![]() The tea room culture started in the latter half of the 19th century in the port city of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, after opium dens were banned throughout the country. Its history can be traced to the tea houses of the Silk Road of China. The overall range was mind-blowing for a dim sum newbie like me. Most interestingly, there were also desserts like egg and mango custard on the lower shelves. But what I found to my surprise was a variety of other preparations like meat-filled buns, sticky rice cooked in lotus leaf with pork, curried spare ribs, trotters, octopus, feet of chicken and other hard-to-recognise objects. Being new to dim sum, I had expected to see an assortment of steamed dumplings in various shapes and sizes each containing a different filling. ![]() The attendant noted the orders by checking boxes on paper chits, which were put into bamboo tumblers kept on the table to be totalled later for calculating the bill. With some guidance from them, one selected items from each cart. Luckily the women spoke English (which was not the case when I later visited dim sum places in Hong Kong and Shanghai). As we sat down, a waitress placed a large pot of tea and Chinese handleless tea cups on our table while a steady procession of trolleys passed by carrying an amazing array of dishes – some on small plates and others in bamboo baskets with open lids. It was a first-of-a-kind experience at Yank Sing – an award-winning dim sum restaurant close to the city’s Chinatown. Please include a daytime phone number.My introduction to dim sum happened not in China but in San Francisco. If you know of good candidates - or if you'd like to suggest your own family - drop us a note at Portrait, c/o Scene, P.O. Suggestions on families to feature in Family Portrait come from a variety of sources. Hours are long and tiring, and ``nobody wants to be in the business,'' Mon says. This may be the last generation the restaurant will be owned and operated by the family. ``It was a rough beginning,'' Hugo recalls. Then House of Hong had a $200,000 arson fire. That February was the nearby Wah Mee Club Massacre, which scared some patrons. They moved to the present location and opened the House of Hong in 1983. Restaurant history: The family ran the Atlas Restaurant at Maynard and Jackson from 1956 to 1982. When the communists took over in 1950, Louie Hong and his wife came to the United States. Mon Faye was born in Canton Province, the other children here. After working for a few years, he returned to China and wed Shau Fong Louie. Family history: Louie Hong emigrated here about 60 years ago. ``You could say we're the stereotypical family,'' Hugo says. Though Mon, James, Susan and Hugo have worked in other fields, they always have been drawn back to the restaurant. Hugo Louie, is vice president and assistant manager, and also works as a chef. Susan Hong Louie Woo, works in the kitchen. James Louie, assistant manager, handles the restaurant at night. Mon's wife, Janie, is the restaurant's secretary-treasurer and hostess. The family: Mon Faye Hong, the oldest son, is president and head chef. His wife, Shau Fong Louie, often helps make dim sum in the kitchen. The family patriarch, who died at age 78 in November, worked until he became ill last August. Who they are: The family of the late Louie Hong operates the House of Hong restaurant at 409 Eighth Ave.
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