Cass Corridor / Chinatown / Chung's

**Oona** · February-01-17, 03:42 AM

Originally Posted by Danny

I have received information for Dorothy Moy-Matsumoto. She is your cousin. Her father used to own a toy shop on Third St near Michigan Ave. called " Hoy Toy".

Hey, Danny. I know one of the children of Hoy Toy's owner very well. Hoy Toy wasn't a toy shop. And it was called "Ho Toy," not "Hoy Toy." The owner was the son of the man who owned the Chinese Tea Garden. Just an FYI...

**Former_Detroiter** · February-01-17, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by gr8dvm

Hi all,

Wow, what a great thread! I have a few childhood memories of chinatown. As one of Henry Yee's granddaughters, I have been told many stories about my grandfather's restaurants and his involvement with the city. Does anyone recall him or his endeavors?

Thanks!
Attachment 30641 Attachment 30640

My parents introduced me to Chinese food at Chungs in the 50's and in 1968 I had my first legal drink at Forbidden City!!!

**Chungs** · March-11-17, 06:09 PM

Thanks! I live in LA now, but will be back in Detroit this week. I may try to check out the new Asian fusion restaurant that is now in the old building where our second location was on Cass and Peterboro!

**Chungs** · July-15-17, 09:34 AM

So I was back in town a couple of weeks ago and dropped by the corner of Cass and Peterboro. Man, that building that held the Showcase Collectibles had changed. There's the new Peterboro Restaurant, a tattoo parlor, and a micro-brewery there. The building looked nice and there were literally groups of young suburban white kids walking around. It was a strange sight to see. As I was walking around with my friend, an African American man approached me and my friend and asked what we were doing there. I explained that my family owned Chung's back in the day. He lived in the projects just a couple of blocks away and shared fond memories of going there as a kid. I asked him what he thought of the changes going on. He said that he tried to go to the Peterboro once, but they wouldn't let him in. They said it was a private business and they had a right to let in whoever they wanted. That made me sad [[and a little angry). My family would never have turned anyone away like that. While I am glad the area is bringing in new businesses, I hope that it doesn't become segregated. I mean, isn't that why Detroit had problems in the first place?

**Zacha341** · July-15-17, 07:14 PM

^^^ The Peterboro restaurant turning people away? What's up with that?? I was planning to try out their fare.

**Honky Tonk** · July-15-17, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

^^^ The Peterboro restaurant turning people away? What's up with that?? I was planning to try out their fare.

Now you can try out their unfair.

**Chungs** · August-01-17, 09:43 AM

Hopefully that was just an isolated incident. I am glad that there is new energy coming to the area. I just hope that it benefits everyone!

**bobball** · November-30-22, 09:29 PM

Was that the Wong's on Third near Howard and across from the Anchor Bar in the 1940s? My dad worked at the News on Lafayette, and Wong's was the family favorite. It was tiny; my mom told me the ducks once got out of their cage and strolled into the dining room ... waddled. I don't recall much of the food, except for one shrimp appetizer. I didn't think much about it until years later, up in Madison Heights, having an egg roll and the traditional shrimp in lobster sauce [[then in a brown sauce, nowadays it's white and not very tasty). I dipped one of my shrimp in the plum sauce that came with the egg roll. It was the flavor of that appetizer at Wong's, delicious and transcending both the shrimp and the sauce.

**Chungs** · January-04-23, 11:55 PM

BIG NEWS: I'm excited to announce that "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," my memoir about growing up in my family's restaurant, Chung's, will be published in October 2023 by Little, Brown. I'm in the early stages of organizing my book tour in Detroit! If you're part of a book club, an employee resource group, or a community group, and you're interested in having me come speak to your group, please send me a direct message. I can't wait to share!

**TheDapperMaleDetroit** · January-10-23, 05:34 PM

Would love to have you come speak to the Mount Clemens Book Club that I am apart of. Sounds like it will be a fantastic read!!

Originally Posted by Chungs

BIG NEWS: I'm excited to announce that "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," my memoir about growing up in my family's restaurant, Chung's, will be published in October 2023 by Little, Brown. I'm in the early stages of organizing my book tour in Detroit! If you're part of a book club, an employee resource group, or a community group, and you're interested in having me come speak to your group, please send me a direct message. I can't wait to share!