SAN FRANCISCO — It's the showstopper in the kitchen. The big flame cooking delicious food!
"Everything cooked in Chinatown is cooked in a wok," said cookbook author Grace Young.
For those wanting to re-create the experience in their own kitchen there is one shop in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown you must visit. Come on inside. It's a place with colorful lanterns. Shelves of plates, bowls and a variety of knives and cleavers. But the star of this store hangs from the ceiling with a one-of-a-kind product promoter.
"I'm so glad you've walked into the Wok Shop. Wok this way. We have woks for all walks of life. I want you to get a wok and walk away with it," said Tane Chan.
From the moment you meet Tane Chan she's promoting it!
"Woks are very versatile and affordable," said Chan.
Tane Chan says Americans became interested in the wok during President Richard Nixon's trip to China in 1972.
"They cooked a beautiful meal for President Nixon. Ten course dinner. All different textures and all different flavors and they did it in a wok", said Tane Chan.
She started selling woks and has been at it for 55 years.
Two years ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to the Wok Shop and honored her with a "Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition." After 55 years she is still working the phones, talking with customers. But her top skill is selling.
"We grill. We stir fry. We smoke. We bake," said Tane Chan.
In Tane Chan's mind, the wok is superior to a skillet or pan.
"Those are for pancakes and little things. Woks can do all that," said Tane Chan.
The pandemic has stopped the steady stream of tourists to Chinatowns across America, forcing some restaurants and shops to close. The Wok Shop has survived in part because of robust online sales. Tane Chan isn't slowing down. There are woks to sell.
"A 14-inch wok like this can steam 3 to 4 Dungeness crab," said Tane Chan.
Dare I say this is a woman who "talks the talk" and "walks the wok".
"That's why I say 'woks are for all walks of life'. I'm serious.
There's only one thing she needs now is a nickname.
"You can call me the Wok Lady. I am a Wok Lady."
The "Spirit of China" series highlights the culture of Chinese-Americans across the United States. Learn about the people, the history and the challenges of Chinatowns in Chicago, New York and San Francisco while the world focuses on the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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