The death of Mr. Chen...
When I started working in Boca Raton, my coworkers would frequent a Chinese restaurant named Hunan Palace. Through the years it must have been owned by different people but, it was a mainstay as the winter months had people standing outside waiting to get a seat.Dingy, crowded, booths, a menu with numbers to order by. Lunch for $6 and a dollar more if you made substitutions.
COVID hit and the business suffered. As people started going back, the place was totally renovated. The huge aquarium in the middle was gone and the booths were taken out and replaced with tables. The floor was changed to ceramic tiles.
It must be hard keeping a good chef as the food was great one month and not-so-great the next. The one good thing about Chinese restaurants is they're never closed on American Holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas were their 2 best days.
I haven't gone to eat there in more than I can remember and a friend complained to the owner about the variances in quality. That must have been happening too often and the name removed from the front of the place indicated a kiss of death.
Driving by last night, I see a banner across the old signage for a new business of buffet style Indian Cuisine. It's been a while for me to have food in Indian style, so I'll have to pay my respects to the late Mr. Chen and see new foods are being cooked in my neighborhood.