The Chinese Community in Montréal: Qi Tang

As part of the exhibition Dialogue with Montréal’s Chinese Community, the MEM met with members of the Chinese community in Montréal. This is Qi Tang’s story.

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An unexpected career

Qi Tang - 9 years old

Qi Tang’s personal collection.

Entrepreneurial flair

Qi Tang

Jennifer Li. MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises.

The challenges were daunting, but it quickly became apparent that he had the ambition and skills to succeed. He brought fresh ideas to the restaurant and used social media to attract a new clientele. “The old business was very traditional. The owner took no risks, and the customers were mostly Chinese,” says Qi. “I wanted to attract Western customers and introduce them to the authentic flavours of Sichuan and Dongbei cooking, which were underrepresented in Chinatown.” 

With a keen sense of the flavours that attract different clienteles, he regularly fine-tunes the menu with his chef. He also keeps an eye on trends, following several Chinese cooking channels and making frequent trips to China in search of new recipes. He takes special pride in the quality of the service at Chez Chili. “I love talking to people. Often, I wait the tables myself,” he says. “There’s nothing like a thank you from new customers who are excited about their discovery. Those people often come back, and with time, you develop a relationship with them.”

Looking ahead

Despite the impacts of the pandemic, Chez Chili is doing well. In fact, business is up thanks to takeout and delivery. “We were very lucky,” says Qi. “For a few weeks, we were the only open restaurant in Chinatown, and that got us noticed.”

What’s next for the restaurant? Qi would like to expand his network and open more locations downtown. As he sees it, Chez Chili’s future is bright and full of possibilities.