Wing Wah Spreads Its Wings In South Ogden
In the case of Wing Wah Restaurant, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But you can always add more and enhance what you’ve already got.
For over 30 years, Wing Wah has been part of the Ogden restaurant community. Then, during the Covid pandemic, Nancy Keys opened a new takeout location in South Ogden. It was strictly for takeout — a big key to restaurant survival when in-house dining was forced to close, and then social distance.
“It was just something convenient during Covid,” Keys said. “Originally a tanning salon was supposed to open next door.”
When the tanning salon didn’t move in, Wing Wah took over the space next door and turned it into an elegant dining room. The new addition opened August 8, 2022, with beautiful hand-painted Chinese murals.
But the first Wing Wah is still going strong at 465 East 12th Street in Ogden, and the old-school recipes remain the same. After taking over from her parents about four years ago, “We kept all the same recipes and cooking methods,” said Keys, “And we added a dessert line.”
Because Keys has been involved with the restaurant nearly all her life, “We have the ability to keep what was the original,” she said. “But we’re also able to modernize it a little bit. Everyone is into desserts and the arts. So we have a ton of artwork, and the traditional dishes that they remember for a nostalgic feel, but something new for the younger generation.”
“The whole point was to keep Mom and Dad’s legacy alive,” she said.
At both locations, customers will find their long-time favorites such as Chicken or Pork Chow Mein, with stir-fried veggies over crunchy noodles; or Chicken Egg Foo Yung, Sweet or Honey Walnut Shrimp.
The deep-fried Orange Chicken is laced in a sweet, citrusy-sauce. “We dry our own orange peel and add it to the sauce, to give it more flavor,” Nancy Keys said.
Another popular favorite is General Tso’s Chicken: deep-fried chicken pieces coated in a spicy, sweet sauce.
As I discovered when I interviewed Keys for a Standard-Examiner story, Wing Wah has a long history. Her father, Joe Lee, immigrated from Hong Kong to California about 50 years ago. He went to work in his brother’s California restaurants.
Then, when his brother’s father-in-law needed some help in his Utah restaurant, Lee moved to Utah with his wife, Sue.
“He came out here and loved it,” Keys said.
In 1985, the Joe and Sue Lee opened a small place of their own on 24th and Monroe, called Ho Wah.
“They saved up, and in 1991, opened the Wing Wah on 7th and Washington,” Keys said. “It was an old pizza drive-through converted to a small sit-down and takeout spot.”
“Wing Wah” means “Wealth and Prosperity,” she said.
As business grew, in September 2000, they fulfilled their dream of opening a large, sit-down restaurant at 465 East 12th Street.
“It was a gamble, and there were some hard times,” said Keys, noting that her mother broke her leg and gave birth to Nancy’s younger brother, Raymond, the same year that they opened the 12th Street location. “But the new restaurant did really well.”
For a while, they kept both the 7th and Washington and the 12th Street location going. But two locations so near to each other confused customers. “People would place orders at one, and go to the wrong one to pick it up,” Keys recalled.
Keys grew up in the restaurant. As a young child, she played in the rice bins and annoyed her mother by dumping the dining tables’ sugar and soy sauce together into “mountains” on the tabletop. But as she got older, she worked alongside her parents.
She was working in California in the software industry when she became pregnant with her first child. Her parents convinced her and her husband, Lawrence Keys, to move back to Utah and take over Wing Wah.
“My parents wanted to retire, and wanted us to take over the business or they would sell it. I didn’t want my parents’ legacy to go away. The restaurant was always a part of me.”
In preparation, her husband, Lawrence spent two years training with Joe Lee every night after work, from 10 to midnight, five nights a week, to master the art of the wok.
“He learned the ingredients, the sauces, the processes,” Nancy Keys said.
Her brother Raymond Lee also works at Wing Wah. Her sister, Jenni Lee Tran, has Nikkos Sushi & Ramen in Kaysville. “She loves sushi, and now she makes her own,” Nancy said.
And although Lawrence still helps out, he recently took over a North Ogden barbershop, which was his former profession.
While keeping the old recipes, Keys added a new dessert line. These are wonton-wrapped bites with fillings such as strawberry or blueberry cheesecake, s’mores, banana Nutella, and salted caramel. They lightly fried wontons give some crunch, and the fillings add creamy sweetness.
Probably the best dining deal at Wing Wah is the lunch special, which runs $9.99-$10.99. The Express Lunch was put on hold during Covid and the aftermath, “Because we didn’t have the manpower,” Nancy explained. “We’ve finally brought it back.”
And speaking of manpower, Nancy Keys gives credit to management and long-time staffers who have maintained Wing Wah’s quality.
“Our senior management staff members are Kenzi, Shar, Anna, & Ashley…the front of the house rockstars! They go down to the finest details such as the shape and size of the salt pepper shakers, constantly hold team building activities, and are always trying to take the customer experience to higher and higher heights.
“Winnie been the backbone of Wing Wah since 2003. Always working six days a week, having fun just keeping up with the life-long patrons.
“Victor has been with my dad almost since the beginning. Wing Wah on 12th started in 2000, and he was here in 2001. His unbreakable spirit, working long days and years, sourcing the best ingredients possible, ensuring all training, techniques are successful downloaded throughout his teams.
“They own and deserve the reason why Wing Wah was voted #1 in Northern Utah for Best Chinese. The level of care and dedication cannot be matched or defined. Whether it’s two in the morning, they’ll all answer a call and have always treated Wing Wah as if it was their own.
“So allow me to publicly say, “Thank you for every little thing you do. I will forever love you and be forever grateful that Heavenly Father allowed our life journeys to cross paths.”
As for Sue and Joe Lee, they are enjoying what Nancy calls an Asian retirement. Meaning, “They don’t have to be here, but they’re always here.”