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Why they’re in the news
Lee Lam of Irondequoit is back in the Chinese restaurant business. After selling his first Chinese restaurant, called Great Win, around November 2010, and for a time running a pizzeria called Mr. Lee’s Pizza, both in Irondequoit, Lee Lam has gone back to his roots with his new Great Win Chinese Kitchen, now on West Ridge Road in Greece. He took over the location of the former Great Wall Chinese restaurant from a friend.
“I thought it was better to go back to Chinese, because I’ve had over 18 years of experience,” Lam said. “I did take a break, relaxed, took a vacation ... but now it’s back to work; I can’t stay home.”
What is your background?
When Lee Lam first came to Rochester, he worked in an Italian restaurant for nine years. When he had saved up enough, he opened his own Chinese restaurant, Great Win, on East Ridge Road in Irondequoit.
What are your specialties?
Like many Chinese restaurants, Great Win Chinese Kitchen has an extensive menu, including Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese cuisine, but among the most popular dishes so far have been sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, fried dumplings and lo mein, Lam said.
The restaurant has also introduced an appetizer or snack, called “special beef delight,” featuring beef wrapped in a bite-sized wonton skin. It comes with a dipping sauce and is already quite popular.
What sets the new restaurant apart from other Chinese eateries?
“Our customer service and the good quality food ... we only buy the best quality beef,” for instance, Lam said.
“He makes a good product,” added Justin Simmons, who just moved to Rochester from Orlando, Fla., with his wife and three children and now works at Lam’s new restaurant. “He orders the best product he can ... fresh everything.”
And, Simmons adds, “He (Lee Lam) is very well-liked ... People know he will go the extra mile for his customers. The customer is always first here.”
Lam, simply “Mr. Lee” to many, is known for his warm personality and always-smiling face.
Is your clientele mostly from Greece?
“Yes, but my customers are following me here,” Lam said, noting that he’s especially happy to see area police officers, who he continues to admire. Pictures and memorabilia from the Irondequoit Police Department and other law enforcement agencies continue to decorate the restaurant’s walls.
Why they’re in the news
Lee Lam of Irondequoit is back in the Chinese restaurant business. After selling his first Chinese restaurant, called Great Win, around November 2010, and for a time running a pizzeria called Mr. Lee’s Pizza, both in Irondequoit, Lee Lam has gone back to his roots with his new Great Win Chinese Kitchen, now on West Ridge Road in Greece. He took over the location of the former Great Wall Chinese restaurant from a friend.
“I thought it was better to go back to Chinese, because I’ve had over 18 years of experience,” Lam said. “I did take a break, relaxed, took a vacation ... but now it’s back to work; I can’t stay home.”
What is your background?
When Lee Lam first came to Rochester, he worked in an Italian restaurant for nine years. When he had saved up enough, he opened his own Chinese restaurant, Great Win, on East Ridge Road in Irondequoit.
What are your specialties?
Like many Chinese restaurants, Great Win Chinese Kitchen has an extensive menu, including Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese cuisine, but among the most popular dishes so far have been sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, fried dumplings and lo mein, Lam said.
The restaurant has also introduced an appetizer or snack, called “special beef delight,” featuring beef wrapped in a bite-sized wonton skin. It comes with a dipping sauce and is already quite popular.
What sets the new restaurant apart from other Chinese eateries?
“Our customer service and the good quality food ... we only buy the best quality beef,” for instance, Lam said.
“He makes a good product,” added Justin Simmons, who just moved to Rochester from Orlando, Fla., with his wife and three children and now works at Lam’s new restaurant. “He orders the best product he can ... fresh everything.”
And, Simmons adds, “He (Lee Lam) is very well-liked ... People know he will go the extra mile for his customers. The customer is always first here.”
Lam, simply “Mr. Lee” to many, is known for his warm personality and always-smiling face.
Is your clientele mostly from Greece?
“Yes, but my customers are following me here,” Lam said, noting that he’s especially happy to see area police officers, who he continues to admire. Pictures and memorabilia from the Irondequoit Police Department and other law enforcement agencies continue to decorate the restaurant’s walls.
Customers will also recognize Lam’s golden Buddha statue. “Wherever I go, he follows me,” he said.
He has also seen some former Irondequoit residents who now live in Greece and are glad he moved there, Lam said.
What do you want the community to know about the new restaurant?
Customers have the option of dining in — the new place has seating for about a dozen — takeout or delivery.
The Lams, and the restaurant, will also be celebrating Chinese New Year this month. Jan. 22 is New Year’s Eve, Lam said, and Jan. 23 is New Year’s Day. This year, 2012, is the year of the dragon.
“It’s our biggest holiday; nothing else compares,” Lam said.
