in 2013 in Bethesda at 4820 Bethesda Avenue. There are three ShopHouse locations within Washington, D.C., in Georgetown, Dupont Circle and 7th Street and three locations on the West Coast, in Santa Monica, Westwood and Hollywood. ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen is located at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, Maryland. The restaurant will be open seven days a week.
About ShopHouse:
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen opened its first restaurant in 2011 in Washington, D.C. Created by Chipotle, ShopHouse draws on the unique flavors, ingredients and cooking methods of Southeast Asia, and takes its name from the mid-rise buildings prevalent throughout Southeast Asian cities where hard-working families live in apartments above the ground floor restaurants or markets that they operate. These shops serve as Asia’s version of fast food, with tiny kitchens turning out rice or noodle bowls laced with spicy sauces, marinated meats, and a flurry of herbs and vegetables. There are currently eight ShopHouse locations in the Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles areas. For more information, visit ShopHouseKitchen.com.
About Chipotle:
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that - where possible - are sustainably grown and Responsibly Raised® with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on building a special people culture that is centered on creating teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,650 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.
