It’s Queens the Magazine “It’s List”
#5 JIMMY TU
BUN-KER VIETNAMESE
46-63 METROPOLITAN AVE.
RIDGEWOOD
On a stretch of Ridgewood defined by its factories, loading docks and delivery trucks, it’s impressive that Bun-Ker Vietnamese has managed to stay in business. So when the restaurant received Michelin recognition for good cuisine at reasonable prices, it made everything a little bit sweeter. After all, the road to their current success was a risky one. Owner-chef Jimmy Tu said the space wasn’t even originally intended for a restaurant.
“We were in the process of opening up a seafood supply company,” Tu said. “We were going to sell fish, but then Hurricane Sandy came along and created a lot of damage to the business.”
Along with his brother Jacky, the former CEO of Korilla BBQ food truck and now Tu’s sous-chef, and childhood skateboarding pals Roy Zapanta and Shea Hsu, the group of friends decided to open up a restaurant in its place after falling short on cash. The decision to stay in Queens, even in industrial Ridgewood, was an easy one.
“Queens is home to us all,” Tu said. “We grew up in Elmhurst and we wanted to create authentic and quality Vietnamese food for the community.”
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