🥢 Remembering Kowloon Café: A West Valley Favorite with a Heart Behind the Wok 🍚

Kowloon’s owner Patton “Pat” Kwan

If you grew up in West Valley or Granger, there’s a good chance your family enjoyed a meal—or many—at Kowloon Café, one of the most beloved Chinese restaurants to ever serve our community.

Nestled first at one location along 3500 South and later re-established just a bit farther down the same road, Kowloon wasn’t just a restaurant—it was a local institution. Patrons returned week after week for generous portions of flavorful Chinese-American dishes, all served with kindness and care. The menu was classic comfort food, but what truly made Kowloon special was the man behind it all: Patton Kwan.

Born in 1931 in the small village of Sam Pan Po, Canton, China, Patton's life was shaped by resilience, courage, and the pursuit of the American dream. He escaped the rise of communism in China just before the borders closed in 1949, traveling with family through Hong Kong before arriving in California in 1950. By 1951, he proudly became a U.S. citizen and soon began building a new life through what would become his lifelong passion—hospitality and food.

After nearly a decade in the restaurant business in Los Angeles, Patton made his way east, eventually stopping in Salt Lake City, where fate stepped in. He met and married his wife Janet Butler in 1962, and together they would raise a family and build a legacy.

Patton and Janet ran the Highway Café from 1965 to 1969, but it was Kowloon Café, which Patton purchased in 1973 from his mentor and cousin Charlie Wong, that truly cemented his place in local history. For nearly 20 years, he and Janet operated Kowloon, turning it into a bustling, warm-hearted eatery filled with the laughter of families, the clink of chopsticks, and the comforting aroma of hot, savory meals.

Customers loved not only the food but the atmosphere—a place where you felt like family. Patton’s dedication to service, his calm and kind presence, and the bonds he formed with his employees and guests made Kowloon feel like home.

Even after retiring in 1991, Patton’s legacy continued through the memories of countless meals shared and friendships formed under the red and gold trim of the café. His passing in 2010 was deeply felt by many who remembered not just a talented businessman, but a true community builder.

Today, the two Granger locations of Kowloon are gone, but Patton’s story, and the warm hospitality he gave to so many, live on in the hearts of the people who dined there.

Here’s to you, Patton Kwan—and to Kowloon Café. You fed us well in more ways than one.