It’s the kind of place where down-home comfort food true to pake (Chinese) tradition is made and appreciated by a local, die-hard following of regulars. It’s Wong’s Chinese Restaurant and Bakery, and it’s chock full of savory and sweet treats
It’s the kind of place where down-home comfort food true to pake (Chinese) tradition is made and appreciated by a local, die-hard following of regulars.
It’s Wong’s Chinese Restaurant and Bakery, and it’s chock full of savory and sweet treats that can’t be found in similar fashion anywhere else on-island.
Owner Jackie Wong, who got her culinary training at Kaua‘i Community College (she has an associate’s degree in culinary arts), got an incredibly early start in the food industry at the mere age of 11. And her decades of experience show in plenitude at the unique, diner-like digs found at the heart of the Westside in Hanapepe town.
“(After college) I began to help my parents at the restaurant,” she said. “In 1999 my father (Jackson Wong) passed away and at the age of 20 I put my heart and soul into the business, carrying on my father’s legacy where he left off alongside with my mother, Jo-Ann Wong.”
Perhaps it’s the “heart and soul” in the food that makes it resonate that home-cooked feeling, whether found in the sesame-black bean manju or crispy gau gee mein. Though, according to Wong, neither of those are her signature dishes.
“Wong’s signature dish? That is a tough one to make a choice because we don’t just have one favorite,” she said. “Honestly, I would say that there is a tie between a few. …For the locals, I would say that the majority of them first of all come here for the crispy, Hong Kong roast pork and the roast duck.” (Sure enough, during this interview, there were patrons waiting in line for just these items). And ordering either is an entertaining order to make. Not only are the roast pork and duck well-known for the way in which they’re displayed (hanging old-school style on display), but when either is ordered, the wait staff yells on the intercom, “chop, chop!” Before long an attendant makes an appearance, butcher knife in hand, ready to cut the thing to smithereens.
But it’s not just items like crispy pork and duck that make for a tummy-filling, warm lunch or dinner. Several different types of saimin provide an abundance of soup options (as does the traditional oxtail) and items like the kau yuk and spring rolls also balance out the meal.
Of course, all meals need dessert, and it’s their specialty pies that, while they don’t necessarily add balance to a meal, certainly round it out.
Guava-chocolate-dream, pumpkin-chiffon, banana-cream and macadamia-cream pies all prove to make the decision on what to have last a difficult one.
Of course, it’s the liliko‘i pie that they’re known for, which is a self-proclaimed No. 1 favorite among visitors.
“I think it is because the pie is light and fluffy, giving you the feeling that you can indulge in the whole pie and not feel guilty,” Wong said.
“I also think that it’s the love and care that my mom (who makes the pies) gives them.”
And those wanting a slice will likely be pleased to find out that the costs of their pies have gone down, a decision that might seem counterintuitive to some, but that made sense to Wong.
“The reason for this is because we understand the burden that the current economy has put on the people,” Wong said.
Coupled with a sort of golden-rule approach to staff (Wong says she and her mother try to instill into their employees the idea of treating customers as they would like to be treated), Wong said hard work and being loyal is what helps keep them going.
“We try our best to treat the customer with the most respect and make sure they are happy and satisfied,” she said.
