Francis and Lori Wongs passion for Korean food and fresh dishes led them to open Tiger Lily 2 in Fishers.
Francis says his love for delicious cultural cuisine began when he was a child.
Growing up in Hong Kong, my mother always prepared fresh, local ingredients, and exposed us to eating out with all sorts of cultural dishes, Wong says. When I was between the ages of eight to ten, my palate had grown tremendously. Later, when I met my wife Lori, who is Korean, she would always make Korean-style soups and dishes.
In the early 1980s, Wong entered the United States and began his career in the restaurant industry.
I started from the bottom, with not much in hand to build a dream, he says. I started at Dunkin Donuts in Indianapolis as a dish washer, and then moved from various jobs to other jobs. I took every job with pride, and worked my way up by having good people skills and good connections.
Wongs first restaurant was Tiger Lily, which he opened in 2010 at 86th Street and Michigan Road in Indianapolis.
The Wongs decided to set their sights on Fishers for Tiger Lily 2, and both are glad they made the decision.
Fishers is such a supportive neighborhood and has such a great atmosphere, Wong says.
The Wongs opened Tiger Lily 2 shortly before coronavirus-related business shutdowns went into effect, but that didnt stop them from moving forward with the concept.
Due to COVID-19, we were only able to reach out [to the community] for a carry-out basis only, which has been pretty fair, Wong says. Our desire, however, is for the customer experience to start the moment they walk in the door. We like greeting customers with smiles and getting to know them.
Wong says his family members have counted their blessings throughout the coronavirus outbreak.
We are very fortunate to be able to invite our guests inside to pick up food, and continue doing carry-out during the quarantine, Wong says. We offer curbside, no-contact pickup, as well as over-the-counter pickup. We have a sanitation station for guests to use, and ensure all carry-outs are handled with care and safety. We also offer delivery services through DoorDash.
Tiger Lily 2 has a wide food selection to choose from.
We serve a Korean-heavy menu, which consists of hot soups, special plates, and fresh, seasonal vegetables, Wong says.
Some customer favorites include Korean Crispy Beef, Korean Fried Chicken, Japanese Garlic Fried Rice and Kalbi Korean Short Ribs.
Wong has enjoyed working in the restaurant industry, and has learned a lot through the years.
I am originally from Hong Kong, and Lori is from Seoul, South Korea, Wong says. Together we used to manage a restaurant overseas, but since moving to the United States, we have both been fine-dining servers, serving steaks, sushi and seafood. We worked at St. Elmo and Mikado.
Wong is grateful to Fishers residents for their continued business.
We are excited to serve authentic Pan-Asian delicacies, and get to know people in our neighborhood, he says.
Tiger Lily 2 is located at 7262 Fishers Crossing Drive in Fishers. For more information, call 317-516-1914 and visit facebook.com/tigerlily2restaurant.
