Sam Woo Restaurant
Encyclopedia
Sam Woo Restaurant is a restaurant chain that serves Hong Kong
-style cuisine
. It has many locations in predominantly overseas Chinese
communities of Southern California
, in Las Vegas
, and in the suburb
s of Toronto
. It is commonly referred to by non-Chinese-speaking customers as "Sam Woo's" as if it were a person's name and a possessive case
. In fact, "Sam Woo" is a romanization
of the Cantonese
pronunciation for "triple harmonies," in reference to feng shui
principles, including the synthesis of heaven, earth, and humanity. Basically the complete Chinese name (三和燒臘麵家) would translate literally into English as "Three Harmonies Roast Meats and Noodle House."
and Alhambra
. The first Sam Woo has since relocated to a newer building within Chinatown to include a restaurant and delicatessen, and remains amongst the most popular eateries in the community. There was one in Montebello
when 99 Ranch Market
operated there (under its original name, 99 Price Market), but the restaurant changed its name when one of the employees bought the restaurant from the owner. (The menu is still the same under the name A-1.) The 99 Ranch Market
closed because it failed to develop into a major commercial and cultural hub for the pan-Chinese diaspora like those in Monterey Park and San Gabriel and because of property management issues; several Asian stores still exist to cater to the significant local population, including Chinese restaurants and an East-West Bank. In 2004 a Sam Woo opened in the suburb of Covina, California
, which does not have a large Chinese-speaking population, but it failed the following year as well (it was replaced by a similar, but family-owned restaurant).
There are two types of Sam Woo restaurants. The first is aptly named Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant (香港三和燒臘麵家; Pinyin
: Xiānggǎng Sānhé Shāolà Miànjiā, Cantonese: siu laap min gaa). It is a noodle house specializing in Hong Kong-style barbecue and is typically small. It offers a delicatessen with roast duck, soy sauce chicken, BBQ pork, suckling pig
, roast pig, congee
, yang chow fried rice, chow fun, and bowls of won ton noodles on its menu. You can order take-out, and cash is only the accepted payment. The second, Sam Woo Seafood Restaurant (三和魚翅海鮮酒家; Pinyin
: Sānhé Yúchì Hǎixiān Jiǔjiā, Cantonese: som whoa hoy seen joy gah) is an upscale restaurant that serves dim sum
and Cantonese-style seafood dishes, such as lobster. The seafood restaurants have large dining rooms and can typically handle banquets for parties, weddings, reunions, and other special events. These restaurants take credit cards.
The restaurant chain tends to operate in suburban "Chinatown" areas; within Southern California
, mostly in communities where there are many immigrants from Taiwan
, such as Rowland Heights and Irvine. Several, but not all, Sam Woo Restaurants in Southern California are located in shopping centers anchored by 99 Ranch Market
stores. The popular Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant as well as anchor tenant 99 Ranch Market have also made the developments of the spectacular Chinatown, Las Vegas
possible.
Sam Woo Restaurants are generally popular even though long waits to be seated are common. Like most Chinese restaurants, they are also popular with non-Chinese-speaking patrons such as Mexican American
s, Filipino American
s and White American
s. However, catering to the tastes of Chinese-speaking customers, many of the specials tend to be posted only in Chinese.
In 1992, presidential candidate Bill Clinton
held a fundraiser at a now defunct Sam Woo Seafood Restaurant in San Gabriel, California
. In 2003, it also received media attention when the same Sam Woo restaurant and surrounding Chinese businesses in San Gabriel were at the center of the SARS panic, due to an Internet-based rumor, eventually reducing customer patronage. Unlike in Hong Kong or Toronto, there was no actual verified case of SARS reported in San Gabriel or Los Angeles. The restaurant was highly popular for its dim sum
.
In Southern California, hoping to capitalize on the success of Sam Woo Restaurants, restaurateurs have opened imitations with similar names in English and Chinese. Examples include the long-gone Sam Doo Restaurant in San Gabriel and the current S.W. Seafood Restaurant in Irvine. In the early 1990s, a similar concept to Sam Woo Restaurant, the now defunct Luk Yue Restaurant also started in Chinatown (LA), and like Sam Woo, it expanded into the Chinese community of Monterey Park, California
, Rowland Heights, and Cerritos, California
. The chain has since folded while Sam Woo Restaurant remains popular in the Chinese communities of Southern California and Toronto.
There is a popular multistory Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, San Francisco called Sam Wo. Despite having a similar name and foods, it is not part of the chain in Southern California and should not be confused with it.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-style cuisine
Cuisine of Hong Kong
Hong Kong cuisine is influenced by Cantonese cuisine and parts of non-Cantonese-speaking China , Western world, Japan, and Southeast Asia, due to Hong Kong's past as a British colony and long history of being an international city of commerce...
. It has many locations in predominantly overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
communities of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and in the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It is commonly referred to by non-Chinese-speaking customers as "Sam Woo's" as if it were a person's name and a possessive case
Possessive case
The possessive case of a language is a grammatical case used to indicate a relationship of possession. It is not the same as the genitive case, which can express a wider range of relationships, though the two have similar meanings in many languages.See Possession for a survey of the different...
. In fact, "Sam Woo" is a romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
of the Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
pronunciation for "triple harmonies," in reference to feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
principles, including the synthesis of heaven, earth, and humanity. Basically the complete Chinese name (三和燒臘麵家) would translate literally into English as "Three Harmonies Roast Meats and Noodle House."
Description
The first delicatessen was opened in 1979 by an elderly immigrant from Hong Kong in the Los Angeles Chinatown and later spread to other locations in California, including Monterey ParkMonterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
and Alhambra
Alhambra, California
Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
. The first Sam Woo has since relocated to a newer building within Chinatown to include a restaurant and delicatessen, and remains amongst the most popular eateries in the community. There was one in Montebello
Montebello, California
Montebello is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the southwestern part of the San Gabriel Valley. It is located on of land just east of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities, and the city is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of...
when 99 Ranch Market
99 Ranch Market
Although most of its customers are ethnic Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Americans, shoppers also include recent immigrants from China, ethnic Chinese from Vietnam, and others. The chain sells a wide range of imported food products and merchandise from Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, ...
operated there (under its original name, 99 Price Market), but the restaurant changed its name when one of the employees bought the restaurant from the owner. (The menu is still the same under the name A-1.) The 99 Ranch Market
99 Ranch Market
Although most of its customers are ethnic Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Americans, shoppers also include recent immigrants from China, ethnic Chinese from Vietnam, and others. The chain sells a wide range of imported food products and merchandise from Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, ...
closed because it failed to develop into a major commercial and cultural hub for the pan-Chinese diaspora like those in Monterey Park and San Gabriel and because of property management issues; several Asian stores still exist to cater to the significant local population, including Chinese restaurants and an East-West Bank. In 2004 a Sam Woo opened in the suburb of Covina, California
Covina, California
Covina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
, which does not have a large Chinese-speaking population, but it failed the following year as well (it was replaced by a similar, but family-owned restaurant).
There are two types of Sam Woo restaurants. The first is aptly named Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant (香港三和燒臘麵家; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Xiānggǎng Sānhé Shāolà Miànjiā, Cantonese: siu laap min gaa). It is a noodle house specializing in Hong Kong-style barbecue and is typically small. It offers a delicatessen with roast duck, soy sauce chicken, BBQ pork, suckling pig
Suckling pig
A suckling pig is a piglet fed on its mother's milk . In culinary, a suckling pig is slaughtered between the ages of two and six weeks. It is traditionally cooked whole, often roasted, in various cuisines...
, roast pig, congee
Congee
Congee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten alone or served with a side dish. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation...
, yang chow fried rice, chow fun, and bowls of won ton noodles on its menu. You can order take-out, and cash is only the accepted payment. The second, Sam Woo Seafood Restaurant (三和魚翅海鮮酒家; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Sānhé Yúchì Hǎixiān Jiǔjiā, Cantonese: som whoa hoy seen joy gah) is an upscale restaurant that serves dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
and Cantonese-style seafood dishes, such as lobster. The seafood restaurants have large dining rooms and can typically handle banquets for parties, weddings, reunions, and other special events. These restaurants take credit cards.
The restaurant chain tends to operate in suburban "Chinatown" areas; within Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, mostly in communities where there are many immigrants from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, such as Rowland Heights and Irvine. Several, but not all, Sam Woo Restaurants in Southern California are located in shopping centers anchored by 99 Ranch Market
99 Ranch Market
Although most of its customers are ethnic Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Americans, shoppers also include recent immigrants from China, ethnic Chinese from Vietnam, and others. The chain sells a wide range of imported food products and merchandise from Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan, ...
stores. The popular Sam Woo BBQ Restaurant as well as anchor tenant 99 Ranch Market have also made the developments of the spectacular Chinatown, Las Vegas
Chinatown, Las Vegas
The Chinatown of Las Vegas, Nevada The Chinatown of Las Vegas, Nevada The Chinatown of Las Vegas, Nevada (Chinese: 拉斯維加斯中國城 (pinyin: Lāsīwéijiāsī Zhōngguóchéng) is a series of large strip malls with ethnic Chinese and other pan-Asian businesses on Spring Mountain Road, with the original called...
possible.
Sam Woo Restaurants are generally popular even though long waits to be seated are common. Like most Chinese restaurants, they are also popular with non-Chinese-speaking patrons such as Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
s, Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
s and White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
s. However, catering to the tastes of Chinese-speaking customers, many of the specials tend to be posted only in Chinese.
In 1992, presidential candidate Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
held a fundraiser at a now defunct Sam Woo Seafood Restaurant in San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
. In 2003, it also received media attention when the same Sam Woo restaurant and surrounding Chinese businesses in San Gabriel were at the center of the SARS panic, due to an Internet-based rumor, eventually reducing customer patronage. Unlike in Hong Kong or Toronto, there was no actual verified case of SARS reported in San Gabriel or Los Angeles. The restaurant was highly popular for its dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
.
In Southern California, hoping to capitalize on the success of Sam Woo Restaurants, restaurateurs have opened imitations with similar names in English and Chinese. Examples include the long-gone Sam Doo Restaurant in San Gabriel and the current S.W. Seafood Restaurant in Irvine. In the early 1990s, a similar concept to Sam Woo Restaurant, the now defunct Luk Yue Restaurant also started in Chinatown (LA), and like Sam Woo, it expanded into the Chinese community of Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park, California
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
, Rowland Heights, and Cerritos, California
Cerritos, California
Cerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956...
. The chain has since folded while Sam Woo Restaurant remains popular in the Chinese communities of Southern California and Toronto.
There is a popular multistory Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, San Francisco called Sam Wo. Despite having a similar name and foods, it is not part of the chain in Southern California and should not be confused with it.
Ontario
- Greater Toronto AreaGreater Toronto AreaThe Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
: multiple locations in ScarboroughScarborough, OntarioScarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
and Mississauga
California
- Costa MesaCosta Mesa, CaliforniaCosta Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
(Seafood - defunct) - IrvineIrvine, CaliforniaIrvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
(BBQ and Seafood) - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- Freestanding - Chinatown, Los AngelesChinatown, Los AngelesChinatown in Los Angeles, California is located in the city's downtown area. Built in 1938, it is the second Chinatown to be constructed in Los Angeles. The original historic Chinatown was founded in the late 19th century, but was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major rail...
(original BBQ closed - relocated BBQ still open) - Van NuysVan Nuys, Los Angeles, CaliforniaVan Nuys is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.-History:Look at the two photos of Van Nuys' first year—and then listen to what the Los Angeles Times wrote on February 23, 1911, the day after the Van Nuys town lot auction--"Between dawn and dusk, in the...
(BBQ) - San GabrielSan Gabriel, CaliforniaSan Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
(BBQ) - Rowland HeightsRowland Heights, CaliforniaRowland Heights is an unincorporated community of , located in and below the Puente Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population of the census-designated place was 48,993 at the 2010 census, up from 48,553 at the 2000 census...
(BBQ deli is open, Seafood restaurant closed around December 2006) - CovinaCovina, CaliforniaCovina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
- (BBQ - defunct) - CerritosCerritos, CaliforniaCerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956...
(BBQ and Seafood) - Garvey Plaza - Monterey ParkMonterey Park, CaliforniaMonterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
(BBQ) - Freestanding - AlhambraAlhambra, CaliforniaAlhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
(BBQ) - Mandarin Plaza - Rowland HeightsRowland Heights, CaliforniaRowland Heights is an unincorporated community of , located in and below the Puente Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population of the census-designated place was 48,993 at the 2010 census, up from 48,553 at the 2000 census...
(BBQ and Seafood)
- Freestanding - Chinatown, Los Angeles
- San DiegoSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
(BBQ)
External links
- Irvine Sam Woo Restaurant Seafood & BBQ Express is the official website of one of the restaurants.