One of the most ancient forms of Chinese cooking is Chiuchow cuisine a.k.a. Teochew cuisine, dating back to 220 BCE. It was one of the cuisines that the Wong family wanted to include in its menu, alongside some of Chinese-American staples that customers used to ask for in the 1970s, before Thai food became popular.

"Teochew recipes were among the recipes my family brought with them to Thailand toward the latter part of the Chinese Diaspora," says Alan Wong, general manager of Kung Fu Plaza in Las Vegas. "And when my parents moved to America and wanted to start a Thai restaurant, these recipes were among the first Chinese dishes they added alongside the popular Chinese-American dishes that everyone asked for in the 1970s."

According to Wong, one of the dishes is Kung Fu Plaza roast duck, which predates Peking duck. Another is "pork hock," which is a Thai variation of ancient Teochew cooking techniques. The pork is broiled and seasoned in a boiling pot with special sauces.

"It's the special stock that gives both dishes their characteristic flavors," said Wong. "In China, it was not uncommon for chefs to keep the same stock on the stove and continuously replenish it for decades. We don't do that here, of course, but it did create a challenge for my parents to recreate it. Thai and some Chinese chefs were notorious for never writing down recipes."

Although some Teochew cooking is influenced by Cantonese, the more ancient dishes were unique to the Teochew people. Much of the Teochew ancestry can be traced back to the Taihang Mountain range of north central China, which isolated them from other people in China. Later, the cuisine became more developed as people thrived in the northeastern area of the Guangdong province, which is located toward southeastern portion of China.

Teochew shares a few similarities with Thai food.

"The Teochew people have many connections to the Thais in terms of preparing food," said Wong. "For instance, Teochew cuisine is unique in that it is one of the few Chinese cuisines to use less oil and more fish sauce, which is similar to most Thai cooking. There is also a greater emphasis on cooking with the freshest possible ingredients."

While some dishes do use the common method of stir-frying, Teochew places more emphasis on poaching, steaming and braising. And for two Teochew signature dishes, Kung Fu Plaza broils the meat before adding it to the special stock. Wong said Teochew cooking can also be found in Singapore and Taiwan as well as Thailand.

While the house broth adds a stronger flavor, most Teochew cuisine has a light taste and is known for its equilibrium, which is especially important to Thai cuisine. Wong says when his parents decided to serve both Thai and Chinese, they also took special care to make sure the dishes complemented each other. Often times, parties that order family style order both Thai and Chinese dishes.

"When the restaurant was located inside the legendary downtown Plaza, Asian groups would visit by the busload, many of them hearing about the authentic Thai, Teochew, and Chinese food we served here," said Wong. "They still do, and even more order for delivery to their hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip because so many other Asian restaurants rely on fusion."

Kung Fu Plaza is the oldest and most authentic Thai food and Chinese food restaurant in Las Vegas. According to Wong, it is the authority on authentic Thai and Chinese cuisine, using its location in Las Vegas to introduce as many people as possible to new and timeless Asian cuisines.