Six decades, four generations, several South Florida addresses, and one Sammy Davis Jr. sighting later, Wan’s Mandarin House is prepping to celebrate a milestone few restaurants ever reach.
The enduring Chinese restaurant, now located at 664 N. Federal Hwy. in Fort Lauderdale, is marking its 60th anniversary with five days of festivities, which began Wednesday, August 12. Owner Alex Kuk says the occasion honors both his relatives who kept Wan’s running and the customers who have treated its dining room as their own gathering place.
“We have customers that come in that are three, four generations that have eaten here,” Kuk tells New Times. “We have first generations that are eating here.”
From Miami in 1966 to Fort Lauderdale today
Wan’s story began in Miami in 1966, when Kuk’s great-grandfather Lee Pong Wan and his wife, Hide Wan, opened a restaurant on SW Eighth Street in Miami. The business later moved to North Miami under the next generation, followed by locations in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale. Kuk’s aunt, Christina Wan, eventually guided the restaurant to its current address, where it has operated since 2005. She retired in 2024, although Kuk says she can still frequently be found greeting longtime diners…