Wong, Jimmy
Chicago Tribune, Friday, July 06, 2001,
Jimmy Wong, (1914-2001) a South Loop restaurateur, Jimmy Wong was best known for his Hong Kong Steak and the opportunity to spot celebrities at his establishments. But Wong's greatest contribution to Chicago may be as the visionary who spearheaded the Southeast Asian business district along Argyle Street.
Jimmy Wong, 86, formerly of Skokie, Illinois died after a long battle with Parkinson's disease Monday, July 2, 2001 in Santa Barbara, California.
For the better part of three decades beginning in the 1950s, Jimmy Wong owned and managed Nan Yan Restaurant in the 423 S. Clark Street, and Jimmy Wong's Restaurant at 426 S. Wabash Avenue, and 3058 W. Peterson Avenue.
In his advertisements, he boasted of his Hong Kong steak and the likes of Jack Palance, Al Hirt, and Forrest Tucker frequenting his establishments.
"Everyone knew his restaurants," said friend Sammy Luk, part-owner of American Metro Bank in Uptown.
Wong sold his restaurants in the early 1980s; the Wabash Jimmy Wong's remained open under a different owner until 1997. Wong decided to start a "New Chinatown" on a rundown stretch of Argyle Street between Sheridan Road and Broadway during the twilight of his career.
In the early 1970s, construction of the Metropolitan Correctional Center at Clark Street and Van Buren Street displaced Chinese American-owned businesses, including the Hip Sing Association, of which Jimmy Wong was the president.
By 1974, Jimmy Wong, a few of his friends and the Hip Sing Association bought as much 80 percent of the three-block stretch on Argyle Street. He envisioned a mall with pagodas, trees and reflecting ponds to replace the empty storefronts.
"We want every part of it to be beautiful--even the alleys," Jimmy Wong said in a 1974 interview. "With imagination and hard work, we can give the New Chinatown an atmosphere and elements of fantasy that may some day make it one of Chicago's biggest drawing cards."
Businesses began opening along Argyle Street, but a broken hip forced Jimmy Wong to retire by about 1975, long before he could see his plans fully materialize. Development of the area lagged until Charlie Soo, the founder of Asian American Small Business Association, emerged on the scene around 1979 to carry the torch for Jimmy Wong. Charlie Soo, 56, the unofficial "Mayor of Argyle Street," died Monday, April 2, 2001.
"Charlie Soo and Jimmy Wong were the pioneers of Argyle Street," said Uptown dentist Frank T. Feng.
It was a difficult road to success for Jimmy Wong.
With a few dollars in his pocket, Jimmy Wong came to Ellensburg, Washington, at age 10 from Canton, China, in 1924 to live with his father, who was co-owner of a Chinese restaurant. His father, however, returned to China when Jimmy Wong was still a teenager, forcing his son to drop out of high school and provide for himself, said his daughter, Ella Wong.
He worked at Chinese restaurants in California, Montana, and Washington and then enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he made his way to Chicago, married his wife, Cynthia Wong, and saved enough money to open Nan Yan Restaurant.
Although Jimmy Wong enjoyed his work, he and Cynthia Wong didn't want their three daughters to lead the same sort of life.
"He and my mother were definitely workaholics," Ella Wong said. "They had to be there all the time. At the same time, they steered us away from the restaurants. They wanted us to get an education."
Also surviving are his wife, Cynthia; and two other daughters, Rosalind Wong and Lisa Wong. A private service will be held on Friday, July 6, 2001, in San Mateo, California.
