Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice will be opening the doors of its first U.S. location at 13824 Red Hill Ave on September 10, marking the occasion with a grand opening celebration. There will be a VIP event from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., which will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and speeches made by the founder and the leadership team at 10:30 a.m. The general public is welcome to experience Yang’s authentic Chinese Huang Men chicken and rice dish for the first time from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“We are thrilled to be able to share our one-of-a-kind dish with the Tustin community,” says founder Xiaolu Yang, who opened the first Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice in 2011. “This grand opening is a milestone for our brand, marking the first time we’ve been able to share our signature Huang Men braised chicken and rice with American customers. We can’t wait to help the community build their own memories around our home-cooked, taste-of-childhood flavors.”

Guests at the grand opening celebration on Sunday will receive surprise prizes, which may include gifts such as a free Yang’s T-shirt, 50 percent off a future purchase or free braised chicken and rice bowls for a week. Guests can reserve their space for the grand opening event on EventBrite at bit.ly/yangstustin.

The festivities of the grand opening will continue on Monday, when the first 100 guests to visit the location starting at 11 a.m. will win a $20 gift card for a future visit to the store. 

The acclaimed restaurant’s single menu item got its start when Yang’s grandmother acquired the secret recipe for the sauce and began serving it at the family’s many well-known independent restaurants. With years of culinary training under his belt, Yang began lovingly adapting the sauce of the braised chicken recipe and added rice before launching it at his fast casual restaurants in 2011.

“Our restaurants are focused on providing customers with an easy, delicious experience, and that starts with our signature braised chicken and rice dish,” says CEO of the U.S. group, Xinyu Zhang. “We aspire to bring the flavors of our delicious dish to as many people as possible around the world, starting in Tustin on Sept. 10. Following this grand opening, we look forward to expanding Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice across the entire state of California and beyond.” 

Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice is dedicated to ensuring the quality of its signature dish starting with the consistent flavor of the sauce and simplifying the dining experience for customers. The dish is a treasured memory of Yang’s own childhood, and he aims to help more families and children experience these special flavors and create their own cherished moments together enjoying the comforting, home-style meal.

While the majority of locations in China are owned by multi-unit franchisees, the Tustin restaurant will be owned and operated by the corporate team. The brand aims to start signing deals with qualified franchisees to bring the brand to targeted markets such as throughout California, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

At 1,500 square feet, the Tustin restaurant has enough seating for 40 and will feature both dine-in and carryout. The location will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.