1. Johnny Kan was the owner of Johnny Kan's restaurant, which opened in 1953, and published a book on Cantonese cuisine, Eight Immortal Flavors, which was praised by Craig Claiborne and James Beard.
10 Facts About Johnny Kan
1. 2.
Johnny Kan was raised in Grass Valley, Oregon and moved to San Francisco with his family when he was nine.
3.
Sam Hing roasted peanuts; Johnny Kan advertised in Variety at his brother's suggestion, and earned a lucrative contract with Barnum and Bailey.
4.
Johnny Kan went on to manage the Fong Fong soda fountain and bakery, introducing ice cream with traditional Chinese flavors in 1935.
5.
Johnny Kan is credited with opening the Chinese Kitchen restaurant at the corner of Mason and Pacific in 1939.
6.
Johnny Kan left the restaurant to serve in the Army during World War II, enlisting on July 23,1943, and being honorably discharged on November 26 of the same year.
7.
One of them was Johnny Kan, who opened a Cantonese-style restaurant in 1953.
8.
Celebrities who dined at Johnny Kan's regularly included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.
9.
Johnny Kan commissioned twelve paintings from Jake Lee in 1959, and hung them in the Gum Shan private dining room at Johnny Kan's.
10.
Johnny Kan died on December 7,1972, aged 66, from cancer, at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital.