Second Oldest Continuously Operated Chinese Restaurant in America - Tong Fong Low in California

Two generations in two families over one hundred years, Tong Fong Low in Oroville, CA is a classic Chinese immigrant story.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:08 Its story
4:05 Menu
References:
- Photos courtesy of Tong Fong Low: www.tongfonglow.com/
- Oroville Union High School District: www.ouhsd.org/cms/lib/CA02222...
- Explore Butte County: www.explorebuttecounty.com/st...
- Oroville Mercury-Register: eccentricculinary.substack.co...
- Tong Fong Low 100 year anniversary celebration: • Tong Fong Low 100 Year...

[@MyName-nx1jj]

I've been there. Great food! However, Chicago Cafe in Woodland, an hour and a half drive from Oroville, has been in continuous operation since 1903, making it the oldest Chinese restaurant in the US.

[@TrevorTrottier]

My favorite channel. Hope you and the kid are doing well.

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

Haha, who knew there's a 6 month and an 8 month sleep regression after the infamous 4 month one for babies. I am happy to report I have finally gotten used to only sleeping in chunks, and somehow feel like I have enough brain left to resume this channel. :) I will aim to do one episode every two weeks. Thanks for your kind words.

[@norbertk9595]

It's great to see a new video from you! I hope to make it to Oroville some time.

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

I drove myself out there when I was pretty pregnant and stayed for the night. I am so glad I did it.

[@norbertk9595]

@@AmericanChineseFoodShow Now that's dedication!

[@MrIshaforster]

Great vid!

[@collinhuey2090]

Never been to Oroville but my dad invested all his money to start restaurants in San Rafael and Santa Rosa call the Great Wall in the sixties

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

Wow, what happened to it? Did you grow up helping out at the restaurant too?

[@user-or1ic1jh2s]

i am 85 now, but I remember when I was 12 years old, sitting at the counter, eating my huge 45 cent plate of cop suey and chatting with Charlie as he smacked flies off the counter. "Damned flies" he would mutter. I remember eating in the original building on the hill above the present restaurant. I can't get good chop suey now unless I travel back to Oroville.

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

Wow, thank you for such a beautiful story. It's always the people and the interactions that make these small family-owned restaurants so great. I think Oroville is beautiful.

[@hultonclint]

I went there. Nice place, good people! I had the chop suey, which was good and. by some standards, more Chinese-Chinese than anything else: Just fresh vegetable and a small amount of meat stir fried lightly. The rest of the food was disappointing.

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

Yes! I have that feeling too, they just kinda cooked the way they wanted to, but slap an American Chinese dish name on it.