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Those looking for a quick and affordable restaurant option in burgeoning Shaw are eagerly awaiting Chao Ku, a fast-casual Chinese restaurant bound for 1414 9th St. NW. Co-owner John Fielding tells Eater they're in the process of developing the menu now. Here are five things to know about the restaurant, which brought in more than $30,000 on Kickstarter.
*The chef, Paul Pelt, spent several years working at The Tabard Inn.
*Though the menu will be pretty meat-centric, their goal is to have several vegan and vegetarian options, too.
*Fielding is going for a lower price point than many competing restaurants in the area. That means many dishes in the $4-$8 range.
*The restaurant won't shy away from unique ingredients. A mock menu for the place shows a Chinese burger with lamb and seitan, as well as cured pork jowls.
*Move over, seafood plateaus: one of the dishes in the works is a "Tower of Power" featuring wok-fried spare ribs, pork roast, slow cooked belly, pickles, rice and condiments. Sounds like a new spin on a pu-pu platter.
