Methodical, Measured Growth has Allowed the Talents of Chef Liu Fang to Blossom Organically at Abundance Culinary

A bun-filled meal at Abundance in Cleveland Heights Credit: Daniel Lozada

The French have a saying: “petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid,” which translates to “little by little, the bird makes its nest.”

That adage comes to mind when I think about Liu Fang’s culinary journey. In place of bold action and pricy gambits, the chef plows steadily ahead in her efforts to build a sustainable following for her food. Since first sharing her vision at pop-up events at Larder in Ohio City, Fang has made a series of moves and improvements designed to better showcase her unique brand of contemporary Chinese cuisine.

In 2023, Fang and husband Carl Setzer opened Abundance in the diner cars on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights – a location they shared with Rising Star Coffee. At first the dining experience was a hybrid style that combined the carry-out packaging of the early days with a casual dine-in experience for those who desired. That didn’t matter to the people who had grown desperately fond of the chef’s wings, dumplings, buns and noodle dishes.

Late last year, Rising Star moved to a new location in Cleveland Heights, giving Abundance the freedom to expand and make the space its own. After removing the coffee counter and enlisting the services of a designer, Fang and Setzer unveiled earlier this year a refreshed interior that lives up to the food and full-service experience. Also, as planned, the restaurant secured a liquor license so that it could serve beer, wine, cider, cocktails and mocktails.

To craft her menus, Fang plucks classic dishes from all over China and prepares them through a lens of a Northeastern Ohio cook. The results feel – and taste – more like situational cooking as opposed to gimmicky fusion. Menus and preparations shift with the seasons, but the framework – and certain staples – remains steadfast.

Chef Fang’s chicken wings ($20) are not to be missed. They are supremely crispy, meltingly tender and seasoned in a way that will leave your mouth watering long after you cleaned the bones. They are available in a tongue-tingling “China-hot” flavor or a subtler, sweeter honey version. Abundance was built on buns (3/$10), pockets of yeast-raised dough stuffed with juicy meat or vegetable fillings bursting with flavor. Elegantly shaped dumplings ($18) arrive in a rainbow of colors and star fillings such as spicy pork sausage, beef with fresh herbs, and, in winter, sauerkraut with fennel and spice.

During a recent lunch we started with the spiral-cut cucumber ($12), which resembles a dragon’s tail when lifted from the plate. All those intricate cuts and slits allow the dressing to penetrate all the way to the core and the texture is ridiculously satisfying.

Abundance offers a “lunch for two” and “lunch for four” option, a design-your-own-adventure meal that combines a choice of wings, buns, dumplings and noodle dishes. We selected the comforting dan dan noodles ($22) with ground pork and a tea-stained soft-boiled egg. When popped and stirred into the noodles, the yolk enriches the savory sauce. The only constant at Abundance is change, but diners can always expect to find dishes like Xiao Chao Beef with shaved brisket and Lazi Chicken starring dried chilies and sweet peppers joined by seasonal specials like honey-glazed roast pork shoulder served with rice and millet. The chef has a great touch with vegetables and diners can expect to find at least a few stellar preparations.

By now, customers have largely adjusted to the incongruous nature of a Chinese restaurant set in a shimmering 1940s-era diner car, but that doesn’t mean we can no longer start our days here. Rising Star might have decamped to a new address but that great brew is still served at Abundance. And now, so is breakfast.

“There is so much more about Chinese cuisine to explore and breakfast is one of those things,” says Fang.

For a quick bite, guests can enjoy items like scallion cheese buns ($6) served with chile oil, a jam-and-cream-cheese-filled pineapple bun purple with ube ($6), and a brown butter and miso cookie ($4) that awakens the tongue with the slight tingle of Szechuan peppercorns. Better still are the breakfast sandwiches ($12), served hot and fresh. Like everything here, the sandwiches fit the theme without any culinary gymnastics. Neatly stacked in a sesame-topped milk bread bun is a custardy steamed-egg patty, zesty Chinese sausage, cheese, crispy scallions and a chili-oil aioli.

Next up for Abundance and its passionate, persevering chef is the completion of the interior renovations, new Sunday brunch service and an expanded patio.

“I’m never where I want to be,” says Fang. “I always wanted Abundance to be the best Chinese restaurant in America and we’re trying to make that happen.”

Abundance
1975 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights
216-785-9959
a-bun.com

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