Pekin Noodle Parlor’s Closure leaves a hole in the Heart of Butte

As a local food lover, the closure of the beloved Pekin Noodle Parlor on Main Street hits especially hard.  Sure the Pekin is as old as the Mining City itself and if full of local history.  The stories of the Tong Wars and Butte’s old Chinatown provide enough material for a college history course, but that’s not what made it special.  It had an atmosphere like no other and when you saw the long flight of stairs ahead of you, you just knew that something delicious was in store.

Sure, the Pekin’s incredible food is the primary reason that it was open for 115 years but there was so much more going on at the Pekin that made it one of the most unique restaurants anywhere.  I can’t think of any other restaurant where the booths were enclosed and kept private by a thin curtain.  The main dining room connected directly to a literal hole-in-the-wall lounge and bar area and the long hall led directly to the Pekin’s kitchen where you could see the cooks hard at work.  Many of us remember seeing the legendary Danny Wong hard at work preparing incredible cuisine when he wasn’t greeting and chatting with diners in his unmistakable accent.

Let’s talk about the food.  As an appetizer, the Pekin’s barbeued pork with sesame seeds and hot mustard was a staple although the mustard should have come with a warning label.  I’ve never tasted hot mustard that intense but it was incredible once you got used to it.  Their pork fried rice was not only delicious in the booth but even better later that evening as a midnight snack because you always took home leftovers.  From chop suey to sweet and sour chicken, deep fried shrimp and their incredible egg drop soup, their food was simply incredible.

The Pekin’s name is sadly added to the list of Butte restaurants of the past.  The Lamplighter.  The Red Rooster.  The Ponderosa.  The Acoma.  The Bronx Supper Club.  Paul Bunyan’s Sandwich Shop.  Taco John’s.

Farewell, Pekin, and thank you for 115 years of food, memories and friendship.