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Meng Wu Wang, Yaling 'Joy' Wang and their 14-year-old daughter Gina in the new Meng's Pan-Asian.
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New Pan-Asian Restaurant Opens in North Adams

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The new Meng's Pan-Asian Restaurant opened quietly on Tuesday after two months of renovations in the former China Buffet space. 
 
Meng Wu Wang and Yaling "Joy" Wang were operating both the buffet and the adjacent Sushi House, but it was becoming too much work. 
 
"It was too hard to run two restaurants," Joy Wang said. "We wanted to do something different."
 
The result is a bright, sleek and contemporary take in grays that echoes the style of the Sushi House. The buffet is gone, opening up the front space for more seating, and two new long bars — one for sushi — offer counter seating. A water wheel bubbles in the large bow window for ambiance and a new sign on the exterior of the plaza facing Main Street directs patrons to the entrance. The expansive menu offers Chinese, Thai, Korean foods; hibachi dishes; sushi; noodles, and bento boxes, along with a full bar.
 
The Wangs said they've been thinking about how to revamp the space for about three years. One consideration was making sure there was room for the weekly gathering of the local artist community, which some nights has numbered more than 30. 
 
Meng Wu Wang said the restaurant can seat about 120.
 
"We did a lot of work ourselves but it was not easy," he said.
 
What he likes best about the new restaurant is how bright and spacious it is. "It was very dark before," he said. 
 
The Wangs worked at other restaurants before opening the China Buffet about 15 years ago. A number of eateries have been located in that space, including the Tally-Ho many years ago and another previous Chinese restaurant. They opened the Sushi House on the Main Street side of the building in 2011. 
 
The Sushi House is now closed and Joy Wang said they still have a few months on the lease, but they're not sure if they'll do anything in there in the meantime. 
 
Right now they're focusing on getting staff used to the new layout and menus, and preparing for a grand opening beginning July 21, which will include half-price sushi between July 21 and 27. 

Tags: new business,   Asian cuisine,   restaurants,   

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Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
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