Longstanding Dim Sum Spot Wong’s King Appears to Have Closed Permanently

As the Portland restaurant market adapted to a world of takeout, delivery, and temporary closures, restaurant owners in the area — even some of the most established names — have found themselves unable to stay afloat. Restaurateur David Machado closed all of his restaurants, once-legendary Portland chef Gabe Rosen closed his two remaining holdouts, and several other smaller spots have decided to pack up and back out of their leases.

Now, it looks like one of Portland’s most influential dim sum restaurants is closing its doors for good, as well: Wong’s King has offloaded its website and Facebook page, and its phone line is no longer taking messages. Google reports the restaurant as closed; however, Yelp is still reporting that Wong’s King is “scheduled to reopen” on June 15. The Oregonian reports that a family friend confirmed the restaurant’s closure; Eater Portland has attempted to contact members of the Wong family for comment, to no avail.

Wong’s King opened on SE Division in 2004, the father-son project of chefs Fulai Wong and Wing Lay, also known as Andy Wong. Fulai Wong has won awards for his culinary prowess, and the Wong family grew both a restaurant group and a destination for dim sum. For years, Wong’s King was the place for dishes like chicken feet and har gow, metal tins of dumplings and buns spinning around tables in an expansive, grand dining room. Eventually, a handful of other dim sum contenders created new competition for Wong’s King; while many others chose to stay open during the coronavirus crisis, including Ocean City and H.K. Cafe, Wong’s King announced it would temporarily close, opting out of takeout or delivery. Then, quietly and without any real announcement, the restaurant’s online presence began to disappear, fading away in the blur of coronavirus-related restaurant closures.

Members of the Wong family have yet to confirm the closure, but Eater Portland will continue reaching out for comment.

• Wong’s King Seafood has closed for good: End of a dim sum era [O]
• Dim Sum Is a Family Experience That’s on Hold. How Are Restaurants Learning to Adapt? [EPDX]
• COVID-19-related restaurant closures in Portland [EPDX]