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Welcome!
The website is a little different from most blogs or websites on Chinese restaurants. If you came here looking for advice on the most “authentic” hole-in-the-wall place from which to order takeout, we can’t help you! (But we can suggest a number of great resources that will help you question why “authenticity” in ethnic food matters to you so much in the first place…)
We created this website because we believe that the history of North Carolina is incomplete without recognizing the diverse contributions of Chinese migrants to their local communities here, via the familiar institution of the neighborhood Chinese restaurant. We wanted to uncover and share the personal stories and journeys of the people who have brought Chinese food to your North Carolina plate, through the oral histories of Chinese restaurateurs and their families who call North Carolina their home. Explore these stories of Chinese food, migration, and hard work, by clicking on the restaurant names below.
The other central component of this website is a historical exhibit, documenting the presence of Chinese restaurants in North Carolina from the 1940s-1990s. Click on the links to <Restaurants by Decade> in the menu above. We have been trying to track down the first Chinese restaurant in the state, as well as the names of some of the best-known or most long-lived local Chinese restaurants. If you owned, worked at, or ever ate at any beloved, local Chinese restaurant in North Carolina, we’d love to hear from you!
Oral Histories by Restaurant
Gourmet Kingdom
Gourmet Kingdom Address: 301 E Main St, Carrboro, NC 27510 Phone: (919) 932-7222 Website: http://www.thegourmetkingdom.com/ Interviewee: Long* Interviewer: Mackenzie Kwok “Everything Localizes” *first name used to protect privacy I arrived at Gourmet Kingdom shortly after 1pm on a Friday. … Read more
China Palace
“Old-Fashioned and Elegant” China Palace Address: 5210 Garrett Rd, Durham, NC 27707 Phone: 919-493-3088, 493-2166 Website: http://www.mychinapalace.com/index.html Interviewee: Alice Huang Interviewer: Deanna Fayed “I wanted it to sound old fashioned and elegant like the restaurant is,” Alice Huang told me when … Read more
Red Dragon Chinese Restaurant
Red Dragon Chinese Restaurant Address: 4051 Davis Dr, Morrisville, NC 27560 Phone: (919) 388-1836 County: Wake Owner: *Mr. Steven General Manager: *Mr. Demario Interviewee: *Mr. Zhōng Interviewer: Aaron Park Translator: **Karen Huang “How to Be a Chef in Two Lands” ~ … Read more
Hunam Chinese Restaurant
Hunam Chinese Restaurant 790 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514 | (919) 967-6133 “Cooking in a College Town: Running a Chinese Restaurant in Chapel Hill” Interviewee: David Chang, Owner Interviewer: Vik Gummadi Family History and Opening … Read more
Top Wok Chinese Restaurant
“Wok it like I talk it” An Interview with Ken Zheng, owner of Top Wok Chinese Restaurant Address: 1401 N Lake Park Blvd Unit 40 Carolina Beach, NC 28428 Phone Number: (910) 458-5958 Website: http://www.topwokcb.com County: New Hanover Owner: Ken … Read more
Dragon Express
“When You Own A Business, You Can’t Take Your Life Out of the Business” Restaurant: Dragon Express Address: 2934A Randleman Rd, Greensboro, NC 27406 Phone: (336) 370-1111 Phone Number: (336) 855-8828 Interviewee: Hanying Raymond Chen & Susan Chen Interviewer: Farial Rahman Dragon … Read more
Banana Leaf
The American Dream, Part 2 Banana Leaf 1026 Ryan Rd, Cary, NC 27511 An interview with Hon Lai (owner and chef), Verry Chu (ex-wife of owner, nurse at Duke), and Henry Lai (son of owner, junior at NYU) … Read more
China Express
“A Dark History” A daughter explains the dark history behind her parent’s experiences in becoming Chinese restaurant owners A profile of China Express, a Chinese take-out restaurant in Greensboro, NC 3932 W. Market Street Greensboro, NC 27407 (336) 855-8828 … Read more
Shanghai Dumpling
“A Gap between Military Life and Civilian Life” Profile of Vichy Zhoo, store manager at Shanghai Dumpling, 143 E. Franklin St. Chapel Hill, NC By Elisabeth Molnar I sat down to interview Vichy Zhoo at 4 o’clock on … Read more
Shanghai Restaurant
Address: 3433 Hillsborough Rd, Durham, NC 27705 Phone: (919) 383-7581 Website: http://www.shanghaidurham.com/ Interviewee: Lily Interviewer: Jason Guo “My Last Year” *Interview was conducted in Chinese. Translated transcripts are below each recording.* Shanghai restaurant is located in a shopping strip in Durham, North Carolina, and … Read more
Golden China
Restaurant Name: Golden China Address: 1409 29th Ave Drive NE, Hickory, NC 28601 Interviewee: Mrs. Lin and Mr. Chen Interviewer: Karen Huang The Gold in North Carolina -The history of Golden China- I arrived in Hickory, North Carolina on March 14th … Read more
Taste of China
A Taste of My Life Restaurant: Taste of China Address: 1321 5th Ave, Garner, NC 27529 Phone Number: (919) 779-7727 Website: tasteofchinagarner.com Name of Interviewer: Ana Morris Name of Interviewee: Mrs. Zheng Taste of China is located at a strip mall called Forest Hills Shopping … Read more