New York landmark Jing Fong dining room closes as Manhattan’s Chinatown feels bite of pandemic
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- Опубликовано: 8 мар 2021
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New York City’s Jing Fong restaurant closed its 800-seat dining room in Manhattan’s Chinatown on March 7, 2021, due to struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For almost 30 years, the landmark location served as a community space where elderly patrons spent mornings enjoying dim sum and locals of all ages celebrated special occasions such as wedding banquets and birthday parties.
Truman Lam, the third-generation owner of Jing Fong, said he could no longer afford to rent the dining hall space. About 100 workers are losing jobs because of the closure, but the restaurant will continue to handle takeaway and delivery orders.
Lam said he is looking for a new space in Chinatown as a way of “keeping the business alive and providing as many jobs as we can.”
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I know people throw the word landmark around a lot but Jin Feng is a true Chinatown landmark. It employs many of the residents, it provides a space of gathering for families, and it also serves as a cultural display because its popularity with non-asian Americans. Its tremendous dinning hall is ALWAYS full of families on the weekends. Sad to see it go. Harsh conditions had eliminated all of the borderline surviving small businesses, did a huge favor for the already powerful corporations.
St. Peter sins? More like Tiannamen Square Sins
@@user-fi2vc7ei8v shut yo mouf
@@fluffyseal8782 Lol, he had a picture of Tiannamen Square(Yes I can spell)
How was the food?
I don’t even live in NY and I feel so sad by this ):
I was born there in 1940, watching from California now -- people weren't confused about gender then
Go watch frank from munchies do shift here its awesome
Ditto. Watching from Sydney, Australia.
Same, I feel sad to.
Grew up in a small town in British Columbia. Mom ran a Szechuan restaurant for 10 years.
Then we moved to the big city, mom locked the doors one last time and we said goodbye, everyone in the town still miss the food.
I'm not from USA...im feeling sorry for them.. 😭😭😭 maybe they struggled a lot...they didnt have any option ...maybe tuff for them.
the place has so many memories like chinese immigrants opening their business with their delicious food like an actual chinese restaurant
more traditional feels but it sad to go away
They have another location in New York on the upper east side that is currently open
Sadly, this isn’t just the virus affecting Chinatown businesses (which is a huge factor) but it’s also corporate greed in pushing out these iconic local businesses and turning them into another franchise that can afford the rent/taxes.
I agree, many property owners are taking the covid situation to their advantage and hoping to gain more out of it...its truly depressing to watch
the same thing happened to a close family friend. right off the manhattan bridge, there was a restaurant he owned, and the dudes who funded it were just car dealership owners looking for some food to eat. several years ago they stopped funding it and now theres a large luxury hotel there, which really ruins the type of vibe in chinatown to be quite frank. was always nice and gave me money as a kid, he made the best lobster too :(
@@geepadoodle What do you mean by "the dudes who funded it?" As in the owner of the restaurant? The customers? I am just confused because "funded it" implies it wasn't profitable and needed fundings to stay in business.
Hardly corporate greed; as the interviewed man JUST STATED, it's the fact that real-estate tax went up in spite of the pandemic's occurrence. This shutdown should be blamed on poor city and state management of lockdown procedures, unrealistic increases in expenses for existing businesses, and a tone-deaf legislature that doesn't know how its own constituency functions.
Gentrification
I’ve never been to this restaurant, as I’m not from New York, but I live in San Francisco, where the oldest Chinatown is. The grandpa talking about how he goes there every day made me cry. The young man saying that this is how he thinks Hong Kong would be like, and he’s not wrong. Cantonese dim sum dining halls are a special place on their own, and it’s always enjoyable going into one in HK or Macau.
It’s so upsetting to see the pandemic destroying businesses left and right, especially small businesses, or like this one, big but gives back to the community (chinatown). Hopefully a wealthy person can see this sad moment and offer to help save the dining hall.
Or the government to make it a public space.
It's even worse when you realise that so many people have lost their jobs. I hope they get the support they need.
Aaa... To think I'd see this place close. I used to go here a lot for Chinese weddings when I was younger, and it really brings back memories. Sending all the love from your neighbor in Philly~
aaa!!! 😂
NYC is gradually becoming a ghost of what it once was, no effort outside of giving handouts to millionaires.
I mean the ppl that own that place are millionaires.
You mean the financial wankers that the city was built upon. They dont even get handouts. Cause they dont create jobs.
@@visorij3374 obviously not millionaire enough.
Yup, that's exactly what the last two stimulus packages under Trump were for. Almost 50% of the entire benefits of the stimulus bill was for bailing out big corporation and firms, but all the middle and working class were ignored and left behind. This new Democrat stimulus bill, 900 billion of the 1.9 trillion goes directly to any families that make less than $90k a year, so that's something, but it's too late.
@@evan8654 they're definitely millionaires. My sister had her wedding there and it costed $250,000 for just an evening and 1000 guests. The place is filled every single day and there is always a waiting list just to get it. Food cost roughly $3-5 per dish and cost the restaurant no more than $1 to make 1 dish.
The Chinese association rent this place out once or twice a month for their events and with how much a wedding cost, you can imagine how much those event cost too.
The owner just been living a luxurious lifestyle and never planned for the future and spent most of his money.
My parents got married there... sad to see this lovely restaurant close down
@ben chan lol
@ben chan shut up
ben chan What did you do to help during the attacks against Asian Americans? You’re just using the attacks against Asian Americans as an excuse to be mean towards other people smh. You are not helping anyone. You don’t get to treat anyone badly just because other people hurt you. They are just merely expressing their sadness, yet you decide to rub more salt into their wound.
who gives a 💩 that your alive? 🖕🖕
@@skywastaken7300 don’t bother confronting this guy. He’s clearly a brain dead troll
that dude is the Chinese Adam Driver. May the force be with you.
I felt the same way too
He looks a lot like a radar technician on starkiller base!
spot on. lol
Yeah but with a more symmetrical face.
NYC is gonna turn into a corporate city with no life if this keeps up
but it won't keep up
@Jorge K that's not true lol, I live there, there's a ton of stuff to do, that is why it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
Many large size dim sum restaurants in LA even in Asian areas are also struggling. The anti Asian attitude is probably worse in NY than LA.
someone tell me why i cried when i've never been here nor chinese- it really does give off that cozy feeling even through a screen.
That would give the same feeling of a small town with its chill out bar. The whole place would lose its meaning once the place is gone.
Cultural and community centers like this mean the world to.any group of people. It's horrible to see this place go and I wish the owner the best to continue as best he can.
In the future, no one lives in NYC. The entire city is a museum.
In the future everyone visits occasionally because they work remotely in a cleaner city
😲😲
Will life get better when most people are vaccinated?
I wish it would come true
or gonna be like huge prison based on "Escape From New York"
my family owned a chinese restaurant as well and when you grow up in the place, it becomes part of you. It's very sad to see your family have slow business, lose money and eventually close down. It actually gave my dad a heart attack due to the massive stress of slow business and going in debt. Sending my love to these people
So sad to see the restaurant closed. My husband and I used to eat here while we lived in NYC. ❤ from 🇨🇦
Orang indonesia ya kak?
No GoFundMe page setup for this landmark Chinese restaurant, pretty soon it just be a empty China town if the Chinese community don't help out.
Nope they are rich as if we don't know how things works.
@@trebledc they are discriminated against, boycotted, and harder to survive due to the virus. Please educate yourself before making such comments
@@trebledc racist liberal
The issue is the lack of customers during a pandemic. The best thing to do is wait til it's over and then crowd fund it to open if you want. Otherwise it would be like continuing to operate a cruise ship whether or not any customers are on board.
@@trebledc Keep your evil thoughts in your head.
Dang. I feel for all those grandparents who probably met with their friends and did things together. 😭😭😭
i come from a family that runs and owns chinese restaurants..
where the doors close a new one will open.. the name can still be kept and used to bring back in it's life... regardless of it's new location if it opens people will be there to support... it will come back to life...
Usually it's the place that give customer
They should rescue this place, it holds memories in people’s hearts
With how local businesses everywhere dying and how large corporations kept earning more during this pandemic, I fear we are looking at the death of culture and sense of community everywhere. The dystopian future where corporations rule everything seems just ever slightly more possible now.
I'm getting Toontown vibes
Totally agreed. America needs to subsidize its small businesses, and education and healthcare. All the means to help anyone have a chance in creating smaller scale alternatives to the corporate oligarchy that owns most of the economy.
A company is too big if it can afford to lose a store, or not listen to its customers.
Government did this. Not the pandemic.
Lol, the meme is real.
My brother's wedding reception was held at this restaurant back in 2009. I was shocked when I saw how big that place was. We rented 30 tables and it was only like 1/3 or 1/4 of the dining hall.
Someone in Texas got 2.7 million in PPE loans which she spent personally. Can't imagine this guy got less than that. If he did then I'd say it's bias against this restaurant.
Sad, man. When I got married, I had my banquet at this place since it holds a lot of people. I’d even had the dim-sum wagons as appetizers for my guests when they all first arrive before the main course dinner sets in. Hope they can rebound back ! Memories.....
News is sad. But glad someone is documenting something monumental like tis.
I love these people's loyalty and emotions for this restaurant, I hope you all in new York are doing well (as in pandemic well) bad times people I wish you all the best stay safe
meanwhile the billionaires said 2020 is one of the best time in their life.
Same for me too. Also this year’s recession has been great too
Yup. It was so nice. I made lot of profit on the stock market. Best year for investment for sure! Agreed
@@terrie001 now you know the formula for this kind of profit. Maybe create a man-made pandemic next, eh?
As someone work in take-away, biggest problem is the delivery company like Just Eat n Uber, they keep full refund from out pocket if customer complain without valid reason, and there is not a thing we can do about it.
I really wanted to visit that place one day
.....
It is sad. I grew up with this resturant when it was just on the first floor. I had my own wedding banquet there.
This is a horrible tragedy! I’m sad for all the people who rely on this beautiful place. Food, friends, culture, history, and everything else in between! I pray they can find a way to make it survive in another location until things get better. I’m really hoping this turns better somehow.
that's not the reason it close. people move to Brooklyn 8 ave Chinatown cuz Manhattan Chinatown was getting to expensive to live so they migrated to Brooklyn Chinatown. and once Brooklyn get to expensive they migrate to Staten island.
Then Staten island gets pricey off elsewhere 🤷🏼♀️
@@ethyna214 still cheaper than brooklyn
@@ethyna214 i mean it's already just new jersey, etc.
After staten island pa philly is next stop
After philly it’s west virginia
This is sad, I been there twice and I love it, I would love to comeback to it. I’m sad to see it go but I hope that they will come back, be better than ever. I wish the best for them and hope thing will work out.
So much fond memories of this place. I had my wedding here many moons ago. Will be deeply missed.
I’m so happy that I was able to visit a few times over the past few years, this is very sad to see and I hope things will turn around soon enough for everyone. I hope to see Jing Fong open in some form in the future!
As someone whose dined there it’s really sad that I would never be able to relive that memory
We go to Jing Fong whenever we visit NYC. So sad that it's gone now. Thanks for the memories.
So sad. Gotta hope that someone WILL rescue the place. After all, the space will still be there, set up as a restaurant, and when the pandemic is over, probably within half a year, the public demand will still be there. It's SUCH a community center, means so much to the regulars.
This place used to be called silver palace in the 80s. It was even bigger and nicer then. Very sad to see this place go away. Thx Cuomo.
This was the first dim sum restaurant I've ever been to, and was my all-time favorite in the city. I used to love bringing new people here so they could experience it for the first time, just like I did, and it's so sad that it's all ending. I will, however, be amongst the first in line to patronize whatever new space they end up moving to. I wish them the best of luck, wherever the future takes them.
That’s so sad. Thought I would visit this place and I heard it’s a great place for dim sum. And it’s so iconic.
So sorry you have been forced to close the dinning in. Wishing the take out sector makes an astounding success!
This is the first dim sum place I went to when I went to school in NYC. It’s where I took my sister to on her first visit. Every Cantonese person has to have a place like this so it’s really too sad to see it go. Another casualty of the pandemic and our inept government.
i loved every dish and im very sad to see this day come. Thanks for the wonderful meals ill miss this place dearly :( ❤
So very sad to see another business close due to covid and being surprised by large franchises that don't have real chinese foods.
So sad 😞 I am from Los Angeles but feel the pain these people in the restaurant business are going through. I haven’t visited New York yet. Hopefully one day these long time businesses can return
My mom's first job was working here as a dim sum lady back in the 80's. My cousin and my aunt also worked here so yeah it definitely hit me hearing of its closing. We have seen the restaurant transform from a one floor to a 2 floors grand restaurant. Just too sad to see this.
Wow. I drove by there a few days ago. It has change into something else. It is not a restaurant. It is really sad for Chinatown.
🌼🙏🌼 Community, a prayer for your place!
Noooo I went there when I celebrated my baby cousin
Thank you for this wonderful story.
It's a shame the landlord sold this (effectively a) community center out.
How? They havnt received rent for the past 12 months and the rent hasn’t gone up since 1993...
Businesses are dying left and right, everywhere in the world. In my country as well, some businesses that have been open for about 30 years have had to close recently. And for those who opened a new business just before the pandemic, a few killed themselves. For me, it's much more of a tragedy than covid itself. We're letting the social fabric of society die.
@CJ2 children and young people also died
@CJ2 you're almost correct but sadly delusional.
@CJ2I guess the world has worked together to create this then , even china and us are working together to create this artificial crisis that is nothing but a flu. And I am not sure how you think all big corporations are making big money out of it when trump was pushing so hard to stop the economy from shuting down because he knew the whole economy will suffer.
From a scientific perspective , no one knows what are the long term damages to the body from this viruses even if you have recovered. You won't see this until couple years and I would be surprised fertility will spike couple years from now.
From economic perspective, GDP does not grow when more than half of the people are not working but consuming. No government would want that to happen and all the money that big corporations earned are essentially papers printed by the government. The consequences will come very soon from these printed money (inflation). You can obviously see that when 1/3 of the stocks in the market are zombie companies
CJ2 I don’t trust media anymore. The media no longer tells you what is happening, it is creating whats happening then reports on itself. Its a feedback loop of a culture consuming itself. The reality that matter is the one you see with your own eyes, your own experiences and anecdotes, and that of your friends and family.
This would always be on my list when visiting NYC. Never missed going there on trips. This is such a shame.
Oh no! I had one of my 5 wedding ceremonies (chinese) here a decade ago. Im going to miss this place.
U married 5 times? Dude welldone!!!
Nice... Five wives..
@@yogawan3805 i had 5 weddings... 2 in nyc (western and chinese), 1 in dc, 1 in hk, 1 in mainland PRC... all in 3 months...
@@hwoarang2001 I not sure what u mean, 5 wives? Or just 1 but the ceremonies 5 times.
Lol
@@yogawan3805 one wife; 5 ceremonies for various family members and friends
States are out of money and they need to find income somewhere... well, tax the people more is the solution.
In my country this is considered as fine-high dining, and its sad to see this closing
I'm so saddened by this...had so many memories there. Many of my family members got married there
I visited once with my chinese family on a vacation in NYC. I didnt recognize the place till halfway into the video, and that just made me that much sadder. My family runs a restaurant too but are doing ok because ours is more delivery/takeout based. This really really hurts.
I’d celebrate Chinese New Year many years because the food is amazing. I will miss this place, very sad😭
On top of anti-Asian attacks, Asian owned businesses are closing. Jobs are lost. Very sad.
There have been very few anti Asian attacks actually. The question oughta be why aren't the one million Chinese living in New York City supporting Chinatown themselves? With numbers like that you don't even need outsiders to support Chinatown.
Man... I've been there during the 90s and early 2000s almost every weekends. Can't believe it is closing. Lower east manhattan isnt the Chinatown I once knew. I even went to school there.
We will survive and come back stronger, you'll see.
Your restaurant will not be there. As there are already Sino American tension that cause Americans to boycott this place.
@MrZapparin This is because the CCP have disgraced the Chinese people with covid, human rights violation in Xing Jiang province, trying to conquer the Senkaku island with salami slicing techinic, and stealing the Stealth technology from the airforce of the country where this restaurant is in. It is the Sino American tension that cause the Restaurant to close as many wealthy Americans are convinced to boycott the Chinese.
@@christopherseow969 sources?
@@TomWelson Donald Trump, Wion, New York Times and Gateway Pundit.
@@christopherseow969 Care for a bet?
If you go to Flushing now, you will see so many restaurants and shops that have stood for decades turned into what? Viral cafes. Bubble tea shops. In comes the new and out goes the old; it's so heartbreaking to see so many landmarks turned into a viral shop when you know it won't be a year before the novelty runs out and it closes too.
Seriously Manhattan Chinatown is hotels, regional bus stops and pharmacies.
I have been here a few times over the years - the dim sum is the BEST! I’m beyond shocked.
I used to dine here a lot. It reminded me of Authentic Hong Kong Dim sum place. Very sad 😢
this is so sad. i been going there to eat during my visits whenever possible. i can't believe it gone. i love going there. chinatown taking heavy hits.
😢 One our favorites for our family gatherings.
A group of us co-workers were brought there by an asian co-worker back in the 80's. It completely changed my concept of 'chinese food'. Their level of culinary expertise was incredible. I am still happy to this day that I was able to experience true asian cuisine.
Instead of providing a pandemic relief, New York City squeezes its small businesses with taxes. Instead, the city should tax those stock brokers more to make up for its budget deficits.
I remember watching Frank from Munchies serving dim sum to customers and really wanted to go there some day should I finally visit New York City.
This is definitely sad news and proof of difficult times some are still facing, the restaurant I recently left almost shut down around July 2020 but I’m glad they are still thriving.
Shame...unfortunately we not make it there to try. I miss these old style Cantonese style banquet halls and the dim sum... I recall dim sum in a Sunday morning and back again for wedding banquet.
AH I love their food! This is so sad!
oh i didnt know this when i was visting nyc. hope it will come back one day.
Jing Fong is a Chinatown institution! Great food, fast service and just an all around perfect place for big gatherings or dim sum with friends on the weekend! Sad to see this place go!
😭😭😭😭😭😭 such a magnificent place.
Aww so sad. Such a nice restaurant. I went to many parties there.
I had never been or heard of this place but I am sorry to see this. I wish the city offer assistance. Multiculturalism is important to NYC and the US.
Favorite location to eat luncheon in Chinatown. Great location for meet-ups.
I hope it comes back.....it has meaning to a lot of people, including myself growing up in life.
never been, but i love the food. just by watching the video, you can see that it as such a huge atmosphere. Sorry that it is closing and that people are losing their jobs. :(
Why doesn’t jing fong do a gofundme? I can see people donating to keep them open....
Wow, I live in California and have never been there (in New York) although I hear nothing but great stories and reviews about this place. Was my goal to try there some day if I ever go out east. Guess I won't get that opportunity now. It's very sad.....
My wife and I had lunch with some friends at this restaurant after we got married at the city hall so sad to see it go.
It sad to see it go. I still remember waiting 20-30 minute in line just for a seat.
Same thing happening in Sydney, Australia … some famous and long established Chinese restaurants in Sydney Chinatown (BBQ King, Golden Century and Marigold) closed down after in business for a few decades … very sad indeed.
They have fallen victims to the pandemic.
Very sad, taxes and rent I imagine are through the roof, rent for that size building in Manhattan probably unbelievable. Hard to see a landmark establishment gone and all the lives affected and their dedication ending, they will have sadness for a long time.
I attended many weddings at this location. Chinatown is dying, no longer as crowded, no longer as vibrant, and no longer the center of NY for Chinese
I don't live in nyc, but I'm gonna visit my local dim sum place, cause I need it to be here.
This is so sad. This place was a real institution. Will be sorely missed :-(
My heart is broken for this restaurant family. It’s so sad. They don’t just care about themselves. They care about the whole community. What the governments have don’t to this country and world is an absolute crime. They should all be in prison!
Touching stories
Which one is closed. The upper Manhattan one or lower Manhattan one or both?
I wish the government actually gave some of the loan to Asian businesses.
This is one of the reasons why it’s so heartbreaking. It’s almost as if Asian people and businesses aren’t even consider American or American enough for this country.
I lived in NYC all my life and I’m crushed by this.
@J H I’m sure the rent is a lot but before Covid, you’d have to reserve in advance to get into it or be there super early in the morning for dim sum and whenever they do dinners, it’s usually for a celebration party that filled up the whole room.
I haven’t had dim sum brunch in there for years because of that but it shows the quality is still top notch.
So many cultured restaurants have been closed down in the city. They haven't received proper support from the government during the pandemic, and as a result we keep losing restaurants and businesses that made the city so vibrant and rich in culture...
Montreal Quebec Canada, Chinatown is way too quiet 🥺😔
So sad how most of the workers probably have been working at that restaurant for their majority of there lives . Hard for most of them to find other jobs because English is not there first language.
i come here everytime i go to NYC. i hope someone can save it, best dim sum on the East coast.
me and wife frequently dine here,,sad to see they are gone!
Tragic To See This Place Go...