Johnny Lu, owner of New Ho King, a Chinese restaurant in Toronto, couldn’t be happier with the recent attention his business is receiving thanks to the feud between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar. In a recent interview with local outlet CityNews, Lu expressed his excitement about the surge in business following the mention of his restaurant in Lamar’s latest diss track.
In Lamar’s song “Euphoria,” he references New Ho King while rapping about enjoying fried rice with dip sauce. Lu jokingly mentioned that his chef will be kept busy producing more rice due to the sudden increase in demand. Additionally, within 24 hours of the song’s release, the restaurant saw a significant boost in positive Google reviews, with many customers mentioning the song in their comments.
Some patrons even traveled out of their way to try the dish mentioned in the diss track, demonstrating the impact of Lamar’s reference on the restaurant’s popularity. Fans praised Lamar for the shoutout, with one stating, “You gotta pay respect to K. Dot, man.”
Interestingly, some fans speculated that New Ho King is the same restaurant where Drake had previously spoken about being robbed at gunpoint in 2009. Although Drake’s past incident was unrelated to the recent feud, it added another layer of intrigue to the restaurant’s newfound fame.
Despite the unexpected attention, Lu remains grateful for the positive impact on his business and sees Lamar’s mention as a sign of goodwill. As the feud continues to captivate fans, New Ho King enjoys its moment in the spotlight as a surprising beneficiary of the ongoing rap saga.