Since opening in 2014, the Asian fusion restaurant has grown a devoted local following thanks to its creative takes on Asian-inspired cuisine, like kimchi quesadillas, wonton tacos, and the "Godzilla Ramen." In addition to those delicious eats, the story behind the restaurant's success lies in the deep-rooted friendship of its founders who both share a passion for cooking.
The story began in 2006 when cofounder Diego Ng partook in a cooking class at Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management with cofounder Alex Kuk. Ng learned serious techniques left and right from Kuk, who he admits was a bit more advanced with his cooking style.
Ng tells New Times, "We all learned so much during that class, and all signs pointed to [Kuk] knowing what he was doing. But there was this one time when he wanted to show me a technique with a zester, but he failed so miserably. All of the students were looking at each other like, What the heck? But he ultimately made up for it,'" he says with a laugh.
A Dream Founded Upon Friendship and a Passion for Cooking
It's those same lighthearted and humble feelings that the restaurant still radiates to this day.Temple Street Eatery's success boils down to serious food, good vibes, and visibly infectious lightheartedness, which are clearly on display, whether through a funny salad-making Instagram video or the poppy Asian tchotchkes donning the restaurant's walls.
"Through the years, and as we keep growing, we keep connecting more and more with our community," Ng tells New Times. "The biggest thing our guests have given us is freedom. They feel comfortable with the dishes that we are preparing them. We do have a menu that is very Asian-inspired, but there is a lot of eclectic-ness there, too."
That eclectic quality stems from Ng and Kuk's story together. The two built up quite a camaraderie in class, with Ng eventually graduating in 2008. His early restaurant roles included working at the Boca Raton resort, Blade Sushi at the Fontainebleau, and Morimoto's. He considers Masaharu Morimoto among his biggest mentors.
Kuk's great-grandfather founded Wan's Mandarin House. He has managed a number of big-time South Florida hot spots like Sushi Maki, Houston's, and RA Sushi.
Circa 2010, Ng went on a seven-month backpacking trip through Europe, Japan, China, and Peru, where he learned so much more about the cultural side of food. During that time, and post-graduation, Ng kept in touch with Kuk always wanting to explore a concept of their own.
In 2011, they put a plan into motion before ultimately opening Temple Street Eatery on August 18, 2014.
Comfort Food With a Modern Twist: Temple Street Eatery Was Born
Ng reflects, "I know we wanted to make food that was comfort food. And, for me, the biggest comfort food is eating noodles. It's like a hug in a bowl. I knew in South Florida, and at that time, we couldn't survive as just a ramen shop. So, we played around with the menu quite a bit with noodle soups, dumplings, small bites, and more, all with Asian roots. That led to the first draft of the Temple Street menu."It took no time for Fort Lauderdale favorites to be born, such as Temple Street Eatery's number one-selling wonton noodle soup, the kimchi-flared quesadilla, and the edamame falafel pita. Ng says Temple Street Eatery hit the one million dumplings sold mark in its third year of business.
Through the years, some of Ng's favorite memories include Temple Street's Chino Latino-themed parties on Cinco de Mayo, dishing Asian-inspired burritos and tacos, and attracting hundreds of guests. The company is also proud of how it navigated the COVID pandemic: selling meats, toilet paper, and even cleaning supplies in a market-like fashion, all while preparing and selling frozen dumplings and hosting dumpling-making classes online. Ng says that in the heart of the pandemic, Temple Street Eatery was three weeks away from closing but was saved thanks to its customers and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding. The dumpling classes that were once held online are now a regular in-person shindig that they host in the restaurant.
Despite it all, not only did the restaurant persevere, it shined.
To celebrate this milestone, on Saturday, August 17, from 5 to 11 p.m. Temple Street Eatery will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a "Polynesian Lot Party" and luau. Among the highlights at the party will be a traditional lion dance, hula, tiki cocktails, giveaways, and special bites like spam musubi, Japanese egg salad arepas, curry fish ball skewers, and more. Core to the luau — and as with so much related to Temple Street Eatery these days — will be community partners on-site, including Kitty Boba Teahouse, Sweet Aloha Ice Cream, and Blushing Boba Studio.
Beyond Temple Street's big tenth anniversary celebration, Temple Street Eatery recently opened a second location, a small outpost inside of Baoshi Food Hall in Pembroke Pines. Looking ahead, he says a new location in Cooper City is in the works, meaning the Temple Street magic will be spread to a new community once more.
Temple Street Eatery. 416 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 754-701-0976; templestreeteatery.com.
