Chicago's Fast-Food Favorite to Appear on The Food Network's East Meets West.

Business Editors/Food & Restaurant Writers

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2001

HeartWise Express Shares Stage with Ming Tsai 

HeartWise Express, a quick serve restaurant offering a wide array of healthy global cuisine, announces Managing Partner, Michael Moorman, will appear on The Food Network's "East Meets West," preparing several healthy menu items with host, Mi ng Tsai. The show will air Monday March 19th at 4:00 p.m. ET and again on Saturday, March 24, at 3:00 a.m. ET.

Moorman, a college friend of Tsai's from Cornell University, will demonstrate how to cook with tempeh, an Indonesian staple featured in the restaurant's popular Spicy BBQ Tempe Sandwich. The duo will also prepare a Coconut Peanut Bowl with Chicken, showing viewers rich tasting dishes can be prepared with less fat and cholesterol.

"Whenever I'm stuck trying to make a healthy version of a rich and fattening dish for HeartWise, I call Ming and he can usually come up with a way of pulling it off," said Moorman. "Ming is really good at creating great feasts at the spur of the moment. I've helped him prepar e some of the most memorable meals from an almost empty cupboard."

The Spicy BBQ Tempeh Sandwich features roasted tempeh in spicy barbeque sauce, served on a whole grain bun with caramelized onions and a side of roasted sweet potato wedges and a tangy Asian slaw. Another popular HeartWise dish, the Coconut Peanut Bowl with Chicken, features julienne carrots, red peppers, pearl onions, peas and peapods, served on brown rice with marinated chicken strips topped with a tangy coconut peanut sauce, peanut pieces and cilantro.

MORE ABOUT HEARTWISE EXPRESS

HeartWise Express offers a healthy alternative to typical fast food chains by serving a wide variety of low-fat, high quality menu items in a quick serve format. The diverse menu features smoothies, wraps, rice & noodle bowls, veggie burgers, sandwiches, salads, side dishes and fresh baked goods, all prepared with less fat and more fresh and natural ingredients. Nutrition information for each item is clearly displayed on menus and tabletop charts.

The 2,703 square foot restaurant with seating capacity for 85 guests serves breakfast along with fresh in-house baked goods and a full lunch/dinner menu. Hours of operation are 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. HeartWise Express serves an average of 1,000 customers a day and estimates 35% of their lunchtime customers frequent the restaurant 2-3 times per week.

HeartWise Express serves a variety of hearty, healthy ethnic inspired menu items such as the popular Asian Noodle Bowl, the Santa Fe Black Bean Burrito, and the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich. All menu items are low in fat, cholesterol and sodium and high in fiber. In addition to the core menu offerings, the company continuously introduces new items based on emerging trends within the food service industry.

HeartWise Express was founded by Rosemary Deahl, CEO of Big Deahl Productions, a Chicago-based commercial film production company specializing in the food industry. After years of working closely with prominent fast food restaurants, Deahl discovered a void in the market for healthy, fast and tastefully presented cuisine, which led to the development of the HeartWise Express concept. In 1996, HeartWise Express opened its doors at 10 South LaSalle, Chicago.