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New owners, same Chinese-Thai palate-pleasers at Pen's
Pen’s Oriental Kitchen in Purcellville opened under new ownership in June, but don’t expect any abrupt changes. The Chinese-Thai menu that has satisfied diners from all over Loudoun for going on 50 years won’t change much.The new owner, He Jie Lin, has been the chef for the last 10 years and created most of the dishes on that menu. He will continue to create the sauces himself, and will oversee the seven chefs.
He and his son, Yu Da Lin, and daughter, Maggie Lin, have already added some new items to the menu and have introduced sushi to the western Loudoun palate. Raw fish presented as a work of culinary art on white porcelain is already making converts in the land of the chicken-fried streak. Yu Da and chef Thomas Jiang preside over the sushi bar, where the Creamy Diva – tempura shrimp and avocado rolled in crabmeat strips, topped with citrus-infused fish roe – has become a local favorite. Spicy salmon rolls, tuna sashimi, eel, crab and shrimp take their turns in the starring role.
He Jie, who hails from near Shanghai in China, may be adding some Japanese specialties in the near future. Previous owner Allen Cheng arranged for He Jie to come to the Purcellville restaurant a decade ago. Cheng and co-owner Siripen Bradshaw worked on transferring ownership to the Lins for almost two years, and have now moved on to enjoy retirement.
Beef Satay – barbeque beef on a skewer served with Thai peanut sauce and cucumbers – is high on the patrons’ list of favorites, with Sesame Chicken and Gen. Tso’s Chicken – developed by a Chinese chef in the United States to please the American taste for sweetness – leading the way on both the lunch takeout menu and the dinner agenda.
-- Shannon Sollinger
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