In the 1930s two brothers moved from China to the USA. They'd go on to sell one of the West Coast's most popular cakes from their little bakery in Los Angeles. After capturing the hearts and mouths of the city - Lun F Chan and his brother Fung Chow Chan died a few years ago. But their legacy, as well as their Asian inspired cakes and pastries, continue to live on. Frances Read reports from Los Angeles.
IN: "Hi, good morning, welcome!...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 3,04"
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0419Cake-fr-gen.mp3
"Hi, good morning welcome"
VO1: It's early in Chinatown and the customers at Phoenix bakery are queuing for cakes as they have done for 80 years. Every day crates upon crates of strawberries and gallons of cream arrive here to be turned into what's arguably the most popular cake in Los Angeles.
"All the products are produced in here as you can see this gentleman is icing the strawberry cakes these are the toasted almonds we put on the cake."
VO2: Youlen Chan is the head baker. His father and uncle opened the bakery in the midst of World War Two after they moved to the US from China.
"The cake was developed by my father in 1930 or 40 something. When he first made the cake he was disappointed as he'd make few of them and they'd sit there and then occasionally someone would buy one and he'd be excited about that and it slowly it built up from there."
VO3: And build up it did - there were soon queues around the block. Decades later the cake is still attracting crowds.
"It's a sponge cake. If you touch it it will shrink and bounce back. Put a layer of whipped cream on that and then fresh strawberries and then another cake and then roll it all in cream and put toasted almonds around the side of the cake."
"When you celebrate what do you celebrate with - a cake, it's something that's endured all these years."
VO4: Kathryn is Youlen's cousin - it was her father who ran the business side. Now that job is left to her.
"My father came in 1933 and it was a time of major political upheaval in China and that's when they family all came over. My father's philosophy was people would buy sweets even in hard times and he was right."
VO5: It got the whole family through the great depression in the 30s and in the recession just a few years ago.
"We have many loyal followers that come grandparents will have been customers then the children, now grandchildren and they come for birthday cakes especially. I think one of the reasons the cake was developed - most Asians don't go for very heavy sweet things, and I think that's where the Asian influence came in we also make many Asian pastries that can't be found anywhere else."
"We sell probably several hundred cakes a day. I kind of wish we'd kept track of it like McDonald's they would put the sold X amount of hamburgers or a million cakes on our sign, sold X amount of cakes (laughs)."
VO6: But while here there's no happy meals these cakes continue to make generations of Angeleno's very very happy indeed. Frances Read, Los Angeles.
IN: "Hi, good morning, welcome!...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 3,04"
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0419Cake-fr-gen.mp3
"Hi, good morning welcome"
VO1: It's early in Chinatown and the customers at Phoenix bakery are queuing for cakes as they have done for 80 years. Every day crates upon crates of strawberries and gallons of cream arrive here to be turned into what's arguably the most popular cake in Los Angeles.
"All the products are produced in here as you can see this gentleman is icing the strawberry cakes these are the toasted almonds we put on the cake."
VO2: Youlen Chan is the head baker. His father and uncle opened the bakery in the midst of World War Two after they moved to the US from China.
"The cake was developed by my father in 1930 or 40 something. When he first made the cake he was disappointed as he'd make few of them and they'd sit there and then occasionally someone would buy one and he'd be excited about that and it slowly it built up from there."
VO3: And build up it did - there were soon queues around the block. Decades later the cake is still attracting crowds.
"It's a sponge cake. If you touch it it will shrink and bounce back. Put a layer of whipped cream on that and then fresh strawberries and then another cake and then roll it all in cream and put toasted almonds around the side of the cake."
"When you celebrate what do you celebrate with - a cake, it's something that's endured all these years."
VO4: Kathryn is Youlen's cousin - it was her father who ran the business side. Now that job is left to her.
"My father came in 1933 and it was a time of major political upheaval in China and that's when they family all came over. My father's philosophy was people would buy sweets even in hard times and he was right."
VO5: It got the whole family through the great depression in the 30s and in the recession just a few years ago.
"We have many loyal followers that come grandparents will have been customers then the children, now grandchildren and they come for birthday cakes especially. I think one of the reasons the cake was developed - most Asians don't go for very heavy sweet things, and I think that's where the Asian influence came in we also make many Asian pastries that can't be found anywhere else."
"We sell probably several hundred cakes a day. I kind of wish we'd kept track of it like McDonald's they would put the sold X amount of hamburgers or a million cakes on our sign, sold X amount of cakes (laughs)."
VO6: But while here there's no happy meals these cakes continue to make generations of Angeleno's very very happy indeed. Frances Read, Los Angeles.