Wing's owner living 'American Dream'

VERNON — Kingo Wong, owner of Wing's Asian Bistro, is spreading the “American Dream” of hard work, honor, and respect for himself, his employees, and customers.
Wong, born in Hong Kong when it was still under British rule before 1997, calls himself a British Chinese. Thus, he said, Wing's has been uniquely owned and run for almost three years by traditional Chinese people, right in the heart of Vernon.
Sushi Chef Jian studied Sushi three years and has been creating edible works of art at Wing's from the very beginning.
Wong explained, even preparing cucumbers is a difficult skill to master, because Sushi knives are “very, very sharp.” Therefore, new chefs always cut their hands. On top of that, if one holds the cucumber too tightly, all the water drains. Ultimately, the chefs learn to: peel, cut cucumbers paper thin, and roll them into Sushi.
For those who prefer a light, high protein, low carb, healthy treat, Wong presents the “Naruto Special:” cooked King Crab, shrimp, and avocado, wrapped in paper thin cucumber sheets. The cucumber sheets take the place of traditional Sushi rice. Wing's then tops the rolls with their own all natural sauce made of: apple, orange, lime, and lemon, without MSG or sugar. The cucumber is so fresh one can hear, “Crunch, crunch,” while chewing.
Besides Sushi, Wong said they have a full menu of Asian signature dishes, including General Tso's Chicken and Chicken Broccoli, where the broccoli is incredibly fresh and tasty.
Also, Wong values the local community so much, Wing's makes reservations for only local people on big holidays, such as Christmas and Valentine's Day. Wong said, he wants to make sure local residents are seated first, then tourists.
Last year, he helped local resident, Louis Cimaglia, celebrate his birthday at Wing's by organizing the New York United Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe to perform the traditional Chinese “Lion Dance.”
Wong said, now is a good time to visit Wing's, when the water park and ski rush are quiet. He said he looks forward to making more friends with the community, when they come, sit down, and enjoy high quality, healthy, outstanding food. Wong also wants to thank everyone for their support.
He added, he is happy when people tell him they have lost their weight after eating at Wing's almost two years.
Wong also said, day after day, people ask him to suggest dishes they should eat when following a diet or having high cholesterol. He said, his kitchen is ready to tailor food to the desires and needs of their customers. Wing's is even prepared to provide gluten free food and sauces.
On top of that, Wong has very high standards about the quality of his food. If food is not perfect, he throws it away. In fact, his standards are so high, he fired his first chef after four days. According to Wong, his chef had wanted to serve food which was not fresh enough.
Wong insists each chef: look at, smell, touch, and cut a piece of every fish, to first eat for himself.
“I don't care how much this piece (of fish) costs me,” he said, if the fish fails the test, “throw it away.”
All his employees know how serious he is about food quality, and they are too.
Wong remembered a proud moment in his life when an employee and employee's daughter invited him to her high school graduation. The daughter specifically wanted to thank Wong for employing her father as a chef. Wong had taught her father how to work with his hands and not talk much, because the man's words made people angry, resulting in being fired.
Wong now realizes his restaurants help support 15 families in Vernon and 21 families in Manhattan. That day inspired him, he said, to continue creating businesses, with more employee positions, so he can hire more people to work.