New Asia restaurant changed ownership on July 23 to open new opportunities for owners Yong and Wah Hu.

To commemorate the success and love that New Asia has received over the past two decades, the couple held a private event at the restaurant on July 12. 

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They invited 25 of their close friends and customers who had attended a similar dinner at the opening of New Asia. 

“My parents only saw it fitting to do a similar dinner to come full circle,” said Alana Hu, their second daughter. 

David Peterson has been following Yong and Wah since they were at their Eastgate restaurant, Peking Palace, in the 1980s. Having eaten there at least once a week for the past 40 years, Peterson said they have been a big part of his life.

“I’m happy for them to finally get retirement and enjoy their fruits of labor,” Peterson said.

During the event, Yong was in the kitchen most of the night, continuously bringing out more and more dishes, Peterson said. 

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Peterson said Yong Hu worked at least 80-90 hours a week, and he said he “might be short-selling that.” Wah Hu, he said, is personable.

“I think anybody that gets to know them really falls in love with them,” Peterson said. “There’s something about New Asia that separates them from anyone else in my book.”

Customer Jan Klein said it was always a joy walking in there because Alana was “always behind the counter with a smile and a hug” and that Wah would always take great care of them.

“I’m happy for their family,” Klein said. “Mom and Dad needed a break. They were constantly going. They are the hardest workers I’ve ever encountered.”

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Klein was one of the invited guests and has been a frequent customer since the Covington Pike location.

“It’s a special place we’ve been frequenting for many, many years,” Klein said. “It feels like losing a friend. They are friends who became family.”

Klein and her friends enjoyed a feast they dubbed “the last supper” to have their final taste of Yong’s cooking.

“Some people are comforted by pot roast,” Klein said. “Their food was my comfort food.”

Customer Jenny Lee Wilkins has been going to New Asia since it opened when she was in high school and has enjoyed Yong’s cooking since he was at his previous restaurant, Asian Palace. 

“I’ve been eating chef Yong’s food since I was born,” Wilkins said.

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Wilkins, who is of Chinese American and Vietnamese American heritage, said when New Asia opened in Germantown, her family was “thrilled to have a taste of home.”

“I think that as an Asian American, always growing up here, not really feeling anywhere outside of Memphis was home,” Wilkins said. “New Asia was our second home, our own Chinatown, Korean town.”

Wilkins’ family was close to the Hus as her grandfather was a chef who used to have the same Chinese banquet service before he retired ,and said that Yong was the only one doing it right.

Wilkins understood the time commitment it took to run a restaurant, so when Yong showed up at her grandfather’s funeral during restaurant hours, they appreciated his sacrifice. 

“I just want to thank them for just being them and feeding us for as long as they have and really being there for those big moments for us,” Wilkins said. “Every single milestone that we have shared as a family, they have shared with us too.”

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One of the bigger milestones that the Hus helped Wilkins’ family celebrate was Red Egg Ceremonies. Red Egg Ceremonies can be described as a Chinese baby shower or a one-month birthday party for an infant, Wilkins said.

At these ceremonies, families dye eggs red and have a feast. Wilkins said New Asia was the “best place in Memphis for that.” The last day they were there for dinner was her niece’s red egg ceremony.

“An era has ended. We won’t be able to capture New Asia again,” Wilkins said. “It’s very bittersweet. Or should I say sweet and sour?”

The Hus said they will miss their customers as they close New Asia, since they considered many of them part of the family.

Yong said over the years, he’s noticed the community’s manners the most, that “they are really good people.”

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“Thank you to our customers for more than 30 years for their trust and support,” Wah said.

Alana said her parents’ commitment to their restaurant kept customers coming in.

Wah said Yong used such care while preparing the food, so it was always consistent. “The customers could tell if Yong had cooked the food or the second chef because they have been coming there for so long,” Wah said. “He pours so much into it, to keep consistency.”

Yong made sure all the supplies from the markets were up to par. If not, he would ask for another box of fresh vegetables, meat, spices, and so on, Alana said.

“If I won’t eat it, I won’t serve it,” Yong said.

But Yong also enjoyed trying new recipes, and prepared a new dish just last month, Alana said.

“He’s always getting new ideas,” Alana said. “He’s a lifelong learner. He’s always wondering what he could do better.”

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As the Hus retire, they reflect on 18 years of running a restaurant, which they think of as their fourth child, and their journey to where they are now. 

“This was our second home, our second nature,” Alana said.

The Hus said the timing was the main reason they decided to retire. They are eager to travel, explore new opportunities and spend time with their family. In a couple of weeks, they will take their first family vacation.

New Asia was a labor of love for the family, especially for Wah and Yong, Alana said. “They built this from the ground up. It has been their own blood, sweat and tears.”

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New Asia opened on July 1, 2005, at 2075 Exeter Road in Germantown. The couple has worked every day for nearly two decades as they were both the owners and operational managers.

“If he’s not here, I’m here. If I’m not here, he’s here,” Wah said. “There is always one of us here.”

With New Asia open almost 365 days a year, the Hus made adjustments for their family. Wah’s parents lived with them to care for the children, so Yong and Wah could be at the restaurant.

“They ran a business; my mom took care of her parents until they passed and raised kids, but still are somehow sane,” Alana said. “Their theory was that they might not have the time to dedicate to teaching you, but we’ll invest and sacrifice for you to have the best life.”

Alana said she and her siblings recognize how hard their parents worked and how much they’ve sacrificed.

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With the restaurant being their second home, Alana said, their family dynamic is unusual.

“Our philosophy is to cultivate our children’s good study and hard work from an early age,” Wah said. “So, from the third grade, when they were young, they went to the restaurant to learn to work. Helping to wash dishes and chop vegetables makes their growth more fulfilling.”

Yong began his learning in 1980 when Yong moved to the States with his family from Guangdong, China, to pursue a new life. He was a dishwasher in Los Angeles at his uncle’s restaurant, where he caught the eye of three Hong Kong chefs who recognized his potential. They began to teach him how to mince, slice and cook different types of authentic Chinese meals.

In 1982, Yong moved to Memphis to join Joy Young restaurant. After bouncing around between Memphis, a period in Houston and Los Angeles, Yong ended up back in China in 1987 to marry his childhood sweetheart, Wah.

In 1988, the Hus made their home in Memphis when they bought the Peking Palace in Eastgate. This is where he began collecting his loyal fanbase.

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In 1993, Yong partnered with his brother to open Asian Palace in Covington Pike, where his fans followed him.

In 2005, Yong and Wah separated from the partnership with his brother and opened New Asia.

The Hus decided on the name New Asia as they wanted to create a name separate from the previous restaurant he co-owned with his brother, Asian Palace. Another main reason for the name is that the restaurant’s authentic menu offered all different types of Asian cuisines and translations: Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese.

“It’s inclusive,” Alana said. “There are plenty of options for all of Asia.”

Roast duck is on the top of the list for crowd favorites, Yong said. The careful preparation and special seasoning are what sets his cooking apart. Yong slowly roasted the duck daily and created his secret seasoning (not even the staff knew how to make it).

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Yong based a lot of his dishes on his upbringing in China. Wah and Yong grew up in the 1960s in Communist China. They were living in severe poverty, and food was limited. They mainly ate steamed eggs and rice. They would get a whole steamed chicken on special occasions such as Chinese holidays and birthdays.

“The emphasis now is that a lot of the dishes are derived from his upbringing,” Alana said. “It’s ingrained in the recipes that he makes.”