Overview:

Koi Asian Restaurant and Lounge, a new establishment in Winchendon, is a partnership between Jenny Su and Jane Chen. The restaurant offers a fusion of Chinese and Asian cuisine, including traditional Chinese fare, Szechuan and Japanese dishes, sushi and sashimi. The establishment is suitable for family dining and has a fully stocked bar and space to accommodate large parties.

WINCHENDON – Jenny Su, a part-owner of the Asian Gourmet in Athol, has partnered with Jane Chen on a new business, Koi Asian Restaurant and Lounge in Winchendon.

Su described the cuisine at the new establishment as a fusion of Chinese and Asian. In addition to traditional Chinese fare, patrons will also have their choice of Szechuan and Japanese dishes, as well as sushi and sashimi.

Asked about her favorite dish, Su immediately mentioned the yuen-yang spicy beef, which is tossed with hot pepper sauce and served atop string beans.

While Koi’s full menu is available for take-out, the atmosphere is suitable for family dining as well. The establishment has a fully stocked bar and space to accommodate large parties.

“I grew up in the restaurant business,” said Su. “My parents ran restaurants their whole lives.”

Su said her family came to the United States 23 years ago and that she always wanted to work in the family business.

“My whole life was growing up in restaurants,” said Su, who grew up in a family that owns and operates several eateries around Massachusetts.

Over the years, the location for Koi – 302 Spring St. – has been home to several restaurants, including the Brass Pineapple, the River’s Edge and Riverwalk Café. Su said she invested close to a half-million dollars to renovate the structure, redo the kitchen to make it suitable for the preparation of Chinese and Asian cuisine, and spruce up its appearance.

Su, who spends time between residences in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, said she had been interested in opening a restaurant in Winchendon for some time.

“At first, I was looking for a house in Winchendon,” she said. “Then I started hunting around the Winchendon area for a spot to put a new restaurant….Then we looked at this place, and my father came with me, and we thought this would work.”

Su and her partner employ 20 workers, 10 full-time and 10 part-time.

“The waitstaff and the hosts and the bartenders, they’re all local,” she said.

Koi Asian Cuisine & Lounge is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.