KINGSTON, N.Y. — For many families across generations, Eng’s Restaurant has been more than just a local eatery; it’s a spot where memories are formed and customs are established through hot dishes like chow mein, fried rice, and crunchy egg rolls.
Now, having won the esteemed James Beard “America’s Classics” award, what this community is aware of, the rest of the world will eventually uncover.
On Wednesday, the James Beard Foundation revealed that Eng’s, situated at 726 Broadway, was among six restaurants across the country to be honored with the organization’s 2026 award. As per the foundation, the “America’s Classics” award has been presented each year since 1988 to “independently owned restaurants that have enduring charm and are cherished in their area for food that embodies the essence and cultural heritage of its community.”
The honor is especially remarkable considering that its 83-year-old proprietor, Tom Sit, is a self-taught chef who moved to New York in 1974 and honed his skills by working in the kitchen under the restaurant’s former owner.
Eng’s first opened in 1927 when Jimmi Eng and his two sons established what was then the region’s first Chinese restaurant on the second floor of 304 Wall St. In 1966, Paul, Eng’s son, relocated the restaurant to its current site.
Seated in a booth within the wood-paneled dining room, which has remained largely unchanged since Paul Eng first opened it, Sit expressed that he was surprised to be recognized by such a prestigious group as the James Beard Foundation.
He discovered that he had been awarded the honor through his daughter, Jennifer, who he mentioned had nominated the restaurant for the recognition. Sit stated he wasn’t really aware of what the James Beard Award was, except for having heard it referenced on television programs.
However, as friends and supporters started stopping by to commend him, the true extent of the recognition began to sink in.
When my daughter says ‘you win,’ I still don’t consider it a major achievement,” said Sit. “However, many customers enter and say, ‘you know how difficult it is to obtain this award? It’s nearly impossible. It’s like winning the lottery. There’s nothing better than this award.’
“So I’m extremely pleased,” he stated.
The journey of Sit towards becoming a James Beard award-winning restaurant owner started in China, where, like many children, he picked up the fundamentals of cooking in his mother’s kitchen.
In 1968, two years following the initiation of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution by Chairman Mao Zedong and the closure of educational institutions, Sit, who had previously been a university student, along with seven others, devised a strategy to escape China and seek refuge in Hong Kong.
He would join the thousands of young Chinese individuals referred to as “freedom swimmers,” who secretly swam through cold, dangerous waters often guarded by Chinese officials, from mainland China to the former British colony.
Sit stayed in Hong Kong for six years, working in a plastics factory, before traveling to the United States and settling in New York City, where he arrived in December 1974. Without knowing English and lacking job prospects, Sit mentioned that his cousin informed him about a position at a Chinese restaurant in Kingston. He went to Kingston and worked at the Kingston Tea Garden for approximately six months before being given the job at Eng’s.
In 1978, Sit and his wife, Faye, acquired the restaurant from Eng, who was stepping away from the restaurant industry. The establishment remained closed for almost five years following the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed operations last February.
Forty-eight years on, Sit remains in the kitchen, crafting the meals that are served to his devoted patrons and those who are now attracted to the acclaimed restaurant.
I will work and continue to serve the people,” stated Sit. “Kingston is my hometown. I need to remain here.
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