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 has been opened since 1978. As one of the older Chinese restaurants in the area, Shanghai restaurant has had multiple owners in the past decades with Lily and her husband as the current ones.
When I first arrived, I noticed the words “SHANGHAI” bolded in blue on the front of the restaurant with two chariots pointing towards the entrance, which had the Chinese translation of the word “Shanghai” carved above it. Unlike many other restaurants, Shanghai restaurant has a break period from 2:30pm to 5:00pm, allowing for its employees to wrap up the lunch period and take a quick nap. I came in during this time and was introduced to a lady who stood roughly 5’3” tall and was one of the owners of this restaurant, Lily. The lights were dimmed out and many employees appeared to be resting on booths. The restaurant gave a traditional vibe with mini ceramic statues of the three gods of fortune located next to the “Take Out” sign, a laughing Buddha underneath a television, and a
white Buddha enclosed behind glass. There was also a poster filled with short notes and signatures from a local middle school thanking the restaurant for their support on a global connections event.
Coming to America:
Lily caught me by surprise on my first question when she mentioned that she was from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although she was born in Malaysia, her grandparents were immigrants from Longyan, Fujian. When I asked her if there was a particular reason why she decided to immigrate to the United States, she had an interesting response. Below is a recording of Lily’s reason for immigrating to the States:
Jason (pre-recording): What was your reason for immigrating to America?
Lily: Oh, what reason? I came to America to marry my husband. He is also Malaysian. He has been here for eight years. He came first…then his brother-in-law introduced us.
Jason: Did you guys meet in Malaysia?
Lily: No, we did not
Jason: Was it in America?
Lily: He went back [to Malaysia] and we were introduced
Working In The Restaurant Business:
Lily came to Orlando, Florida in 1988, and stayed with her husband who has been living there for four to five years. Three months later, Lily moved to Asheville, North Carolina, and later to Raleigh and finally settled in Durham. Before immigrating to the States, she was working at a printing company with her uncle for roughly ten years, starting at age 17. When she first came to America, the restaurant business was quite foreign to her. Her husband was a chef and she worked as a wait staff. Below is a recording of Lily reflecting on the hardships she encountered when she first began:
Jason (pre-recording): What kind of hardships did you encounter when you first began?
Lily: It is just that the food seemed foreign (hard to get used too). It is okay, not a big deal…because my husband can cook, so it is not a big deal. As for the front (i.e., cashier, wait staff), you will begin to learn quickly.
Jason: Was the English and Chinese communication fine?
Lily: Yes. Speaking [English] did not flow quite well, but it was good enough.
Taking Over Shanghai Restaurant:
In 1994, Lily and her husband, along with a friend, opened their first Chinese restaurant, “China One”, in Durham on highway 55. It was not until 2000 that Lily and her husband bought Shanghai Restaurant. As an owner of the restaurant, Lily works from 10am to 11pm, assisting with all sorts of tasks including but not limited to waiting tables, taking orders, and working as a cashier. In the past 18 years, they have not made any major renovations to the restaurant. There are also employees who have worked for the previous owner still working in the restaurant. Below is a recording of Lily’s journey from working in a restaurant to owning one:
Jason (pre-recording): How did you get from Orlando, Florida to Durham, North Carolina?
Lily: [I] worked as a wait staff. My husband then was a chef. We worked for…he worked for many years, starting before I arrived. We worked until 1994 until we opened a restaurant with a friend. Not here, another one…China One on Highway 55. We worked for 6 years, then I bought this one (Shanghai Restaurant) in 2000…mid-2000, so around June.
Food and Family:
Lily described the food they served to be Cantonese styled. There were many Guangdong dishes as well as American ones. According to Lily, many people may not like the food unless it is somewhat “Americanized”. Similarly, when she first arrived in the States, she was also not used to American food, noting her distaste of cheese. Although she has gotten used to American food and would occasionally go for a salad, she prefers eating Guangdong food. Below is a recording of some of her food recommendations and discussion of customer demographics:
Jason (pre-recording): What dishes would you recommend?
Lily: Recommendation? I recommend salt and pepper pork ribs, sweet and sour pork ribs, or braised beef and burdock. Our [customers] are satisfied with what they eat. Every time they come, they eat the same dishes. We mainly have Chinese students…Duke students…sometimes the parents would come here to eat.
Jason: Then typically are your customers American (Caucasian)…
Lily: Yeah, most are Americans (Caucasian)…80%
Aside from her work life, Lily has two children of her own and more family in Malaysia. She recalls her children helping with the restaurant business when they were younger. Now, they are both college graduates, one working as a flight attendant and another occasionally helping with the restaurant business in hopes of saving up to attend graduate school. As for Lily, she is retiring this year and hopes to visit her family members in Malaysia. What does she miss the most in Malaysia? The food!
Post Interview and Conclusion:
The interview ended around the time the restaurant reopened for dinner. The lights became brighter and workers started prepping for the next wave of customers. Lily was on her feet, taking phone calls and orders from the front counter, and carrying takeout from the kitchen. I was able to stop her for a quick dish recommendation, and she suggested I try the “Shredded Pork with Spicy Green Peppers” along with steamed rice. The dish encompassed a multitude of flavors with the spiciness as the strongest.
Although I spent over ten years living in Durham, I have not heard of the Shanghai Restaurant. I thought this would be an interesting experience to visit and interview at a restaurant that has been open for so long. This experience has really widened my perspective on the stories of people who run Chinese restaurants. I think it encouraged me to further appreciate the food made by immigrants in these restaurants, as it may have carried many of their stories and dreams. Furthermore, I learned a great deal about how diverse Chinese food and culture can be. I would like to thank Lily and the Shanghai Restaurant, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for funding the project.
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