Mr. Tat Fu Jung

(September 30, 1932 to August 7, 2024)

Tat Fu apprenticed as a Dim Sum Chef in Hong Kong for 4 years at Sheung Wan Tai Tung Restaurant from January 1949 until October 15, 1953. During that time, he entered a singing contest and won free singing lessons from a Chinese opera singer (Won Chi Zhong).

He came over to Vancouver in November 1953 and was employed as a cook at Tai Yau in Chinatown. At the Age of 21, he took over the business from the owner. In the early 60’s, he made moon cakes at home and sold it to Wo Fat Bakery and Yick Fung Restaurant. In 1968, he opened Jung’s Cafe at the corner of Powell & Gore. He served dim sum and Chinese food like BBQ pork buns, Black bean buns, egg tarts, coconut tarts, almond cookies, shrimp balls, rice cake, mooncake, fried rice, chow mein, and wonton soup. Jung’s cafe closed in the summer of 1972 because the new Law Courts was to be built where the cafe was situated. He later worked at various restaurants in Chinatown like the Bamboo Terrace, Ho Ho Chop Suey and Ho Inn Restaurant.

In his spare time, he enjoyed stone seal engravings and Chinese calligraphy, sang opera and played musical instruments like the Chinese flute, violin, and erhu. In the summer of 1970, he entered his charcoal painting of a “Rooster and 2 Chicks” at the PNE Home Arts show and won first prize. Later in 1970, he became a student of a famous Chinese watercolor artist (Choy Gung Heng). Master Choy was impressed with his stone seal engraving and accepted him. For the next four years, at the end of each workday, he studied and painted watercolors by mail correspondence.

In 1973 he demonstrated Chinese calligraphy in front of Yuen Fong supermarket on Pender during Chinese New Year. In 1975, his photo appeared in the Winter edition of ‘Beautiful British Columbia’ magazine. From 2000 to 2012, during Chinese New Year celebrations, he demonstrated and exhibited Chinese calligraphy for the staff and clients at the Royal Bank.

For over 30 years, between April to November, he painted and displayed his art work at the ‘Painters Corner’ at Stanley Park. For the first 2 year, he painted Chinese watercolors. He later switched to oil painting. His main subject was the Canadian Rockies and Chinese Junk Ships. He learned from observing other artists at the park and at the PNE Art exhibit. He retired from painting at Stanley Park in 2007.

In 1974-75 he entered the Radio Station CJVB AM 1470/Tom Lee Music singing contest and came in 4th place. In November of 1994 he sang in his personal Chinese opera concert at Ming’s Restaurant.

A story about his challenges and hardship he encountered can be found on a kiosk at the Vancouver Chinatown Storytelling Museum.