Local Chef to Reopen Fort Lauderdale Staple Christina Wan’s

Just two months after New Times broke the news that Fort Lauderdale staple Christina Wan's had closed in Victoria Park, longtime customers have something to celebrate this year — it's coming back.

Fans began celebrating on Monday, January 27, after a Facebook post posted by Frank Polo in the popular South Florida foodie Facebook group, Let Eat, South Florida, read, "Saw this sign on the door of the closed Christina Wan's in Fort Lauderdale today with a handwritten sign that says: 'Reopening in Spring under the fourth generation of Wans.' Happy to share the great news!'"

And fans had every reason to celebrate. Not only is the restaurant reopening in the same location it has called home for nearly 30 years, (in an assuming Victoria Park shopping plaza next to a Winn-Dixie grocery store), but the restaurant will also remain within the Wan family of ownership.

New Times reached out directly to the nephew of Christina Wan's founder, chef and restaurateur Alex Kuk, to confirm the news. "Yes, we will reopen as Wan's sometime in the spring," he responds, confirming the news. Wan's will open at 664 N. Federal Hwy. at the former Christina Wan's. The new restaurant will be run by Kuk, who is the nephew of Christina Wan, and will feature the same traditional Chinese menu longtime fans loved at Christina Wan's. Kuk is a talented chef himself, as he is the co-founder of Temple Street Eatery just a couple of blocks down the street.

A South Florida Legacy Revived

The Wan family previously offered its fare to guests in Fort Lauderdale at 1201 N. Federal Hwy. from 1986 to 1993. In 1996, the restaurant moved down the highway to 664 N. Federal Hwy.

However, Wan's legacy goes beyond that — spanning 40 years, and its numerous locations have been a South Florida tradition and favorite since 1966. Originally located on SW Eighth St. in Miami in the late 1960s as Wan’s Mandarin House, the family has continuously served guests at its various locations across Miami, North Miami Beach, Hollywood, and Fort Lauderdale since its inception.

Nevertheless, its Fort Lauderdale home — where it had stood for nearly 20 years — is what its regulars will miss most.

Beloved Mandarin, Szechuan, and Cantonese Specialties to Return

Winner of New Times Broward-Palm Beach's Best Chinese Restaurant 2008, Wan's felt like a throwback to the old New York Chinatown of the '50s, when lo mein and foo yung seemed impossibly exotic. That may no longer be the case with Chinese food, but even with the proliferation of regional cuisines, this restaurant was still just as exciting.

The restaurant specialized in Mandarin, Szechuan, and Cantonese specialties like lemongrass beef, shrimp foo yung, and a selection of housemade potstickers and dumplings. Customer favorites ranged from traditional egg rolls and wonton soup to sweet and sour chicken and Cantonese fried rice.

Although an official announcement has yet to be made, Kuk confirms the menu will remain "traditional."

Wan's. 664 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale. Opening Spring 2025.