Midday meet: Families gathering for reunion lunch at Starview Restaurant in George Town. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Unable to secure a spot for their traditional Chinese New Year reunion dinner this year, businessman Louis Chow’s family decided to celebrate with a reunion lunch instead.
Louis, 40, said it was a long-standing tradition for his family to hold a reunion dinner at Starview Restaurant in Jalan Datuk Keramat here.
“My family has been having reunion dinners at this restaurant for more than 20 years, a tradition which dates back to my parents’ time,” he said.
However, this year, the Chow family had to settle for a reunion lunch at the same restaurant instead.
“The restaurant and a few other places we checked were fully booked for reunion dinners, so we decided to do lunch instead of dinner,” he said when met at the restaurant here yesterday.
Louis, who was with his family and the families of his sisters Carmen, 50, and Dorene, 54, said he was lucky because this year was also the first time the restaurant had opened up for reunion lunches.
Another diner at the restaurant, Phung Sook May, 67, said four generations of her family, including her 91-year-old father Phung Yean Puck, attended their reunion lunch yesterday.
“We have been having our reunion dinner here since my parents’ time.
“But this year, we decided to hold a reunion lunch because most of us have our own reunion dinners to attend elsewhere.
“So, holding a reunion lunch with four generations of family members was the best option,” she added.
Present were Yean Puck’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, aged between five and 30, who took part in the yee sang toss at the start of their lunch, while shouting out wishes of prosperity and good luck.
Restaurant director Chong Siew Wei said this is the first time the restaurant, which has been operating for the past 46 years, had opened for reunion lunch bookings.
“We have received bookings since two months ago for reunion dinners and lunches,” he said.
He said the restaurant’s branch in Jalan Datuk Keramat can accommodate up to 650.
Chong said its other branch in Perai was only open for take-away reunion lunches.
He also said reunion dinners were being held in two sessions, from 5.30pm to 7.45pm and from 8.15pm to 10.30pm.
