I step inside the restaurant just as it starts to hum with the lunch rush. I immediately recognize Kathy Fang, who is cheerily interacting with guests, taking orders, and effortlessly maneuvering between the kitchen and staff. Despite her busy schedule, she notices me and waves me to a cozy corner table beside the bar. We discuss Fang’s upbringing in the kitchen, her unique culinary journey, and the success of the Food Network docuseries “Chef Dynasty: House of Fang” over a delectable lunch she has thoughtfully prepared.
The menu at Fang reflects the chef’s remarkable creativity, a unique quality that sets Fang apart from the many Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area. Fang’s ability to expertly fuse classic flavors with a contemporary vision is impressive, resulting in a surprising dining experience that is both rooted in tradition and elevated by risk-taking approaches.
There’s No Taste Like Home
Renowned as a cornerstone of Chinese cuisine, House of Nanking, Fang’s family restaurant, is an iconic institution in San Francisco. Since its establishment in 1988, Peter Fang’s restaurant has drawn patrons from near and far. Having been immersed in the family business from a young age, Kathy Fang holds cherished memories of her culinary beginnings, including one particularly vivid memory of cooking in her grandmother’s kitchen.
“I always wanted to help out in the kitchen, and the first dish she ever let me cook was out of a wok,” Fang remembers. “I had this little pink stool chair. I’d stand on there and say ‘Don’t help me, just watch me,’ and I knew what to do … [It was] the first dish I made and served my parents, and I remember the reaction like, oh, this is good. That was the best feeling.”
These early memories played a pivotal role in shaping the chef’s journey, even as she embarked on a different path. It may come as a surprise that Fang initially pursued a pre-medical track at USC before transitioning to business. After…
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