One family, three generations and the same homemade sauces for 42 years. This is how a ten-table restaurant on a little hill became an Austin institution.
Your King Chen & May Pao, our founders
“We have been proudly serving Austin since 1984 and could not have made this possible without the loving support of our community. We have seen generations of family enjoying our food, which always brings a smile. Together, we have become more than a restaurant. We have become a family.”
The timeline
42 years and counting
1984
1984: Ten tables on a little hill
Your King Chen and his wife May Pao came to the United States from Taiwan hoping to open a restaurant. In 1984 they opened the first China Dynasty on William Cannon Drive, just west of Westgate Boulevard, in a spot on a little hill big enough for about ten tables. It was a tough beginning, but with help from family and friends it slowly became a locals’ favorite.
Our very first menu
1989
1989: A bigger home on Slaughter Lane
As Chinese American food grew more popular in Austin, Your King decided it was time to expand. Space opened up in a brand-new H-E-B shopping center at Slaughter Lane and Manchaca Road, and with help from their kids, China Dynasty moved in. It has been there ever since.
Slaughter Lane Opens, 1989
1989
1989: Judy & Jim’s engagement
The family celebrated its own big moments here too, like Judy and Jim’s engagement party in the new dining room: a tea ceremony, red double-happiness signs, a three-tier cake and every table full of family and friends.
Judy & Jim’s engagement party, 1989
1994
1994: Two families, one table
When Judy married Jim, two families became one. Here both sides, Your King and May and Jim’s parents, share a family-style meal in the dining room.
Family Meal, 1994
Gen. II
Gen. II: Kept in the family
Their children, Judy, Albert, Jenny and Robert, grew up working in the restaurant, and some earned their degrees at UT along the way. Judy, the eldest, sacrificed everything to make that possible for her siblings. When Your King and May were ready to step back, they passed the restaurant and the family sauce recipes on to the next generation.
2012
2012: A Critics’ Pick
The Austin Chronicle names our hot and sour soup, egg rolls and potstickers the city’s best way to start a Chinese meal, and calls China Dynasty “great, dependable Chinese food.”
Austin Chronicle Critics’ Pick, 2012
2020
2020: Takeout only, for now
In 2020 the pandemic closed our dining room, and China Dynasty became takeout and delivery only. The family kept cooking, and our regulars kept ordering. We still hope to open the dining room again one day. Until then, we miss y’all.
Now Judy’s sons have joined the Dynasty too. Same family, same recipes and the same homemade sauces we’ve been making since 1984.
Slaughter Lane today
What makes our sauce so special?
It’s Grandma’s recipe
We’re known for our range of sauces, from our best-selling Brown Sauce to our Sweet & Sour and many more. Whichever one you try, it’s been made the same way since 1984.
