Bamboo Spice owner Jennie Chang said she persevered through unprecedented challenges by remaining dedicated to quality of service.

Chang said she packaged to-go meals herself when the COVID-19 pandemic required social distancing and limited staffing at her Missouri City restaurant.

During Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, she and her husband drove around to pick up their chef, manager and kitchen staff when they were unable to travel through the snow, she said. She had promised to stay open despite power outages, road closures and damaged infrastructure in the area.

She said her commitment earned her the loyalty of both her staff and customers, many of whom she has learned by name.

The background


Chang became the owner of the restaurant in March 2019, after its previous shareholder backed out. She changed the name to Bamboo Spice and the menu to Chinese fare, dedicating herself to keeping the eatery open, she said.
The tea smoked duck is marinated over night and is one of the restaurant's most well known dishes, Chang said. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
The tea-smoked duck ($24.95) is marinated overnight and is one of the restaurant's most well-known dishes, Chang said. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
As a banking retiree, Chang said she learned how to run a restaurant from the many young people she helped start their own Houston-area businesses during her career.

Chef Reynold Darthard, known as Chef Rey, has served as team chef for Houston’s professional sports teams the Rockets, Astros and Houston Dynamo. He and Chang have three photographs together, framed and hanging on a wall by the entrance of Bamboo Spice.

As an avid customer and friend, Chang said he told her the best advertisement for any restaurant is the quality of its food.

“Chef Rey teaches us we need to provide good food, because word of mouth is more important than any advertising,” Chang said.
Many of the dishes—like its Szechuan noodles ($13.95) have been cultivated from Bamboo Spice's chef's recipes. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
Szechuan noodles ($13.95) have been cultivated from Bamboo Spice's chef's recipes. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
Craving spicy food?


Many of the dishes at Bamboo Spice have been crafted from the chef’s personal recipes, Chang said, making them distinct from any other Chinese or Szechuan restaurant.

Chang said the eatery's top-selling dish is the spicy crispy chicken, flavored with peppers so hot they numb the tongue.

Other popular items include the tea-smoked duck, which Chang said is marinated for at least 20 hours; the Chef Wang special Szechuan noodles; and dry braised shrimp with ground pork.
Owner Jennie Chang said she committed herself to keeping the restaurant open when she took over its operations full time in March 2019. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
Owner Jennie Chang said she committed herself to keeping the restaurant open when she took over its operations full time in March 2019. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
Why it matters

Chang, who opened Bamboo Spice at 70 years old, said it was never about money for her.


She said she endured the first year in business with nearly no revenue and sustained the eatery and its staff through hardship with limited resources.

What matters most to her, she said, is staying dedicated to her employees and the customers who call Bamboo Spice "the hidden jewel of Missouri City."