All throughout May, 小萝莉影视 is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with聽stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.
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When he opened Peking Gourmet Inn in a small Falls Church, Virginia, strip mall nearly five decades ago, Eddy Tsui had a simple vision.
The key to any successful restaurant, he believed, is food and service.
The food has to be consistent, rather than leaving returning customers wondering why their meal tastes different than it did during a previous visit. The service has to be stellar, with an emphasis on relationship-building rather than putting a plate down on a table and walking away.
While D.C. works to revitalize Chinatown and preserve its history, Tsui鈥檚 restaurant, which his son George Tsui now owns, has been drawing guests from around the region, and the globe, for almost 49 years.
They鈥檝e never spent money on advertising, relying more so on word-of-mouth and On the restaurant鈥檚 walls, there are photos of former President George W. Bush, Lara Trump, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, countless generals and lawmakers and Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin.
A large round table sitting behind a bulletproof window is reserved for VIPs, but George鈥檚 vision is to make everyone feel like one.
鈥淐ustomers return, and I get to know their name and get to know each other, just like a good friend,鈥� George said. 鈥淭hat is my best part of my business.鈥�
He said the restaurant strives for consistency, which he often stresses over. He organizes weekly meetings with kitchen staff and servers to review customer feedback and address any lingering concerns.
The restaurant has had the same chef for 38 years, George said. His father decided that because they had the land, they should use it to grow key ingredients that create distinct flavors.
On a farm in Purcellville, they grow Chinese jumbo spring onions that are used in the restaurant鈥檚 signature dish, Peking duck. They also grow garlic sprouts, which are often stir fried with pork, chicken or shrimp.
鈥淢aintaining the quality of the food is one of the most difficult things,鈥� George said. 鈥淵ou come in, all the dishes, you like it. If the next time you come in, and order the same thing again, if it鈥檚 different you will feel, 鈥楬uh, it鈥檚 changed.鈥� That thing is the most difficult part, to maintain the qualities.鈥�
But Mei Wang, who started as a server and is now a manager, said the emphasis on service helps them uphold their reputation too.
In many restaurants, Wang said, servers put a plate on the table and leave. At Peking Gourmet Inn, servers wrap the duck and strategically determine when to set food down.
Their focus, she said, regardless of whether it鈥檚 a return customer or well-known guest, is making sure 鈥渋f you come into our restaurant, we want you to enjoy the food, enjoy the service.鈥�
Even during the pandemic, when restaurants in Virginia weren鈥檛 allowed to serve seated guests, George said there was a line wrapped around the corner for takeout.
They often get reservation requests well in advance, sometimes from callers as far away as Korea. Over the summer, as they talk to guests, wait staff learn many are visiting from out of town. But there are many regulars, too.
As diners in the D.C. region face an increasing number of choices, George said their fundamentals set them apart. They鈥檝e never considered opening a second location, and continue to execute his father鈥檚 vision.
鈥淢y father had a principle 鈥� concentrate on one (restaurant) at one point,鈥� George said. 鈥淲hen you put your service and food and everything in one focus at one point in one restaurant, your result will be better. That鈥檚 actually true.鈥�
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