Man refused to let Keanu Reeves skip the line at his restaurant — decades later, the actor returned to the restaurant to give them something special
A father's strict rule and a hilarious case of mistaken identity led to this incredible full-circle celebrity moment in San Francisco
In 1997, a young Keanu Reeves stood outside the 'House of Nanking' in San Francisco, hoping for a quick meal. It was then that Kathy Fang, daughter of the owner Peter Fang, spotted Reeves, who was in his heartthrob era at the time, wearing all black, waiting for a table. Given that he was Kathy's favorite actor of all time, she did what any fan would and ran to her father, urging him to let the Hollywood star cut the line. However, her dad refused to treat Reeves any differently from the others, which led to a hilarious interaction that amassed over 67,000 likes.
A true celebrity chef
Having fed the likes of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, billionaire Marc Benioff, and comedian Kathy Griffin, Peter refused to break the laws of his restaurant. Nonetheless, he did allow her to click a picture. He waved her down, saying, "Kathy, come take a picture!" he said. "It’s him! It’s Sean Connery!" Kathy apologized on behalf of her dad, who didn't watch a lot of movies. Nonetheless, Keanu, being the gentleman he is, handled it pretty well, as he clicked a picture with Kathy that became a staple at the restaurant for the next 20 years.
23 years later, Reeves returned with a request
In 2020, Reeves returned to the 'House of Nanking' but not just for a snap but with a special request. He wanted the restaurant to be part of "The Matrix Resurrections." Kathy was 36 weeks pregnant with her second child and trying to keep her family business afloat during the pandemic at the time. So, this was a blessing for her and her family. Before they knew it, a Hollywood production crew showed up at their restaurant at 5 a.m., with Kathy and her dad the only ones in the kitchen.
They then fired the same plate of their famous yang chun noodles about 20 times, to make sure it was steaming hot during filming. But that wasn't all. Despite the futuristic setting, the director, Lana Wachowski, wanted the 'House of Nanking' to look as worn as always, so the props department took down every newspaper clipping and award, reproduced them to remove any legal concerns, then put them back up in the exact same spots. They kept that old photo of Kathy and Reeves in the shot as an Easter egg; this was a full-circle moment for both Kathy and Reeves.
Naming their child after Keanu's character
Well, after being featured in the movie, Kathy and her husband, Caleb Sima, decided to give a tribute to Keanu Reeves, who helped them during such a tough phase, and they decided to name their son, Neo, after his character in the movie. Now, Neo is 6 and enjoying a great childhood. Meanwhile, the legacy of the 'House of Nanking' lives on in a new cookbook featuring several tasty recipes as well as the restaurant, thanks to a father's hilarious mistake and a star's humility.
As you'd expect, this story struck a chord with the fans, who loved the entire interaction. @cosita42 wrote, "Love this place! I have been visiting this place since 1993! The owner was super welcoming to all customers; he walked us through his food and knew what to offer to us as Latinos love his food and love to see the place grow and still preserve the flavor and quality." Meanwhile, @herphounds95661 commented, "I’ve been there and seen celebrities treated just the same, Josh Grobin & Michael Johnson. The food was epic."
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