Empire wows its guests with contemporary Asian food, classic Chinese design and nine service areas spread out over 14,000 square feet.
August 21, 2012
Edited by Bob Krummert
When you give your company a swaggering name like Big Night Entertainment Group, customers expect a larger-than-life experience when they visit one of your operations. No problem, because that’s exactly what this multi-concept operator delivers at its newest venture, Empire. Open since July, the restaurant serves creative Asian cuisine in a 350-seat, 14,000 sq. ft. space located on Boston Harbor’s rejuvenated Fan Pier.
Big Night Entertainment Group (BNEG) has it roots in the small-scale independent restaurant segment. But BNEG has been mostly about the big as of late. The company runs three operations at Foxwoods Resort Casino in nearby Ledyard, CT. They include 225-seat Shrine Asian Kitchen where guests are promised a “full throttle nightlife experience”; 300-guest Scorpion Bar Tequila Cantina, which serves affordable Mexican fare; and High Rollers Luxury Lanes & Lounge.
BNEG brought some of that casino party vibe to Boston when it opened celebrity magnet The Estate nightclub. But the focus swung back to food at the group’s Red Lantern Asian Kitchen, a 250-seater in Boston’s Back Bay that debuted in 2011, and at 38-seat Gem Supper Club, which opened in the city’s Downtown Crossing earlier this year.
Overseeing the food at these operations is BNEG executive chef Kevin Long. A master of the large-scale contemporary Asian format, he’s come up with a wide-ranging menu at Empire that’s all about sharable items.
The food offerings are dubbed “creative Asian,” and they begin with a sushi list that includes eight signature maki rolls (Red Dragon Roll, blue fin tuna, red chili miso, sake, wasabi sprouts, $15); six specialty nigiri rolls (Smoked Salmon Nigiri, bonito, nori, lemon aioli, cinnamon smoke, four pieces for $16); and a lineup of traditional sushi items that includes 15 maki rolls and 13 nigiri choices.
There are 37 choices on the non-sushi part of Empire’s menu, broken into eight sections. “Fried” offers six items (Lobster Scallion Pancake, pan-fried with local lobster, coconut and lime crema, radicchio salad, eight pieces for $14). The four-option “Raw” lineup includes Hawaiian-style Tuna Poke (large dice tuna, Vidalia onion, hijiki, lip stick chili, macadamia nut, sentosa dressing, $16). The five “Noodle and Rice” dishes include straight-ahead Asian fare like pad Thai and fried rice but also lists Singapore Street Noodles (Madras curry, XO sauce, vegetables, shrimp, scallop, char sui pork, $23 for a bowl). 
“Hot Apps,” five in all, include Beef Teppanyaki on Cedar (skewered wagyu beef, cilantro & soy tare, roasted cashews & cashew dipping sauce, three pieces for $14). The expectation is that all five “Soup & Salad” items will be shared, so they’re offered as both individual portions and in pass-it-around sizes. A “tureen for the table” of Thai Scallop Soup goes for $24, a platter of Red Plum Salad costs $16.
Also portioned for sharing are some the “Main “ options (large platter of Barbequed Sockeye Salmon, $52) and three of the four “Other” category choices, including Long-cooked Beef Pho (24-hour secret broth, basil, mint, bean sprouts, two preparations of beef, $46 for a large clay pot). A four-item “Steaks/Grill” is targeted at the less-adventurous diners.
The sharing theme carries over to Empire’s 23-item martini and cocktail menu, where both the “Crouching Tiger”and “Hidden Dragon” concoctions cost $44 apiece and serve four. “Margarita Mayhem,” $26, serves two.
Chef Long, who oversees BNEG’s two other large-format Asian restaurants, is trying to have fun at this one. “Empire has its own distinct identity,” he says. “It’s still serious, but we’re having a good time playing with flavors. With new creations like our Lobster Scallion Pancakes, we’re enhancing a classic into a guilty pleasure complete with lobster chunks, and tropical coconut and lime, while also drawing from our New England heritage.”
Big Night Entertainment Group—the principals are brothers Ed and Joe Kane plus Randy Greenstein—swung for the fences at Empire. What’s interesting is how much attention they paid to the restaurant’s look and feel.
“Empire is our best design yet,” says Ed Kane. “It pays tribute to traditional Chinese culture and design as well as a commitment to the bold vision of Fan Pier on Boston’s new waterfront. We designed everything in the space, creating a sophisticated contemporary interpretation of the classic Chinese Imperial esthetic—an old world feel with a touch of Hong Kong mystery.”
There’s little mystery to BNEG’s success. Operators wondering if, over time, a single independent restaurant can be leveraged up into an eclectic collection of large-scale food and nightlife venues, Big Night is showing you how it can be done.
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