Prof Chan’s at 4107 Crescent St. in Long Island City. Photo: Iris Wei/Prof Chan’s
March 12, 2025 By Jessica Militello
Spice lovers, rejoice! Long Island City just got a fiery new addition with the arrival of Prof Chan’s, a Michelin-rated, Hong Kong favorite.
Prof Chan’s, a Michelin-recognized restaurant for 12 consecutive years, has officially expanded to New York, bringing its authentic Hunan cuisine to Long Island City. The new eatery, located at 4107 Crescent St., opened on Feb. 15, offering a menu packed with bold, spicy flavors and an array of stir-fry specialties.
Owner Chi Zhang, the director of U.S. operations, saw an opportunity to introduce LIC to the vibrant and fiery flavors of Hunan cuisine, a regional Chinese culinary tradition known for its distinctive heat, deep umami, and aromatic spices. With six successful locations in China, Prof Chan’s expansion into New York City marks its first foray into the U.S. market.
Prof Chan’s stir-fried pork. Photo credit: Prof Chan’s.
“A lot of people open restaurants called Hunanese because it’s the spices province in China,” said Zhang. “On their menu, you can find Shanghainese, Chinese, and even Hong Kong dishes, so we wanted to open a Hunan restaurant, just doing very specialty, spicy Hunanese food, so you don’t see a Shanghainese dumpling or Hong Kong dessert on the menu.”
Authentic Hunan stir fry dishes from Prof Chan’s. Photo credit: Prof Chan’s.
The restaurant is named after Professor Guanhua Chan, a former physics professor at Hong Kong University who later transitioned into the restaurant industry. According to Zhang, Chan originally opened the restaurant in response to the lack of quality Hunan cuisine near the university.
Zhang, who already owns several restaurants, met Professor Chan a year ago and the two decided to expand the restaurant concept to the U.S. While the China locations are named Cafe Hunan, they chose a more distinctive name for the New York City establishment—“Prof Chan’s”—to honor Chan’s academic background and create a unique identity in the area.
“I worked in restaurants for 10 years,” said Zhang. “Last year, I met Professor Chan. We met for a drink and talked about opening a restaurant outside Hong Kong. We share a lot of common interests, so he said, “Okay, let’s do one together.”
Ornate decor inside LIC’s new restaurant, Prof Chan’s. Photo credit: Prof Chan’s.
The menu at Prof Chan’s features a wide variety of stir-fry dishes, including the customer favorite “Professor Chan Stir Fry,” made with a selection of premium pork belly and lean pork. For appetizers, guests can enjoy options like smashed cucumber with garlic and chilled purple cabbage salad.
The stir-fry section of the menu is the most extensive, offering entrees with chicken, pork belly, squid, tofu, and more. Popular dishes include Hunan-style sautéed beef, garlic-flavored twice-cooked beef, fried egg with chili, and clay pot crispy potato slices. To complement the flavorful entrees, the restaurant also offers lime tea, a signature Hong Kong drink that provides a cold, refreshing contrast to the spice of the dishes.
All of the dishes are spicy, though guests can request more or less heat based on their preference, especially if they’re not yet accustomed to the bold flavors.
Fried egg with chili. Photo credit: Prof Chan’s.
“Our spices are real Chinese spices, so if some customers cannot tolerate very high spiciness, we can adjust the level,” said the restaurant’s marketing director, Iris Wei.
Since opening just over a month ago, the restaurant has quickly attracted spicy food enthusiasts and those seeking authentic dishes, earning recognition for its Michelin Bib Gourmand rating in Hong Kong.
Many customers, particularly those who grew up in China and later moved to NYC, have found the restaurant to be a nostalgic taste of home, thanks to its bold, authentic flavors. The owners are already planning to expand, with a new location in Manhattan currently in the works.
Inside of Prof Chan’s restaurant. Photo credit: Prof Chan’s.
“The feedback has been really good; for some Chinese people, they really missed those kinds of spices, and for our other customers, they’ve really liked it,” said Wei. “The main attraction point is about the authentic spiciness.”
