It doesn’t take a fortune cookie to reveal what an extraordinary person Yu-Mei is. You just need to spend a few minutes in her company. She is owner, entrepreneur and hostess of the popular Uptown China restaurant in Queen Anne.
And the secret of its success is the owner herself: She is a hands-on philosopher, therapist, confidant, sage and life coach — all rolled into one. So it’s not surprising that her name, Yu-Mei, means “grow up beautiful.”
On Jan. 23, Yu-Mei celebrated her 40th anniversary in Seattle. After her Aunt Snow relocated from Taiwan to Seattle, she called Yu-Mei. “Do you want to come to the United States and live with me?’
“I answered, ‘If you take me to Disneyland, I’ll think about it,’ “ Yu-Mei said, laughing as she remembers.
Two years later, 13-year-old Yu-Mei arrived in Seattle, and it was love at first sight.
Extended family
Yu-Mei is the youngest of three sisters. When she came to America, they stayed in Taiwan. Some years later, they joined her in Seattle, as did her mother, who is now 80.
One day, the three sisters put their heads together and said, “Let’s open up a restaurant.” That was 23 years ago, come May 28, when they first opened their doors. Uptown China was an immediate success.
Yu-Mei still remembers their first customer. “Her name is Anna. She worked at an insurance agency right across from us. She’s still a customer.
Even when customers move away, they stop by Uptown China whenever they’re in Seattle. Take Carrie and Bryan Bosch.
Although they live in Ohio now, but Carrie still comes to Seattle on business. She once worked as a bartender at Uptown China. During one visit before they married, Carrie called Bryan to ask what she could bring him. He replied, “I’ll give you $1,000 if you bring me Uptown China.”
Chef and author Nick Stellino, who hosts “Cucina Amore” and “Nick Stellino’s Family Kitchen” on the PBS-affiliated channel KTCS, is also a longtime customer. “Every time he’s in town, he comes to see us,” Yu-Mei said.
“I am fortunate to meet so many people. I even met my husband, Marvin, here. We have all these customers that have been with us for 20-plus years. I held them when they were little babies; now they’re sitting in the bar. It’s just amazing.”
She banters with some, shares heartfelt concerns with others and learns from all of them. “The best part about my job is talking to people,” she said. “I give them advice, or they give me advice. I can sense people’s feelings. If they need help, it’s nice to be able to help them.”
Being positive is Yu-Mei’s mantra — and it’s infectious. “You know what? Everybody that I talk to, I always say, you have to stay positive,” she said. “If you are positive, good things will come to you. You have to look at what you have, not what you don’t have. What kind of energy you send out is what energy you get back. That’s why I’m in the restaurant business: I feel I’m perfect for it.”
Just like home
Uptown’s menu includes Szechwan, Hunan and Cantonese dishes and recipes from Yu-Mei’s mother, based on what’s in season and what is good. Yu-Mei’s food philosophy is straight-forward and simple: “Chinese food must have three things: color, aroma and taste.”
Actually, their menu was developed with food critic John Hinterberger, who once owned the restaurant China North on Northgate Way. “He is very good chef. I absolutely love him,” Yu-Mei said. “And now, we have added recipes from my mom, as well.”
Uptown’s signature dishes are Mongolian beef, salt-and-pepper wings, hot-and-sour soup and Yu-Mei’s mother’s recipe for shrimp ravioli. Customers-in-the-know ask for yin-yang prawns, even though they aren’t on the menu. (I always orders crispy walnut prawns.)
Another secret to Yu-Mei’s success? “I don’t worry about things not under my control. No. 1 rule: I don’t let myself bother myself. Worrying makes your face different. Don’t worry; be happy. You know what? Good things don’t last forever; bad things don’t last forever. It’s your attitude — how you cope with things. Be positive and kind.”
That’s what makes Uptown China so inviting. One side features a family-friendly atmosphere. And the bar area is a salon filled with a wonderful mix of artists, business folks, athletes, neighbors and longtime customers. Think of it as the Chinese “Cheers.”
Yu-Mei became an American citizen in 1983. But she admits that she’s still very Chinese inside: “I’ve been here so many years. I understand the Chinese way and the American way. I’m so lucky; I get to experience both. “
The American way has served Yu-Mei well. “I have talked to so many people and learned so much, they’re no longer customers — they’re friends and family,” she said.
“Every day, when I go to work, I think, ‘Who’s going to come in tonight?’ It’s such fun — every day’s a party!”
STARLA SMITH is a longtime Queen Anne resident. To suggest a Queen Anne/Magnolia resident to be featured in “Starla Speaks,” email starlaspeaks@gmail.com.
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