Lucky Bamboo will be opening this month in the Lumberyard, where Lucky Pagoda, which closed its doors last month, was located.
Since Lucky Pagoda closed its doors in the Lumberyard last month, St. John residents have been forced to travel to St. Thomas to satisfy their Asian food fix.
By the end of the month, however, diners will be able to fill their tummies with fresh noodle soups, dumplings and more at Lucky Bamboo. Owner David Nguyen has promised to open the restaurant “no later than the end of the month” in the old Lucky Pagoda location.
Nguyen is originally from Vietnam and has called St. Thomas home for about seven years. He owns and operates two day spas on St. Thomas and used to run a nail salon in the Tradewinds Building about six years ago.
Lucky Bamboo is not his first stint in the restaurant world. Before moving to the Virgin Islands, Nguyen opened his first restaurant in Tupelo, Mississippi. After running that for several years, Nguyen moved to Atlanta and opened another Asian food restaurant, he explained.
“I love to cook and I studied cooking at Le Cordon Bleu,” said Nguyen. “There is a lot of demand on St. John for Asian food. People have been asking me when I am going to open up a restaurant on St. John.”
Lucky Bamboo will feature Asian food with a mix of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese flavors, explained Nguyen.
“We’ll have Thai soups like beef noodle soup and Vietnamese dishes as well,” he said. “We’ll also have pork chops with local herbs like lemon grass. There is going to be great food and great service.”
Nguyen already has chefs hired and is ready to open the doors to Lucky Bamboo as soon as all of his paperwork is in order. Once open, the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner daily, according to the owner.