The Castle Restaurant would be open for business in the main shopping area of Lami Town on April 4, an article in The Fiji Times on April 3, 1978, stated.
It was to be another “first” for Lami but it certainly wasn’t a “first” for proprietor Mr Justin Leong who was better known to one and all as “Fuka”.
Fuka, who was born in China, came to Fiji in 1959 and became a Fiji citizen.
He was an expert in Chinese cuisine and would be remembered by his customers who patronised his other two restaurants the Victoria Snack Bar and the Nanking.
Fuka’s new venture, the Castle Restaurant, had a wide and varied menu of over 100 Chinese and European dishes, and his specialities being stuffed prawns and stuffed mushrooms.
The restaurant was to be open for business from 11am to 3pm and from 5.30pm to 10.30pm.
The milkbar was also open from 6am to 10.30pm to cater for Lami residents who had to catch buses early in the mornings.
Such was the service Fuka intended to give his customers.
The then Lami mayor, the late Fintan McManus, had praised Fuka for his faith in Lami’s development and rapid growth.
By opening a restaurant in Lami he had shown his faith in Lami’s new “go-ahead program”.
The restaurant could cater for 100 diners at one time with an air conditioned space and there were plans to make it fully licensed to serve liquor.
It was also closer to Lami residents who didn’t go as far as Suva to enjoy authentic Chinese dishes.
