Manufacturer: Wallace China
User: Fong Fong Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor – San Francisco
Date of bowl: circa 1935

Screen Shot from YouTube video

Fong Fong Menu

1939 Postcard

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Notes: Fong Fong Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor had two locations in San Francisco: the first at 824 Grant Avenue and a second at 1107 Stockton Street.

From a Facebook entry by Raymond Douglas Chong of the Chinese Historical Society of America: "Opened in 1935, Fong Fong Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor was unique in San Francisco Chinatown. A popular hangout for young people, it served hamburgers, hot dogs and its famous homemade ginger ice cream. Fong Fong closed in 1974 but remains a fond memory for its many customers.

"We had a beautiful, long counter, the latest equipment, stainless steel, nice-looking bakery cases full of fancy, decorated cakes and flaky French pastries, and it was the first place, you know, that had uniforms in Chinatown, regular soda fountain uniforms, all white. I told my partners my policy. 'Now we're going to cater to the younger generation and turn this into a gathering place for all of the young American-born Chinese in San Francisco.'

"Fong-Fong quickly became a magnet for students from nearby University of California Berkeley and Stanford University."

A memory related on the blog for The San Francisco Preservation Society in 2020, states: "I always remember having hamburgers at the Stockton Street Fong Fong's. The Jukebox was always playing the hit songs of the 60's. I always enjoyed a milkshake there too. Great memories of the 50's thru 60's."

As shown in the postcard above, Fong Fong had a Tea Pavillon in the Chinese Village on Treasure Island at the Golden Gate International Exposition held in 1939-1940 in San Francisco, where they offered tea service and fountain service.

There is also a 2014, video on YouTube by Rick Quan that gives an excellent history of Fong Fong.

Tan body – Wallace China's Desert Ware – utilizing the Tweed pattern. The Fong Fong logo consists of two Chinese figures holding a giant ice cream cone that towers over them. The two words "Fong" and "Fong" in very dark burgundy block letters are on each side of the ice cream cone, and underneath are the words "Chinatown" and "San Francisco" in smaller block letters that match the color of the burgundy red Tweed pattern.

Sources:
Chinese Historical Society of America – Facebook post by Raymond Douglas Chong
Chinese Historical Society of America –  YouTube video by Rick Quan in 2014

For additional info:
Tweed pattern by Wallace China

Contributors:
Bowl photos: Kathleen Lathom
Author: Ed Phillips