La Grange restaurant to say goodbye after 40 'magical' years

LA GRANGE – After 40 successful years in La Grange, one of the community's favorite restaurants is closing its doors.

Magic Wok, which has been family-owned since it opened in 1977, will permanently close June 30. The business was one of the first Chinese restaurants in La Grange, and it has served generations of local families.

Owners Grace and Raymond Lee and Grace’s brother Tom Ng are retiring and looking forward to traveling and spending more time with their families. While he’s happy they made the decision to close, Raymond Lee said he will miss going into the restaurant every day.

“We can’t work forever, but we will miss our customers and our friends,” he said. “After 40 years, we have a lot of memories here. We’ve served generations of people. This is like home for us.”

Cindy Nge, Tom’s daughter, grew up in the restaurant and began working there at age 11. She said she’s very sad the restaurant is closing but happy her family will be able to spend more time together.

“Not having the restaurant will be very weird, but it’s nice we’re going out on our own terms. We’re not being pushed out,” said Cindy, 31. “A lot of people have come in since we announced the closing and have been devastated. We even have some people who are coming in a few times a week since they found out. Not many restaurants have been around for 40 years.”

Grace, Raymond and Tom all came to the U.S. from China as teenagers. They were educated here and began working in different fields before getting into the restaurant business. Raymond said they decided to open the restaurant after Grace and Tom saw how successful their older brother was with his Chinese restaurant, which was in Westmont.

Magic Wok’s original location was at 50 S. La Grange Road, but it moved to its current location, 23 W. Harris Ave., in 1990 to accommodate the growing customer base.

“Little did we know [when we opened] how the restaurant would grow and expand,” Raymond said. “The restaurant business is very risky, but we caught on right away. We’ve never had a difficult time in our 40 years. It’s very unusual for a restaurant to stay in business that long.”

Magic Wok was one of the first restaurants in La Grange to get a liquor license, and Cindy said the Mai Tai is still a customer favorite, as is the authentic Chinese cuisine.

“Everything is made to order in house. There is no food sitting out that we just scoop onto plates,” she said. “We have such a large menu, and we can accommodate dietary restrictions.”

In fact, the egg rolls have been so popular that many customers are ordering them in bulk, so they can freeze them and enjoy after the restaurant is gone, Raymond said.

“People tell us that our egg rolls are the best. Our fried rice and seafood dishes are also very popular,” he said. “A lot of customers are disappointed that they won’t be able to enjoy a meal or see us, but they’re also happy for us because we’re going to enjoy our retirement.”

Cindy, who still works at the restaurant on the weekends, said she’s enjoyed watching local families grow up because many have been dining there since it opened. She said for many people, Magic Wok wasn’t just a restaurant.

“We’ve held lots of parties, baby showers and family celebrations. People have a lot of memories there. People who came as kids and have moved away still come back to see us,” she said. “My family has made an impact on this community.”

The building is currently up for sale, and Raymond said they have talked to several “interested groups.”

“Nothing is concrete yet, but chances are, it will be another restaurant,” he said. “We’re very happy with our decision. It’s been a very successful venture for us.”

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If you go

What: Magic Wok
When: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 28, 29 and 30 (permanently closes June 30)
Where: 23 W. Harris Ave., La Grange
Info: magicwoklagrange.com