The story behind China House restaurant, serving St. John's since the 1970s
When Sandy Tam emigrated from Hong Kong to St. John's with her two young sons in 1994, there were challenges — she was a world away from her husband and had to grasp a new language in a foreign country.
Tam's brother, mother and other family members came to Canada years earlier, in the 1970s. Her brother opened China House restaurant on Torbay Road.
But Tam's husband, Nam Shan Chung, stayed in Hong Kong, where he ran his own watchband factory. He visited his wife and children once a year.
By 2006, Tam's brother was ready to retire, which opened up the perfect opportunity for the family to be reunited.
Chung abandoned his business in China, and the couple took over the well-known Chinese food restaurant, building a reputation of creating authentic dishes.
"It was quite challenging for me, the first year. Quite a lot of stress and pressure for me. Now it's OK." Tam said of dealing with business matters.
Chung, speaking with his wife as his translator, said he enjoys Newfoundland's people and — get this — weather.
"It's because the people in here are very nice, very nice and the weather is so … even though the winter is long, it's not too bad, compared with the other province," he said.
Despite watching other restaurants around them close up shop over the years, China House has remained a mainstay.
The secret? They're not sure if there is one, and Chung is modest about his dedication to his craft.
But his youngest son, Leon Chung, revealed some of the secret.
He says his father was so dedicated to bringing authentic food to St. John's that he travelled back and forth to Asia to learn "how to cook some of the most complicated dishes I have ever seen."
"Some of the sauce he makes with the Szechwan dishes takes about three days to prepare," Leon Chung said.
"Before China House he didn't have any cooking experience so he actually spent a year to two years studying very hard, meticulously, about cooking."
'Not too late to start over'
It's dedication and passion like that which pushed Leon and his brother Erich to open a business of their own.
The two have followed in their parents' entrepreneurial footsteps and opened Mochanopoly, the first board game cafe in St. John's, in 2015.
The Chung brothers are inspired by their father's ability to learn a new craft — and perfect it — at an older age, in a country with a foreign language.
"When me and my brother started Mochanopoly we had no idea how to operate a coffee shop, we had no idea how to make an espresso or lattes," said Leon Chung.
"And honestly, my dad is such a huge inspiration to us and it's not too late to start over."
Having come to a new country themselves, the Chungs are doing their part to give back.
Colourful paintings are hung on the walls of the cafe. The artists behind them are immigrants and refugees who are being assisted by the Refugee and Immigrant Advisory Council.
"Me and my brother kind of understand how hard it is to go into a completely foreign land with no friends and I think this is a good way to help newcomers to Canada," Leon Chung said.
As for the future of China House, Tam and Chung said they haven't thought much about it.
Even if their sons don't take over the business, Tam said they hope to find someone willing to continue the restaurant name and food.
"My husband said he would do his best to teach all the cooking skills and hopefully when someone takes over we can keep China House keep going."
CBC is highlighting ethnic restaurants and the backstories of the people behind them. More below:
