Ha Ha China

The magic of the name Ha Ha China is this: Ha Ha is called that because it is a happy sound.

And the happy sound is reflected in the restaurant and its owners, Albert and Lancy Tzyh. The familiar Fountain Hills establishment is celebrating its 12th birthday this month.

There could be some irony in the restaurant’s name, too. The day after arriving in the United States, the Tzyhs visited Fountain Hills. Albert knew that day he would live here someday and open a small business.

The only challenge was he had been a high school teacher, not a restaurateur. Lancy had been a physical therapist. Those things, however, were not a deterrent. Albert went to work with a close friend in a Chinese restaurant in Scottsdale. He learned the business, from cooking to management. And next he and Lancy opened the restaurant in Fountain Hills.

“When we opened the restaurant in Fountain Hills, we were the only Chinese restaurant here,” Albert said through interpreter/friend LeeLynn Chang, former owner of Sakura Inn. “Now there are five Chinese restaurants.”

That could mean some competition, but the Tzyhs decided long ago that their restaurant would be the “mom and pop” style establishment.

“Buffet style and to go and fast-food Chinese food are popular,” Albert said. “But as a family-run business, we have a family ambience. That is what we want.”

The Tzyhs came to the United States 15 years ago with the hope of giving their children a better education than they could have gotten in their native Taiwan. Their daughter is an obstretician/gynecologist in Phoenix; their son is an entrepreneur in China.

Ha Ha China features a wide variety of food, including soups, appetizers and mu shu (crepe) dishes. There also are entrees with pork, poultry, beef, shrimp and vegetables.

There are specialties and luncheon specials served Monday through Friday.

While the food is authentic, the Tzyhs cater to Americans’ taste food.

Family is what drives the Tzyhs. Being in a small town and catering to people they have come to know well gives them a “happy life,” Albert said. “We see generations come together to eat with us. We have seen people grow up, some have passed on, some people get married. This is part of our family, too.”

There are life-dramas that occur in the restaurant. Lancy told a story of an older couple having dinner when two young men in uniform came in.

“The older couple watched the young men for awhile,” she said. “Then the older gentleman paid for their dinner.”

The soldiers asked the couple why they would do that.

“The older gentleman told them they reminded him of his grandson who died in the first Gulf War,” Lancy said. “They wanted to thank them for what they were doing for this country.”

Lancy said that is just one of the rewards of their business.

As the years have gone by, the Tzyhs have joined the growing band wagon of healthier eating.

“We do things to make sure our food is healthy,” Lancy said. “We want people to enjoy our food, but we want them to eat well and eat properly.”

The restaurant has grown over the years. Albert cooked every meal at HaHa China for the first five years. The couple now employs six people, and Albert gets out and plays golf occasionally.

“We trained our people to cook our food the way we want it prepared,” Albert said. “Now, I can go out sometimes, but I always pitch in when we’re very busy.”

Albert also delivers take out food throughout Fountain Hills. The restaurant prepares food for take out and pick up, as well as for the dining room.

Ha Ha is open seven days a week. Located at 11849 N. Saguaro Blvd., lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Dinner hours are Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 4:30 to 9 p.m.

For information call (480) 837-8889 or (480) 837-8899.

This story was featured March 2007 .