Tennessee Valley newcomers: Asian restaurant owners fall in love with Southern charm

Feb. 25—MOULTON — Nancy and Jackie Huang had never been to Moulton until they moved there in 1999.

They had immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, from Fujiang, China, before finding their way to Moulton. Jackie moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1992. Nancy followed him in 1996. They married in 1998.

They said they had grown wary of the hustle and bustle and the high cost of living in the big city.

"There is a lot of pressure everywhere in New York City," Jackie said. "Traffic, high prices, everything so busy."

A family friend from Montgomery told them Moulton didn't have a Chinese restaurant, something the couple, both 24 at the time, were eager to own and operate. They did their homework and saw two highways ran through Moulton.

They packed their belongings and arrived in the Lawrence County town of 3,400 not knowing a soul or even Southern culture.

They rented an apartment and opened China Dragon restaurant at the busy corner of Court Street and Alabama 157.

"The first year was very tough," Nancy recalled. "We were always busy working seven days a week. When we arrived here, I didn't speak good English. We didn't know anybody, but we learned the people were friendly here."

She said longtime Moulton resident Joyce Cole reached out to her and helped her with English and to understand Lawrence County and Southern traditions. Nancy also enrolled in a GED program to improve her education. The couple each have high school diplomas.

The Huangs, now both 46, saw their hard work begin to pay off. In 2002, they rented a house. In 2013, they built a house in a nice area of town.

"We didn't take a vacation for at least five years," Nancy said. She remembered visiting Gulf Shores for the first time and later taking a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada.

"Now we try to take a week each year," she said. "We lived here about 10 years before I felt like we were completely comfortable, accepted. The kids were enjoying school. They had lots of friends. Now when we see our regular customers at Walmart or the grocery store, we might chat about our children, things going on in town. (The customers) are like our family now."

Nancy spends her time at the restaurant greeting customers, running the front counter and doing the financial books. Jackie spends most of his time in the kitchen. — Schoolwork

The couple said they feel good when customers brag about the buffet's salt-and-pepper shrimp, teriyaki chicken, sweet and sour chicken and catfish. Food judges must like the cuisine, too. About 20 plaques and certificates behind the front counter recognize China Dragon for best appetizers, desserts and entrees.

Their two children have spent time working in the restaurant over the years, but Nancy says she's strict with them about their schoolwork.

"A good education will lead to more opportunities in life," she said.

Daughter Tina, 21, is a senior at Auburn University majoring in chemical engineering. Son James, 18, is an honor student at Lawrence County High School who has been accepted to both Auburn and Alabama. He said he plans to study business in college.

Nancy said in 2019, their children went to Beijing and Fujiang for a month to study Chinese culture.

"It was important for them to visit our homeland, but their home is here in Moulton and ours is, too."

She said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the restaurant business everywhere. She said China Dragon had about 20% to-go orders before COVID-19, but now its customer traffic is about 50% to-go and 50% dine-in.

"We closed from March 17 to April 16," she said. "We were scared. Everybody was scared. When we reopened, our business slowly picked up. Now business is pretty good again. But we understand some people aren't getting out at all. We appreciate everybody who is coming to eat with us."

She said 98% to 99% of their patrons wear masks when they are in the restaurant. — Fitting in

She laughs when she looks back at having to adjust to life in Moulton.

"It was so different than how things are in Brooklyn and in China. Now I have a Southern accent," she said.

Jackie said it took him a couple of years to embrace Southern charm. Now he relishes it.

"Moulton is safe," he said. "If you go in a parking lot at night here, you still feel safe. It's not like that in Brooklyn. Neighbors here are so nice."

The couple said it took them a while to recognize the strong rivalry between Auburn and Alabama fans.

"When our children started school, they would come to the restaurant and tell us to turn the TV to the football games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon," Jackie said. "We would see our customers watching the games so intensely."

"Moulton is our home because we have a house, business and friends here," Nancy said. "My heart now lives in Moulton."

— mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.