ON THE TABLE
Watch These Spaces
New chefs in former Gonsea, Angelo’s and Manzanilla kitchens By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill onthetable@northcoastjournal.com
Curry Leaf to sprout at the former Gonsea Years of sitting empty have left the exterior of Gonsea run down and graffiti covered, a grim greeting upon entering Eureka from the north. Before its closure by the health department for refrigeration, storage and sanitation violations in 2017, the spacious Chinese restaurant at 2335 Fourth St. had a steady following. And in the coming months, new occupants hope to breathe life back into the spot. Chef Joe Tan, who helmed the sushi bar at Eureka’s Bayfront and partnered to open Nori in Arcata (“Hot Plates Coming Through at Nori,” April 7, 2021), has leased the building. He and Alek Tan (no relation, though they hail from the same mountain town in Malaysia), who was forced to close his Flushing, New York, restaurant during the pandemic, plan to open a Malaysian-Chinese place tentatively named Curry Leaf. Joe Tan says diners can expect “Some flavors like Thai and Indian, like curries,” spanning the cuisine of cosmopolitan Singapore, with Indian and Southeast Asian influences, and specialties like laksa noodle soup. Joe says a prospective owner updated the restrooms and other sections of the interior before packing in plans for a teppanyaki restaurant, but there’s still plenty of work to do. “The kitchen, it’s very messy and very old. … Pretty much we had to redo a lot of stuff,” he says, including replacing appliances and the walk-in freezer, as well as the prep station. The exterior is up to the landlord but, barring issued with appliance delivery, he hopes to open in July. But that’s not the only project he has in the works.
Slices of Chicago and Detroit in Eureka In February, Joe Tan also bought the old Angelo’s building (215 W Seventh St., Eureka), wherein many a Humboldt kid whiled away hours and quarters playing video games and eating pizza. It, too, was shut-
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NORTH COAST JOURNAL • Thursday, April 28, 2022 • northcoastjournal.com
tered by the health department in 2021 for a list of violations, including a rat infestation, unclean prep areas and improper food storage and refrigeration. Undaunted, Tan has brought in pest control and after he makes the fixes the health department requires, he plans to update the dining room and game area, as well as add a beer garden. The goal is to restore a family dining vibe with a difference: food trucks in the front lot. “That’s gonna be fun, you know — people can come in and get all kinds of food,” he says. It’s not as simple as inviting a few trucks to park, though, as he’ll need city approval and additional power outlets. And while he’s considered setting up a ramen shop, the kitchen is built for pizza. “I don’t know about pizza,” Tan says with a laugh. Luckily, he knows a guy. Humboldt Bay Bistro chef and co-owner Brett Obra, who grew up in Detroit, is renting the kitchen to make Detroit- and Chicago-style pizzas, as well as standard hand-tossed thin-crust. “Everybody has these wood fired brick ovens,” says Obra. “I’m not a fan. I’m from the Midwest.” Following a power washing and paint job, Obra will be tuning up or replacing some equipment. He’s stocked up on supplies in the Motor City, including the blue steel pans — originally used in the automotive industry — in which they’re baked. The square pans are key to making the signature thick pie with cheese that runs all the way to the browned edges, topped with tomato sauce instead of layering it under the cheese. He’s also got deep, round Chicago pans for the forkand-knife pizza also heretofore unavailable in Humboldt. “I’m basically bringing my family’s recipes from Detroit,” says Obra, who plans to start in July with a brief takeout and delivery menu with three styles of pizza, three soups, three salads, three sandwiches and three pastas. He says he’s eager to cater to families again and has fond memories of eating at the old Angelo’s. “I used to eat the pizzas there all the time,” he says, though he’s not trying to recreate it. “It’s gonna be all new.”
