On most mornings, while Richardson’s Chinatown – in the US state of Texas – lays dormant, Jeng Chi’s kitchen rings with the clangs of metal pans and the squeaks from the gears of a decades-old dough roller. The wheels of the cart Yuan Hai “Papa” Teng uses to move ingredients rattle against the kitchen floor tiles as the 85-year-old moves from station to station, prepping different items. Francisco Teng says his father comes to the restaurant several times a week – sometimes as early as 1am – to prepare the kitchen.
The work is not easy, but Papa Teng says he feels more alive when he is working at the restaurant. Francisco is the second Teng in the family to own Jeng Chi, one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Richardson’s Chinatown – itself among the longest-running Asian-American enclaves in North Texas. He and his wife, Janelle, own and manage the restaurant.
Papa and Francisco’s mother, Mei “Mama” Teng, are technically retired, but still love working at the business. In total, nine members of Francisco’s family, including his wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and nephew, work at the restaurant. Much has changed since the restaurant opened in May 1990.
“This thing, all the good, the bad, the ugly; it’s a lot of work, there’s screaming and arguing,” Francisco says. “But there’s also this human connection. It becomes this groove that makes the place come alive.
” Francisco says he, his mother and one of his brothers moved to Richa.