# Stupid Chinese restaurant names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2000, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222 "2000-12-06T00:29:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/1 "2000-12-06T00:29:54Z")
I believe that most Chinese carry-out restaurants use a computer program that randomly generates a name for the business – something along the lines of “choose one name from column A, another from column B,” with a total of about thirty words used. Happy, Lucky, Jade, Dragon, Gardens, China, Palace, Oriental, Panda … you get the idea. Some Chinese restaurants I’ve come across include: New Happy Double Happy Happy Lucky Happy Taste You Like Taste Good (with a jar by the cash register, signed “YOU TIP PLEASE”) Back in China, is every other business named Happy something or Lucky something? Because Denver doesn’t have a large Chinese community (although there are very large Korean and Vietnamese populations), we’re not blessed with names like “Hung Long,” “Hung Lo,” or “Fu King.” Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/2 "2000-12-06T00:49:11Z")
In or near the French Quarter in New Orleans there is (or used to be) a Takey-Outey. hee hee hee …and a guy I went to college with- his mom back in Thailand had a restaurant whose name translates to “The Yummy Corner.” ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/3 "2000-12-06T00:53:15Z")
I like the one from that NBC sitcom (think it was The Single Guy) - Happy Lucky Golden Dragon. Lamest RL name, IMHO, Dew Drop Inn. Of course I’m operatind under the baseless assumption that it’s supposed to phonetic, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/4 "2000-12-06T00:54:41Z")
My favorite is “Uncle Ou’s.” Really, how do you prnounce that? Uncle Ou’s. Like tooth without the t, th. Ou! But actually, the food’s delicious. They make a mean General Tso’s. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/5 "2000-12-06T01:20:58Z")
I work with (genetically) Chinese boss, and he and his Taiwan born&raised wife say that the superstitions surrounding prosperity are deeply ingrained in the Buddhist/whatever background of Chinese culture. They very often name things with the equivilent words for “happy,” “lucky,” etc. So when they come to the States… ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/6 "2000-12-06T01:39:24Z")
It wasn’t the name, it was the location. There was a Chinese restaurant the was next door to **and** shared sign space with a, (ready?) …veternarian! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/7 "2000-12-06T01:55:16Z")
There’s a Chinese restaurant on El Camino Real in Mountain View called: Hong Kee I figure they only cater to white guys. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/8 "2000-12-06T02:06:14Z")
I’ve noticed the _adjective/noun_ phenomenom as well: Golden Dragon Jade Garden Black Pagoda China Pearl Happy Panda etc. I’ve also seen a plethora of “-ong’s”: Wong’s Fong’s Leong’s Hong’s (…I haven’t ever seen a “Bong’s” or a “Dong’s,” although I _have_ seen, in Portland, OR, a “Hung Far Low’s” no s#it. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/9 "2000-12-06T02:12:58Z")
Just across from the Med Center we have an unbelievably bad Chinese joint called Wok 'n Go. Their motto? “I know it’s only Wok 'n Go, but I like it!” Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Niggle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Niggle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niggle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/10 "2000-12-06T02:14:38Z")
Fok Yue On the cover of one of our local papers. It was closed by authorities due to problems with hygene… ahem… enough said. -nigel ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/11 "2000-12-06T02:56:47Z")
Some I remember from Brooklyn: Golden Wok Bamboo House Wok-N-Roll (there was a dancing eggroll on the sign) China King and my favorite Kosher one, The Shang-Chai Rose ---
**Author:** ![AETBOND417](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@AETBOND417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AETBOND417)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/12 "2000-12-06T03:11:19Z")
There’s always the one on Comedy Central’s Strip Mall called “Wok, Don’t Run.” The one I order from is called “Lucky 8.” My chinese friend says 8 is a lucky number in China, and I’ll take his word for it. ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/13 "2000-12-06T03:14:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Their motto? “I know it’s only Wok 'n Go, but I like it!” LOL!!! 😃 I think the reason why it seems as though there are a lot of "-ong"s is because in China, there are only about 100 surnames. So 2 billion/100 = a lot of "-ong"s. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/14 "2000-12-06T03:34:45Z")
Fook Yuen. There’s also a Japanese place near the university called Fukuya. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/15 "2000-12-06T04:52:59Z")
: It wasn’t the name, it was the location. There was a : Chinese restaurant the was next door to and shared sign : space with a, (ready?) : : …veternarian! Aurora, Colorado – Ho Ho Dollar Scoop is next door to the Mississippi Avenue Animal Clinic. I worked not far from there, and our nickname for Ho Ho was … Unlucky Chow. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/16 "2000-12-06T04:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\* > > Unlucky Chow. \*\* Ho Lee Chow! (which also happens to be the name of a local Chinese food chain) ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/17 "2000-12-06T04:58:37Z")
On a related note, the neighborhood I live in (Berkeley, in northwest Denver) has a disproportionately high number of Mexican restaurants compared to the ethnic makeup of its residents. (Something like 80% of the restaurants 'round here are Mexican, while only 20% of the population is Hispanic-- and due to gentrification, it’s decreasing.) Some residents note that there’s no stray dogs around here, and that the large concentration of Mexican restaurants in the area is a factor. “Enchiladas con carne de perro,” anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Kakkerlak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@Kakkerlak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakkerlak)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/18 "2000-12-06T06:26:54Z")
On the infamous Hilltop in Tacoma, WA there is a tiny Chinese place I used to frequent for lunch. Dunno the name, I think it was the Happy Dragon. I kept going there even when I realized the opposite side of the building they were in, indeed the long tile hallway with the several floor drains which they shared with is… a funeral home. And crematorium. General Tso indeed. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/19 "2000-12-06T14:34:28Z")
There is one near me called the “Fu-Kien Gourmet”. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2000, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222/20 "2000-12-06T14:51:39Z")
One in Grand Ledge, near my town, called “House of Hsu”, pronounced “shoe”. “Yes, I’ll have the Brown Oxford with Black Bean sauce” A new one just opened on the big strip here in town called “Fortune House” (in an old Pizza Hut restaurant of all places). They make the best Moo Shu Pork I’ve yet had. Now, there, I’m hungry. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-chinese-restaurant-names/44222.md?page=2)