Asian fusion restaurant in Portage mixes flavors from multiple cultures
The family has a history with a few Asian restaurants in Kalamazoo County.
PORTAGE, MI — When Ziingo Urban Asian opened in 2014, build-your-own poke and burrito bowls weren’t as common as they are now, General Manager Dan Bracken said.
But Ziingo offers customers more than a novelty experience.
The restaurant offers high quality options at an approachable price point, Dan Bracken said.
Ziingo, a play on “zip in and go,” is a quick and casual Asian fusion restaurant at 3830 W. Centre Ave. in Portage.
There’s no seating inside — guests have a worker assemble a rice or noodle bowl from a variety of meats, vegetables and sauce options behind the counter before taking their meal to go.
Depending on a customer’s choice of protein, rice or noodle bowls range from $13.75 (for tofu or veggies) to $14.25 (for steak or garlic shrimp).
Topping options are all included, with options like kimchi, Banh mi carrots, pickled mushrooms and sauces like pineapple hibachi, kung pao and red curry.
The options include staples from several Asian cultures, including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean.
Those 20-plus options rotate seasonally, said co-owner Bradyn Bracken, and sourced locally whenever possible.
“I never want to have people walking away being like, ‘Oh, I could have made this at home for relatively cheaper,’” Dan Bracken said.
Ziingo’s high quality staff are part of maintaining that high level of service, too, he said.
“The people that we have working for us right now, this is their profession,” Dan Bracken said. “We couldn’t be happier with the crew that we have.”
His in-laws, John and Michelle Tsui, set out with the same mission when they opened Ziingo in 2014, he said.
Dan and wife Bradyn Bracken want to carry those same values into the future.
Bradyn Bracken is a third-generation restaurateur. Her grandparents owned Peking Palace in Portage until they decided to close it in 2003. They opened sit-down Asian fusion restaurant Chinn Chinn a year later. Ziingo followed in 2014.
Both restaurants offer a variety and blend of flavors from Thailand, Japan, China, Korea and the U.S., he said.
“Her father is ethnic Chinese, born in Seoul, Korea, who moved to Los Angeles when he was 8 years old,” Dan Bracken said. “His whole life has been multiple cultures and multiple influences.”
Bradyn Bracken co-owns Ziingo and Chinn Chinn with her parents and sister. She and Dan have slowly taken over day-to-day operations as her parents ease into retirement.
“It was always cool watching what they did. That’s why I got into it,” Bradyn Bracken said. “I respected the effort, work, love and dedication they put in, but it’s not an easy thing.”
Now, the couple is giving their daughters the same behind-the-scenes look at the business, Dan Bracken said.
Whether Sophia and Quinn choose to take the same path will be their choice, Bradyn Bracken said.
“It’s beneficial for them to see the inner workings of a business,” Dan Bracken said. “These types of environments and situations can translate into so much more in life than another restaurant job.”
Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Kalamazoo” daily newsletter.
