The newly opened Japanese/Taiwanese restaurant replaces Percy’s Place at 247 Main St. It was opened in early September by wife team Ashley Chen and Denny Cheng, with the two bringing the health and taste of Asian food to Hyannis. The Dragon Lion Dance Team performed at the ribbon cutting ceremony on September 9th. The lion dragon danced in front of the restaurant before entering and dancing throughout the two floors and the kitchen.
“It’s for good luck, good luck,” Chen said in a tone still influenced by her time in Japan and Taiwan.
Ninja House is Chen’s third restaurant
Chen has opened two restaurants before. She sold one but still runs one in Framingham called Kalasha Bubble Tea and Chicken, with a Korean menu. When Percy’s became available, Chen’s husband encouraged her to transform the popular breakfast spot into a place that served a completely different kind of food. Gone are the eggs and hash browns and Percy’s extensive breakfast menu. The menu now features special rolls, sushi rolls, bento lunches, and even sushi pizza. Fresh tuna, salmon, lobster, eel and yellowtail lie on layers of ice in a Hoshizaki ice machine.
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Chen hopes people will come and try the food and have a great experience. She suggests those who have never had sushi before try it in a certain order: California or vegetarian rolls first, then cooked fish rolls, and lastly raw fish rolls. There is soy sauce, gari (pickled ginger leaves), and wasabi to accompany the sushi. She added that it is very healthy.
“For starters, people usually try California rolls,” she said, adding that sushi with cooked fish comes next. “After you like it, people try raw fish.”
The Main Street space has a new look
The restaurant has been renovated. It features new black booths and tables, a black marble countertop bar, and a sushi bar where diners can watch the chefs at work. Small fish, seashells and lighthouses hang from fish nets on one wall. New flooring, soft blue paint, and a comprehensive renovation spruced up the place.
A smiling golden ceramic cat welcomes customers inside with its waving arm. Chen names a basket of gold coins, a few lucky cats, and two plants in the vestibule as traditional objects of good luck.
“They bring good luck,” she said.
Customers can choose from a wide range of items, from appetizers to raw and cooked sushi rolls, hibachi meals to soups, and house salads to stir-fries. Ramen noodles, pad thai, fried rice, teriyaki meals and side orders are available.
The restaurant can seat about 50 people on the first floor, and there is space on the second floor for about 20 to 25 people.
Chen lives in Boston, but visits her friends on the Cape often. She loves the area and the beaches nearby. When she saw that Percy’s shop was closing, she thought about the possibilities. Her husband loved and encouraged the environment. She hasn’t done any advertising yet, so she’s relying on passersby and word of mouth so far.
“We want people to try our food and have a great experience,” she said. “We want people to enjoy. We want customers to feel like this is their home.”
Denise Coffey writes about business and tourism. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com.
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