The original location of Sam Wo Restaurant, December 2013.
1906년 4월 18일 샌프란시시코 대지진은 많은 사람에게는 재앙이었지만 또 어떤 사람에게는 기회이기도 했습니다. 지진이후 복구가 진행중이던 1912년 워싱톤가 813번지에는 희안한 식당이 하나 들어섭니다. 양쪽 두건물 벽을 기초로하여 지하실과 3층짜리 삼우라는 중국식장이 바로 그곳입니다. 유명하기도 하고 양도 제법 많이 주고 또 나름 맛도 있어서 2003년말 샌프란시스코로 전근을 온 이후로 2013년 그 건물을 안전을 이유로 철거할때까지 1년에 한두번은 직장 동료와 함께 오곤 했던 곳입니다. 그리고 잊어버리고 있다가 중국계 4세 친구가 재 오픈을 했다고 해서 몇일전 점심때 다녀왔는데 그곳에서 일하는 사람들이 알아보고는 반색을 합니다.
New 2015 location of Sam Wo Restaurant.
작년에 원래 있던 곳에서 한블락 아래쪽에 그때와 비슷한 분위기가 풍기도록 재 오픈을 했더군요. 1912년 처음 이 중국집을 열었던 주인이 중간에 다른사람에게 식당을 넘겨서 주인이 다르긴 하지만 오랜동안 샌프란시스코 시민들에게 사랑을 받은 곳임을 느끼게 해줄만 합니다.
Sam Wo (simplified Chinese: 三和粥粉面; traditional Chinese: 三和粥粉麵; pinyin: Sānhé zhōu fěnmiàn; Jyutping: Saam1wo4 zuk1 fan2min6, literally "Three Harmonies Porridge and Noodles") is a Chinese restaurant located in San Francisco, California. The restaurant's first location on 813 Washington Street was famous for being a venerable mainstay in the local Chinatown area, having been in the same location since 1912. Sam Wo gained notoriety in the 1980s for being the employer of Edsel Ford Fung, who was known locally as the "world's rudest waiter". The restaurant was closed in 2012 due to safety concerns, and reopened in 2015 on nearby Clay Street.
There is no documented history on Sam Wo Restaurant and its early beginnings from its founding in 1912. Sam Wo was primarily well-known by San Francisco locals for its "famous ... no-frills, late-night food and its you-get-what-you-get service" and 3 AM closing time. In the 1950s Sam Wo was a Beat Generation hangout.
The Sam Wo Restaurant was probably best known as the workplace of Edsel Ford Fung, often called the "world's rudest, worst, most insulting waiter". Fung would refuse to serve customers whose appearance he disliked and that he would harass patrons that complained about mistaken orders. After his passing in 1984, he left a lasting impression for a generation of San Franciscans. Some of his signs on the Washington street eatery remain such as those stating somewhat paradoxically for a Chinese restaurant, including "No Booze ... No Jive, No Coffee, Milk, Soft Drinks, Fortune Cookies."
In 2012, the San Francisco Health Department ordered the restaurant closed for "rodent activity" (rat feces on kitchen floor) and other violations such as poor employee hand washing standards and improper food storage, as well as several fire department violations. Nevertheless the owners have promised to develop a remediation plan and then reopen. A spokeswoman for the health department expressed hope stating, "...people are so very loyal to that restaurant, and San Francisco is a city where nothing goes down easy. I'm hoping for the best..." Generally the main problem cited by all the parties involved has been that the facilities are too old and that expensive modernization is needed. In spite of the financial difficulties in revamping the century-old restaurant, the restaurant's landlord has expressed support for keeping the restaurant open . In 2014, the management announced that Sam Wo would reopen, the restaurant finally reopened at a new location at 713 Clay Street on October 21, 2015.
Sam Wo was "immortalized" in the media throughout the years, some notable examples include author Armistead Maupin, journalist Herb Caen, and late night talk show host Conan O'Brien in their various reports of the experiences with the eatery. (from wikipedia)
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