[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 167 (Thursday, November 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO LOTUS RESTAURANT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 21, 2013

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Hong 
Nguyen, the owner of Lotus Vietnamese restaurant in Vernon, 
Connecticut. Hong recently announced that Lotus will be closing on 
December 1st after nearly thirty years of business. The Zagat-rated 
restaurant has received rave reviews from locals and esteemed food 
critics alike who return for dishes like the Bombay beef, peppered 
shrimp, spicy soup, and my favorite, the Saigonese pancake.
  Hong Nguyen served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the South Vietnamese 
Air Force and commanding officer of the 819th combat squadron during 
the Vietnam War. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Nguyen and his 
family fled to the United States. With the assistance of USAF Lt. 
Colonel Gib Whitman, the Hongs were sponsored for U.S. citizenship and 
moved to Guilford, Connecticut as the first Vietnamese refugees in the 
State.
  In 1984, Hong Nguyen and his wife, Canh, opened Lotus at its first 
location on Route 83. In their first years in business they worked 12 
hours a day, 7 days a week. Canh did all the cooking and Hong managed 
the rest of the chores in the restaurant. The grueling work paid off as 
a growing clientele prompted the Hongs to move into a larger space on 
the Hartford Turnpike.
  I ask my colleagues to join with me in honoring the Hong family for 
their achievements. Their story is a testament to the American dream, 
and I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

                          ____________________