PRESS RELEASE
City of Porterville
291 N. Main Street
Porterville, CA 93257
www.ci.porterville.ca.us/newslist.php
For more information contact:
Yuriko Velarde, Administrative Analyst
yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us
September 6, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NANLANGKA TEPPANYAKI & SUSHI BAR – A CITY OF PORTERVILLE OUTSTANDING BUSINESS HONOREE
Porterville, CA – September 6, 2023
The City of Porterville announced Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar as an Outstanding Business Honoree during the Porterville City Council meeting on September 5, 2023. This award, the second in 2023, recognizes the business’s contributions to renewing interest and increasing foot traffic to Downtown Porterville. It coincides with the launch of the $1,625,483 Downtown Main Street Reconstruction Project aimed at enhancing the Downtown Porterville business district.
Established in 2017, Nanlangka Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar became the first teppanyaki restaurant in Porterville offering Japanese-style dining, where meals are grilled in front of guests over an open flame. Restaurant owner, Chanh Nanlangka, acquired his teppanyaki skills while working as a chef at San Francisco's renowned Benihana. In 1995, he moved to Porterville and began working at Tokyo Bowl, a Japanese restaurant on Henderson Avenue. In 1997, he purchased Tokyo Bowl, which now employs nearly twenty (20) team members and consistently draws large crowds for lunch and dinner.
In 2013, recognizing Tokyo Bowl's popularity and the growing demand for local dining options, Mr. Nanlangka embarked on the renovation of a vacant 3,926 square-foot restaurant in Downtown Porterville, formerly, Carmen's Mexican Restaurant. After a complete renovation, Nanlangka Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar opened its doors in 2017 at 560 N. Main Street in honor of Mr. Nanlangka's late parents.
At its launch, the restaurant seated 132 diners and employed forty-two (42) team members. Guests enjoyed captivating fire shows by Mr. Nanlangka and his teppanyaki chefs, along with a superb sushi menu. The restaurant's success led to a 2019 expansion, adding 1,000 square-feet, a patio enclosure for private events, seating for fifty (50) more guests, and twenty-one (21) extra parking spaces. Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar now features seating for 182 guests, with room for eighteen (18) on the patio. The restaurant contributes to Porterville's economy, drawing customers from throughout the Central Valley.
Mr. Nanlangka states that the restaurant's success is a reflection of the team’s hard work and that of his family, who have played a crucial role in its achievements and in maintaining a base of loyal customers. Souphan Nanlangka, Mr. Nanlangka’s wife, supports operations management, and his daughter, Mandy, is following in her father’s footsteps, preparing to open a boba shop in Porterville soon.
Learn More
For more information about the City of Porterville’s Outstanding Business Recognition Program, please visit Outstanding Business Recognition Program (porterville.ca.us).
For questions regarding the program, please contact the City of Porterville’s Economic Development Division by emailing EcDev@ci.porterville.ca.us or calling (559) 782-7460. To learn more about Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar, please visit www.nanlangkaporterville.com.
The restaurant facility at 560 N. Main St., Porterville, Calif., before it became Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar.
The restaurant renovation efforts led by Chanh Nanlangka yielded a stunning new façade for Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar, which is now in its sixth year of operation.
Central Valley restaurateur Chanh Nanlangka, his wife, Souphan, and their infant son (center), pose with several of their more than 40 Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar team members in front of the 560 N. Main St. Porterville restaurant location.
Nanlangka Teppanyaki & Sushi Bar Head Chef Johnny Soukkhasem prepares to perform an on-the-grill trick to the joy of expectant diners.
Porterville Mayor Martha A. Flores presented the Outstanding Business Honoree Award on behalf of City Council to Chanh Nanlangka as meeting attendees celebrated the recognition. 
The 2019 expansion resulted in an enclosed patio where diners can enjoy al fresco dining with a bit of privacy.
