The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Walnut prawns are among the specialties prepared by chef Dennis Yuan, left, at China Eastern House. Yuan is pictured here with manager Chong Lee.

Chef brings years of experience to eatery

By Steve Enders

Chef and restaurant owner Dennis Hua-Luan Yuan has 20 years of experience under his belt, including ownership and lead cooking duties at some of the most prestigious Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area.

So what would make him leave those restaurants?

"I like this one because it's more like a family restaurant," he said.

Chef Yuan has lived in the Bay Area since he left Taiwan in 1987. Since then, he's been the head chef at Mandarin Gourmet in Cupertino and owned the upscale Mandarin Classic in Los Altos.

Yuan now owns the China Eastern House in Sunnyvale and is loving every minute of it.

The prices are reasonable compared to the other restaurants he's worked at, and he said the cooking is equally good, since he's still behind the scenes.

"I keep the quality," Yuan said modestly.

China Eastern has been in Sunnyvale only since January but has begun to see a steady clientele develop.

Chef Yuan began working in restaurants in Taiwan when he was 19 years old. Now 39, he says he's had no formal training to get where he is today.

"I learned working in restaurants," he said. "I like seafood, and I like to eat. I just wanted to make good food for me and my family."

Although he's never gone to school to hone his skills, he's had some of the best training: He interned for five years at the famous Ho Da Foo Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan.

"I didn't like to study, and I was never a good student. My parents said I had to do something," Yuan said.

Eventually, he opened Mandarin Classic in Los Altos so he could show off his skills, using the highest-quality food and most extravagant recipes. While at Mandarin Classic, he scored rave reviews from food critics around the Bay Area.

Now, Sunnyvale and Cupertino residents can experience the same quality food prepared by Yuan, he said.

"The food is the same here. Los Altos was high-class--it had a bar, everything," he said.

The atmosphere at China Eastern is a bit more modest, as is its menu. For lunch, Yuan recommends the kung pao chicken or the sweet-and-sour pork. All lunch specials at China Eastern cost $4.25.

"I like it very spicy. Some of the meals I made at Mandarin Classic can't be made here because of the price," he said.

For dinner, Yuan recommends the Eastern House beef. "I make it special," he said.

Another of his recommended dinner specialties is the pan-seared fillet of orange roughy with hot garlic sauce.

All of Yuan's dinner meals are between $7 and $9, and all the food at China Eastern can either be taken out or eaten in.

China Eastern House restaurant is located at 1627 Hollenbeck Ave. in Sunnyvale. It's open for lunch between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and for dinner between 5 and 9:30 p.m. China Eastern is closed Sundays. Call 737-1688 for information.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 15, 1998.
©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.