Couple cooking healthy food the Chinese way for 40 years
Tom and Lan Ho pride themselves on providing natural and healthy food for customers at The Golden City. Photo: SG090210-234MD
WHEN Tom and Lan Ho opened The Golden City in The Crescent in Spalding coming up to 40 years ago there were far fewer interesting eating opportunities for local people.
Tom recalls that his was the only Chinese restaurant and there were just two Chinese takeaways in town in the early 1970s when they first opened.
In the intervening years many others have opened – and some have closed – but Tom and Lan, whose first name is Kwai, have continued to serve up what they call “Anglicised Chinese food” to what has grown into a loyal and enthusiastic following.
The Cantonese cuisine on the menu is more authentic, but Tom points out: “If we did 100 per cent authentic Chinese I think 99 per cent of our customers would say, ‘What’s that?’.
“In the 1970s, how many people would know about Chinese food?
“If you gave them meat or fish with a bone in it, would they like it? We learned by working for other people, so we didn’t invent the Anglicised Chinese food, but we have our own tastes and style. We are very unique in our own way, taste-wise.”
Their focus has always been on cooking up the sort of healthy food for their restaurant and takeaway customers that they enjoy at home, and which perhaps explains how the pair have managed to stay so fit and young-looking despite the fact that Tom will be 65 in August, while Lan is 60.
One of the main differences in their food is the fact they don’t use monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food enhancer commonly found in Chinese dishes, but which they consider less good for human health.
“I eat what I cook,” says Tom. “Our food has a distinctive taste, more natural and healthy with fewer additives.”
Lan and Tom take turns at cooking, and Lan describes her cooking style as “more delicate”.
She adds: “We try to keep it as natural as possible, that’s why we drink green tea every day. We like everything natural and fresh. That’s why you can taste the food. I want to look after the public’s health as well as our own. We try anyway.”
Their food has certainly found favour with customers.
Tom says they are beginning to get the fifth generation of some families coming into the restaurant and adds: “You should see the customers’ reaction when we shut for a month at Christmas! We have really nice customers, we are very lucky. They are very loyal and we thank them.
“We have people travelling from Bourne and Boston who wouldn’t go anywhere else and people from London, Scotland and Yorkshire who always drop in if they are here.”
As a result of the warm welcome they have always received, Tom and Lan, who have a son Paul (Pak Ming) and two grandchildren, regard Spalding as their home.
Tom points out he has spent more time in the town than in Hong Kong, where he grew up in the same street as Lan. He moved to this country at 16 because there was no work for youngsters at home, starting with lowly kitchen jobs in Dudley and Liverpool.
He ended up working at Lan’s father’s restaurant in Stamford, where he was reunited with Lan.
They married and were living in London when Lan’s father let them know the restaurant had come up for sale in Spalding.
The couple maintain their links with the wider Chinese community through the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, of which Tom was vice-chairman for six or seven years.
It’s a social club which does charitable work and supports a weekend Chinese school.
Tom and Lan have no thought of retiring and say, with the help of their good staff, they will carry on as long as they can because “it’s nice to have something to do”.
The restaurant is open on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Call 01775 768282.
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Weather for Spalding
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
dianthus1
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 02:18 PMTommy never looks any older. Must be the wonderful food he makes .
dimebag
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 03:36 PMThe old ones are always the best! Golden City Crystal Inn Golden Dragon (Boston) Alberts Hong Kong (Boston) You can't beat 'em!
Mr Angry of Tonbridge
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 08:53 AMIt never fails to amaze me how Tom remembers my name when I go in as I do not eat out very often. I must save up and go again.
mavrick
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 05:41 PMWe had many a good meal in there when we was courting and we still like to call in now and we have been married for 32 years. good look to tom and many more happy years
peekachoo
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 03:45 PMFood is great from 'Toms' as more commonly known. Tom is always happy to see his customers too, new and old, here's to another 40 years...
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