The End of an Era: Metropol Banquet Hall Bids Farewell
In the heart of the city, Metropol banquet hall is closing its doors for good, marking the end of a cherished culinary institution. This sprawling establishment has long stood as one of the last bastions of traditional dim sum service, where warm-hearted “aunties” navigate between packed tables with steaming carts of Cantonese delicacies. For decades, Metropol has been more than just a restaurant; it has been a gathering place where families celebrate milestones, friends reconnect over steamer baskets of har gow, and multiple generations share in the joyful chaos of weekend dim sum. The clattering of carts, the enthusiastic recommendations from cart ladies who remember regular customers’ preferences, and the festive atmosphere have created a dining experience that feels increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced restaurant scene.
What makes Metropol’s closure particularly poignant is the gradual disappearance of cart-service dim sum throughout the city. This labor-intensive serving style, where diners select dishes directly from passing carts, has given way to more efficient ordering systems in many modern establishments. Yet something intangible is lost in this transition – the spontaneity of choosing a dish because it looks particularly appetizing as it rolls by, the immediate gratification of pointing to a bamboo steamer and having it placed directly on your table, and the personal interactions with the cart aunties who have perfected the art of persuading diners to try “just one more dish.” These women, often immigrants who have spent decades in the restaurant industry, carry with them not just food but cultural knowledge and hospitality traditions that extend back generations.
The building itself holds countless memories for regular patrons. Its ornate chandeliers have witnessed countless wedding banquets, red egg and ginger celebrations for newborns, graduation parties, and reunion dinners. The massive round tables, designed to accommodate large family gatherings, have hosted conversations in multiple languages and dialects, bridging generational and cultural gaps through shared meals. Many locals can trace their personal milestones through meals at Metropol – first dates that led to marriages, pregnancy announcements shared over custard tarts, business deals negotiated over tea, and annual family gatherings that became cherished traditions. For the immigrant communities especially, Metropol represented a taste of home and a place where cultural practices could be maintained and passed down to American-born children and grandchildren.
Behind Metropol’s closing lies a complex story reflecting broader changes in urban dining and economics. Rising rents, increasing food costs, and labor challenges have made the traditional dim sum business model increasingly difficult to sustain. The specialized skills required to make exceptional dim sum – the delicate pleating of dumplings, the precise steaming times, the art of cart service – demand years of training, yet often command modest wages. Meanwhile, changing dining preferences have seen some younger customers gravitating toward trendier, more Instagram-friendly establishments. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt an additional blow, as Metropol’s business model centered around large gatherings and shared food – precisely the type of dining experience that became temporarily impossible during lockdowns. Though the restaurant weathered that storm, the economic aftershocks contributed to the difficult decision to close.
For the staff, many of whom have worked at Metropol for decades, the closure represents not just the loss of employment but the end of a community. The kitchen teams have developed rhythms and relationships over years of working side by side in the demanding environment of a busy restaurant. The front-of-house staff know the regular customers by name, remembering their favorite dishes and family milestones. Some employees have spent their entire careers at Metropol, starting as dishwashers or busboys and working their way up to management positions. These workers share a sense of pride in the establishment’s reputation for quality and authenticity. As the closing date approaches, many long-time employees are facing not just the practical question of finding new jobs, but the emotional challenge of saying goodbye to a workplace that has been central to their identities and social circles for much of their adult lives.
As news of Metropol’s impending closure spreads, longtime customers are making final pilgrimages to the restaurant, waiting in lines that stretch around the block for one last meal. Social media is filled with tributes and memories, old photos of family celebrations, and heartfelt thanks to the staff who made it special. Some patrons are asking the owners for recipes, hoping to preserve favorite dishes. Others are collecting menus, chopstick rests, and other mementos. In these final weeks, the restaurant has taken on an almost sacred quality – a place where people come not just to eat, but to pay respects to a shared cultural institution. Though Metropol will soon exist only in memory, its legacy lives on in the culinary traditions it helped maintain, the community connections it fostered, and the countless celebrations it hosted. In the city’s evolving food landscape, the closure of this venerable establishment reminds us of the importance of preserving dining experiences that offer not just nourishment for the body, but for the soul and community as well.
