Fung Lum Chinese Restaurant...still around?

have been to the original F-L restaurant in campbell, but i think they have closed buisness for good, and have since opened outlets at SFO, how is the food and service now...? if they still have the signature seafood dishes, i just may go visit them at the airport.thanks,

[vicious]

Fung Lum, whether in the SF Bay Area or in HK was one of THE BEST RESTAURANTS ever!!!

[wallrat]

Ah, I am quite happy to hear that people still think kindly of Fung Lum in Campbell and Universal. My father ran the Campbell location for 30 years. I called it the family boat because it brought many Pangs over from Hong Kong, including me. Ya, all US locations are closed. None of the offspring wanted to go into the restaurant business because we know how hard it is. It's way too much work for way too long. The Campbell location got sold and converted into condos. It's quite a sad reminder of my childhood. The SFO location is ran by one of the past owners. I've never been there myself and I wouldn't think it would be worth visiting. Of 9 or 10 worldwide (not counting SFO), there's only one Fung Lum Restaurant left and it's one of the oldest. It's in Tai Wai, Hong Kong and it's still thriving. The restaurants weren't closed for financial reasons because they did quite well. Most of the family just retired and the kids moved on.

[estnet]

Thanks for the personal update. I was REALLY upset a few years ago when I went to Campbell and found a hole in the ground where the restaurant used to be :( So many good memories were there.

A friend of mine told me that she had read - what you said about the children not wanting to continue the business - which I totally understand - but still makes me sad.

I sort of wish the airport location didn't have the same name b/c the food just looks awful and it makes me so sad every time I see it remembering how "it used to be"....oh well... all the best to you and your family wallrat ;)

[PegS]

Thanks Wallrat! My brother worked at the Campbell restaurant for a short time so I have very fond memories of it. I'm sad it's gone but I suppose it's better that it closed because the kids didn't want to take it over vs. closing due to lack of business. Really appreciate you giving us the story!

[jmaggy]

wallratt my family use to go there from opening to the closing and some of the employees said they were going to be opening a restaurant either in campbell or fremont area. do you know if they did and what it's called? I would love to know.

[Tunehead54]

Dear Wallrat- I think I replied to the wrong thread - new here!

We used to go to the Campbell Fung Lum's in the late 70's - ONE DISH we loved was some kind of salt-baked shrimp - how it was done I do not recall - but I do remember that you actually ate the shrimp shell itself - can't remember if the legs were part of the dish or not.

Maybe a Grandma or Aunt still has the recipe? We would love to hear from you!

Thanks,

Charlie

[vflowers]

Thank you so veery much. I have been searching for this restaurant for a long time. There has not been an asian restaurant that can compare. I hope that one day you all would reconsider. Love and miss ya

[funwithme]

i was a waiter at Fung Lum, it brought back many fond memories and good food. Although it was quite different then in the 70's. It really sad that the Pangs were not like they used to be....i guess people just drift away from the good food and small talk.

[Tunehead54]

Dear Vicious - that sounds weird!

We used to go to the Campbell Fung Lum's in the late 70's - ONE DISH we loved was some kind of salt-baked shrimp - how it was done I do not recall - but I do remember that you actually ate the shell shell itself - can't remember if the legs were part of the dish or not.

Maybe a Grandma or Aunt still has the recipe? We would love to hear from you!

Thanks,

Charlie

[Alan Hogenauer]

In case anyone cares, the Fung Lum Universal building is abandoned and derelict, but intact, and easily strolled around after parking in front of the Frankenstein Garage for Universal Studios. On today's bright and sunny Sunday morning, there were plenty of ghosts, but not the least hassle. (I had taken a panoramic photo from up in Universal Studios and had wondered what the Oriental roof was in the middle of my shot!)

[thestudiotour]

A quick plea for information - I run a website about Universal Studios history and have a page about the Fung Lum restaurant, but no firm opening / closing dates - can anyone help?
http://www.thestudiotour.com/ush/attr...

Thanks a lot!

Jon

[yimster]

I check the Yahoo Hong Kong page and it seems Fung Lum is still in Hong Kong, but as far as I know it no longer in the USA.

I thing that the site of Fung Lum in the South Bay is no longer there. I was at the opening of the Foothill room to see the old stuff from the old site.

In the 70s Fung Lum was setting trends in new Hong Kong style food but that was then. Not bad for a couple of brother cooking at a street stall in Hong Kong. Besides I like the name Maple Grove which is Fung Lum in Chinese.

Good luck.

[dpvball]

The Fung Lum in Hong Kong is right outside of the Tai Wei Station on the KCR. That one is still open.

And there are actually 3 Fung Lum's still open in the US. they are all inside San Francisco International Airport at Terminals 1, 3, and the International Terminal. These are the only remaining Fung Lum that are open in the US.

But to clarify, there was never a Fung Lum in Las Vegas, but yes, the Campbell and the Universal City Fung Lums have both been closed for quite some time now.

[Chandavkl]

Yes, the Beverly Hills Fung Lum is also closed, too. And the airport ones are Fung Lum in name only--average dim sum and something like $6 an order.

[dpvball]

Actually the Beverly Hills Fung Lum was never officially a Fung Lum restaurant run by the Pang family. The ones in the airport are run by the Pang family so they're not by name only.

[Chandavkl]

"Name only" referred to the quality of the food and the breadth of the menu, not the authenticity of ownership. Just got a report from a friend who passed through SFO the other day and she said the food at the Fung Lum there was horrible and left her longing for Panda Express.

yeah, what about the Fung Lum restaurant outlet at SFO?Thanks,

It is gone forever in Campbell. In fact some of the parts of the old Fung Lum is now that Foothill College as part of their Chinese Culture room.

At time it was our favorite Hong Kong style place. But that was then.

Is this the same Fung Lum that was in San Jose in the late 70s and early 80s? I still remember it as the only place I would voluntarily eat sweet and sour pork.

Yes, it is. There were serveral dishes that were the Pang Brothers Hong Kong food stall style. Also two more dishes I remember well, Orange duck and Steak Chinese style. Need to have them again soon.

I think they now have locations in So Ca and Las Vegas. Not gone completely.

Ahh the memories when I last ate there in the early 90s...

The only reason why I went there: they had a top notch baked tapoica pudding that was virtually identical to the version served at the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club dim sum restaurant (6th floor) back in the 80s at the Happy Valley location. :-)

Yes, that too. I had a recipe to make that dish but did not have the blast oven to make it. I wish I could find it again. It was before hard drive and writabel dish.

It was so rich but I am semi glad my Doctor would know next time I took a blood test.