Chop chop

(First published in the July 19, 2018 issue of City Pages)

Former employees of Zhou’s Mongolian BBQ (in the mall) started a new restaurant on Stewart Ave.

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Kris Chen serves up a helping of bourbon chicken at Chop-Stix, run by former employees of Zhou’s Mongolian BBQ.

Folks in Wausau love bourbon chicken. Even in an otherwise quiet Wausau Center mall on a weeknight, there are lines of people waiting to get their fix at Zhou’s Mongolian BBQ.

Now there’s a second option for bourbon chicken, combined with other Asian cuisine options, at the recently opened Chop-Stix Bourbon BBQ & Sushi at 2111 Stewart Ave. (formerly Dickey’s Barbeque Pit). And it’s served up by a familiar face. Former Zhou’s manager Kris Chen is at the helm of Chop-Stix, which opened July 5 and soon found customers lining up in droves.

The style of food was inspired by the griddle cooking method of Sarku Japan, a chain restaurant found in many malls, cooking meat on a similar kind of griddle (think hibachi) with a bourbon recipe.

Customers can order from a selection of bourbon entrees—chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables. Sides and appetizers include fried rice, lo mein, egg rolls, spring rolls and crab rangoon.

Chop-Stix has an extensive sushi menu and hired a chef for that purpose. That menu includes everything from basic rolls to specials like the Emperor Roll, which contains crab, asparagus, cream cheese, salmon, shrimp and tamago.

There’s seating inside, but orders can be called in for pick-up, with a drive-thru for advance orders only. Chop-Stix Bourbon BBQ & Sushi is open Mon.–Sat. 11 am to 9 pm; Sun. noon to 6 pm. 715-679-3071.