Before the West End restaurant closed on May 15, La became a local legend by pampering his guests, including VIPs.
Meiwah owner Larry La chats with Sherri Xiao and her son Michael Xu, a student at Georgetown University, in the days before the restaurant closed. By Tim Carman Tim Carman Reporter focusing on national food issues; critic covering affordable and under-the-radar restaurants in the D.C. area.
Eight excruciating days after they left Vietnam, La and his family — father, mother, siblings, uncles and in-laws — finally landed in Malaysia, their voyage slowed painfully by the weight of all those passengers. This stopover, however, was just the beginning of the family’s odyssey. They would spend 15 months in a refugee camp in Malaysia before finding someone to sponsor them in the United States. The sponsor turned out to be the First Baptist Church of Erwin. As in Erwin, Tenn.
Case in point: Only an anecdote or two deep into his personal tale, La had to take a break. He needed to greet Luigi Buitrago-Ho, a former Washingtonian who has been dining at La’s restaurants for more than 30 years, dating back to City Lights of China in Dupont Circle, where La started in the hospitality business in 1988 without a lick of experience. Buitrago-Ho said he delayed a business trip to Panama to dine one last time at Meiwah.
It helps that La is naturally curious. He reads a lot. He wants to know a little something about every state, so he can chat with customers from across the country. But La is a political animal, too. He watches a lot of C-SPAN. Lunchtime diners at Meiwah, with a sweeping view of M Street NW. “That’s a big thing in D.C.,” La said. “If a senator or congressman, they walk in, they expect you to recognize them. If you don’t, that’s not good.”
His approach — part code-switching, part assimilation, part human empathy — proved successful. La lived in Erwin for only 6 1/2 years, but he maintains close ties to the area, largely because of his connections to nearby East Tennessee State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. “After they got to know me, and after I got to know them, we became very, very good friends,” La said of the people in Erwin.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oracle's Larry Ellison has gotten crushed on his Tesla investment this yearOracle co-founder Larry Ellison disclosed a $1 billion stake in Tesla in late December. It's now worth about $580 million.
Read more »
Oracle's Larry Ellison got crushed on his Tesla investment this yearOracle co-founder Larry Ellison disclosed a $1 billion stake in Tesla in late December. It's now worth about $580 million.
Read more »
Who is Larry the cat? As Theresa May resigns, Twitter goes wild for ‘chief mouser’A symbol of stability through times of political upheaval, some social media users have called for Larry to step in as leader.
Read more »
California considers health care for undocumented immigrantsCalifornia lawmakers are to consider proposals that would make the state the first in the nation to offer government-funded health care to adult immigrants living in the country illegally.
Read more »
Rapper Meek Mill scores big win as district attorney calls for new judge and trialRapper Meek Mill scored a big legal win today after the Philadelphia district attorney filed documents with the Pennsylvania Superior Court calling for a new judge and a new trial for his case.
Read more »
Goldberg joins L.A. Unified school board, immediately challenges aid to charter schoolsJackie Goldberg joined the L.A. school board Tuesday even before her election was certified and immediately confronted items related to charter schools.
Read more »
Metro hires a contractor to build the Purple Line subway to West L.A.When the Purple Line is completely open, riders will be able to take the subway along Wilshire Boulevard from Westwood to downtown in less than half an hour.
Read more »
Food Bowl this week: Fried chicken, GUSH and dinner in the L.A. RiverFood Bowl events to check out this week include a Thai food and natural wine party at Everson Royce Bar and a dinner in the L.A. River.
Read more »
A little-noticed zoning twist is set to spark a home-building boom in L.A.The Transit Oriented Communities program allows for large housing development projects near transit lines — if developers keep some units affordable for people of lower incomes.
Read more »
This Memorial Day, let’s make sure L.A.’s veterans don’t die homelessHomeless veterans outside the grounds of the VA in West L.A. are a reminder of how slow the progress in housing them has been, writes the Editorial Board. (via latimesopinion)
Read more »