Las Vegas restaurants are as unique as the city itself, every decade or so restaurants in Vegas do a little bit of transforming, much like the city, from a watering hole in the desert, to a railroad stop over little town, then a street with gambling halls, a playground for dam workers, then a little paradise in the desert, to a resort destination today.

Kung Fu Las Vegas Restaurants Beginnings

KungFu Restaurant was founded in 1973 on 3rd and Fremont street in downtown Las Vegas we had enough seats for 25 guest, and a takeout counter.  Back then Las Vegas was very different, everyone who came to Vegas, visited Downtown, Nixon was in office, Bruce Lee became the first Asian starring in a lead Motion Picture production film, “Enter the Dragon”, and people thought Thai was something you tied around your neck.  But Chinese, almost everyone knew China, and that to enjoy Chinese cuisine meant you had to eat rice with chopsticks.  Thanks to Bruce everyone started to practice “Kung Fu” thinking it was some kind of an ancient warrior dance.  Little does the average person realize that “Kung Fu” or “Gong Fu” as it is pronounced in Cantonese literally means to work harder or hard at something.  Nevertheless, Mr. and Mrs. Wong decided that since everyone knew KungFu from Bruce’s films, we might as well name the restaurant after it, the work hard at something part and not the martial arts part, is what they named it after.  Back then Thailand was mostly known for their Bar girls that American service men frequented during the Vietnam war, not the rich tasting cuisine that was actually good for you.  Opening a Thai restaurant in 1973 in Las Vegas was to put it simply, murder.  Feeling undeterred Mr. and Mrs. Wong who immigrated to the United States from Thailand in 1967 decided to open the first Thai and Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas back in 1973.  Since no one knew what Thai food was, much less where Thailand was on a map, and forget spelling it, they decided to gradually introduce Thai food to Las Vegans one dish at a time.  Back then KungFu restaurant’s entire menu consisted of Chinese food dishes, but over time, one dish at a time we added more and more Thai food dishes into our menu.

The Plaza in Kung Fu Plaza

In the 1980’s this Las Vegas restaurants reinvented itself, by becoming one of the first independent restaurant operator inside a major Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, when Mr. John D. “Jackie” Gaughan, Sr. invited Mr. and Mrs. Wong’s Kung Fu Restaurant into what was then The Union Plaza Hotel & Casino, thus taking over their buffet room on the 3rd floor.  That’s how we got the Plaza in KungFu Plaza Restaurant.  With a seating capacity of well over 500, that’s five hundred seats, Mr. and Mrs. Wong felt obligated to Mr. Gaughan to try and fill up the seats as often as possible, so they marketed KungFu Plaza to Southeast Asian tourist.  And they came, by the bus loads, tourist visiting Vegas with tour operators took their passengers for sightseeing in downtown Las Vegas, and had authentic Thai and Chinese food at the same time, it was like “being home away from home with the curries, and the Teo Chew Roast Duck” mentions one patron.  The demand for our food was so widespread amongst Asian Tourist to Las Vegas, that KungFu Plaza became the first restaurant in Las Vegas to operate a fleet of shuttle buses, ferrying patrons, hungry for Authentic Thai food and Chinese food dishes, from Hotels on the Strip to our Restaurant in The Union Plaza Hotel.  Our inventiveness, and the notion to work harder at something, set off a furry of complementary shuttle operations among the Hotels and Casinos in Las Vegas, and now you see them as common place.

Chinatown and Las Vegas Restaurants

With Vegas greatly expanding outward, especially Las Vegas Restaurants expanding throughout the Strip, KungFu Plaza decided that the most logical place for it to be was in a Chinatown.  Numerous attempts was made to nail down a Las Vegas Chinatown, anywhere from East Charleston Blvd and Eastern, West Sahara and Lindell, to East Flamingo Road, but in 1994, a major investment company from Taiwan placed their bets on West Spring Mountain Road, and opened the biggest Asian Themed Shopping Mall in Las Vegas.  Getting wind of that project, Mr. and Mrs. Wong found a vacant restaurant and quickly secured the space for what is now the current location of KungFu Plaza Restaurant at 3505 South Valley View Blvd. 
As you come in and relax in our cozy Dining Room which is just ½ mile west of the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip.  Your Vegas dining experience begins as you are greeted by an ancient elephant, hand carved from a single teak wood, in an atmosphere filled with our contemporary Thai Artwork, Thai speaking waiters and waitresses.

This Las Vegas restaurants Bar is stocked full of Bourbon, Cognac, Cordials, Gins, Rums, Scotch, Tequilas, Vodkas, Wines and Whiskey, or if you prefer, ask one of our staff to make one of our great tasting Polynesian specialty drinks, Mai Tai, or Pina Coladas, Blue Hawaii, Khing Khong or a Sabai Sabai.  We could also brew up that traditional Hot Chinese Jasmine tea, or Oolong tea imported from China, to satisfy any taste and to enhance that perfect Vegas dining experience.

As you Relax in our Las Vegas restaurants dining room, You can rest assure that Your food is prepared and Cooked in a modern Kitchen that is thoroughly cleaned nightly. We use Cooking oils containing Zero grams of Trans Fat, Premium Beef that is Certified Angus and or USDA Choice, and Premium Sauces and dressing in our recipes. And all cooking is executed by a Thai Master Chef.

Today KungFu Plaza Restaurant which is the oldest and most authentic Thai food and Chinese food restaurant in Las Vegas is the foremost authority on authentic Thai and Chinese cuisine in the world, introducing as many people as
possible to new and ancient flavors from its location within an international travel destination. 

Kung Fu Plaza is dedicated to providing our patrons and guests with a culturally rich experience by sharing the most authentic Thai and Chinese recipes with an emphasis on taste, quality, and service for a reasonable price.

The Management and Associates at Kung Fu Plaza Restaurant would like to Thank You for your patronage.  We look forward to servicing your culinary needs in the future.