Pioneering Restaurateur

Yee Kim Sing was known by the name of his first restaurant, located in Los Molinos, Ca, which tragically burned down in 1915. Kim Sing lived at the Chinese Temple located in Red Bluff’s historic chinatown. Kim Sing’s restaurant legacy would be continued by his adopted son, Peter Lim, and his granddaughters for over 107 consecutive years, solidifying their place in Northern California’s culinary and cultural history.

Kim Sing Restaurant

Yee Kim Sing was a 19th-century Chinese American restaurateur and a pioneering figure in Northern California’s history, introducing the region’s first Chinese American restaurants. Over the decades, he and his son, Peter Lim, established a series of dining establishments, including: (1900s) Kim Sing in Los Molinos, (1913) Thuresson’s Restaurant in Red Bluff, (1928) Orpheum Grill in Redding, (1934) Roosevelt Café in Red Bluff, (1939) Kim Sing Chop Suey (pictured), and (1950) Lim’s Chop Suey, both in Redding.

Origin Story: Peter Lim

On May 20, 1924, Peter Lim (Lim Shew Sui), a paper son, had to remember that his identity from that point forward would be recorded as Lim Shew Sui, born on November 22, 1911. The term "paper son" was used by many Chinese immigrants during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1943), which barred most Chinese from entering the United States. Peter Lim immigrated to America in 1924 and initially lived at 823 High (Rio) Street in red bluff’s chinatown, before eventually settling in Redding, California. Lim Man (Yee Kim Sing) adopted Peter because he needed additional sons to work in his expanding restaurant businesses. Along with Peter, Kim Sing also brought his biological son, Willie (Lim Shew Sun), who was born on December 5, 1910.

  • Peter Lim

    War Hero

    After immigrating to the U.S. at 14, Peter Lim served in the Army, earning a Purple Heart and posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2024. Following the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Peter, like many Chinese immigrants, was finally able to file for U.S. citizenship—a long-denied opportunity that had lasted 61 years. When the War Brides Act was enacted, he wasted no time reuniting his family by filing for the immigration of his wife, May, and their daughter, Patricia.

  • Pattie Lim

    Daughter

  • Jeannie Lim

    Daughter

  • Bonnie Lim

    Daughter

  • Ronnie Lim

    SALES MANAGER

End of an Era: Last Restuarant

End of an Era

Today, Lim’s Cafe’s doors are closed, but its legacy lives on in the hearts of those who remember its significance. Established off the old Highway 99 in the early 1930s by Peter Lim, it was the longest-running generational Chinese American restaurant in Northern California, with granddaughters following in Kim Sing’s footsteps from the early 1900s. Founded during a time when Chinese immigrants faced severe discrimination under the Chinese Exclusion Act, Lim’s Cafe overcame adversity to become a beloved destination for locals of all backgrounds. The building remains a poignant reminder of the cafe’s historic contributions and the enduring power of food to unite communities.

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