Hung Fong Historic Chinese Restaurant - Thurs., May 14, 2015

On Thursday, May 14, we wanted to try a new restaurant for dinner. We decided to continue our sampling of restaurants on Broadway. Chinese food sounded good. We did a Volksmarch in this area and passed by a Chinese restaurant with a beautiful carved wooden door. We decided to try there.

The name of the Restaurant is Hung Fong; it is the oldest Chinese restaurant in San Antonio (opened in 1939).

Carved front door at Hung Fong Chinese
Restaurant

The lanterns are beautiful!

On the menu you can read the history of the two neon flags on the ceiling. From the menu:

"Our ceiling was once named the 'Best Decorated Ceiling' by National Geographic Magazine. Besides serving as our decor, our two flags serve as a reminder of how two countries can work together to find harmony.

"In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1835-1945), China was invaded by Japan. For nearly six years China lost battle after battle to Japan due to continuous air strikes and bombing. In 1943, unable to bear further demolishment of her country, the First Lady of the Republic of China, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek flew to the United States and addressed the U.S. Congress. She made a desperate plea for help to save her beloved country. Out of friendship and humanitarian reasons, President Franklin D. Roosevelt  agreed to send out military aid in hopes of saving China.

"In an effort to aid China and to put pressure on Japan, President Roosevelt authorized the creation of a "Clandestine Air Unit" for service in China. This group was popularly known at The Flying Tigers. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the war merged into the greater conflict of World War II. The war ended with the victory of the Allies in 1945.

"To show his appreciation to the U.S. Military, my grandfather, the founder of Hung Fong, installed the two neon flags that you now see up above. He thought that the union of the two flags served as a great reminder of how his current home country of the United States had helped save China, the country of his birth. If you look closely at the American flag there are only 48 stars instead of the 50 that we know of today. The two flags were erected in the years prior to Alaska and Hawaii entering the Union in 1959."

American and Chinese neon flags on the ceiling.

I love the dragon door below.

As we were sitting eating our dinner, I kept marveling at the art on the walls. I couldn't figure out what the medium was. After we finished eating, I walked around to look at all the art. The medium is butterfly wings! Very pretty.

"Pictures worth millions of butterflies."

Art from butterfly wings.

Butterfly wing art

Close up of butterfly wings from the art above

Hung Fong menu

Hung Fong exterior

Our food was good. I had egg drop soup (yummy!) and Hawaiian Chicken with lightly breaded fried chicken, coconut milk, pineapple and maraschino cherries. Bob had Chicken Chow Main and Lemon Chicken with hot and sour soup. I ordered hot tea and was delighted that the tea was jasmine. Our meal also came with wontons filled with a cream cheese mixture.

We will go back. It's very close to Brackenridge Park and the Witte Museum.