  Dhleong08 Member Username: Dhleong08 Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2008 |
Hi: My Father's Father owned the Peking Pavilion restaurant on 14253 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan in the 1920s and 30s. I am trying to find out more about this restaurant which was also renovated later and was near the Renaissance Centre on Jefferson Ave. Did you or any of your relatives know my Father's Father or my Father during the World War II era? My Father is now in a home in Canada , was well known as an artist, neon signs, welder, mechanic and go-cart, motorcycle racer etc. He served in the U.S. army from 1942-1946. His name is Ham S. Leong and he was with the 391st INF. Dianne, his daughter in Canada who is interested in compiling family history and research for a novel. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 2204 Registered: 08-2007 |
Dianne, the address on Jefferson is no where near the Renaissance Center ... it is well east of downtown almost in Gorsse Pointe Park. It is my understanding that Chinatown in Detroit was concentrated along Third Street. you can look here, seems NeilR remembers the place. https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/6790/83010.html | ||
Townonenorth Member Username: Townonenorth Post Number: 597 Registered: 10-2007 |
Pekin Pavilion (Long Kim, Jim Louie) was in 1928 at 7437-39 East Jefferson. Looks as if it was an upstairs location, or not? from the Sanborn Maps. Long Kim's residence was also in the same location. (Message edited by townonenorth on December 31, 2008) | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 5288 Registered: 04-2005 |
Here is a link to a Peking Pavillion ashtray on sale on Ebay. It has the address and phone number of the restaurant Peking Pavillion Ashtray and here's the picture of it. (Message edited by jcole on December 31, 2008) | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 5289 Registered: 04-2005 |
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Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 3044 Registered: 11-2007 |
"EXCELLENT condition. NO damage. Says Peking Pavilion. 7437 E. Jefferson Ave. Detroit Mich. Foods To Take Out. Phone LO-8-9466. 4" w. YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!" | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 3045 Registered: 11-2007 |
 Jcole we seem to be of one mind. | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 5292 Registered: 04-2005 |
Looks that way. Isn't it cool, though? | ||
Townonenorth Member Username: Townonenorth Post Number: 602 Registered: 10-2007 |
Nice find! Old style Chinese Restaurant. Maybe she will buy it! I used to frequent Ho-Ho's a lot when I was younger, Think it was on Second? Not sure. I saw a Ho Ho's listed on Vernor. I wonder if it was the same family that owned the original. | ||
Alley Member Username: Alley Post Number: 1001 Registered: 02-2008 |
lol that's Ho Ho Village on Vernor. It's not bad | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 2142 Registered: 10-2003 |
Nice job Jcole. Great find. | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 5298 Registered: 04-2005 |
Thanks, Dj. Hope your New Year is a happy one, and you have luck with the Canadian girl.{wink} | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 2105 Registered: 12-2005 |
1928 Polk Detroit City Directory listing for Pekin Pavilion restaurant (see the far right column, located between Sheridan and Townsend Streets [modern map] [Hornwrecker's c.1930 map]. | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1778 Registered: 11-2006 |
So, wasn't the White Sun the Chinese restaurant located on Jefferson pretty close to Grosse Pointe? I thought Pekin Pavilion was closer to downtown? A big, stand-alone building with a big parking lot? | ||
Townonenorth Member Username: Townonenorth Post Number: 607 Registered: 10-2007 |
Here's the home address of what they say is Long Kim, should be the other way around?  | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 5321 Registered: 04-2005 |
bump | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 243 Registered: 10-2007 |
Bump again. I remember the Pekin Pavilion on Jefferson between Sheridan and Townsend. We lived nearby and we'd go there a lot when I was a kid back in the '60s. My parents liked it because the place had a full bar and was famous for its whiskey sours and had pretty good old fashioned Cantonese-American food. It was very old and had beautiful booths fully enclosed in dark wood like one would have seen in 1920s restaurants. I remember that each booth had a number at the top of its arch. It was torn down in the '70s to build the senior citizens apt. buildings that are there today. They built a new restaurant with a parking lot further down towards downtown at Jefferson and McDougall, where Pizza Papalis is now. That new Pekin Pavilion operated through the '80s. The address cited by the original poster is at Lakewood and Jefferson. My cousins and grandparents lived within a block or two of there and I don't remember any Chinese restaurant there (although I do remember the bike shop!). However, as pointed out by Kathinozarks, there was the White Sun restaurant a couple of blocks to the east of there, which was a place very much like the Pekin Pavilion that my grandmother went to all the time. It was still operating as a carryout as of a couple of years ago. Sure wish I had seen that Pekin Pavilion ashtray when it came up... I can still taste their almond chicken. | ||
Dhleong08 Member Username: Dhleong08 Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2008 |
Hi Eastsideal and jcole, mikeg and townonenorth: Yes, you are right....Long Kim was my grandfather, but spelling is incorrect and he lived above the restaurant. Eastsideal...thanks so much for your post. You have described the restaurant perfectly. Thanks also for the maps. I tried looking at the Detroit museum to find pictures...do you know of another archival site? Thanks for your help. D (Message edited by dhleong08 on February 01, 2009) | ||
Jita1 Member Username: Jita1 Post Number: 130 Registered: 08-2008 |
I was just telling my wife about Peking Pavillion. Man, that was the best Chinese food in the city. |
