Kowloon Restaurant
Encyclopedia
Kowloon Restaurant, described as America's largest Asian dining complex, is on busy "Restaurant Row" along Route 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts
. Visiting the restaurant is a tradition for many New England families on birthdays and anniversaries. It is also considered a top destination for fans of tiki culture
and has been a stop on organized tours.
After three generations of ownership by the same family the restaurant has grown several times and a large range of Cantonese
, Szechuan
, Sushi
, Polynesian, Japanese
, and Thai cuisines are served in several themed dining rooms and lounges. Today Kowloon is considered one of the very best Chinese restaurants in New England
.
In 1958 Madeline and Bill Wong bought out the first generation owners and began the second generation of family ownership of the restaurant. They changed the name to Kowloon Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge and began to grow the business.
In the next 50 years the family added five additions to the original building and increased the capacity to accommodate 1,200 customers. Diners can choose from a number of themed dining rooms including the Volcano Bay Room, the Tiki Lagoon, the Mandarin Room, the Thai Grille, or the Hong Kong Lounge. Private events and a comedy club use the Luau Room.
The menu has grown as the restaurant has added new dishes to keep up with the evolving American palate. First Polynesian dishes, then more Chinese when Nixon went to China, even more Chinese when Szechuan became popular, then Thai, and then Japanese and sushi. Guests now choose from a menu of nearly 300 items.
In 2001 Madeline and Bill Wong were inducted into the Hospitality Hall of Fame by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. The restaurant has also been nominated for addition to the Inventory of Cultural and Historical Resources by the Saugus Historical Commission. Bill Wong died in 2011 at the age of 88.
Visitors will always find a family member at the restaurant as the third generation of the Wong family continues to run this independent business. The restaurant is reported to bring in over $8 million per year as the top-grossing Chinese restaurant in the United States
.
Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 26,628 at the 2010 census.-History:Saugus was first settled in 1629. Saugus is an Indian name believed to mean "great" or "extended"...
. Visiting the restaurant is a tradition for many New England families on birthdays and anniversaries. It is also considered a top destination for fans of tiki culture
Tiki culture
Tiki kitsch culture is a 20th-century theme used in Polynesian-style restaurants and clubs originally in the United States and then, to a lesser degree, around the world...
and has been a stop on organized tours.
After three generations of ownership by the same family the restaurant has grown several times and a large range of Cantonese
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...
, Szechuan
Szechuan cuisine
Szechuan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, or Szechwan cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in the Sichuan Province of southwestern China famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of...
, Sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
, Polynesian, Japanese
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
, and Thai cuisines are served in several themed dining rooms and lounges. Today Kowloon is considered one of the very best Chinese restaurants in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
History
The Mandarin House restaurant opened November 30, 1950, in a converted ice cream parlor on the Newburyport Turnpike with a menu of a few dozen Chinese and American dishes. The dining room could hold 40-50 customers.In 1958 Madeline and Bill Wong bought out the first generation owners and began the second generation of family ownership of the restaurant. They changed the name to Kowloon Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge and began to grow the business.
In the next 50 years the family added five additions to the original building and increased the capacity to accommodate 1,200 customers. Diners can choose from a number of themed dining rooms including the Volcano Bay Room, the Tiki Lagoon, the Mandarin Room, the Thai Grille, or the Hong Kong Lounge. Private events and a comedy club use the Luau Room.
The menu has grown as the restaurant has added new dishes to keep up with the evolving American palate. First Polynesian dishes, then more Chinese when Nixon went to China, even more Chinese when Szechuan became popular, then Thai, and then Japanese and sushi. Guests now choose from a menu of nearly 300 items.
In 2001 Madeline and Bill Wong were inducted into the Hospitality Hall of Fame by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. The restaurant has also been nominated for addition to the Inventory of Cultural and Historical Resources by the Saugus Historical Commission. Bill Wong died in 2011 at the age of 88.
Visitors will always find a family member at the restaurant as the third generation of the Wong family continues to run this independent business. The restaurant is reported to bring in over $8 million per year as the top-grossing Chinese restaurant in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.