The mein event takes us on a tour of

Uncle Pings

I heard, “Hi, Uncle Pings!” in the most excited voice and was even happier to order than I was before I called. That was my first of many interactions with the He family, who own and entirely operate Uncle Pings on Robinson Street between Myers and Huntoon Streets in Oroville. This is a mostly to-go establishment—four tables, plus two chairs at their window counter, allow for comfortably-spaced seating. The four family members are tirelessly on display during their greatvalue lunch rush and packaging the mostly to-go orders during dinner. Their bagging is impeccable and deliberate with perfect container placement to ensure satisfaction on your trip home.

I’m a sucker for beef chow fun— something about the way those thicker noodles have a frypan char and the smoky savoriness that sets them apart from other noodle dishes. Theirs are as good as they come—the noodles are light and pillowy, airy and non-greasy, and bursting with flavor. The mung bean sprouts share the flavor of the noodles, and the flank steak is chew-with-yourtongue insanity. The thick-cut al dente green onion is complemented by sliced yellow onion that tastes flash-fried, providing a light snap that still tastes well-marinated in flavor. The best part is the lack of heavy starchiness you often feel from noodle experiences. We added cream cheese wontons which came with some of the best sweet and sour sauce we’ve ever had.

The business’ simplicity of decor and counter-order dining experience makes every visit easy; their consistency, diligence, and quality makes you come back for more. As mentioned above, they have an express lunch that allows a quick meal experience at a price that is just as easy to swallow as the meal itself. A short walk to the next block west, you’ll find a well-shaded grassy area behind the Butte County Office of Education building for you to sit and enjoy your lunch, if you prefer the outdoors. Let their family feed yours. I’m sure if you visit, you’ll appreciate this operation and find yourself an instant fan.

Tong Fong Low

Just one block further down Robinson Street, past Marcozzi Jewelers, we find ourselves sitting in an all-too-familiar location for Butte County residents—the business home of the Wong family. The historic, 110-year-old Tong Fong Low has stood the test of time for its continued quality, a huge menu of offerings, and friendly dining experience. Surrounded by ornamental wood and traditional art and decor, we sat among many other happy patrons in one of the two available dining rooms. They also have a bar counter where all the bustle of drink preparation and to-go transactions take place. There’s no shortage of space in this ample dine-in restaurant.

As I have found more and more apparent in the previous months, these articles are the best opportunity to try something new, and I managed to find a dish that evolves as you dine. Hong Kong-style chow mein is prepared by frying the noodles, keeping them dry, unexpanded, and ramen-like in appearance. It’s then topped with a mixture of the meat of your choice, a fresh vegetable blend of bok choy, snow peas, broccoli, water chestnuts, and celery—brought together with a medium-thick traditional savory sauce just before serving. The result is a deliciously fun multi-textured noodle experience that continues to moisten as the sauce softens the dish. It is absolutely delicious! We chose the pork, which became even more tender as we ate. I’d like to strongly recommend the fried prawns as well; they’re amazing.

While many have mourned the recent loss of the Chico location that opened in 2009, the iconic original is going strong. A short drive for most residents allows you to sit and dine in a piece of cultural heritage, not only as the first Chinese restaurant in Northern California, but also one of the oldest restaurants in the area in general. We invite you to visit them and take in the beauty that lies among the contrast of traditional and modern in the ever-growing, reimagined, and renovated businesses of Downtown Oroville.