Chu ‘Empire’ Expands

West Ashley restaurateur Kelly Chu, it seems, is never satisfied. First, it was West Ashley, then it was Mt. Pleasant, and tomorrow, the world.
First, her father opened one of the area’s favorite Chinese takeout restaurants, the now-gone Joy Luck on St. Andrews Boulevard.
Then Chu and husband Tony opened Red Orchids in a then moribund Ashley Landing shopping center at the crux of Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and Old Towne Road.
Hours were long, as were the lines at the door for the quiet, tasty restaurant that served up Tony’s oral vision of China.
The couple parlayed several years of hard work, success, and regular local dining awards into their next venture, Aya Cookhouse in Mt. Pleasant, serving a much more adventurous take on Asian dining.
And now Chu has launched her own line of boutique, handcrafted French custard ice creams from a manufacturing and event space in a strip mall off Orleans Road in West Ashley.
Cirsea was selected as the name of the ice cream brand, playing with the Southern word for gift and messages from antiquity.
With it, Chu wanted to go beyond the “green tea” and “red bean” flavors found at most Chinese restaurants.
A few years ago Chu started experimenting with different flavors at Red Orchids, and found that — big surprise — there wasn’t anything more fun than playing with ice cream.
The small batch flavors include: Toasted Black Sesame — imbued with faint echoes of coffee and pistachio, Bourbon Caramel, Vanilla black pepper, Cinnamon, and a honey-sweetened Strawberry sorbet that caused one 14-year-old taste-tester to turn a full pint into a single serving.
Chu decided to hold back on releasing the Cayenne-spiked chocolate that has proven a hit at Red Orchids until the brand is more fully established.
Wednesday, Chu and her assistant, Kylan Bogad, bicker like sisters at the Orleans Road site, deciding what needs to be cleaned up, and what needs to be put away for an upcoming taste testing with a prospective customer.
Tony maintains a role in the new venture, too, but it’s as a taste-tester.
Cirsea is currently taking orders for October for restaurants and specialty shops, and currently is featured in two other local restaurants. The full line is also sold at area farmers’ markets on weekends.
When asked whether she and Tony are ready to open another restaurant, Chu is adamant before weakening. “No … Absolutely not … Not yet.”
So be on the lookout for the Chu Empire’s next expansion, and enjoy some ice cream while you wait.