New Asian Restaurant Opens in Pelham

PELHAM, AL - A new Asian restaurant has opened in Pelham. Ooka Chinese and Japanese Restaurant opened in August at Riverbrook Plaza on Valleydale road near the Pelham/Hoover border. The restaurant is owned by Xian Shi Ren and manages by Steven Wang.

Wang told the Pelham Reporter the owner had originally planned to open a sushi and hibachi restaurant, but decided to serve Chinese and Japanese cuisine instead to make the food more affordable and add variety for customers. Wang said business started off slowly when Ooka first opened, but picked up through word-of-mouth recommendations from customers. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

The restaurant is also currently in the process of acquiring its liquor license. Wang told the Pelham Reporter the owner is facing some challenges because Ren moved to Alabama two years ago, and they plan to enlist the help of their local government.

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