Tuesday, February 10, 2015

ShopHouse Debuts 2 New Seasonal Vegetables

Collard Greens

From our friends at ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen...

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen Introduces Parsnips and Collard Greens to Rotating Seasonal Menu

Southeast Asian-Inspired Restaurant to Offer New Seasonal Dishes

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, the Southeast Asian restaurant developed by Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), introduces parsnips and collard greens, two brand-new seasonal menu offerings, today at each of its nine locations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Parsnips will be wok-cooked with garlic, Thai chilies and fresh Thai basil. The parsnips will replace butternut squash for the winter season, with subsequent seasonal vegetables announced as sourcing and preparation are finalized. Additionally, collard greens with chilies and vinegar will replace broccoli, one of the original vegetable options on the menu at ShopHouse locations on both coasts.

Serving better ingredients from more sustainable sources with respect for farmers, animals and the environment and buying seasonal produce allows ShopHouse to serve ingredients that are as fresh and delicious as possible, reinforcing its dedication to Food With Integrity. ShopHouse is committed to supporting family farmers who follow responsible practices.

Parsnips & Thai Basil

"As the seasons change, our menu evolves to celebrate what is in season,” said Tim Wildin, brand director. “This winter we’re wok-frying parsnips with Thai basil, and collard greens with fermented chili-vinegar. It’s about taking our very traditional flavors of Southeast Asia and pairing them with produce that is at its peak flavor here, which adds a lot of variety to our menu throughout the year.”

The menu at ShopHouse is influenced by traditional ingredients, flavors and the cooking techniques of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, 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’s, 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; adding 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 includes green curry, spicy red curry or a tamarind vinaigrette; garnishing with green papaya slaw or pickled vegetables; and finishing with a choice of crispy toppings such as toasted rice, crushed peanuts, Thai chilies or crispy garlic. ShopHouse also offers 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 entire ShopHouse menu is gluten- and dairy-free.

ABOUT SHOPHOUSE:
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen opened its first restaurant in 2011 in Washington, D.C. Developed 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 nine 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 1,750 restaurants including nine ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an investor in an entity that owns and operates two Pizzeria Locale restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.