long beach california history chop suey restaurant

Wan-Q, too, had a rival located just a few blocks away, a now-closed Cantonese establishment called the Kowloon, which served Polynesian delights like pineapple Peking duck and a Tahitian Rum Punch. Palace,” short for “fucked up.”Īs it turns out, Fu’s had actually replaced an even older Cantonese restaurant called Wan-Q sometime in the 1970s, which was owned by a man named Benny Eng and known for its flamboyant tropical cocktails. The place is sometimes referred to as “F.U. Once a grand and spacious restaurant in its glory days, Fu’s is now best known as home to an extra-potent Scorpion Bowl, which functions as a tropical Long Island Iced Tea for rowdy and occasionally lascivious UCLA kids. Options include the Flaming Virgin (with a floating lemon garnish set aflame), Blue Hawaii, Navy Grog and Banana Daiquiri.įu’s Palace, by contrast, has retained its kitschy ‘60s splendor, complete with a faded-green thatched roof and paper Zodiac mats on every table. Twin Dragon, which opened in 1962, was remodeled and revamped a few years back, and while it lost much of its retro luster, an illustrated cocktail menu still hangs behind the bar, next to a long illuminated fish tank filled with koi.

Hop Louie isn’t the only Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles where you’ll find Scorpion Bowls, Zombies and Mai Tais flowing freely. In the neighborhood of Pico-Robertson-often referred to as LA’s Kosher Korridor for its ample Jewish population-are two beacons of Cantonese-American cuisine, Twin Dragon and Fu’s Palace, located not more than a few blocks apart. But blended-to-order inside an old Chinese restaurant, that lone tiki drink signaled a broader type of idiosyncrasy. I’d barely gotten through half before a sudden sting of heartburn hit my chest like a screeching air raid siren-a warning for the college-freshman hangover that awaited me the next morning.īy itself, a lackluster Scorpion Bowl made with bottled juice and bottom-shelf rum didn’t strike me as all that interesting. I asked for latter, of course, and my wife promptly shot me that you’re on your own look. I hope what I've accomplished and continue to work on are fitting tributes to my mom and dad, and all Japanese Americans who've endured so much hardship.Nearly everyone in the bar-art school kids, mostly-were drinking either bottles of Tsingtao or Scorpion Bowls, that lethal built-for-two tiki drink that is as much a provocation as it is an alcoholic beverage. Days before opening night, he passed away in his sleep. My dad really wanted to see me finish, and attend.

While my dad lay in the hospital in intensive care, I considered cancelling my show. Just prior to my show's opening, my father fell and subsequently died (he was 96). My MFA Show is dedicated to late mother and father. Asians may well be considered 'model Americans,' yet we face continual 'digs.' 'There's too many of us at UCLA.' 'We've 'taken over' good paying jobs in the tech industry.' 'China is our greatest political and economic foe.' There's an underpinning of 'yellow menace' with those kinds of statements. Today, despite strides made by Asian Americans and mending old wounds, racism in America is on the rise. The historic 'Chop Suey' restaurant played an important part of JA history and culture. One section of the show is on the old Far East Cafe in Little Tokyo. Even as an adult, I would get, every so often, stereotypical (if not racist) comments. Growing up post WWII, I was teased and bullied for being Asian. They passed along their stories of pain and injustice to me. My mom and dad's family were sent to Internment Camps during World War II (Manzanar and Heart Mountain). My thesis focused on my family and my own experiences confronting racism and negative stereotypes toward Japanese and Asian Americans. Images from my solo Master's of Fine Arts Exhibition at California State University, Long Beach (April, 2018).

Long beach california history chop suey restaurant