First Look: Good Fortune in Botanical Heights

Editor's Note: Good Fortune has closed.

After a couple years of misfortune, the long-awaited Chinese-American restaurant Good Fortune is finally making the leap from the drawing board to brick-and-mortar reality at 1641 Tower Grove Ave., in Botanical Heights. Owners Corey Smale and chef Ryan McDonald will announce the restaurant’s official opening date via Instagram tomorrow, April 10, at 10 a.m.

The Good Fortune building formerly housed Hoffmann Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning, but there’s not much left to remind guests of this past incarnation except some original exposed brick. The interior is centered around a spacious open kitchen. A small bar area in the front of the restaurant seats four, while the main dining room in the back seats 28. The decor is sleek and understated with an array of Chinese checkerboards, vintage tea tins and a handful of red and gold bar stools.

There’s no General Tso’s chicken or gooey sweet-and-sour pork to be found here. Instead, the Good Fortune menu features McDonald’s twists on Chinese cuisine, like a chicken and radish dish: a “cake” of leg, thigh and breast meat brined in fish sauce, accented with ruby radishes and salted daikon radishes poached in chicken broth. A beaker of chicken broth is served alongside.

Fermented dishes are also featured prominently, including a rotating selection of fermented veggies. The beverage program boasts a selection of classic cocktails that includes tiki drinks like the Jungle Bird with rum, Campari and pineapple, as well as a selection of beer and a wine list heavy on natural wines.

Good Fortune’s regular days and hours of operation will be Tuesday to Sunday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Here’s a first look at what to expect when doors open:

Editor’s note: This post originally had the incorrect address for Good Fortune. It was updated at 9:55 a.m. April 10 to correct the error.