Chinese Restaurants of the Past

also known as Mee Hong’s, Luke’s, and Ming Garden

These three restaurants are a gateway to memories of mid-century immigrant restaurants and their impact on our taste buds.

images of this Property

Black and white film scan of a photo taken in 1975 by John Ballantine
Photo by Jay Boersma, 1975
A newspaper ad for Luke’s Restaurant with a photo of the owner — posted by a Facebook user
A photo of the Luke’s facade superimposed on its former location in the Smith Building. Current streetview photo from Google.
Exchange Place in 1937 — electric trolley buses are in use. Ming’s Garden wouldn’t open for another few years in the building with the AUTO LOANS sign. The nearby Waldorf Cafeteria can be seen along with many mid-century advertising signs. John Hutchins Cady Research Scrapbooks Collection, Providence Public Library
Ming Garden building circa mid-1950s (The People’s Bank building was constructed in 1949). John Hutchins Cady Research Scrapbooks Collection, Providence Public Library
Ming Garden on the left and the Industrial Trust building on the right in the aftermath of Hurricane Carol, 1954 — RI Historical Society
Ming Garden building fronting Westminster St (opposite side from Kennedy Plaza) circa 1970s judging by the cars — Providence City Archves on Flickr
Lilly Tow’s typewriter used to compose newspaper ads for the Ming Garden Restaurant in Providence. Note card reads: “At this underwood typewriter Lilly Tow wrote the daily specials and advertisements for Ming Garden and other Tow family restaurants. Through her advertisements, Lilly was able to attract new clientele to the Tow restaurants. Her witty poems and catchy slogans were tailored for specific populations in Rhode Island.”
Many comments mentioned Port Arthur, seen here on the corner of Dorrance and Westminster. Date unknown.

13 images: Press to view larger or scroll sideways to see more. Contributions from John Ballantine, Jay Boersma, John Hutchins Cady Research Scrapbooks Collection at the Providence Public Library, Providence City Archves, and Google Streetview.

About this Property

A new-ish project called “Providence’s Chinatown has been created to dive deeper into the history of the bustling Chinese American community on Empire Street and on Summer Street between Broad and Pine.

Current Events

While browsing through and recreating some of the photos in Jay Boersma’s portfolio from 1976, we saw the photo of Mee Hong’s and were intrigued. We had previously heard of Luke’s restaurant and the upstairs Luau Hut which survived until the 90s. It was time to put a page together about some of the places that we could find photos of, and over the years, many visitors have told us their own story as well.

These Restaurants

Mee Hong

Mee Hong was located at 102 Westminster Street, between Providence National Bank (#90) and First Federal Bank (#110). It was opened by the Chin family in 1938 and closed in 1979. The building was probably razed within 10 years. It might be one of the earliest Chinese restaurants in the city.

From the anecdotes:

There was a plaque on the entrance which read “through these portals pass the nicest people we know”
The meal always included little dishes with pickled beets, coleslaw, or fries. Another visitor swears it was “Cole Slaw, Peas or Beets”
French bread was served with butter, like every other restaurant. But only Chinese restaurants in RI seem to do this
Popular dishes seem to be a veal cutlet with brown gravy, chop suey, chow mein, and batter fried fish and chips

Luke’s Chinese American Restaurant

An interior postcard view of the restaurant with small inset photo of the exterior sign

59 Eddy Street was home to Luke’s Restaurant, one of Providence’s early Chinese restaurants. In 1951, Tin Cheung Luke opened Luke’s with his son Henry. Located behind City Hall in the downtown Providence, the restaurant drew customers who worked nearby on the weekdays and out-of-town shoppers on the weekend. Food was cheap – a plate of chow mein was 90 cents and a plate of chow suey was only 5 cents more.

The restaurant occupied two stories. During the 1960s, the Lukes converted the upstairs dining room into a Polynesian themed restaurant called the “Luau Hut”, which served tropical cocktails and exotic dishes. The Luau Hut was decorated with straw wall covering, bamboo polls, and gigantic shell light fixtures. Downstairs the decorations were modest. People ate in formica covered booths.

59 Eddy Street still exists as the Edwin A. Smith Building as seen in the Google Streetview photo.

From the anecdotes:

Officer Luke of the Providence Police Department told someone that his branch of the LUKE family was related to Keye Luke, the actor from the golden age of Hollywood, and, Charlie Chan’s first son.
Some considered Luke’s to be the best, most authentic New York- and California-style Chinese food outside of Boston.
Popular dishes include pu pu platters; Ipswich fried clams with cole slaw; veal cutlet with brown gravy; combination plate with chow mein, fried rice and egg roll; eggrolls and lobster Cantonese in lobster sauce; and Scorpion bowls

Ming Garden

Another exterior view of Ming’s Garden next door to People’s Bank, Kennedy Plaza, date unknown (maybe 1970s)

The longest lived of the Chinese restaurants, the Ming Garden was vital to life in downtown Providence. Open from 1941 to 1986, the restaurant was located at 141-143 Westminster Street, which had entrances on Westminster Street as well as Kennedy Plaza (now #68 Kennedy Plaza). The building was 2 and a half stories tall and dates to the late 19th century.

During the 1950s, the Tows contracted a young architect named Morris Nathanson to modernize the restaurant’s interior. Mr. Nathanson was well known for hospitality design, and his portfolio includes The China Inn in Pawtucket and the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum among others.

From the National Register nomination form for the Downtown Providence Historic District, prepared by William McKenzie Woodward, Principal Historic Preservation Planner, 1984

The Ming Garden (building constructed 1903): 3-story brick building with tiled modern entrance (similar entrance on Westminster Street side of building) and large plate-glass windows on upper stories; modern interiors by Morris Nathanson (ground floor) and Ira Rakatansky (upper floor). Though architecturally undistinguished outside, the building is heavily altered. The Ming Garden is a major Providence institution and the longest lived of a popular type, the Chinese restaurant, which has been an important part of the urban scene since the early 20th century.

From the anecdotes:

Ming’s Wings! People in the anecdotes certainly loved them. The recipes remains elusive. Some ideas for the recipe are included here in a Providence Journal article.
Ming’s Garden decor was more upscale than the other two listed here.
Other favorites dishes include sweet pork buns.

68 Kennedy Plaza still exists in much the same form as seen in the 1950 photo.

Other restaurants mentioned

A matchbook from Chen’s, 124 Washington Street

The folks in the anecdotes have left us many memories. Here are a few of the names that have come up:

Asia Restaurant
Brown Bear Chinese Restaurant on the East Side, Brook Street towards Benevolent
Chens, upstairs across from Shepards
Far East
Hon Hong restaurant, circa 1964, across from the Majestic Theatre (Trinity)
Kubla Khan on Weybosset Street
The Luau Hut at Luke’s
Mee Hong Restaurant
Bob Tow and the Persimmon Room with their introduction of Dim Sum
Port Arthur restaurant upstairs with a dance floor and live bands (undated photo)
Toy Sun’s, Thayer Street next to Avon
Young China and chow mein sandwiches

In The News

At Johnson & Wales, ‘Dinerman’ Richard Gutman was dean of food culture

by Gail Ciampa
Providence Journal | Nov 10, 2016 (abridged)

In 2009, Johnson & Wales and the [Culinary Art Museum] museum sponsored a series of discussions with Brown University to explore “Eating Chinese: Comestibles, Cuisine, Commerce and Culture.” It was just one of several collaborations among JWU and Brown’s Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage.

It featured what seemed the tiniest exhibit you’ll ever see, “Chow Mein, Chicken Wings, and Cheeseburgers” with a table setting from Mee Hong Restaurant (1975 photo), which was opened by the Chin family next to the Arcade in 1938. There was also Lily Tow’s typewriter [from Ming’s Garden, typewriter photo ], used to compose newspaper ads for the Ming Garden restaurant.

Links:

Thanks so much for your anecdotes over the years!

58 Anecdotes from people like you

I just stumbled over this page. I was a waitress at the Ming while I was in art school. I used to sit with “Charlie” at the front door and used to pick up his dry cleaning for him. Often he would have the remains of Ming wings in the pockets of his suit jackets :). Also, I just purchased that Ming menu at Pop Emporium mentioned above. Rhode Island is a small town.

Joanne M Delomba March 19, 2024

What memories this brings. I go way back with these.

My mom took me to the Mee Hong restaurant from when I was about 5 years old in the early 1950s until the mid 1970s. She knew the owners and had been going there since the early 1940s. It was near the Arcade. When you walked in, the first thing you noticed was the lighting. The ceiling was white with recessed circular spaces with blue flourescent lighting. It was genius. The blue light reflected off the ceiling and gave this air of calm and serenity which I have experienced nowhere else. Though it was a small restaurant, the wall paper from ceiling to floor had scenes of ancient China with mountains, fields, valleys, so you were transported to a serene realm of relaxation and reflection. The food was delicious. You left that place fully relaxed and refreshed.

We also went to Ming Gardens many times, starting in the mid 1950s when they were across the street and a block up from the Outlet, on a second floor above where there used to be a bookstore in the 1960s. Again my mother knew the owner from way back, regretfully I’ve forgotten his name. Years later, after they had moved next to the People’s Savings bank, I recall meeting the owner again. He was then in his 90s but had that same sublime look that he always had. I asked him how he was and he astounded me by remembering who I was and that I used to go there as a child at the other location.

Lastly I recall the Chinese restaurant on a small side street to the rear of the Providence City Hall. The food there was always good and quite reasonably priced. It was there one day that I heard two young Chinese women speaking in a language of almost unearthly beauty. I asked them what it was and they both laughed at my puzzlement, but neither spoke English. This was in the early 1960’s. I learned later that it was Cantonese, a dialect of Chinese which to me is far more beautiful than Mandarin could ever hope to be.

The coming of the meter maids and probably a corrupted city administration in the 1980s probably ruined it for many small businesses. At the same time many historical buildings were razed just to make more parking lots. This was a combination that only accelerated the decline of what was once a small but great metropolis. What a pity. But still, that can’t take away from the wonderful memories of many many people.

James Pannozzi May 1, 2023

The Hon Hong Restaurant, across from what is now Trinity Rep, was the first Chinese Restaurant I was ever taken to, by my sister, in the early 1950s. Later I would go on my own. You would always get bread, pickled beets and fries. What I remember most was their onion rings. They were freshly made, coated with a light tempura-like batter, then deep fried. Beautiful and delicious. Never have I had onion rings that great ever again. And I know I never will.

Gerald DeLuca March 31, 2023

I remember going to Mee Hong with my parents. I always had veal and brown gravy, it came with a little dish of french fries and a little dish of pickled beets! It was delicious 😋

Kimberly Roy September 13, 2022

My mother and I would go downtown (PVD) on Sat.and head right to Luke’s .She always had chicken or beef chow mein, fried rice and egg foo yung .I stuck with the chicken in batter covered with brown gravy. with mashed potatoes. Bread and butter came with the meal.

My mother, Italian through and through, loved her Chinese food. She once told me that when she was pregnant with me,she would go downtown and in the course of a day eat at 3 different Chinese restaurants. Luke’s must have been her favorite though because she never took me anywhere else. I remember the Luau Hut but always thought it was for “adults”. After a day of shopping on a Sat. we would stop at Fanny Farmer’s (still the best chocolate I’ve ever had) and get a box of “Bordeaus” to bring home. Usually, we would also grab a bag of hard candies from Kresege’s. Shopping on a Sat. downtown was de rigeur. Everyone did it. The stores were great and full of great items. The clothing choices were extensive and, as my mo. used to say: “You won’t see yourself coming and going.”

Catherine May 25, 2020

From late 1950’s remember 3 Chinese restaurants, but Google has not been helpful with substantiating info:

Toy Sun’s, Thayer St. Next to Avon. Sort of nice and more expensive than the other 2. Went there a lot with future wife.

Brown Jug, Thayer St across from Quads. Lots of “Brownies” on stools at the counter. Big “American” menu.

Brown Bear, Brook St. up the road a bit from Loui’s [Once a fellow grad student took me for some “real” Chinese food, which he ordered, in Chinese, by going back to the kitchen and talking to the cooks. One of the best ever.

Ken Kowalski January 13, 2019

I worked as a bus and dishwasher from 1977-80. Charlie Tow used to bring me upstairs at the ming garden and tell me stories. Bobby Tow was my boss and Bobby Tow Jr. did some favors for me. Real nice people in the restaurant. They worked really hard. What ever happened to the bartender named Bobby. I worked with Charlotte Quigley and a girl named Barbara. Had a lot of fun. I miss those wings real bad.

Don December 30, 2018

I remember going downtown and just ordering sticky wings at Ming Garden. They made the very best wings and Charlie would always come and say hello. I was in High school, and my girlfriends and I always went there after school. The good old days.

kathleen bagley December 1, 2018

Great House. Have a Polaroid of 1977 graduation dinner; see online that it was a Tow family restaurant that opened in 1972. Don’t have the address. Bio of Yat K. Tow, 1912–1990.

Karan July 18, 2018

………and if anyone remembers this……..that there was a plaque on the entrance front door to Mee Hong’s which read “through these portals pass the nicest people we know”. Can someone please post pictures of these great gone by restaurants?

Lori Ann DiSandro July 5, 2018

Mee Hongs was my favorite. I worked for an attorney in the Hospital Trust Building -— had friends who worked for Amica Insurance and we all used to have lunch frequently there. The meal always included little dishes with pickled beets, coleslaw and fries. My second favorite was Chen’s on Washington St. — near the old City Hall Hardware. Chen’s was upstairs and one of the Chinese actors used to eat there when he was in town. Think he was the one who spoke of Son #1 and Son 2? Also — at Mee Hongs we used to see an older lady who my friend’s mom said to have Roger Williams buried in her back yard! Thank you so much for these posts — I’m 87 and these memories go back to when I was around 17 or 18!

Vicki February 11, 2018

To this day, I remember going to Luke’s Luau Hut as a child with my family. Best Chinese food ever. To this day (although no longer in Rhode Island) nothing is as good as the food there. Dad and Mr. Luke (as I would call him) would talk for a little bit and then the food would come. While I don’t remember everything we got, I remember the beef fried rice and the pupu platters. a kid cooking with a stick on an open flame, what could be better? There was always a fight over who would get the last of it. It was moist and I’m sure the beef had been marinated. Now most places fried rice is dry. I remember the décor, and the fact that it felt like a restaurant, not a take out place. Don’t see many Chinese restaurants like that anymore and I haven’t seen one in decades. I’d love to know if any relatives are still cooking with the old recipes, I would make the trip to RI.

Richard Millman December 25, 2017

I remember Mee Hong’s!(My family pronounced it Mee Yung). I’ve thought about this restaurant many times through the years! We used to drive there in the early 60’s from Woonsocket. My parents and Grandparents ordered chow mein or chop suey. Yuck! My sister and I had an open turkey sandwich on white bread points with brown gravy chosen from the children’s menu. An earlier post commented on the large pickled beets. I remember them! My dad loved them! I enjoyed the delicious fries. I must have gotten “cole slaw, peas or beets” also mentioned earlier, but do not remember which. Mee Hong’s was dark and quiet at 1:00 on a Sunday afternoon. We were often the only customers at that time. Outside, the front facade had a large circle with pinky/red (that’s what I remember) neon light illuminating brightly. The sign must have been there too. It’s a great visual memory! I wish there was still a great Chinese restaurant around that felt just like that. Nostalgia. Days gone by with the best memories.

louise suzzi July 28, 2017

I just saw a beautiful menu for Ming’s Garden at POP Providence, if a researcher needs one.

Kevin May 18, 2017

I remember in the 50s and 60s my mother would take us to Hon Hong on Washington Street. I think they closed in the 70s. My mother would order chop suey, chow mein and fried rice. They would bring the dishes and my mother would serve my sister, brother and me from those dishes they brought to the table. The food was so good to me. I was in my late teens the last time I went to Hon Hongs and then they closed. I would go to Chen’s which was on the 2nd floor of a building on Washington Street. Their food was really good and then I discovered Kubla Khan on Weybosset Street. I think I ate at all of the Chinese Restaurants in in Providence, Downcity except Mee Hong’s and Ming Garden. Now Chinese food is nowhere near as good as it was back in the 50s 50s and 70s. What happened?

DEBORAH COOK March 27, 2017

My friends and I lived in Windsor Gardens in Norwood, MA in the 70’s and we stumbled across Charlie Tow and Ming Gardens. I have been looking for over 40 years for someone who could replicate the Ming Garden chicken Wings. We would drive down to Providence and have a couple of orders apiece and then take 3 or 4 orders home to Norwood! I would REALLY LOVE to taste those wings again!!! I doesn’t seem that anyone really knows how to make them anymore — Just once more I’d like to taste those sticky, shiny, black wings with the slivered garlic. It is a taste of my youth that will never come along, again!

Lou Cohen February 17, 2017

Henry Luke was my uncle. I see no other family members have posted, and I am the youngest of the first cousins. I love reading these posts about the restaurant and your experiences there! My parents met there as my dad was a regular, and my mom of course worked there growing up. My mom still cooks lobster Cantonese, and it’s still delicious. I have no vivid memories of the downtown Luke’s and I had more experiences in the other restaurant location later on. But we still visit the downtown site when we got to RI for family reunions. Thank you for sharing and collecting these stories.

Rebecca J Varley October 5, 2016

I care for a Chinese gentlemen whos father owned the Brown Bear Chinese Restaurant on East Side and his grandfather owned 3 Chinese restaurants on Westminster St in the 30’s. One was Far East and one was Asia Restaurant. Don’t know the 3rd one. Does anyone remember these restaurants? The reference Patricia made about climbing the stairs I believe was the Brown Bear on east side of prov. This gentlemen has wonderful memories from when he came to USA from China when he was a teenager. :)

Jacqueline Munson May 28, 2016

My mom used to take me to a Chinese restaurant in Providence when I was a little girl and I can remember climbing up a bunch of stairs to get to it. She would order me a hamburger plate gravy with mashed potatoes and corn and it was delicious. What was the name of it???

Patricia January 28, 2016

I believe there was a Chinatown in Providence at once time. Mee Hong was the restaurant we always went to when I was young. French bread. Veal Cutlet in brown gravy. I think all their meals came with french fries and cole slaw?

Steve K January 16, 2016

My long list of defunct restaurants includes ones mentioned plus several other area Chinese establishment:

Cathay Garden, Elmwood Ave; Cathay Pearl, Seekonk; Chen’s; Chinese Iron Wok, Benevolent St; Eastern Pearl, Oaklawn Ave; Empress Chinese, Park Ave; Hon Hong’s; Moi Lee. Narragansett; Panda Island, Cowesett Plaza; People Wei, Chapel View; Silver Palace, Reservoir Ave

Labann January 5, 2016

I remember some of these Chinese restaurants from when I was a student at Brown in 1970-72. I wonder what the Chinese restaurant scene in Providence was like in earlier eras. H. P. Lovecraft and his aunt Lillie Clark had Christmas dinner at a downtown Chinese restaurant in 1929. I wonder which one it might have been. I presume there were Chinese restaurants in Providence even before 1900. I wonder if there was ever a Chinatown (predominant Chinese residence/business area) in Providence.

Ken Faig December 29, 2015

I worked at the Ming Garden in the early 80s when I was a student at J&W. Charlie Tow was still alive – I believe he was 94 at the time. He was so funny. One day we were all sitting together shelling pea pods in our uniforms, which were black pants, white shirts and colored vests and he walked by, stopped and asked us if we all wanted a job. I loved the rolls – they had a sweet pork mixture in the middle. Never saw another Chinese Restaurant serve rolls.

Beryl Russell December 1, 2015

Chens (upstairs, across from Shepards) was a wonderful place. Remember distinctly those ‘before school starts’ shopping trips and taking the bus from the stop below the clock after a wonderful meal over at Chens. The Tow family has been Rhode Islands’ own Chinese dynasty for years. Those famous wings can be had at Kings Garden on Rolfe Street in Cranston. This wonderful restaurant was just recently sold by the Tows who retired, but the new owners were wise enough not to tamper with the superb recipes of ‘old fashioned’ style chow mein and combo platters fit for a king!!

Norm June 16, 2015

I had the pleasure of meeting officer Luke of the Providence Police Department. He told me that his branch of the LUKE family was related to Keye Luke, the actor from the golden age of Hollywood, and, Charlie Chan’s No.1 son. He assured me the story is true!

Tullio David Pitassi, Ph.D. March 1, 2015

Chinese restaurants in RI served French bread and butter for some reason. Just expected, but once I left RI realized not done elsewhere.

Jeff Darman December 24, 2014

When I worked at the advertising agency of Horton, Church & Goff, the Ming Garden was the favorite place to go when we would go out for lunch in a group. Ming Wings! Nothing better. I seem to remember the owner’s name being Yat Tow.

Bill Ewen December 19, 2014

On Thursday nights after work I met my mother and sisters downtown and we ate at Chen’s. I always ordered Ipswich fried clams with cole slaw. We also ate at Luke’s from time to time. The chow mein and other Chinese dishes that I ate as a child in Providence had a unique flavor. I don’t know what style they were but I NEVER found anything equal to them in my travels.

Rosemarie September 24, 2014

I remember the Ming Garden in the late fifties. It was more upscale that the other Chinese Restaurants. It had a great bar and i remember the bartenders name was Leo. An excellent bartender who could make some great whiskey sours. i came from Washington Park section and there was a chinese laundry there. I believe that the owner was either Raymond Tow or Raymond Tong. It was right next door to Benson”s Hardware and I went by it everyday on my way to school.

James Pilkington August 17, 2014

Mee Hong! The large neon art deco sign was unforgettable. I remember the over sized pickled beets that you would get whether you ordered them or not as a side with your chow mein. The french fries were incredible. They were large, very large. The length of an entire potato. I can’t describe how they were cooked — maybe boiled first and then fried, but not left in the fryer too ling. Great soft texture — mmmm.

Tyler Smith July 14, 2014

When I was about eight years old, my grandmother would take my sister and I downtown to go shopping. We would get all dressed up and take the bus on a Saturday. We would shop in the Outlet store with the large wooden tables and go to the Woolworth’s luncheonette counter and get sundaes with sugar cone hats made to look like clown faces. However; the best part of the big trip downtown was when she took us to Luke’s! How I miss Luke’s. I remember the low lighting and the red vinyl booths. I remember feeling like a princess when the waiter would take the silver cover off the pedestal serving dish! I would always order the same thing… veal cutlet with brown gravy. My grandmother and sister always ordered the combination plate… chow mein, fried rice and egg roll. Oh how I miss that veal cutlet and brown gravy! I have tried for years to find something that even came close to that gravy. Please, if anyone has that recipe, please, please, please share! Special memories were made at Luke’s with Lori, me and Gram.

Debbie Storti Sohegan February 17, 2014

Ming Garden-where my mother and her sisters sang as children and where “Charlie” as the owner Americanized his name back then, always ran to the front when we came in because he loved my Abuelita!

Mimi Medeiros March 20, 2014

I grew up on the East Side in the 60s and 70s. Sundays were the night my mom didn’t cook and every other Sunday we got take out from Luke’s. My dad was from New York and my mom from Los Angeles where good Chinese restaurants were plentiful. They considered Luke’s to be the best, most authentic (New York and California style) Chinese place outside of Boston. Some of my earliest memories are of Luke’s (big fish tank, I think?) and their eggrolls and lobster Cantonese in lobster sauce. They always gave my brother and me the little paper parasols to take home and play with.

Marya September 27, 2013

My family went to Mee Hongs every Sunday growing up. We were waited on by a man named Chen, he was a friend of my Uncle. When I was young I did not like most food but he always brought me Veal cutlet, brown gravy, white rice and French fries. Almond cookie for dessert. As I got older it was shrimp, chicken, chow mein, fried rice and tea.

Dennis Ratcliffe September 26, 2013

I am reading Jennifer 8. Lee’s “Fortune Cookie Chronicles” and I started getting nostalgic about Chinese restaurants in RI our family used to frequent. I have fond, albeit slightly vague, memories of my dad taking me to the “big city,” to eat at Ming Garden and visit Bob Tow, with whom he was friends. Even as a kid, I recognized and appreciated the elegant decor and upscale food. I wish I could find some photos of the interior, but there is nothing on the internet. My dad would get a kick out of seeing them, as would I!

Alice April 23, 2013

I ate in every one of these places. I loved them all. When I was a young boy, my mother took me shopping with her and promised if I behaved she would take me to Mee Hong for chow mien. To this day it was my favorite and I have searched for years (I’m 70) to find a place that makes the same recipe with no luck.

Richard Palazzo February 18, 2013

I recall a Chinese restaurant, now a small parking lot, just before the Buck a Book store (or where it was, have not been to Providence in over a decade) next to the Arcade bldg. The restaurant was there forever and we often ate there. The food was excellent but the really endearing feature was that they had the most beautiful relaxing subdued blue cerulean lights in the ceiling. They were recessed and behind a circular projection so you did not see any florescent bulbs, only the reflection of the blue light from the ceiling. It gave the most relaxing atmosphere. I do recall there were Chinese scenes on the walls too. What the name of it was eludes me, I’m going back something like half a century. (A.I.R.: Sounds to us like you are describing Mee Hong)

Dr. James R. Pannozzi February 14, 2013

I at at Luke’s many times in the early 1980s when I was in my 20s. The food was good, not expensive, and the decor was very fun. The lights were low and I remember the booths were red vinyl. They served bread and butter with the Chinese food, which I have never seen anywhere else. The chicken wings had a very good black sauce. I loved the neon, it lit up that little street. I think they had a special drink menu with a Scorpion Bowl that you could share with friends, but it was expensive. Lots of gay people went there and we always felt comfortable and welcome. The Ming Garden was more upscale than Luke’s. It was more expensive but the linens and furniture were more modern and elegant. It was special to eat upstairs. I can remember going there with my friends and they all ordered their food “no MSG”. Providence was a great place in the early 1980s and I have many fond memories of those times.

Jim November 7, 2012

We used to go to the Ming Garden all the time as children in the 70’s. The owner who I only knew as “Charlie” had a special place in his heart for my grandmother Lorenza Siton. She allowed her daughters (my mother and aunts-Ruth aka Gloria, Lydia, Sonia, Myrna and Margie) to sing there as children to help bring in customers. Anytime we came in Charlie would rush over as fast as his age would allow and give us all hugs and treated us as family. I was extremely upset when I heard he passed away and they closed the Ming Garden. Everytime I go to another city, another State, there is a Ming Garden, but it is never the same.

Myrna “Mimi” Medeiros September 19, 2012

Luke’s Luau Hut is my all-time favorite restaurant. Haven’t found anything to compare in all my travels. I especially loved the filet mignon in oyster sauce. But I remember the hut being in the basement and the chinese fare on the first floor.

The Rev. Fr. David B. Rude April 29, 2012

Who was the original owner of Ming Garden? Does these names ring a bell for any of the above restaurants? Sing Yuan or Ding Wong Yuan. They were brothers. I always heard Sing owned a Chinese Restaurant in the 40s in Washington, DC. Please let me know. Thank you!

Chad Snell December 16, 2011

We lived in Richmond Va. but my father was a Jewelry Rep for companies in Cranston. He used to load the car with Ming wings and drive them back 10 hours for all of us. It took weeks for the smell to leave the car and we were always dissapointed when it did. I have never been able to duplicate that recipe and would love someone to share if they have it.

Wolffie June 3, 2010

My dad and uncle worked at the Ming Garden before they purchased Luke’s Restaurant back in ’78 with another partner. It’s was kind of strange because we were living in Oakland, CA at the time. We got shuttled back. And all I could remember was the talk of blizzard of ’78 and that I was clueless about. We all worked at the restaurant including my cousins except my little brother and mom. Funny, two of my cousins met their respective spouses at Luke’s. Luke’s Restaurant was actually located on the first floor and the Laua Hut was down below. Carrying those trays down a flight of stairs that got somewhat greasy was not fun. I’m sure my dad has some interesting stories. I remember him making real duck sauce before the introduction of the bland plastic duck packets.

Meimei Tsang January 5, 2010

My mom and I used to go to MeeHong’s for lunch when we went “downtown” in later years when I was a teenager my girlfriends and I would take the bus downtown and always have lunch there. The chop suey/chow mein mix that came in a silver covered dish was better than any I’ve ever had before or since. I have not found one restaurant that makes it even close to the delicious way Mee Hong’s did. Wish I could find some now, I’ve been looking for years. I miss Mee Hong’s, what a nice memory.

liz August 2, 2009

Sometimes my parents, but usually just my mother, took me to Mee Hong Restaurant in Providence – from my early childhood until I left RI at the age of 19 to move to DC. My father approved of Mee Hong as opposed to some of the other Chinese restaurants in RI (ie, Hon Hongs, Luke’s, etc.) because he was of the belief that Mee Hong did not use pork in its Chop Suey or Chow Mein (basically the only two items most of us were allowed to order). So, my entire family would go there on special occasions for Sunday dinners, always accompanied by bread, butter, and “Cole Slaw, Peas or Beets?” (this was the oft-repeated refrain of every waiter in the place). And my mother and I frequented the restaurant for Saturday luncheons before shopping downtown. I became totally turned off to Chop Suey AND Chow Mein (who knew the difference) after an episode of having been given a Chop Suey (or Chow Mein) sandwich. I have never been able to eat soggy bread – and that was the soggiest bread I had ever eaten. The rest of my family, however, loved the soggy sandwiches. Two bites of the sandwich and I spent the rest of the afternoon – well, I don’t want to go into the details, but you may feel free to use your imagination. That was the end of Chinese food eating for me, but not the end of Chinese restaurants. I came to adore Mee Hong’s batter fried fish and chips – also served with bread, butter and “Cole Slaw, Peas or Beets” (I always got the cole slaw). The fish was nearly tripled in size after having been batter dipped and deep fried and I couldn’t get enough of it (actually I could never finish it). I was chastised both by my father, and an Aunt who also took me to Mee Hong on occasion, for eating a non-Chinese dish in a Chinese restaurant. Fast foward about ten years, and in Washington, DC a date wanted to take me out for Chinese food. I could only remember Chop Suey and Chow Mein and wanted to decline. I was convinced to give it a try and was delighted to learn about the glories of chinese spare ribs, shrimp toast, mu shu chicken (never pork!), and some szchuan and hunan delights. I became a fan, once again, of Chinese cuisine. But I am very sad to learn, upon returning to my native State of RI, that Mee Hong, Hon Hong, Port Arthur, Luke’s and Ming Garden have disappeared from the tapestry of downtown Providence.

bev schneider June 25, 2009

I remember the Tows buy cars from my family and getting Mings Wings. I just came across a coin good for purchases at the Persimmon Market. I also seem to remember activities in the lower levels of the building.

Larry June 22, 2009

I’m told that my father’s sister and also their cousin sang with a band at the Port Arthur. In the 1940’s, it was a very “hot” and popular place to go in Providence if you were young and out on the town. My aunt also sang with Vaughn Monroe’s band but I don’t know whether he ever played at the Port Arthur.

Family Tree Researcher May 15, 2009

The Hon Hong Restaurant was our favorite. At the end of my Mom’s Saturday shopping “down town,” she would always stop at Hon Hong for chicken chow mein, our regular Saturday evening meal. I had the good fortune of being with my Mom on many of those Saturdays, and though I was not a fan of Chinese food then (I ate the noodles), I remember the smells that accompanied us on our ride home on the bus to Wealth Avenue. It was all part of the busy Saturday afternoon experience in the vibrant city of those times.

Ed Iannuccilli May 13, 2009

Once again this afternoon I have set out to attempt to replicate the infamous Ming Wings… Nothing!… has ever been the same as the finger sucking delight of dining at Ming Garden in my childhood. I remember Charlie making his rounds every evening, always with a grapefruit in hand, stopping at each table to smile and ask how everyting was… unless of course he saw empty plates in which case he would just say, “ok, you finsh, you go!”… So, once again… I will try to recreate the taste, the smell, the texture… but if anyone out there might have the recipe, I would be eternally grateful to you for sharing it…

Liza Bartlett April 13, 2009

I, too, remember Port Arthur. When I was young we used to meet my Dad after work to go there. They had a band and a dance floor and the owner seemed to know my folks. I think the man’s name was Tow and I also think his son may have owned a resturant in Washington Park. The “good ole’ days” before the world got goofy and most people were friendly.

Donna April 12, 2009

i grew up in south providence off of eddy street while i remember these restraurants i remember most the old port arthur restraurant downtown it used to be upstairs i don’t remember street i think weybosset they also had a fine dance band my mom used to take us there for chow mein does any one remember it it was family owned and they had anoter place in woosocket r.i thanks

jean(andersen)finnegan March 30, 2009

Man, I’d forgotten all about the Luau Hut at Luke’s! After a couple of their exotic drinks there one night, my vegetarian friend threw away 5 years of dietary control and inhaled a plate of spareribs, which made him sick for days. No one ever has quite matched the Ming Garden Chicken Wings. And, yeah, Young China. My father introduced me to the chow mein sandwich there. It cost about a dollar. I believe my mother told me before she passed that it had finally closed in the early 2000s.

Dean March 2, 2009

Both of my grandfathers were owners of the Mee Hong Restaurant. There are several Aunts and Uncles in R.I. still who can give you stories and photos of the restaurant.

Cheryl Tow-Keogh February 10, 2009

The restaurant across from the Majestic (Trinity) was called Hon Hong. My parents and I always ate there when we went “down city” on a saturday in the 50s &60s.

Cliff January 28, 2009

My grandfather was a dishwasher, my father and 2 uncles were bartenders and my Mom was a waitress at the Ming Garden. And none of them were Chinese. As a kid, the name Tow might as well have been Kennedy or Yaztremski. I moved away 23 years ago but until a few minutes ago, had assumed that it would never close. If Young China, the family’s place to eat (Chow Main Sandwich!) has closed as well I’d rather not know.

Raul Correa January 26, 2009

Bob Tow ran the restaurant after his father died, and introduced Dim Sum to Providence before anyone who was not Chinese in the state even knew what it was. He served it in the 2nd floor Persimmon Room on Sundays. Bob Tow was also the creator of “Ming Wings” that he sold through the IGA which is now The Eastside Marketplace off of Pitman St, in Providence. The Ming Garden’s chicken wings were such a hit at the restaurant he started wholesaling them to local markets packaged in those Chinese Take-Out cartons with the wire handles. If I remember correctly he closed the restaurant, sold the building to his brother and moved to China sometime in the early 1990s. Bob is alive and well living in Guangzhou, China.

kenn speiser January 6, 2009

When I was about 8 or 10 my friend Nancy and I would take the bus from Olneyville and go downtown to the library to do book reports. When we were done we would go to the Chinese Restaurant across from the Majestic Theatre for lunch. I think the name was Hong Kong. We would split an order because this was 1964 and we didn’t have enough money for 2 dinners. Great memories.

Ann Paniccia December 18, 2008

I can put you in touch with my dad. He was Charlie Tow’s lawyer, and we were well supplied with Ming Garden takeout in the 1970s and 1980s. I bet my dad would love to chat with you.

Sarah December 12, 2008

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Mee Hong

Luke’s Chinese American Restaurant

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At Johnson & Wales, ‘Dinerman’ Richard Gutman was dean of food culture

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