Taste


ENTER THE DRAGON

CHEF YATES’ LATEST NICHE DEFIES LABELING

BY September 26, 2019
The Double Dragon

Chef Shannon Yates always has something tricky up his sleeve. Not given to same-old restaurants, he has found his niches in Cape Coral, where he has invented pigeon-hole-sized restaurants, such as Nevermind, with unusual, original concepts.

Seven-Spice ‘Hood Chicken, a Dragon specialty

His latest, Enter the Dragon, came as a shake-out after a partnership with Nice Guys Pizza guys, a short-lived restaurant called Danger Danger. It didn’t take. The danger was real.

Enter Enter the Dragon, named for a Bruce Lee flick. (Don’t ask me why.) Although it has a Cape Coral Parkway address, it has no signage upfront. You have to seek it out through the back parking lot, a model that Yates made work with Nevermind. Some of the food ideas he borrowed also.

A display kitchen and streaming Bruce Lee creates quirky ambiance.

But it’s almost as if he conjured these food concepts during a munchies binge that ended in a mash-up of sushi, tacos and Southern comfort food. The fried chicken is already legendary, whether you get it dry with the seven-spice seasoning or wet with BBQ, hot or truffle mayo sauce. Wet or dry, it’s crunchy and spicy.

I got it for take-out on my first visit, though torn by some of the day’s specials, such as the Crazy Crawfish Roll and four-ounce steak topped with lobster cheese sauce and claw with fried yuca. So there will be more visits. Did I mention chocolate beignets? Just reel me in.

Fish tacos with tempura salmon on a bed of greens tossed with balsamic and garnished with fresh dill, red onion and cotija cheese.

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