RIP Paul Fong-Co-founder of Chef Shangri-La!

For those of you who are not friends with the Chef on FB, here's Betty's post from Sunday...

"It is with great sadness I announce my father's passing on May 31, 2012. Paul J Fong was an amazing man, who lived life to the fullest. He arrived in America in 1945, but shortly after, his father passed and was left to fend for himself at the age of 13.

My father worked day & night and NEVER stopped. The money he did make, was sent back to his mother in China, even until her death in 2009. My father treated everyone with respect and kindness. He touched many lives and will forever be honored and cherished.

I am forever proud to be his daughter and will do everything I can to continue his legacy at Chef Shangri-la. He is survived by 5 children, 13 grandchildren & 1 great grandchild."

Please keep the Fong family in your prayers & hoist a Mai Tai in Paul's honor in the very near future!

Mahalo!!!!!

This veteran of the Polynesian restaurant industry deserves to be remembered, since his career spanned the 20th century Polynesian pop period from Pre-Tiki to Tiki Modern. Here is a great thread with beautiful images of the place where Paul Fong worked as the chef and where the name of his own restaurant came from:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=32552&forum=2

There are many threads on the Chef Shangri La here on TC since BambooLodge has arranged many happy Tiki events there over the years, but his posting in "Locating Tiki" is sadly bereft of images:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=17847&forum=2

Maybe folks can post images there now as a memorial to Paul Fong. I do not have any images here with me in Europe, so I hope that Humu Humu will forgive me if I clip some of her great slide show on Critiki to start the image posting in the "Locating Tiki" thread above.

That's a great idea! We've got some old photos we scanned some time back that we'll try and get in the "Locating Tiki" asap.

Since they took over last year, Betty and Duane have made the hallway of the entrance to the Chef a homage to the early days with some great black and white framed 8"x10"s. Here's a pic of Paul at the grand opening in 1976, it's our personal favorite "Mixin' up the Dr Fong"...

Please keep the Fong family in your prayers & hoist a Mai Tai in Paul's honor in the very near future!
Mahalo!!!!!

R.I.P. Paul.