After nearly eight decades of operation and 128 years as a family-run enterprise, Montreal's beloved Wing Noodles factory is preparing to close its doors permanently this December. The Chinatown institution has been the primary supplier of handmade noodles and fortune cookies to countless Chinese restaurants and grocery stores throughout the region, marking the end of an era for Montreal's culinary landscape.
The Fortune Cookie Legacy
For generations of Montrealers, the experience of dining at Chinese restaurants included the cherished ritual of cracking open Wing Noodles' fortune cookies. These small treats contained wisdom ranging from simple predictions like "A pleasant surprise is in store for you" to philosophical advice such as "A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough."
The origins of these famous fortunes trace back to factory founders Arthur Lee and his friend Peter Wong, who would spend Saturday mornings poring over religious texts including the Bible, Talmud, and Qur'an, searching for inspirational material. According to Garnet Lee, who currently runs the business with his brother Gilbert and cousin George, "The fortunes depended on my dad's mood. They were light and fun if Arthur felt good and darker if he didn't."
A Unique Canadian History
Wing Noodles holds several distinctive claims in Canadian food manufacturing history. The factory became Canada's first fortune cookie maker in the early 1960s when Peter Wong purchased a cookie-making machine from a bankrupt New York operation. It remained Quebec's only fortune cookie manufacturer and the exclusive Canadian producer of bilingual French-English fortune cookies.
The business also achieved another unique distinction as Canada's only kosher fortune cookie producer, certified by a New York rabbi who traveled to Montreal specifically to bless the cookie-making equipment.
Interestingly, fortune cookies themselves have North American rather than Chinese origins. They were initially invented by Japanese restaurants in the early 20th century, but when Japanese owners were interned during World War II, Chinese restaurants adopted the concept to meet customer expectations for a "Chinese dessert."
End of an Era and Future Hopes
The decision to close stems from the Lee family's exhaustion after decades of demanding work schedules. Garnet Lee explains that family members have consistently worked 80-hour weeks without vacations, and younger generations are unwilling to continue this grueling pace. Cousin George retired two years ago, and Gilbert requires knee surgery, making the timing appropriate for closure.
Since announcing the closure, crowds have flocked to Wing Noodles to purchase remaining inventory and bid farewell to the institution. "People keep telling us how much they will miss us. It's very heartwarming and humbling," Garnet notes. "Some are even hoarding our stuff, buying large amounts of noodles and plum sauce."
There may be hope for preserving Wing Noodles' legacy. A non-profit Chinese foundation called JAI, led by Jessica Chen, hopes to establish a museum in the heritage-designated building with support from Héritage Montréal and the Lee family. The museum would display Wing Noodles artifacts, including old fortunes and historical records documenting every Chinese restaurant that ever operated in Quebec.
As Chen emphasizes, "Wing's was more than a factory. It was a community hub where everyone gathered and it employed countless Chinese-Montrealers and new immigrants. It's a symbol and history of the Chinese-Quebec community, and we should honor its legacy."
The closure of Wing Noodles represents the end of a significant chapter in Montreal's cultural and culinary history, reminding us that even cherished institutions must eventually heed their own wisdom: "All good things must come to an end."
