Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Restaurateur Cory Ng was born and raised in New York City’s Chinatown, along with the childhood friends with whom he runs two restaurants, Potluck Club and Phoenix Palace. They grew up with immigrant parents, respecting and carrying on their grit and determination to build a better life for the next generation.
However, without seeming too righteous, they simply saw the neighborhood change in real time and felt doing nothing about it—or worse, relocating—wasn’t their path. With an ageing old guard and long-run businesses literally closing up left and right, they took a big risk, grabbed that torch, and opened their first Cantonese American restaurant in 2022.
The reaction was instant and gratifying. Its success led to an even bigger decision: what to do next. Options to franchise or open in Brooklyn came up in conversation. Instead, they planted their flag even deeper in Chinatown, and Phoenix Palace was born late last year. But they weren’t going to do the same thing twice.
Learn how Cory and his friends are blazing the trail for Chinatown’s future, out of love and respect to all who came before them and the generations to come.
This episode is part of The Encore, a series from VICE and Toyota about Asian American culinary talent who continue to “call their shot” at their dreams amid a life of trial and error.
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Restaurateur Cory Ng was born and raised in New York City’s Chinatown, along with the childhood friends with whom he runs two restaurants, Potluck Club and Phoenix Palace. They grew up with immigrant parents, respecting and carrying on their grit and determination to build a better life for the next generation.
However, without seeming too righteous, they simply saw the neighborhood change in real time and felt doing nothing about it—or worse, relocating—wasn’t their path. With an ageing old guard and long-run businesses literally closing up left and right, they took a big risk, grabbed that torch, and opened their first Cantonese American restaurant in 2022.
The reaction was instant and gratifying. Its success led to an even bigger decision: what to do next. Options to franchise or open in Brooklyn came up in conversation. Instead, they planted their flag even deeper in Chinatown, and Phoenix Palace was born late last year. But they weren’t going to do the same thing twice.
Learn how Cory and his friends are blazing the trail for Chinatown’s future, out of love and respect to all who came before them and the generations to come.
This episode is part of The Encore, a series from VICE and Toyota about Asian American culinary talent who continue to “call their shot” at their dreams amid a life of trial and error.
Subscribe to MUNCHIES here: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-MUNCHIES
Follow MUNCHIES here:
TikTok: tiktok.com/@munchies
Facebook: facebook.com/munchies
Instagram: instagram.com/munchies
Twitter: twitter.com/munchies
Threads: threads.net/@munchies
More videos from the VICE network: fb.com/vicevideo
