By Kevin Kinghorn
Staff writer

Bing Leong had a great memory—just not for names. So when regulars would pop into his Varsity Grill restaurant on West 10th Avenue, they’d be greeted with unique monikers Leong created himself.

"He’d mostly name people after what they ate," said 29-year-old Donna Leong of her father, who died last week of cancer at the age of 67. "There was Won Ton Karen, the Sweet and Sour couple and then there was $100 Bill Boy. Since he did deliveries himself, he knew a lot of the regulars’ addresses and would sometimes say, ‘Oh it’s 4321 West 7th Ave.! Come on in.’"

Bing Leong and his partner Wing Leong—they’re not related, though most people assume they’re brothers—opened the legendary Varsity Grill back in 1956 after immigrating from a small village in China, and ran it together until 1996. The food was simple Chinese fare served in heaping portions, though the decor was a bit dodgy—soy and chili sauce stains marked the dingy walls and speckled the bright orange booths. But it wasn’t the decor or the generous cheap eats that kept hordes of UBC students and area residents streaming through the Varsity’s doors. It was Bing.

"Bing was the most gracious host imaginable," said Jim Ion, principal of Queen Elizabeth Secondary and a longtime Varsity Grill patron. "Always taking the time to welcome his guests and taking special care to make all children feel comfortable and appreciated."

Ion’s father frequented the Varsity in the late ‘50s during his studies at UBC, introducing his son to the diner in 1969 when Ion was 11 years old. The Varsity became one of Ion’s favorite haunts

"It was a real home away from home for many students because [Bing] made you feel so comfortable. If you didn’t have enough money for a dinner combo he would let it slide until you could pay him."

Wing Leong said Bing built such a loyal following that one UBC student showed up at the Varsity three times in one night.

"We were full and there was no place to sit down so he said, ‘That’s okay, I’ll just go home and study.’ He came back later and there was still no seat, so he left again. I thought he would just find somewhere else to go because people get hungry and they have to eat but he didn’t. He came back again later when there was finally room for him. That’s a good customer."

Bing never forgot that student. Every time he came in, Bing made sure he had a bowl of soup on the house.

"All his regular customers, he considered his family," recalled Bing’s daughter Donna, who along with her two brothers and sister were recruited to work in the Varsity when they turned 11.

She recalls his particular fondness for former Lieutenant-Governor David Lam, who ate at the Varsity during his UBC years.

"My dad was so proud of him. He clipped out all his articles and saved them. When [Lam] became lieutenant-governor, he would sometimes thank my dad for his encouraging words—that really meant a lot to him."

Bing will also be remembered for his affection for children. "They would come in and say, ‘Where’s Bing? Where’s Bing?’ and would be worried when he wasn’t there," said Wing Leong.

Many of those children are now grown and have children of their own. Donna said she and her brothers and sisters are constantly approached by people walking along 10th Avenue.

"It’s funny because so many people have come up to us with stories of how our dad fed them when they had no money and how generous he was. They all know him as Uncle Bing."

Wing Leong credits Uncle Bing for the restaurant’s success.

"That’s why we lasted so long and did so well. He believed that all the people who came in were his friends and not [just] his customers."