>>> TODAY WE ARE KICKING OFF
RESTAURANT WEEK, WHEN WE LOVE TO
SHOW SOME LOVE TO LOCAL FAMILY
EATERIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HIT
HARD OVER THE PAST YEAR.
>> YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET LIZ YEE
A THIRD GENERATION RESTAURANT
OWNER IN NEW YORK’S CHINATOWN.
AFTER DIPPING INTO THE FAMILY’S
SAVINGS LIZ AND HER HUSBAND
BRIAN WERE STRUGGLING TO DAY
AFLOAT.
TAKE A LOOK.
LIZ YEE IS A THIRD GENERATION
CHINATOWN RESTAURANT OWNER.
30 YEARS AGO, HER GRANDFATHER
OPENED THIS BAKERY, FAMOUS FOR
THEIR BELOVED SPONGE CAKES.
>> GROWING UP IN A FAMILY
BUSINESS IN CHINATOWN IS PRETTY
GOOD, JUST BECAUSE I GOT TO SEE
MY PARENTS A LOT.
I WAS ABLE TO HANG OUT WITH MY
SIBLING A LOT INSIDE THE BAKERY.
ME AND MY SIBLINGS ARE PRETTY
MUCH LIKE THIS.
WHEN MY DAD TOOK OVER ABOUT 11,
12 YEARS AGO WE STARTED DOING
NEW FLAVORS.
BECAUSE THERE ARE EIGHT OF US IN
THE FAMILY AND EACH OF US HAD
OUR OWN DIFFERENT TASTE BUDS.
>> IN OCTOBER 2019 LIZ AND HER
HUSBAND BRIAN OPENED TONY’S
FRESH RICE NOODLE.
THE RESTAURANT IS NAMED AFTER
THEIR DAUGHTER AND IN HONOR OF
LIZ’S BROTHER WHO PASSED AWAY IN
2009.
>> FOR HONG KONG CAFE CONFIDENT
FOOD THIS IS HONESTLY THE FOOD
WE GREW UP ON.
>> Reporter: INSTEAD OF
CELEBRATING A YOU IN CHAPTER
THEY WERE HIT WITH THE GRUELING
OBSTACLES THAT CAME WITH THE
PANDEMIC.
>> IT WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE
YOU TAKE THE TIME TO BUILD AND
RENOVATE THIS PLACE.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THERE IS A
VIRUS A CHINESE VIRUS, YOU KNOW
IS THIS SO PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO
COME TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> Reporter: WITH SCHOOL
CLOSURES, THEIR THREE KIDS CAME
TO WORK WITH THEM EVERY DAY.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAME TO
TONY’S ON SATURDAY THEY WOULD
SEE ME AND BRIAN GOING CRAZY
BECAUSE YOU CAN HEAR MY KIDS IN
THE BACKGROUND.
FOR US TO RUN AROUND TRYING TO
GET THINGS READY WHILE SERVING
CUSTOMERS WHILE TAKING CARE OF
OUR KIDS AND THEIR SCHOOL, OUR
MINDS WERE JUST BLOWN.
>> Reporter: CHINATOWN
BUSINESSES REPORTED PROFIT
LOSSES UP TO 70% AS EARLY AS
FEBRUARY, 2020, DUE TO
ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT, FEAR OF
THE VIRUS, AND DECLINE IN
TOURISM.
SEEING A NEED FOR RELIEF,
MULTIPLE GRASSROOTS INITIATIVES
FORMED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SEND CHINATOWN LOVE ASSIST
MERCHANTS LIKE TONY’S IN
CREATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE TO
BOOST REVENUE STREAMS.
>> IF YOU A NEED IN YOUR
COMMUNITY, IT IS NOW MORE
IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO JUST
START HELPING HOWEVER YOU CAN.
>> THE VOLUNTEER-RUN
ORGANIZATION RECENTLY HOSTED A
LUNAR NEW YEAR DIGITAL FOOD
CRAWL INVITING PEOPLE TO EXPLORE
RESTAURANTS AND BRING BUSINESS
INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> IT GAVE US HOPE TO STAY
ALIVE.
AND IT IS SOMETHING WE REALLY
NEEDED A LOT DURING THIS TIME.
>> WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE
CULTURE THAT WAS IN CHINATOWN 20
YEARS AGO HERE AND NOW.
ONCE YOU DON’T KEEP THOSE THINGS
GOING, YOU KIND OF LOSE IT
FOREVER.
>> CHINATOWN REALLY REPRESENT
THE ASIAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS CREATED BY IMMIGRANTS WHO
MOVED TO THIS COUNTRY AND WANTED
THE CARVE A SPACE FOR
THEMSELVES.
THAT LEGACY HAS ALLOWED THE
YOUNGER GENERATION OF
ASIAN-AMERICANS TO CREATE A
SPACE FOR THEMSELVES HERE AS
WELL.
>> FOR US AS YOUNG ADULT
BUSINESS OWNERS, WE WANTED TO
PRESERVE THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF
HONG KONG-STYLE FOOD.
WE WANTED OUR KIDS TO UNDERSTAND
THIS IS WHAT YOUR GRANDPARENTS
USED TO EAT, AND THEIR
GRANDPARENTS AND SO ON.
AND WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE ANY OF
THAT STUFF.
>> LIZ AND BRIAN, WE ARE
CHEERING FOR YOU.
IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I LIKE TONII’S WITH TWO Is?
WHAT DOES THAT REPRESENT?
>> MY BROTHER AND HIS
GIRLFRIEND, ANNA.
WE WANTED TO BRIDGE THE GAP
BETWEEN THE OLDER GENERATION AND
THE FUTURE GENERATION.
>> WE LOVE THAT.
>> Y’ALL ARE DOING IT.
WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A
SURPRISE FOUR GUYS TO HELP YOUR
FAMILY CONTINUE ITS LEGACY IN
CHINATOWN.
YOU GUYS ARE BEING GIFTED
$20,000 BY THE HISTORY CHANNEL
AS PART OF A NETWORK SAVE OUR
HISTORY CAMPAIGN AND SAVE OUR
RESTAURANTS INITIATIVE TO HELP
PRESERVE LANDMARK RESTAURANTS
AFFECTED BY COVID-19!
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> THANK YOU.
WE ARE STUNNED.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS.
>> WE CAN’T WAIT TO COME AND EAT
AT TONII’S.
AND WE ARE SENDING YOU ALL SO
MUCH LOVE.
>> WE REALLY ARE.
WE ARE EXCITED FOR U. YOU GUYS
ARE A GREAT FAMILY.
WE LOVE YOUR KIDS ASK.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO TRY THAT
DELICIOUS FOOD.
WHAT IS THAT IN FRONT OF YOU?
WHAT IS THAT?
>> THIS IS WHAT WE ARE KNOWN
FOR, OUR SPONGE CAKES.
SO OUR ORIGINAL FLAVOR, WHICH IS
OUR MOST POPULAR FLAVOR.
IT IS VERY FLUFFY AND LIGHT.
PROBABLY THE BEST IN CHINATOWN.
>> YES, IT IS.
>> YES.
AND THEN THIS IS OUR GREEN TEA
SPONGE CAKE, WHICH IS OUR MOST
POPULAR FLAVORED ONE.
GRANNY TEE MATCHA FLAVOR.
THEN WE CAN CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS INSIDE?
WE ARE COMING FOR A VISIT.
>> WE ARE COMING FOR A VISIT.
>> COMING FOR A VISIT.
WE WISH WE COULD HAVE SOME NOW.
WE WISH YOU GUYS ALL THE BEST.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU.
AND THIS IS THE NEWEST ONE, THE
PANDEMIC FLAVOR.
>> WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT