Chow vs. Chow

Philippe Chow, who left his post as chef of NY's Mr. Chow a couple of years back and has since opened restaurants in NY, Miami and Mexico, wants to expand to Bev Hills - and he's looking for space close to the local branch of Mr. Chow. As reported by Page 6 (h/t to Eater L.A.), he and partner Stratis Morfogen have hired a retail broker to find locations. Here's what NY magazine said in 2006 about the NY place, called Philippe:

The prices at Mr. Chow’s have always been high, and at Philippe they’re absurd. I paid $12 for a coffee cup of watery, Campbell’s-grade shark-fin soup and $14 for a few vulcanized segments of shrimp toast. Mr. Cheng’s eponymous handmade noodles also cost $14. They’re a variation, possibly, on cold Dan-Dan noodles from Sichuan but taste like a mixture of cold pasta and warmed-over Bolognese spiked with not enough teriyaki sauce. The bigger entrées are advertised as being for two or three people, which seems to be an excuse for rampant price gouging. Most of the seafood dishes are $48, and another Mr. Chow’s retread called House Me Mignon (lukewarm fillet encased in a brittle crust and smothered in brown sauce) is $50. Other old standbys, like kung pao chicken ($32) and lamb tossed with scallions ($42), are possibly as good as your local takeout joint but not worth the extravagant price.