"I came to London from Hong Kong in 1987, after I got married. I was 18 at the time. I used to work as a seamstress when I lived in China, but we opened this takeaway restaurant when we came to London. I’ve been working here ever since. Tuesday till Sunday, 5pm till 11pm. It´s been 30 years, but we´ve never changed the menu. It is still the exact same as it was back then.
The customers know what we serve, and they choose to come back. A couple that lives down the street has been coming here for ten years. They order the same dishes every time. When I see them, I know what to make. I keep asking them if they don´t want to try something new, but they never do.
The most important thing is to keep your customers happy. You have to make sure that everything is done right. I always smile at the people that enter our door, even if I’ve never seen them before. Next time, they will smile back. People always tell me that I look so happy, and I am.
I don´t miss anything from my homeland, really. I had a happy childhood there, but I’ve got my entire family here now, and this is where my children are growing up. I will continue to serve Special fried rice and Chow Mein for as long as I can, but I want my children to have an easier life. It is hard work, running your own restaurant"