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General Tso’Boy, the Chinese-American sandwich shop in Rock Rose, is closing. Its last day of service will be held today, Thursday, December 14.
However, founders Jessica and Gary Wu are holding onto the restaurant space. They’re going to turn it into the Austin location of Miami-based Chinese restaurant and barbecue spot Lotus + Cleaver, run by the Wus too, with Rivers & Hills Hospitality Group. The fast-casual food stand made its debut last month as part of of Asian food hall 1-800-Lucky in Miami. It’s set to open in Austin sometime in spring 2018.
Lotus + Cleaver focuses on Chinese barbecue dishes, like Peking duck served in various formats like served in steamed buns with optional seared foie gras, barbecue pork ribs, chicken wings, and Sichuan chicharrones. Then there are entrees like noodles with pork belly and eggs, sweet and sour chicken, and egg-fried rice, plus salads, pickles, teas, and juices. The Austin location will include exclusive dishes too.
The restaurant will undergo renovations to become Lotus + Cleaver.
As for the shutter of General Tso’Boy, it had “been a fast-casual success, but we feel that this space has more potential by offering full-service and late night dining being on Rock Rose,” Jessica Wu told Eater. “Austin is a huge barbecue town, so we feel that is only right to bring our version of Chinese barbecue to the city.”
The Wus started General Tso’Boy in New York as a flea market pop-up in 2014. They opened the brick-and-mortar in Austin in 2016. The menu highlighted po’ boys filled with Chinese-American dishes, like General Tso's chicken, black pepper beef, mapo tofu, and honey-walnut shrimp.
Rivers & Hills Hospitality Group, which also oversees New York dumpling spot Northern Tiger.
This article has been updated to include details from General Tso’Boy co-owner Jessica Wu.
- General Tso’Boy [Instagram]
- Look Around Miami’s First-Ever Food Hall, Debuting in Wynwood Tomorrow [EMIA]
- Lotus + Cleaver [Official]
- Lotus + Cleaver [Instagram]
