One may expect a typical Chinese food experience when he or she walks into Rainbow Town Chinese Restaurant, but owner Chang Lin and wife Hong Liu want to make sure that isn’t the case.
“We take care of our customers,” said Liu, manager of the restaurant. “When we open, we make our food fresh and healthy.”
Established in November 2006, Rainbow Town has been serving the downtown area of Trenton for five years. Liu said she and her husband always knew that they wanted to open a Chinese restaurant.
Liu, 32, and Lin, 33, emigrated to America from China about 16 years ago. Though they were traveling at the same time, they hadn’t met until both had reached American soil.
“Both of our dads owned Chinese restaurants in America,” said Liu, whose father owned a restaurant in the Bronx.
Liu worked for her father’s restaurant for eight years before briefly moving to Ohio with Lin to work at his father’s Chinese restaurant.
The couple finally settled in New Jersey, and as soon as they saw the South Warren Street location for sale in 2005, they knew it would be perfect for a business of their own. Liu’s decision to run a Chinese restaurant with her husband was a relatively easy one.
“I’ve worked with food almost half of my life,” she said.
Together, the couple’s experience provides for an expansive menu.
Liu said some of their most popular dishes include the spicy jalapeno chicken, coconut chicken and bourbon chicken. But if a diner’s favorite dish isn’t on the menu, he or she can still put in a request, Liu said. In fact, regular customers especially like to order specialties not listed on the menu.
As long as there are fresh supplies available, Liu or Lin will prepare your favorites.
“I will make sure it’ll be good,” Liu said. “Or else I won’t make it.”
The staff cleans the restaurant top to bottom every Saturday, including the walls, tables, floors and everything in between. The restaurant is sure to sparkle any day of the week, which is one of the reasons why the customers love coming back, Liu said. The fresh atmosphere paired with the fresh food ensures an overall pleasant experience.
Including Liu and Lin, Rainbow Town only employs a staff of three, with the exception of part-time lunch help. That allows the close relationships between customers and staff. Liu said loyal patrons are critical to the success of the restaurant.
Liu and Lin have a daughter, 7, and son, 9, who also love being around the restaurant. “The children do their homework here after school,” said Liu. “So they get to know our best customers. They even play with their kids.”
The customers make the restaurant “like a family,” said Liu. “I just like when the customer is happy and enjoys the food.”
Rainbow Town Chinese Restaurant is located on 111 South Warren Street in Trenton. It is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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