In July 2014, when Kenric and I went to Michigan on a business trip, we stopped by a restaurant in Mattawan called Chinn Chinn. It is the reincarnation of Peking Palace where I, and a few of you, worked during my college years. After Peking Palace closed in 2004, the chef (John), who is the second son of the owner, opened Chinn Chinn in Mattawan (about 10 minutes away). Too bad it was closed for the Fourth of July week when we visited then.

John has an explosive temper

But, and it’s a BIG but, John also had an explosive temper. Servers would warn one another when we clocked in if John was in one of his bad moods, which was rather often.

Nonetheless, I admired John and liked him a lot, and it’s not just because he liked my awful puns. In the photos, you’ll see that the puns he dishes out are worse. I liked him because he steadfastly did his work in the kitchen while most patrons only knew his older and more personable brother who works the front of the restaurant. John was humble, low-key, and shied away from meeting and socializing with customers. That’s why I did my very best to promote his specials because I wanted people to taste his great food and appreciate his work. He’s also a great husband and an extremely loving father. No matter how busy the kitchen was, whenever his two girls (11 and 13 when I last worked there in 2004) visited, he would find a moment to embrace and kiss them. “Chinn Chinn”, he would say as he kissed both their cheeks. I guess that’s where the name of his new restaurant came from; “Kiss Kiss”. I didn’t ask.

A visit to Chinn Chinn is a must

I was so happy he remembered me

He looked exactly the same as the last time I saw him 15 years ago. I got up and waited for him to come out of the store room. “Caren! It was you!” He had a big smile. I was so happy he remembered and recognized me. We hugged and Kenric came over to introduce himself. John was very happy to see me. I congratulated him on the success of his new restaurant, and told him I read a lot of great things about it online. He told me that Shelly, his wife, was out with the grandkids. “Grandkids?!” “Yeah! Five!”

The Green Onion Pancakes with Beef and The Chicken Cucumber Salad were just as good as I remembered. Our waitress brought a Shrimp and Mango and Shrimp Salad compliments of John which Kenric especially loved. There were many other Korean/Asian fusion dishes on the menu but we decided to share a Kung Pao Chicken lunch combo because it was one of Peking Palace’s top sellers. It was good but I still preferred the ones made by John personally or the other two Peking Palace chefs, Matt and Bryan (both Caucasians).

Memories of the past

John told me that his Mom, his aunt (Aunty Amy) and his uncle (Uncle David) had just left the restaurant after having lunch there. I forgot to ask about Aunty Lisa who is Uncle David’s wife. She was nice and kind. My mind was busy thinking about the time Uncle David chased me with a broom and wanted to hit me with it because I said something he didn’t like. It was one of the most humiliating incidents of my life. It was even more humiliating when I had to go back to work the next day. For days, I cried the moment I got into my car after leaving work. Pride, it’s a good thing to have, but a bitch to swallow.

His daughters now have children of their own

John’s wife and their two daughters came with their kids in tow, cute kids. Shelly and I did some brief catching up. She actually looked younger than before. Their daughters, now young mothers, somehow remained exactly as I remembered. The older one, more like her mother, and the younger one, like her father. Both beautiful and likable in different ways. Just like 15 years ago, the younger one was more interested in and open to a two-way conversation. She pointed out her husband who was cooking in the kitchen. He is one of the main chefs. He was very nice when John introduced us later.

An inspiration

Kenric and I brought John a bottle of sparkling wine; the best (in my opinion) that I could get from California’s wine country – Schramsberg Cremant. I handed it to him in the kitchen. I asked if he ever received the letter I sent five year prior, in 2014. He did. In the letter, I thanked him for being an extremely hard worker who was perfectly content with simply doing his best according to his own extremely high standards without needing any external recognition. John’s work ethic was an inspiration to me, and it liberated me from many of the usual trappings of a professional career later on.

He kept glancing over at Kenric so I said, “Just so you know, he is not the psycho that I was married to.” He chuckled and said, “I was wondering, but I didn’t want to ask.” He looked relieved, and nodded repeatedly and smiled. That’s what I loved about John, underneath his stoic exterior, he is full of emotions. I am so glad to see him so mellow now. We exchanged a few travel tips and hugged goodbye. He might not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s one of the most influential people in my life. I’m so thankful to have worked with/for someone like him before I worked in the real, real world.

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