Ju Qi Is Taking Its Famed Rabbit-Shaped Potatoes To Flushing

FLUSHING, QUEENS — Chinese restaurant chain Ju Qi is bringing its old Beijing-style cuisine to the United States for the first time, with a location set to open in Flushing next year.

Ju Qi is known for its Peking duck, bing pancakes, black 'honeycomb' sticky rice and a mashed potato dish shaped like Lord Rabbit, an important symbol in Beijing, according to a press release.

The restaurant has signed a 10-year lease at Flushing's new Tangram development, according to a spokesperson for the developers. Headquartered in Beijing, Ju Qi already has 20 locations across China and one location in Sydney.

The name refers to a traditional Beijing dialect signifying a person being mannered, righteous, generous and straightforward, according to the Tangram press release.

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"Ju Qi is writing the new chapter of Beijing's rich culinary history and we are thrilled to continue that story with a new restaurant in Flushing," Rex Yang, Ju Qi's general manager, said in a statement.

The new restaurant, Yang added, "will attract foodies from all over New York City and make them feel like they are in Beijing."

The 1.2 million-square-foot Tangram complex, named after the traditional Chinese puzzle, is assembling a lineup of culinary hotspots that will also include the Taiwanese dessert chain Meet Fresh and the first American outpost of popular Chinese chain Xiao Long Kan Hot Pot.

"Flushing is the go-to destination for international culinary brands looking to make their mark in the United States and we are proud that they are flocking to Tangram to be a part of the exciting new culinary and lifestyle destination we are creating," said Helen Lee, executive vice president of F&T Group, which is developing Tangram with SCG America.