The Pacific Global Bank, site of the former Chi-Am Restaurant on S. Wentworth Ave. in Chicago Chinatown
Ken Chan: In the old days, this used to be Chi-am Restaurant, the largest Chinese eatery in Chinatown. It was owned by the Wong family and was a popular venue for association and wedding banquets. Post 1997, many other Chinese restaurants opened up all over Chinatown and the F&B business became highly competitive. I believe the younger generation was no longer keen in carrying on the family business and the premises became a bank. I had fond memories of Chiam because this was where I went for weekend dim sum with family and friends in the 1980’s. Personally speaking, I prefer this place more than the now defunct Three Happiness (across from the public car park) because the dining hall was spacious and bright. Whenever I drive by the building, I still detect a whiff of nostalgia in the air.
Ken Lee: I found this old photo of the restaurant from the Chinatown group:
Pacific Global Bank (Chinese: 高寶銀行) was a Chinese American commercialbank in the United States. It was headquartered in Chicago, with 3 branches inChinatown, Chicago and Bridgeport, Chicago, the community bank was acquired in September 2019 by Royal Business Bank.Although the bank generally provides the similar kind of services catering to the local Chinese community, its clients include greater portions of scientists and engineers than other overseas Chinese banks, which cater more to small business owners and import–export merchants. This reflects the general occupational trend of Chinese Americans in the Chicago region, and had helped the bank expand rapidly.