KAOHSIUNG CITY, Taiwan — There’s a laundry list of reasons why someone may consider the Natural State a special place— from the famous outdoors, local communities, and the food!
One Arkansas man took his love of the Natural State’s food, and interest in a new business venture, across the globe to Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
Landis Wayne Shook opened Arkansas Diner in Taiwan nine years ago but has called the country home for nearly three decades.
While there is an 11-hour time difference between Arkansas and his restaurant's home in Asia, Shook hasn’t changed the classics or the love behind making them.
“They come upstairs, they see the decorations, the Razorbacks, the musical instruments and they hear the country music, they immediately ask ‘What is this place?’” Shook said.
The confusion and interest of Taiwanese customers, or Americans visiting from Arkansas, is what Shook loves to see when people enter his diner.
Shook is originally from Paragould, Arkansas, but moved his life more than 7,000 miles to Taiwan, 28 years ago.
“I fell in love with the place. It is a fantastic country, life is so good here, it's very safe, very clean, good food too,” Shook described.
With all the good he experienced, there was just one thing missing for him— classic American food. So, he took it into his own hands, learned how to cook, and opened his own restaurant.
“The problem is there’s only good Taiwanese food,” Shook said. “I want to have a Frito pie, or some biscuits and gravy and since you can't find it, you have to learn how to make it yourself.”
Shook continues to make everything himself at the Arkansas Diner— and the menu even highlights his love for the state with items like the My Ozark, the Hog Scramble, The Arkansas Dog, or the Steak Ozark. The inside resembles a Natural State time capsule, so Shook wanted the same for the food.
“I don't alter my taste to match Taiwan, like how Chinese restaurants in America cater to the American taste,” Shook explained. “I have great pride that if you eat at my restaurant today and you are in Arkansas tomorrow, the food would be the same.”
Shook and his wife expanded the business with another Western classic, as his wife runs Auntie J's milkshake bar on the first floor of the Arkansas Diner.
“They do these massive milkshakes and they're in a mason jar overflowing with sweetness,” Shook said.
At the end of the day, the pair is simply cooking up hearty meals with a love for Arkansas as the main ingredient.
“My food is probably too salty, too greasy, too rich, and too big, but I take great pride in the Taiwanese coming here because it's a real American experience,” Shook joked. “It’s the Arkansas diner, Arkansas pride, Arkansas proud.”