While the City of Kingston has undergone many evolutions over the years, Eng’s Chinese Restaurant has been there for most of it. Opened in 1927 by Jimmi Eng and his son, Paul, the eatery laid down its original roots in an old building on Wall Street before moving a few times to finally end up at its present-day Broadway location. Aside from surviving the Great Depression and nearly a century, Eng’s has now surpassed another milestone as it reopens its dining room for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
At the time of it’s opening, Eng’s was the first Chinese restaurant in Kingston and just one of a few in the Hudson Valley. Despite the difficult economic climate of the time, Jimmi prided himself on serving fresh foods at affordable prices. While ownership of the restaurant was handed over to current operators Tom and Faye Sit in the 1970s, Eng’s maintains a dedication to fostering a welcoming and accessible dining experience for the Ulster County community, and Jimmi’s grandson, George Eng, remains an essential part of the staff and the restaurant’s success.
The Faces
Though you might not know it by looking at him, co-owner Tom Sit is 81 years old and still working every day – he even finds himself at the restaurant on his days off. This is because, for Tom, the restaurant is so much more than a business.
Before immigrating to the United States, Tom had to make the difficult decision to leave behind his immediate family and escape the violence and chaos of China’s Cultural Revolution. He fled rural reeducation camps and made the treacherous journey from Guangzhou to Hong Kong with a group known as the Freedom Swimmers. After working in a plastics factory for several years in Hong Kong, Tom’s story of bravery continued when he came to the United States and ended up in New York City.
Eager to work, Tom had heard of a Chinese restaurant a few hours north of the city that needed a dishwasher and took a bus to Kingston. When he arrived at Eng’s, Tom came to find out that the restaurant actually needed a cook, and he went on to stay at the very eatery for 50 years and counting.
“To Tom, Eng’s will always represent the immense, life-altering opportunity Paul Eng gave him those many years ago when Paul asked him to take over the restaurant when he himself retired. It’s a responsibility Tom has not taken lightly, even—especially—to this day. Eng’s gave him everything, so he gladly and proudly gives it his all in return,” says Tom and Faye Sit’s daughter Jenn.
The Food
Despite its change in ownership, not much else has changed at Eng’s over the years. There have been small adjustments here and there to highlight some more diet-friendly options, but Eng’s mission remains to keep tradition alive. From appetizers like egg rolls, spare ribs, and butterfly shrimp to classic entrees like chicken chow mein, Singapore chow mei fun, and chow fun, the Kingston eatery has been serving up authentically prepared Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine since its inception.
“There are a lot of amazing ‘deep cut’ items on the menu that fly under the radar, and we hope to highlight them in various ways in the future. Our tropical drink offerings are also a huge part of what makes coming to Eng’s so fun and special, too,” notes Jenn.
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The Fame
While Eng’s is certainly a well-known spot among Hudson Valleyites, the restaurant is reaching new levels of recognition thanks to a feature in the new season of the Apple TV original Severance. The Kingston spot joins a list of other regional landmarks, including Mohonk Preserve, Minnewaska State Park, and Phoenicia Diner, that were featured in the show. While Eng’s has yet to make its appearance on the big screen, we’re all patiently waiting for its debut as Zufu – the restaurant’s reimagined alter-ego and stage name.
“The most fascinating part of that experience is that aesthetically, the restaurant wasn’t actually transformed at all. They wanted to keep the look and feel of the restaurant exactly the same. Of course, the identity of the restaurant transformed to the world of Severance, but they did everything to keep the jewel box look of Eng’s, which Tom has lovingly preserved over decades of course,” says Jenn.
Since its dining room reopening in early February, Eng’s has been overwhelmed by the support and positivity of Kingston, a community that means everything to the owners and workers of the Chinese restaurant.
Eng’s Chinese Restaurant is located at 726 Broadway in Kingston.
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