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Chinese Restaurants

jennyann

jennyann

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Many people on this forum know that my first job was at New Street Station starting in 1957, in offices adjoining the now very long gone Queen's Hotel in Stephenson Place. We used to receive Luncheon Vouchers at British Railways and we secretaries would save them up for a lunchtime nosh on a Friday at the very same Chinese restaurant that you mention Judy.
I loved the food in that restaurant from the very first meal and it certainly was a unknown type of food back then. Many people wouldn't understand why anyone would want to eat Chinese food. Still love Chinese food and actually had Barbecued Duck on Rice for a late lunch at one Restaurant and a Prawn Congee with Chinese rolls for a very early breakfast today.
 
Judy and Jenny, the chinese was The Heaven Bridge. My uncle knew the owners quite well and we used to go there for "special" occasions. I well remember a mainly private function we were invited to, the son's birthday or something, and I was gobsmacked to see on every table 2 bottles of Whisky and 2 of Brandy. Only later did I realise that a lot of the Chinese men really enjoyed their drink!
 
I think that restaurant was called Cam Lings, went there often. now that i have read your post David i am not so sure as to whom is right...Cat
 
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Jennyann, David and Cat - I can't remember the name of the Chinese Restaurant. I only remember that it was the first time I had ever eaten such food and didn't know what to order, neither did my boyfriend at the time, so we started off with No.1 on the menu, which turned out to be quite a mixture!! As we had previously been to Yates's Wine Lodge for a couple of drinks, it really turned my stomach and I couldn't finish it. Today I love Chinese Food ...... Judy

P.S. Your late lunch and breakfast sound pretty good to me Jennyann!
 
Catkin, Kam Lings was at the side of Snow Hill Station, it was the first Chinese Restaurant I went to. I think Jenny and Judy are referring to a restaurant by New Street Station - that's how I read it.
 
Yes Cat, Sylvia is right. The Chinese restaurant that Jennyann and I were referring to was in Station Street (I think) at the back of New Street Station. You went over the footbridge through the station and came out almost opposite the restaurant and Tatler. The year I am referring to would be about 1961/62. Judy
 
I remember the chinese restaurant down below new street. It was the Happy Gathering when I first went to it in about 1968 with a group of people. One of our group had been some times before and knew the owner, an oldish chinese gentleman who spent a long time showing me how to use chopsticks. the food was excellent and many of the customers were chinese - a good sign. They later closed, but a "New Happy Gathering" opened down the street (I think run by his son)- still good but not as good as the old - though that might be old age memories taking over when I say that

mike
 
Great memories everyone about the history of Chinese restaurants in Brum. I think we have pegged the one in Station Street. It could have changed it's name over the years also. I have a photo of Kam Ling in one of my Brum books by Alton Douglas. It was in Livery Street. The food in there was
excellent, Cantonese style if I remember correctly. I used to go there before going to the Locker's to dance up until l963 at least. There was another Chinese restaurant by the Law Courts on Corporation Street in that era. However, China Town in Brum was developing and I can remember going to the Slow Boat which was very nice and had some more expensive items on the menu such as Bird's Nest Soup, Shark Fin Soup and Abalone.

My brother and his friends, all Trad Jazz lovers used to go the Chinese
restaurant in Station Street after the Jazz Clubs closed and I know they
played the Chinese waiters up somewhat probably because they had drunk
quite a bit. One night the head waiter locked the doors to the restaurant
and stood a couple of waiters by the door with meat cleavers to make the lads behave which they did in short order.
 
We used to go to a Chines Restaurant just across from Snow Hill Station. We went just down Livery Street and the first street on the left.
I think as someone else said Chinese food tastes different today, I think it has become Westernized that is why. I agree it does taste different unless you go to a small family restaurant which is still traditional and hard to find. Mo
 
We are getting a bit off-topic with all this food stuff, but both the station and our recollections of restaurants and food vendors are interesting subjects.
There are some other good sites on the history of the station, and I hope to write something about the station for this site when I get round to it, as part of a series on Brum's railways.
Back to the food department, I am confident that the Kam Ling Chinese restaurant in Livery St was open in October 1957, as I was no stranger there when I took my ex-fiancee there on 6 November 1957. The Tung Kong in Holloway Head opened in about May that year, and was the first Chinese restaurant in Birmingham. I somehow thought that the Yeung Shing in the Horsefair was next, but now it seems, looking back at the scribble in my old diaries, that it didn't open until well into 1958, so the Kam Ling was the second. I certainly don't remember any Chinese places in Station Street, but I left in early March 1959, and in the last weeks I was more concerned with a future away from Brum.
Peter
 
The Chinese Restaurant we went to was on Barwick Street, just around the corner from Livery Street. Great being being able to check that in the A - Z a very kind member sent to me. Again many thanks. Mo
 
I am certain Kam Ling was in Livery Street,just around the corner from Colmore Row and opposite the side ramp into Snow Hill station.I cant remember if, on entering from the street you went upstairs or downstairs it was definatley one or the other.
Maurice.
 
The one we went to on Barwick Street I'm sure we went down stairs. We used to joke as there were pigeons usually sitting above the door and if they weren't there we wondered what we had in our meals. It is the only Chinese restaurant I went to in Birmingham. That would have been around 1962 when I first went, and then for a few years while I worked in the city. I'm sure that was where it was but who knows it is a long time ago.Mo
 
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