First Chinese restaurants in Sheffield

[alby 10]

The first one that I remember was the Peacock in the Wicker.

 

I remember going here around 1959/60. I think it might have been earlier than the Zing Vaa.

[zakes 68]

When Did the First Chinese Restaurant/Chip shop open?

 

Ref: Post 20. From the ever brilliant Hillsbro.

 

Goldfish Bowl takeout chip shop on Earl Way.

 

I immediately put the cartooned advert of this shop on my mobile as a screen saver. The advert is cleverly made with humour. Written on the mermaid is… TAKE Meals HOME. Lol. Thanks for the link Hillsbro.

 

If memory serves, the Goldfish Bowl was a cuppla doors down from Violent May’s untidy, but good record shop. Both businesses were situated behind, and slightly down from the Hof brauhaus Bierkeller and the other club(s), Penny Farthing etc. Remember the underpass in front of dem clubs?

 

Although I’m not sure, I do have a feeling the Goldfish Bowl people had another chip shop. Perhaps at Walkley or Crookes.

 

I was a regular customer at the Goldfish Bowl, and bought either Chicken Omelette (which tasted slightly creamy), or a savoury risshole (they were massive). Each meal was served with chips. After a few visits, the woman serving me started to give me extra lashings of chips. This came about either due to me being a regular, or because of my charmful way. Lol.

 

Little Anecdote.

 

During a conversation in the Old Harrow Pub (‘Arra’ to those in the know), on White Lane Sheff 12, takeout food was mentioned. I told a lad (Alan, frumt Charnock Estate) about the scran at the Goldfish Bowl. I must have given a good description of the food because Alan was totally begeistert. He had his Dad’s car in the pub carp ark… We set off without telling the other lads we were suppin’ wi.

 

At the Goldfish Bowl I ordered the meals (to guarantee extra chips. Lol.) I had the rissole, Alan the omelette. When we got back to the ‘Arra’ nobody had noticed we had been away for almost an hour.

 

Alan Woodward (real name) and I repeated this over the next few months. I wasn’t always in the ‘Arra’ (had suppin’ mates in town too), but I do know Alan took others down to the Goldfish Bowl, usually Fridays or Saturdays.

 

I didn’t want commission from the owners of the Goldfish Bowl, I was just grateful for the big piles of chips I often wasn’t charged for.

[hillsbro 32]

Hi zakes - Mrs hillsbro and I always enjoy your entertaining posts! I'm not brilliant - I just have a pile of old Kelly's directories and a fairly long memory. Mrs hillsbro regards me as "somewhat eccentric", and she's probably right as always! My cousin Denise worked at the Goldfish Bowl in the late 1960s - maybe she was the kind assistant who gave you the extra chips!

Edited July 28, 2016 by hillsbro

[Jim Hardie 527]

Probably owned by Chin Hong who had a Laundry at Firth Park, died as a Restaurateur in 1963.

 

That sounds like the Chinese laundry on Fith Park Road (left hand side when travelling towards town). It had 'Lin Hong' painted on the window if I remember rightly.

[old tup 30]

Wasn't there one at Hillsborough corner in the early '60s, if so what is it now?

Hi stpetre,that was called the Bluebird,upstairs in the White Buildings that exist no more,demolished to make way for road widening for Supertram tracks!.Before being a Chinese restaurant it was a snooker hall that workmates and I frequented most afternoons after a snifter in the Old Blue Ball and the Shakespeare!.Before anyone starts to accuse us of being layabouts,we started work in the early hours and were finished at lunchtime giving us plenty of time for leasure activities both sporting and female orientated,I look back with pleasure at those carefree days of my youth!.

[hillsbro 32]

That sounds like the Chinese laundry on Fith Park Road (left hand side when travelling towards town). It had 'Lin Hong' painted on the window if I remember rightly.

Old Kelly's directories show this laundry at 140 Firth Park Road on the corner of Selby Road. In the directories from 1937 to 1954 it was "Chin Hong" and by 1958 "S.L. Hong". By 1970 "Pa T. Chu" lived there (no business mentioned).

[bullerboY 10]

Old Tup it changed its name to Silver Dragon because there was already a Bluebird in the Wicker.We used to go in every Saturday night in the sixties and went in until it closed for good.Suited and booted tie and cuff links how times have changed.

[old tup 30]

Hi bullerboy you are right about the name change,we also used to be dressed the same as yourself in my opinion better than todays scruffy looking styles!.I,ve just remembered one afternoon when it was still the snooker hall coming down the stairs to be greeted by a large loud mouthed police sergeant informing me that my parked car was causing an obstruction!.I pointed out that there was enough room to drive a Sherman tank past but no he still gave me a ticket costing me an £8 fine,after driving away I counted my blessings as I remembered how many pints consumed that lunchtime,if you could hold your beer and not slur it was a lot more lenient in the late 50s early 60s!.Just for interest what would £8 be converted to todays value?.

[Jim Hardie 527]

Just for interest what would £8 be converted to todays value?.

 

Depends on the year. Have a play with this.

http://www.moneysorter.co.uk/calculator_inflation2.html#calculator

[Elmambo 25]

According to the "This Money" conversion tool, £8, in 1960, equals £168, in today's money. Sounds about right.

There was a well known Police Sergeant around at that time, used to step into the road and flag you down for "speeding" based on no evidence except his own opinion - always picked on motorists. Maybe it was him you came across.

[bullerboY 10]

Wasnt that the only Restaurant in Hillsboro around that time Old Tup i cant think of another.

[mossdog 10]

Wasnt that the only Restaurant in Hillsboro around that time Old Tup i cant think of another.

There was the "Oriental" just past the "Masons" on Langsett Road.I played in bands at the time and after gigs if we could not get in the "Bluebird" we would go to the "Oriental' for some undescribable grub because we were always hungry in those days!