Ancient China

Year Founded: 1981

Cuisine: Cantonese

Most Popular Dish On The Menu:

Egg Foo Yong and the odd Cheese Burger

When did your family arrive in your restaurant's country, and what is their story?

My family arrived in 1976. My parents were refugees who were brought to the US by the American Red Cross. They had escaped China (from Guangzhou) on a harrowing journey, hiking through the mountains and eventually crossing into Hong Kong when the tide was low enough one winter. From there, they continued seeking refugee status. For a while, they were separated, with my father being in NYC and my mother in San Francisco. They reconnected again, and my mom wanted to move to Oregon because she fell in love with the trees. My dad followed soon afterwards, and after a year or so, decided to open their own Chinese restaurant in Springfield, Oregon.

Describe your clientele, including any notable guests:

The clientele were all locals to Springfield, Oregon, the same Springfield Matt Groening based the Simpsons on. It was a family place where families would show, not necessarily wanting Chinese food, but any food. Which is why my parents had the odd cheeseburger on the menu and Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Name and describe any dishes that are local to your restaurant's region or country:

It was Cantonese, but really it was a continuation of the Cantonese survival guide and menu that many Cantonese had followed in America before. Not surprisingly, Egg Foo Young was a popular dish.

Were there any signature dishes? Can you describe it?

I personally remember the Egg Foo Young. I remember it was like this crazy taste that had the perfection of Peanut Butter and Jelly. The gravy was next-level and unlike anything I had before. It was a real treat when my mom let me have it.

What's your favourite joy in owning your business?

Getting unfettered access to the soda fountain and making my first suicide drink (mixing all the syrups together) when I was three years old. Other than that, years later I would be grateful for my dad's DIY attitude to everything. From making the restaurant sign out of carved foam to every moulding and detail he made out of a router.

What is the history of your restaurant in terms of locations and sizes?

It opened in 1981 and had a giant room that could work as a banquet hall, but it was never hired for that. It was actually pretty big.

What are your biggest challenges?

Unruly and unreasonable customers. That was always a thing. Being a Chinese restaurant in the middle of nowhere, you would definitely get the unruly customer who would come in. I even remember my dad had to install a hidden camcorder once at the register because we had gotten robbed at gunpoint.

Please share your favourite anecdote.

When I was three, I was obsessed with the shortcake and whipped cream. My mom had bought a whole pack, and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it. We had to stop by the restaurant to close up shop, and remember, sitting in the car, my parents had briefly left the bag of groceries outside in front of the front door. I was tired as a small child and fell asleep. When I woke up, the bag was gone. It had been nabbed by a passerby, and remember that was the first time I witnessed something being stolen.

Anything else you want to share?

The restaurant was a primer on how to survive in America for my parents, and it had a huge impact on me, showing me how to survive on what felt like the fringes. Especially in a hostile environment, where I felt like the language barrier for my parents shielded them away from the rampant racism. The original address was 1200 Mohawk Blvd, in Springfield, Oregon. It's now a Walgreens. It was a building that my dad eventually borrowed money from the bank to buy. Besides growing in the back office, I remember days I would sneak to the arcade nearby. It had a minigolf putt putt inside, and I was obsessed with the arcade game "Double Dragon".