The low-slung buildings of Chinatown

Was legendary. Best Peking Duck in the city (ordered 36 hours in advance). It was taken over briefly by family. OG chef then did China King on Beach St where the venerable Rainbow Restaurant had been. Claim to fame was that Emerald purchased their dumpling recipe long ago for a 7 figure sum. It was, though, on a very short list of any chef in town to visit. Shanghai Noodles were top notch.

Indeed, I went there many times while attending MIT in the late 80's, usually getting beef chow mein and scallion pancakes.

Nicknamed by MIT student Micheal "Roger" Walco, who, with his girlfriend Gloria Wei, spent most of 1982 working their way through Chinatown in search of superlative eateries. Extremely popular with the local neighborhood folk as well - lots of authentic, non-touristified northern Chinese food and the best Peking duck you ever had.

It absolutely was a converted gas station. Originally, the dining space was so small that only three or four people could eat inside - eventually they 'expanded' so a dozen folks could squeeze in! The place was a favorite destination of the members of Roger's living group, and we proselytized the heck out of it to our fellow MITers and other Boston friends.

When Mr. Huang passed away, his niece Doris and her husband Erwin Mei ran the restaurant at that location for about a decade (and a short-lived satellite on Route 9 just west of Cyprus Street), eventually selling the name and space and opening the much larger China King at Oxford and Beach, just a few steps from the Chinatown Gate, in 2012. As a regular since 1983, I figure I've eaten more food made by them than anyone other than my mother and my own self.

Tragically, the near-total loss of business during the pandamic shut them down. I miss terribly not only the great food, but Doris and Erwin and their family and staff - just wonderful people.

I ordered it right away. It should be delivered on Christmas Eve. I recall seeing another photo of the Stuart St location once (it was daytime and a Stuart St street sign was visible), but I couldn't find it...

Even before the recent development bonanza of towers on any open lot, Chinatown had by far the densest population in the city, even with chunks of it being razed as recently as the 00s by Tufts.

Maybe look at those communities doing the bare minimum on housing, especially affordable housing. We (Bostonians who ride the bus and pay taxes) underwrite the cost of commuter rail so suburbanites can be whisked in and out of the City without the indignity of interacting with real people. Why should Boston bulldoze what makes us interesting and fun, only to create steel and glass mediocrity. Chinatown has done enough, we shouldn't turn it into another generic collection of buildings that could be in Houston.