Hong Kong Restaurant on Garland Road in East Dallas officially closed earlier this month after serving Dallasites for more than 60 years. The current landlord, John Brennan, said he will be leasing the now-vacant space.
Established in 1962 by Chef Bill Pon, the restaurant was a cornerstone of the East Dallas dining scene, known for its nostalgic and delicious dishes. The closure marks the end of an era, with co-owner Andy Tran choosing to retire.
A chef for 20 years in San Francisco before relocating to North Texas, Pon became known around Dallas for his warm hospitality and mastery of traditional Cantonese and Szechuan dishes -- many of which reflected mid-20th century Chines-American dining tastes. Loyal customers fondly recall unique dishes like watercress soup, sizzling rice soup, moo goo gai pan, egg foo young and yu dow gai ding.
Pon died in 1971, but the restaurant's popularity never waned.
Per "The Dallas Morning News," First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once dined at Hong Kong Restaurant, and the Dallas Asian American Historical Society said that guests would get their meal for free if they "didn't think theirs was the best Chinese food they'd ever eaten."