By Assunta Ng
Northwest Asia Weekly
The oldest Chinese restaurant in the United States is located in Butte, Montana.
National old-fashioned Chinese restaurant vs. Seattle Datong
Recently, Harry Chan, owner of the 86-year-old Dadong restaurant, attended the graduation ceremony of his grandson in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his family drove more than 2,000 miles for this event.
But what made his trip even more special was that he met a restaurant owner who owns the oldest Chinese restaurant in the United States-the Beijing noodle restaurant in Montana. It has a history of 110 years. Curiosity is why Chen wants to meet the Beijing boss on the way back to Seattle. Both are known as the oldest Chinese restaurants in their respective cities. What do they have in common?
Jerry Tam of Montana’s Pekin Noodle and Harry Chan of Beijing Dadong
“I heard about Beijing on CBS News,” Chen said. His son-in-law called to book before they arrived. “No reservation is required,” a staff member in Beijing told them.
“Come at 8 o’clock in the evening” This is the similarity. You don’t need to book in Dadong.Just walk in, because the epidemic Dadong also closes at 8 o’clock in the evening
Butte is a small town with a population of 30,000 and has its own charm. It was once a bustling mining town. Pekin’s boss, Jerry Tam, was born in the restaurant industry. Tam came back from New York to help his father Danny Wong (his surname was changed from Tam to his aunt’s surname Wong, which is a more recognizable Chinese surname). This is another similarity. Harry’s younger brother Tommy Quan also has a different surname. In addition to being the oldest restaurant, both have served celebrities and politicians.
Visiting Beijing, including the kitchen, showed the contrast to the Chen family.
Chen said that Chen’s entire kitchen staff are Chinese, and there are three white assistants and a Chinese chef in Beijing.
Tan even showed the old room his father used to live in when he was young. There are many old things in it. Pekin donated most of his old things to the New York Museum, which features the food industry.
Both restaurants are known as “cooked chopsticks” restaurants, which is a term for Americanized Chinese food. However, Chen pointed out that his restaurant has undergone several renovations, including a major renovation seven years ago, and several menu items have evolved over the years. For Pekin, which began in 1911, it has been loyal to its offal flavors, including egg foo young and fried noodles, and has served typical Americans for more than a century.
“This is the old atmosphere,” Chen said.
Beijing Butte, Montana
The host of Pekin invited Chen’s family of four to eat and drink, even though it was the first time they met. The generosity of the two restaurants is the same. Datong supports many community causes and often entertains their old customers and friends. In an extraordinary way, both Beijing and Dadong are unique family businesses and economic pillars, while reflecting the triumph of Asian immigrants in realizing the American dream.
Alaska is great for family travel
Horseshoe Lake in Denali National Park.
(Source: Leo Yeung)
In July, Leo Yeung’s family traveled to Alaska. A family of eight flew from California to Anchorage and drove to Denali National Park. The family also took a boat tour to Seward-Kenai Fjords National Park. When asked about the most exciting part of the trip, Yang said: “With my three grandchildren.”
But the little grandchildren said that seeing the animals is the fun part. They saw sea lions, moose, foxes, whales, birds, bears, etc.
Las Vegas is not only for gamblers
Bellagio in Las Vegas
“Are you gambled?” My friend asked when she knew I was in Las Vegas last May.
The idea that Las Vegas is only suitable for gamblers is wrong. My husband and I don’t gamble, and we don’t even play slot machines. I don’t think there is any fun or fun to throw money.
Some people argue that if you are lucky, you can win some money. The taxi driver we met in Vegas during our trip was a gambler and he admitted that he had paid the piper again and again.
Winning through gambling does not exist in my world. I am not saying that I am unlucky. In fact, during the pandemic, I think myself and my family are very lucky this year. My luck has always been gained through unremitting efforts and the ability to see possibilities.
Then why is Vegas?
Covid has brought challenges to our elderly travel. We don’t want to go abroad. Traveling far is risky. The days of our brave adventures are over.
We don’t have much time to conduct research or plan a trip to a foreign country, so choosing a familiar place can minimize the risk of Covid. In this unprecedented period, we have been working hard and we need to take a break, leave our apartment and do some new things for a few days. A basic criterion for a destination is delicious food.
Las Vegas seems to be the obvious choice. We flew to Las Vegas the week before Memorial Day weekend. We thought it would be very hot. Surprisingly, during our stay, the weather was cold and windy. There are crowds, but moving around is controllable. As President Biden said at the time, most people did not wear a mask, “If you are vaccinated, you don’t need to wear a mask.” When the Las Vegas Strip began to open, there were some shows. We watched a variety show, with more than 800 seats limited to around 130 people. This is not the best show I have ever watched. But I like to support artists who lost their jobs during the pandemic.
How does the city manage to keep the homeless away from the Gaza Strip? I did see some people hanging out in the old town (city center). However, they are not aggressive beggars.
Hello Kitty Coffee Cart (Photo: George Liu)
Vegas is full of happy faces. It is not only the gambling capital of our country, but also a leisure town for families and children. It was a pleasure to see the kids at M&M’s World and line up in front of the Hello Kitty Café food truck to buy sweets. Food trucks are a smart idea that requires less operating expenses and investment. I am very happy to see that an Asian franchisee plans to add another truck soon. Vegas has also built a new and amazing football stadium, demonstrating its wealth and vision.
Las Vegas Loyalty Stadium
Food at IL Bellagio Italian Restaurant (Photo: Assunta Ng)
The last time I visited Vegas was to watch Celine Dion’s performance about eight years ago.
Vegas has won the title of gourmet paradise at a low price. Due to months of lockdown and high labor costs, prices have risen a lot. We like every meal, from French to Italian, from Chinese to Japanese, they are all great and creative. But if you are looking for wonderful buffets in Vegas, they have disappeared due to Covid.
Watershed moment in Hawaii
James Wong’s children Jackie (daughter-in-law), Lawson, Allison and Edison swim in Hawaii.
Vibrant Cities CEO James Wong and his family immigrated to Hawaii when he was 9 years old. Last January, he took three children born in the United States to Hawaii for vacation.
Huang showed his children the apartment building where his family lived when they first set foot in the United States. This is a small studio designed for one or two people.
Now, Wong is able to go to Hawaii for vacation and live in a luxury hotel where his father worked in a restaurant. He wants his children to know what happened to him, their grandparents and great-grandparents so that they can live in the hotel. Although his children’s childhood was much better than him, Huang shared on Facebook that he wants his children to “be humble, kind, generous, eager to learn… and love… their compatriots.”
Other American adventures
New York City
Lillian Sollip: Although we have recently heard about attacks against Asians in the news, I feel safe [in New York’s Chinatown]We take the subway everywhere, including trains from Newark Airport to Penn Station and JFK Airport. Thanks to the New York Police Department, they are clearly on the streets and many subway stations.
Napa, California
Henna Marco
Henna Markor: As far as I can remember, I have always wanted to go to Napa. This is a spontaneous trip and I am so glad I did! Had a great time visiting the Castello di Amorosa, Korbel and Kendall Jackson wineries. Flying from Seattle to Santa Rosa via Horizon Airlines is a breeze.
Michigan
Mackinac Bridge in Michigan (Photo by Ruth Bayang)
Ruth shadow: We took a ferry from Mackinaw City (four hours from Detroit) to Mackinaw Island. I spent a day there admiring the sights and tasting gummies, and rented a tandem bicycle to explore the island, where only horses and non-motorized vehicles are allowed.
The next day, we drove across the Mackinac Bridge to see part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Almost as beautiful as Washington State!
Mackinac Island (Photo by Ruth Bayang)
Assunta can be reached assunta@nwasianweekly.com.
