In March 2011, a new restaurant concept opened in Sugar Land—Aling's Hakka Chinese Cuisine. The first of its kind in the area, Aling's offers a range of food passed down through the generations from the Hakka people.

The Hakka historically became a migratory people, traveling from various regions of China to neighboring provinces and countries and bringing with them their distinctive cuisine. When the Hakka people's food reached India it bursted onto the scene, combining traditional Chinese ingredients with Indian spice to make a selection of "Chindian" fare, said Gary Yan, the co-owner and executive chef of Aling's.

"The Hakka people, depending on where they go, take on a lot of flavors," he said. "They adapt to the cultures. I never tire of the flavors that come out. Our food is very different here. [This cuisine] can be very nostalgic for a lot of our south Asian customers. It takes them down memory lane to their days growing up or in college."

The idea to open Aling's came when Sam and Irfan Motiwala decided to break into the restaurant scene. The brothers own Regal Jewelers in Victoria, but Irfan Motiwala said they wanted to try something new.

"We said, 'Let's do what we did back home in India here in Sugar Land,'" he said. "At first it was intimidating, but now I love it."

Since they were new in the restaurant business, the Motiwalas enlisted the help of their brother-in-law, Gary Yan, who has worked as a chef around the world.

"The challenge when we first opened was deciding what flavors to go with," Yan said. "We decided to do what we did at home, and this is what it has come to."

Yan said one of the most popular cuisines in India derives from the Hakka people, and much of the food is served by street vendors for quick service.

"We have brought these local street eats to our dining room," he said. "We have brought the cuisine that we have domesticated and brought it into the commercial mainstream. We try and capture that home-cooked flavor."

Yan, along with his sister-in-law, Lin Motiwala, work as the restaurant's executive chefs. Lin Motiwala's husband, Irfan, and his brother Sam, co-own the restaurant, and Yan's wife, Lin Lin manages the front of the house. The restaurant has become a family business, and a majority of the restaurant's menu originated in the owners' homes.

"My sister always worked in the family business, working day-in, day-out on many of the recipes you see here," Gary Yan said.

The Motiwalas and the Yans said they want to continue expanding Aling's menu offerings as business continues to climb. They are also working to expand their off-site catering and delivery services, and they hope to someday open a stand-alone location with a banquet hall.

Owner Recommendations

Chicken Lollipops—Six marinated drummettes fried and served with housemade sweet and spicy sauces ($7.95)

Sweet Corn Soup—A homemade corn soup served with chicken or vegetables ($2.95–$3.95)

Chili Paneer—Indian cottage cheese, along with onions and bell peppers, sauteed in Hakka style ($10.95)

Ginger Chicken—Cubed chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce with ginger root, onions, water chestnuts, carrots and celery ($10.95)

Chili Beef—Marinated peppered beef prepared in Hakka style ($13.95)

15425 Hwy. 59

281-242-0432 www.alingshakka.com

Hours: Tue.–Thu. 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 5:30–9:30 p.m.

Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 5:30 –10:30 p.m.,

Sun. Noon–9:30 p.m.

Closed Mondays