The popular restaurant is set to re-open on Wednesday morning.
WEST BRIDGEWATER —For the past two days Crystal Tan has been slaving over the oven and stove in her kitchen, making things such as coconut bread pudding and specialty Thai food sauces.
“I haven’t slept in 36 hours,” Tan said. “I just have to keep cooking.”
But it’s just beginning.
Tan and her nine chefs will be busy preparing dishes from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, for the reopening of Tan’s Thai food restaurant, Crystal’s Kitchen, on Wednesday Jan. 31, after four weeks of being closed.
“It’s like opening a brand new restaurant,” Tan said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
The popular Crystal's Kitchen restaurant, along with other businesses located in Center Shopping Plaza – AT&T, Zorba’s Pizza and Subs, West Nail Salon and Spa and Macy’s Liquors – have all been closed since early January when a pipe burst and flooded the plaza's electrical room.
But on Monday, Jan. 29, nearly four weeks since the plaza was initially closed, owners of the businesses were told the good news -- they would finally be able to reopen Wednesday, Jan. 31.
“I am happy to say all the inspections passed and the businesses will be able to open Wednesday,” Michael White, the town’s building commissioner, said. “The two restaurants, Crystal’s Kitchen and Zorba’s, will have a lot of preparing to do, since they had to throw away a lot of their food. I hope it’s not more work than they can handle.”
White is right, there is a lot of work to be done.
Due to the burst pipe, electricity and heat were turned off at the Center Shopping Plaza. Without refrigeration Tan threw away an estimated $17,000 worth of food.
“We lost everything,” said Tan, who was left with an empty freezer.
From meat, fish and vegetables to sauces, it all had to be tossed.
Tan said now that electricity is back on and water is running, they will begin to replenish the fridges and cabinets.
“We are getting a big food delivery around 6 p.m., Tuesday,” Tan said. “We will have to prep all the meats, seafood and vegetables.”
Tan and her nine chefs plan on doing the preparation from 6 p.m., Tuesday to early morning Wednesday so they can offer their full menu when the doors re-open.
“I’m actually a little nervous,” Tan said. “So many people have been messaging me saying they want to eat at the restaurant. I think we are going to be busy. I think my customers are even more excited than me.”
Crystal’s Kitchen will be open Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
White said all the other businesses in the plaza plan on being open as well.
“All of our customers have been so supportive,” Tan said. “People keep saying they can’t wait until we open. I guess they are very hungry.”