Growing up, restaurateur Katie Liu-Sung split her time between Taiwan and California. After graduating with an MBA from MU, she opened Chewology, an Asian street-food concept in the Lenexa Public Market. Her menu, which includes both traditional and handmade dumplings, bao, and noodle soups, quickly gained a devoted following.
Now Chewology is on the move and expanding. Liu-Sung is poised to open new digs on October 8 in the former Bluestem space at 900 Westport Road. She says to be sure to keep an eye out for her gyoza bar outfitted with a new automated dumpling machine. (It’s affectionately referred to by the staff as Ina.) Additions to the menu include traditional bubble teas and a bar featuring signature cocktails developed by award-winning bartender Brock Schulte.
We caught up with the culinary pro to find out five things you don’t know about her.
5) I love (sometimes rescuing) animals:
“My daughter and I share our love for animals, and she’s a vegan for that reason. We are always ready to rescue animals in need.
Besides our dog, Miuccia, and our bearded dragon, Oscar, we’ve also housed multiple birds, Sofia the crawfish, Ronnie the raccoon, and Archie the potbellied pig, whom we found waltzing down the street on our way home from Disney on Ice.”
4) My first job was frying chicken at a Church’s Chicken in Taiwan.
“At 16, I was determined to work in the food industry. A Church’s Chicken close to my home was hiring, so I spent the summer frying chicken. I transferred to a franchise in a different city where my boarding school was located and continued working there on the weekends for over a year.
Looking back, that’s probably the reason I never put a fryer in our kitchen(s)—I did not enjoy cleaning the fryer.”
3) I’m a picky eater, and I didn’t know it.
“I have a long list of things I don’t like: dry fruit, ham, turkey, sweets, banana, bacon, and the list goes on.
I love trying new things, but I’m also very content with eating the same food. At least five nights a week, I’ll have microwaved salmon and broccoli for dinner. (Yes, I use the microwave!) That’s my go-to when I’m cooking at home.”
2) I have dyscalculia.
“I can’t tell from lion to tiger at first glance. I’ll need a minute to process to tell which one’s which. Same for the number 4 and 7 or left and right.”
1) I am named after Hello Kitty.
“My nickname in Mandarin is Cat. That’s because ever since I was a baby, I’d climb high up to random spots like a cat to curl up to sleep. When my parents were naming me, they referenced the most popular cat at the time, Hello Kitty. They named me Katie. Not Katherine, just Katie.”