Rowland: Acapulco gives way to a new paradise

By Marijke Rowland
mrowland@modbee.com

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A trip to Shangri-La is easier than you think.

The new Shangri-La China Bistro at McHenry and Orangeburg avenues is set to open later this month, bringing with it fresh Szechuan cuisine in a refined setting.

Dublin-based owner Michelle Ho and her husband, David Lau, bought the site of the former Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in January, along with her sister Hellen Ho and her husband, Jimmy Yee.

Since then the two couples have been renovating and revamping the space.

"We want to be a place where people can just come in and enjoy their food," Ho said. "We cook high-class, high-quality food. We want people to feel comfortable."

The sit-down restaurant can seat as many as 250 people. The inside has been renovated to give it a sleek, modern look with large, rounded archway entrances and a black, red and beige color scheme.

Ho said the menu will focus on fresh, high-grade ingredients served in a "dry wok" style.

The lunch and dinner establishment will serve favorites such as kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef as well as seafood, pork, noodle and soup selections. The restaurant will serve wine, beer and sake cocktails.

"I really want someplace where people can enjoy food and cocktails," Ho said. "I really want people in Modesto to realize that Chinese food can be elegant and nice."

Ho and her husband have 20 years of experience in the restaurant business, having owned Chinese eateries in Oregon, San Francisco and, most recently, Dublin.

The couple sold their decade-old Dublin restaurant, also called the Shangri-La, a year ago and intended to retire.

But Ho said the poor economy and general restlessness got her back in the business.

The new Shangri-La has three dining areas, two of which can be converted into a large banquet area, a lounge and meeting room.

They also will offer catering services.

Ho said once the restaurant opens she will have a staff of about 15. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and closed Sunday.

Call 529-7968 for more information.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

The Anchor Blue in Turlock is closing as part of the company's national restructuring plan.

The retailer, which sells teen and young adult clothing, is shutting down 46 of its 177 stores, including its store in the Turlock Town Centre on North Golden State Boulevard. The affected stores began clearance sales last month and are expected to close by the end of July.

The retailer was established in 1972 as Miller's Outpost and changed its name to Anchor Blue in the late 1990s.

The Turlock store has been open for more than a decade and has about five employees. The Anchor Blue store in the Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto will remain open.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.