Our founder Mr. Zhou is not just a foodie, but he has been loving to cook since his childhood. At the age of seven, he was already preparing meals for his parents. In the 1990’s, Mr. Zhou, as a young tradesman he traveled extensively throughout China. During this time, he was able to experience the culinary diversities of different Chinese provinces he went to and refine his culinary skills. Whenever he ate at home with family or friends, he was always happy to be in charge of the cooking, "so that I could make everyone happy and eat meals that I like".
In order to obtain theoretical knowledge, he attended a chef school at the end of the 1990s. He then turned his hobby into a profession and opened a restaurant in his hometown. The concept of his restaurant was revolutionary at that time. Therefore, it was a great success.
His dream was to own a successful restaurant in Greece, in which he succeeded but this wasn't simply a walk in the park. After several years of working in other Chinese restaurants in Greece and understanding the gastronomical preferences of the Greeks, he finally had the required knowledge and was ready to take the big step in 2012.
Kung Fu Restaurant in Rafina officially opened in June 2012. This was a time the Greek economy was in deep crisis and the restaurants as well as other businesses had to struggle for survival. But, thanks to Mr. Zhou's delicious food and very good prices, the customer flow was increasing and many of them became regulars.
When Mr. Zhou opened his restaurant, three points were important for him: healthy and delicious food; low prices so that everyone, rich or poor, can afford it; and introducing Chinese cooking culture.
One of the novelties Kung Fu Restaurant brought is that the kitchen is open for everyone to see. Customers can see the whole process of preparing the food until it's brought to their table.
After successfully offering his country's delicacies for 8 years in Rafina, he decided to bring it to another city in Greece. He finally opted for the nice location in the center of Marousi and opened his second restaurant, the Kung Fu Noodle House, in July 2020.
Just as in 2012, this was also a very difficult period. The problem this time was the Coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Zhou though did not consider this as an obstacle for success: “As long as the tastes and prices are right, the restaurant will do well".
We pay a lot of attention to quality. That is why all our food is fresh. The noodles are made every day by hand. Our rice is steamed in a special wooden barrel from our owner‘s hometown and it is prepared in 4 steps according to the recipe of his grandmother. This is a long process, but when the rice is steamed in this way it has a very special fragrance and taste.
Before Mr. Zhou opened his restaurant in Rafina, Mr. Kostas Mathiopoulos, the owner of Iraklio Kung-Fu School, had already been his best Greek friend.
Mr. Mathiopoulos' whole family practices Chinese Kung Fu for many years. His Kung Fu School in Neo Iraklio has a history of more than 20 years, and has been devoted to spreading the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese Kung Fu in Greece. The school has won many awards and honors in Panhellenic and various European competitions.
Two of the greatest Chinese traditions, Kung Fu and Chinese cuisine met in Greece, thus the name Kung Fu Restaurant was born in Rafina – a restaurant with Kung Fu Spirit – hard work and an endless effort towards improvement.
