In walking down Salmon Lane this morning, I was reminded of the Chinese restaurant Good Friends which was a great attraction of the street and brought people out from the west end, including, I’ve discovered, Fay Maschler’s parents in the 1960s (although it only opened in 1967). Even better, from our perspective, as well as cheaper, was a restaurant called The Peking, which disappeared once West India Dock Road was widened, had a large fish tank from which one could select one’s dinner, and was presided over by a magnificent woman who was half-Chinese, a representative of the local Chinese community which was still in evidence in the early 1980s, but now may have gone.
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
I’d forgotten all about Good Friends, we used to go there frequently and the food was excellent. Thank you for reminding me about it.
Are Good Friends and New Friends still there?
No more. They must have gone about twenty years ago as Limehouse got poshed up. Good Friends is now a hardware shop. Charles
The Peking, lovely memories of feasts, including one for Chinese New Year where we sat upstairs and were treated to dish after dish of fish delicacies. I missed when it disappeared.
Yat-Min Loo has been researching the history of the Limehouse Chinatown in the 20th century. A lost landscape and history
A very good subject. Charles
Dear Charles
Tom and I were talking about the Chinese restaurant on West India Dock Road only the other day with fond memories, but couldn’t remember it’s name. Thanks for reminding us, and for the pictures of Newell Street. We have wonderful and happy memories of living there. There was a great community spirit created by Tom, Nick Wates and Caroline .
Dear Gilly, Lovely to hear from you. Was reading the piece that Jocasta Innes wrote about the commune. Do you by any chance remember the name of the lady who ran the Peking ? Charles
Hi Charles,
Our lunch guests ( who were all residents in Limehouse at one time) recall that the lady running the Peking was called Beena….She also had a fierce looking dog!!
Great, am delighted to know this – she was quite a remarkable person (maybe still is). Charles