Peter H. Kwong

You might have noticed the name of Peter H. Kwong; it’s popping up everywhere. Whether it is a community education class or another cooking class at UW-Barron County; or the chef in charge of the impressive Chinese New Year dinner hosted by the Roost Restaurant in Sarona that was held at the Spooner Golf Course. He gets more and more press all the time. And just who is this man who also works as a restaurant consultant as well as a chef?

Peter was born in Hong Kong in the 50’s. His father owned a successful import/export business, which Peter was expected to carry on. But Peter didn’t like the lifestyle – you either spent a lot of time entertaining the potential buyers from all parts of the world; or spent a lot of time being entertained by the associates that were connected with doing the business – the factory owners, insurance companies, bankers, and shipping companies.

Peter spent a lot of his younger days with his Pao Pao (grandma on his mother’s side). She was born in Vietnam and married Peter’s Kung Kung (grandpa) at the age of sixteen. She moved to Hong Kong, a land she knew nothing about, and started a new life. Somehow, Peter followed her footsteps later but not realizing it. As Peter’s mother had to work to supplement the family income, Peter was dropped off at his Pao Pao’s place every morning. Pao Pao was in charge of feeding the family and all the employees who worked at Kung Kung’s grocery store. There could be over 50 mouths to feed in a setting. Peter learned a lot then just watching his Pao Pao at work while snooping outside the kitchen.

Hong Kong is a small island off the tip of South East Asia. It is a tiny speck on the map. Yet HONG KONG will be in print in block letters. After losing the Opium War in the late 1800’s, Hong Kong was ceded to the British for 99 years. And it was not till 1997 that it finally returned to China. So, for 99 years, Hong Kong was ruled by the British Government, and China had no say in all its policies and legislations.

Life was tough during the Japanese invasion in 1945, and it got worse when the Communists took over afterward. Hundreds and thousands of refugees would escape to Hong Kong to prevent them from being prosecuted as ‘capitalist’ just because they owned businesses and properties; as they would be executed on site. Overnight, the population exploded, and all would be competing over the same things – food, shelter and jobs. Instead of greeting each other with the standard “How are you”? It would become “Have you eaten”? How fortunate, to have a full stomach!

Growing up, distant relatives would return to Hong Kong for visits after spending years in the U.S. They would describe the U.S. as ‘Gold Mountain’, and would give Peter a crisp $5 bill as ‘Lucky Money’. When getting 25 cents a month for pocket money, a $5 bill painted the picture of ‘Easy Money in the Gold Mountain’ indeed. Little did all know that those relatives had worked in crowded sweatshops and were just making up stories to tell all that they had ‘made’ it after all. The seed was planted in Peter’s head then – ‘Gold Mountain’ was the place to be – pavement paved with gold.

Then came John Wayne, who would become Peter’s hero. John Wayne would fight against anyone and everyone and never lost – with the Germans, the Japanese, the Indians, and whoever got in his way….! A true American hero indeed. Another reason to go to the States, a place where the good guys live.

Peter wasn’t a good student then, he readily admits that. In order to graduate from High School, he had to take an exam mandated by the School Board (SCE – School Certificate Examination). Even the school officials discouraged him from taking the SCE exam, as his ‘guaranteed’ failure would affect the curve of success of the school. “It will be a miracle if you pass”, his Principal exclaimed. However, Peter’s mother insisted that he should take the exam regardless. As in a miracle, Peter passed. That was his first miracle.

Knowing that it was impossible to further his education in Hong Kong, and having no desire to follow his father’s footsteps, the only way out was to go somewhere else. But where? Then ‘Gold Mountain’ came back – a land paved with gold, with our hero John Wayne guarding it. So, America was the place to be.

A Junior College named MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California accepted his application, and the journey began. His father’s business wasn’t doing well then, but Peter was determined to strike out on his own. He managed to pay for the ticket of the charted flight, and the tuition for the first year, as required by the States. Then off he went. Just in case of emergencies, Peter’s mother came up with the US $300 that Pao Pao would sew in his undershirt, on the evening of his departure. With that, a new life began.

The plane with the 300 students on the charted flight landed in San Francisco. All the students on the plane were greeted and picked up by friends and relatives. Peter was alone with his luggage, and was waiting for a ride to the final destination, just to find out that it was hundreds of miles away. Little did he know that it was a two-hour flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and then, another two-hour ride from Los Angeles to reach Oceanside. On top of that, he almost didn’t make it through customs, thanks to Pao Pao. On the night of his departure, Pao Pao would help to pack ‘stuff’ in his suitcases, just to make sure that he would be able to survive in a foreign land. She would add a rice cooker, an iron, bunch of dried noodles, and herbal medicine tea, (which the customs found suspicious, as it looked like something one smoked in the U.S.). Somehow, the agent gave him a dirty look with a smile and let him through.

After reaching Los Angeles, Peter found out that there would be another two hours’ drive to Oceanside, his final destination. The buses would be available the next morning. Somehow, his luck prevailed, and a limousine pulled up. It was taking the Marines to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, and there was a spot open as one of the Marines couldn’t make the trip. Thanking his fairy godmother, Peter hopped in, and the journey continued. The driver dropped him off at a motel in Oceanside, which he checked into gratefully, not knowing that one piece of his luggage (with his new suit and new clothes) would be left in the limousine.

Spending the night in a strange land wasn’t that bad. It was the next morning trying to get food from a diner that was interesting. Peter ordered a hamburger, and puzzled over the question of “How do you want it prepared?” Those questions had never been asked before. After figuring out about Rare, Medium and Well, he had to ponder on the next challenge: “It comes with a salad. What dressing would you like?”

He managed to take a bus ride to get to the school – MiraCosta College. Then came the next challenge of where he was going to stay. The arrangements that he thought he had planned didn’t come through, so he was frantically looking for a home. The news spread all over the campus. Finally, a lady came and invited Peter to her home to stay as long as he needed, till he could find his own place. Little did Peter know that his second miracle just took place. The lady, Mrs. Joyce House, was the assistant to the Principal. She just got married to a husband with four boys. With her own two daughters, there were eight in the family. Peter soon became the ninth member of the family, and all the kids cried when he decided to leave and find his own place to live. To earn his keep, Peter became the master of the house, in charge of all the chores that his siblings should be performing. Peter became the adopted son of Don & Joyce House. They became his mom & dad, while he still had his mother and father from Hong Kong. Hence, to date, his name is Peter House Kwong.

After graduating from the Junior College, he entered a four-year college (USIU – United States International University) and got his B.S. degree in Business Administration and Marketing. He started out working as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant to supplement his tuition for college. Then he moved his way up to be the prep cook, line cook, and later, to be a waiter and bartender in a steak house. After graduation, he became a manager and kept moving upward. It was then that Head Hunters started to recruit him to use his talents to work for different companies across the States.

First, he moved from San Diego, California to Arlington, Texas. Then to Atlanta, Georgia; and finally ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All these ventures required him to use his cooking talents to develop different recipes and to teach and train the help. Tired of moving around, he determined that Milwaukee was home, and started his own consulting business. Being restless, he also got involved in being a professor in a culinary school, an instructor for cooking classes in the marketplaces, and a voluntary chef for churches. Meanwhile, Peter was still involved with his barbershop singing and playing racquetball.

It was not till Easter in 2016 that they decided to move. Their son’s family came and left after the ritual brunch. Peter told his wife Colleen, that he couldn’t live that way any longer, seeing the granddaughter and her family three or four times a year; two to three hours each time. Without blinking an eye, she said, “O.K.”, and the move began. They found a home in St. Croix Falls, right on the lake. Peter loves the scenery and the serenity of the area. And Colleen, being an artist, would use the garage as her studio for pottery, painting and making jewelries. She is very talented, but as Peter proclaimed, “Thank goodness she can’t cook, or she won’t need me.”

Not knowing anyone and anything about their new home, Peter has found comfort in the local barbershop, The Indianhead Chorus. He also joined the Writer’s Group to improve his writing skills. And he is also teaching cooking classes with local Community Education all over the place – River Falls, Spooner, Unity, Amery, Frederic, Spooner and Rice Lake. His lessons include Chinese, Italian and Mexican. His pride and joy is to share his passion for cooking with others, utilizing the simple kitchen equipment in every household to create authentic cuisines. He is also writing a cookbook/memoir in his spare time. “It is not just a cookbook with recipes”, Peter says. “It is also about the lost memories about growing up in Hong Kong. A lot of things and places that I grew up with no longer exist.”

(Six important ingredients in Chinese cooking. Last in line-hot peppers)

Check with Karen Collins, the director of the Community Education programs of Spooner for all the upcoming events. There will be Dim Sum Trips and Fire (Hot) Pot Dinner in the Twin Cities, with a shopping trip to the Oriental Store to learn about the different ingredients. And don’t forget to check out The Roost in Sarona. Peter is also involved with them in their upcoming events:

They are talking Italian Fest, Cinco de Mayo and many others. Their last Chinese Banquet with wine and beer pairing was a huge success.

Welcome, Chef Peter, to the Northwood.

Diane Dryden has been a feature writer for twelve years and is the author of two novels. Order your copy of the Accidental King of Clark Street and Double or Nothing on Foster Avenue today!