Bun Tek Ngoy touched down at Camp Pendleton on a military plane in May of 1975 with his wife and three young children. "It made me homesick," says Ted. Here's Why It's Especially Dangerous To Hike SoCal Mountains Right Now, How 4 Words Upended A University's Journalism Program, And Stirred A Reckoning Over Race, What A Popular Yoga Teacher's Descent Into Conspiracy Theories Says About The 'Wellness To QAnon Pipeline', Ancient Lung Disease Strikes Countertop Cutters In LA. From the wall, he leaped onto the roof and crawled through an open window. When he lost big, he would sign the stores over to them. And that's what he did. The following month, US President Gerald Ford insisted the US should welcome 130,000 refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, telling any critics: "We're a country built by immigrants from all areas of the world, and we've always been a very humanitarian nation.". Then I went to America, Ngoy said, and created the doughnut world.. Okay, you guys can' It was a whole Romeo and Juliet story," Gu says. I did not have time to expand. He lost all the doughnuts, said James Dok, director of the United Cambodian Community, a social service agency in Long Beach. That is because I had a buttermilk bar about 30 seconds out of the fryer with fresh glaze on it. This is going to happen.'". "[7] In a positive review, Richard Whittaker with The Austin Chronicle said that "Gu does stellar work compiling and constructing Ngoys life story through interviews and archive and contemporary footage," and added "the animation sequences by Chapeau Studios and 1881 Animation that make the perfect drizzle of icing. He said that we didnt have room for these refugees here. In less than two years, while working on other jobs and projects, Gu directed and shot the 94-minute documentary. Ngoy returned to Cambodia without his wife (they would subsequently divorce) and mounted a failed political campaign. This documentary tells Ted Ngoy's story that is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. He wanted to be with her, but he had no one else to manage the shop. Ngoy would open more shops and lease them to fellow refugees. During the week they went to school, where sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks from other kids' lunchboxes. But he admits he was also aware that conquering Suganthini's heart held out the promise of a better life. [5], The film received 69/100 on Metacritic, receiving "generally favorable reviews. It provided a path for refugees to settle and was a profitable business model. One night under a full moon, they knelt and prayed. He ran to the shop across the street where he bought a donut. That's a disaster," he says. Ngoy became a trainee and took over a Winchell's in Newport Beach. In the early 1970s, Cambodia was in the midst of a brutal civil war that displaced two million people, more than a quarter of the country's population. What was it like?I spoke with him and he was in Cambodia. More and more relatives came forward for sponsorship. Long hours. Ted's story is told in a new documentary. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. He would forge her signature on checks and even borrow money from relatives who leased stores from him. In a year Ted had saved enough to put down a deposit on a second doughnut shop, a "mom-and-pop" shop called Christy's. Channy also wholesales doughnuts to other minimarts. This is my own speculation, but it seemed like he had come to some peace with his dad and childhood. The family were among the many tens of thousands of . And she was heavily chaperoned. Ted is my great uncle,'" Gu says. "[1] In 1977, the Ngoys took a trip to Las Vegas where Ted saw Elvis Presley. Now, he is in real estate development," Gu says. I told them I'm very sorry 1,000 times. The Donut King was directed by Alice Gu, and is her first feature film. It was a strategy that ended up working for them. Everybody cry, he said. How to get the best eggs in town without leaving your yard. "I never back down. When I become big guy, then I cannot go gamble because people wont vote for you. I instantly found the Realtor, the listing agent and arranged to go and have Ted walk through his old house. He cut his chest sliding under barbed wire. If you're enjoying this article, you'll love my daily morning newsletter, How To LA. "Some of them were cousins, uncles, nieces," says Ted. It was here that Ngoy had his first taste of gambling while placing bets at the blackjack tables. In 1978 Vietnamese troops invaded and in 1979 Pol Pot was overthrown, leading to another wave of Cambodian refugees. The ubiquity and low overhead of these Cambodian mom-and-pop donut shops helped drive Dunkin' Donuts out of California in the late '90s. Christy's parents said they would let Ted live if he told Christy that he was a dog who had romanced other girls and had never loved her. His family didn't want to see him, and nobody offered him work, not even baking doughnuts. The doughnut king landed at LAX with $50 in his pocket. In 1975, Ted Ngoy fled the war in Cambodia with his wife and three kids and arrived in America as a penniless refugee. He was fortunate to escape with his wife, two kids and some relatives, arriving in California where he and his family were housed in a. He took a chance and opened a bedroom door - and there was Suganthini, fast asleep. Doughnut shops were easy to run. Tell us about your wife. When Christy's parents eventually discovered the ruse, they were furious. Most crucially, she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors. I told him that he has a story to tell. Ngoy told Suganthini that he didnt love her. It really helped put some perspective on the journey to get here from somewhere else and the struggles that people go through when they arrive in a new, strange and foreign land. Beautiful views aren't the only thing drawing Angelenos to the region. Designers Andrew Hem and Charlie Le were awarded a SWSW Film special jury recognition for their poster design of The Donut King in 2020. On Sundays, he attends Parkcrest Christian Church in Long Beach. As word of Ted's success spread, Cambodian immigrants started seeking him out when they arrived in Southern California. While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local doughnut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. The Donut King: Directed by Alice Gu. TED NGOY HAD an unrelenting obsession during his 1975 plane ride from Southeast Asia to Southern California. Also Jerry Brown, who weve seen in California as our beacon of hope and morality, in 1975 was actually the opposite. Gab Chabrn reflects on growing up in L.A. in a Latino home that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving and the traditions they formed instead. Maybe Its Time To Raise Backyard Chickens, Catch A Wave In The Booming South Bay Food Scene: Here Are 11 New Restaurants To Try, Don't Celebrate Thanksgiving? They had lost their beautiful home and their chain of shops, but still had enough money to live comfortably. It took longer than 40 years. Ted was a poor boy from a poor family while Christy was the daughter of a high-ranking official. The Donut King They wont trust you, he said. He moved from church to church, until an elderly Cambodian woman allowed him to live on the covered porch of her mobile home. But the name was misleading. "He's like, 'You know what? The two had met as teenage classmates in Phnom Penh. No political life, no religious life, just work, work, he said. Then he flew to a monastery in the Thai countryside. Late at night, Ngoy would put Suganthini on his back and climb down the roof, then down the coconut tree. [citation needed] Ngoy's political career ended in 2002 after breaking with two powerful allies, the commerce minister and the head of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, Teng Bunma. For the latest national news from NPR and our live radio broadcast, visit [7][3], Ngoy's fortunes improved dramatically, such that by the mid-1980s Ngoy had amassed millions of dollars through his expanding doughnut shop empire, reported as 50 locations throughout California. Just knowing that my great uncle Ted and the story of my parents and hearing Alice say, 'I want to really dig deep on a Cambodian donut shop,' I was like, 'Wow, this is real. And then we opened second store in Fullerton, and when they opened, I also train people and my wage, Christi, also . [6] Gu persuaded him to and, ultimately, he regarded his return as a 'healing experience,' and his ex-wife and children have forgiven him. But then one of Suganthini's servants appeared at his door with a reply. The film flashes back to the horror of life in 1970s Cambodia, a tragic offshoot of the Vietnam war that eliminated thousands of lives. At the peak of his success, Ted owned something like 65 donut stores many of them named Christy's and was bringing in about $100,000 per month. Ngoy would make a habit of returning monthly to watch performers such as Tom Jones, Diana Ross, and Wayne Newton and indulging in the incentives pit bosses of major casinos offered all the while spending even larger sums at the card tables. They married and started a family, and life was good until civil war broke out in 1970, between the government and the communist Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot. I could have made a special piece just on the history of donuts. Monks cannot help me, he said. and Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of donut shops in California, earning him the nickname the "Donut King." While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local donut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. Ted now had a new passion - politics. The Top 5 newsletter catches you up with LAs top 5 stories in just 3 minutes. DK's Donuts "It's a devil, it's a monster. BC Donuts The Donut King comes out Friday, Oct. 30, online, and when you "I spent about $100,000 of my own money, my time, my everything," he says. "This story sheds light on refugees in a positive way, about what happens when they're given an opportunity," she says. With the pastor's permission he went out and got two more jobs, as a sales person from 6pm to 10pm and petrol attendant from 10pm to 6am. All the latest on Orange County from Orange County. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. ", "I was like, 'What on earth makes this Cambodian? By 1987, Ngoy owned 32 Christy's Donuts locations, largely accomplished by living out of a motorhome allowing him and his family to travel up and down the state of California establishing new locations. He wrote a note, telling her that he lived in the building opposite and was the flute player. Casino operators gave Ngoy free rooms, food, airfare and front-row seats to prize fights. These are kids who are American educated. Instantly acquiring the rank of Major, Ted and his young family moved to Bangkok, and every month he travelled back to Cambodia to collect the wages for his soldiers. Ted became their first South East Asian trainee. The family worked 12 to 17 hours a day, with all hands on deck. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. Next to the petrol station there was a doughnut shop called DK Donuts. And then we started communicating, bringing back and forth the messages," Ted says. I say, Ted I dont think its that easy at all. And hell respond, Ive been rich three times. Theres also the moment where Ted revisits his former home in Mission Viejo. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Because he was a high roller the casinos put him up in $2,000-a-night suites and offered him VIP tickets to the best shows. Hes really funny. Once back in Orange County, he bet more than ever. COVID origins? Ted Ngoy, his wife and family pick up the story and walk us through their unbelievable experience, flying to a . "Growing up, when you look on the screen, there's not a lot of Asian representation. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. "a short-lived comeback in Sacramento in 2002," the Massachusetts-based company didn't return to the Golden State Through the maneuvering of his brother-in-law, chief of police and briefly future president of Cambodia, Sak Sutsakhan, Ngoy was promoted to the rank of major and appointed military attache at Cambodia's embassy in Thailand. Buddha cannot help me.. They went to Europe twice. A woman from his church lets him sleep in the screened porch outside her mobile home, which he has fashioned into a makeshift bedroom. "What happens if I decide to jump into your room?" You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Doing this film was really an exploration for me of understanding where you come from. According to Gu, Christy's family brought her into the room and Ted started reciting his speech. Ngoy believes he is suffering Gods punishment for having betrayed the blood vow he made as a young man under the moonlight in Phnom Penh. He is nicknamed the "Donut King." He is nicknamed the "Donut King." On the porch of a friends mobile home in Long Beach, the Cambodian doughnut king falls asleep each night shivering. What you've done is incredible.' The next day, he flew back to Los Angeles. It was hurtful. They arranged a meeting for the couple at a relatives house, where Ngoy was expected to formally end their romance. He formed the Free Development Republican Party (ahead of the countrys UN-backed elections), believing that he could show others the path to wealth and hoping that being a politician might stymy his gambling addiction. When he couldn't pay them back because he had gambled the money away, Ted signed away his ownership stake in those stores. I go to borrow. Her father was a high-ranking government official. Baby Yoda cocktails. . I said, 'Because it's incredible, for one. He was born Bun Tek Ngoy. They were moving their capital and know-how into liquor stores, markets and fast-food restaurants. Which donut shop do you find yourself going back to for the sake of eating a donut?I had my out of body experience at DKs Donuts and Bakery in Santa Monica. [1], In 2013, he was living in Phnom Penh working in real estate. One of them being my interview with Michael Krondl, the food historian. "Many times I try to commit suicide because I hate myself. He landed in LA with less than $100 in his pocket - all the money he had left. In the 1980s and '90s, when Dunkin' Donuts tried to establish itself on the West Coast, his frosted, deep-fried empire sent the company packing. The Donut King diretcor Alice Gu talks about what led her to make a film about Ted Ngoy, her first intro to the phenomenon of Cambodian donut shops and how she got a Wu-Tang song in the score. I cry. You see some of these families and their stores in The Donut King Ngoy bought his first doughnut shop from a couple who was retiring. A new documentary chronicles the fascinating saga of Ted Ngoy, "The Donut King," who made a fortune and then lost it all to a gambling addiction. Filmmaker Alice Gu (left) poses with Mayly Tao outside DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. Not many professional gamblers are bipolar women, but Cat Hulbert was one of the best - and she delighted in winning money from men. Gu says Christy's family then threatened to kill Ted but his mother made a deal with them. For the next 45 days, he lived in her room. He hosted Dan Quayle and Pete Wilson at his house. [5] But then Ted discovered that the tiny room where he lodged, on the fourth floor of a walk-up apartment block, overlooked Suganthini's villa. Some of those he borrowed from were the people he had leased doughnut shops to. In return, he played their tables and lost thousands of dollars. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Key grant funding to help O.C. It's something Ted feels a bit bad about. The Donut King is a documentary directed by Alice Gu that covers the life of Ted Ngoy, one of the primary reasons behind the Cambodian American donut shop boom. . After cry, go back gambling." "The note said, 'I appreciate you blowing the flute. To make sure he went through with it, they insisted on hiding behind a curtain while he said his spiel. And it was actually a donut that I refused at first from Mayly Tao, the Donut Princess. Ngoy doesnt remember how many stores he started or bought -- 40? buy a ticket That is a lie, he cried, and plunged the blade into his belly. Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision as death toll keeps rising, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam. But one night, he had an idea. His story begins in the early 1970s when Ngoy was a commander in the Royal Cambodian Army, training soldiers in Thailand. An immigrant story unlike any other, Alice Gu's "The Donut King" follows the twisty, unexpected journey of Cambodia refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a. Did working on this film change or contribute to your perspective of the American dream or immigrant stories?It seems like these days the American dream is harder and harder to attain. "[8] Giving it three-out-of-four stars, Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com called the The Donut King "a heartwarming albeit scattered documentary from director Alice Gu," and praised the film for "its balance of poppy visuals and detailed history. He was, however, invited to become a government adviser on commerce and agriculture. "'You want to tell my story? The gambling is sad, the saddest part of my life.". "[10], Whittaker said that "as Asian Americans face increasing racism, its closing message about how immigrant communitiesdefine America has only become more timely."[8]. [5] Having grown up in Los Angeles, she was doubtful when her children's nanny made a reference to "Cambodian" donuts; she thought all donuts were simply "American. Everybody cry," he said. It led many voters to assume, incorrectly, that he was against Cambodia's royal family, and he didn't win a seat. Although there is still some resentment towards him in the Cambodian community, whose hard-earned cash he gambled away, he is also revered by many. Ted wrote one day. Using his Republican Party connections, Ngoy successfully lobbied the U.S. for most-favored-nation trade status for Cambodia in 1995, helping create a modern garment industry and thousands of jobs. 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Each morning, he walked with the monks, begging for food from peasants, crying as the rocky roads tore at his bare feet. Why are we still having these debates? Ngoy and his wife became American citizens and were . Until then, she was kept sheltered. Over the next few years, he went back every month or so, seeing Tom Jones, Diana Ross and Wayne Newton -- and betting ever-larger sums. By 2005, after a failed political career in Cambodia, Ngoy was penniless and living on the porch of a fellow Parkcrest Christian Church parishioner's mobile home. Read about our approach to external linking. , to name a few outlets), but Alice Gu is the first to put it on film. "[5] Upon looking into the matter, she learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic. One of the tricks he learned was to bake doughnuts in small batches throughout the day to keep them fresh - and because the smell of baking was the best form of advertising. The family members worked 17 hours a day and saved for a year. When he lost he would lash out, smashing doors, breaking furniture and frightening the children. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. "Everybody's happy to see me now, because I changed from the bad guy to the good guy.". Despite never really being a huge success under the previous owners, Christy's became popular under the ownership of the Ngoys. 2023 BBC. He taught them the names of the doughnuts: old fashioned, jelly-filled, glazed. Suganthini smuggled him food at night, and after many days she said she loved him too. I never will be able to pay back. I wanted to tell this story in a way that was inspirational and optimistic. "They're a good company and I owe them gratitude," Ted says. Suganthini's family insisted Ted break it off by telling her he didn't love her. I believed him a thousand times, she said. Their youngest son Chris drove them there to pick up the money - but it went horribly wrong. I called her when I found out and asked if she knew about Ford and Brown. The rise & fall of The Donut King. Ted, Christy and their two kids fled to Thailand. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975, and the Cambodian genocide began. Where are they now?. Ted Ngoy had served in the Cambodian army as a major fighting communists that were trying to take over that country's government in the 1970s. He helped them apply for permits. [10] Ngoy was hesitant to return to California for the film; he was estranged from his children and former friends. That phrase Donut King is already so eye-catching right off the bat. He saw an opportunity to expand his business and help the large number of poor, unassimilated Cambodians who had fled the Khmer Rouge to the United States. Doughnuts offered an escape from years of welfare dependency. Ngoy bought his first doughnut. "It's a crazy story, but it's true," says Ted, now 78. While he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life. His sponsor told him people will have their prejudices but they mean well. In order to be allowed to leave the camp and find work, they needed an American sponsor, who would find them a job and somewhere to live. He remarried and had four more children - the youngest two are still at school. He joined Gamblers Anonymous but was back at the tables in no time. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, Rising Egg Prices Are For The Birds. Ngoy managed to escape just as Phnom Penh was falling and brought his wife, Suganthini, and their three children to America in the mid-1970s. Ted encouraged others to do the same. Ted Ngoy: Yeah. At the weekend the oldest children, Chet and Savy, then nine and eight, helped out by pouring coffee, packing doughnuts and folding boxes. In this condensed and edited conversation, Gu talks about the American dream, Cambodian American Republicans, 1970s Orange County and the best donut she ate during filming. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, they knew they couldn't go home. Suganthini was terrified, but she let the stranger stay. Chet and Savy, Ted Ngoys oldest children, sit down for an interview in The Donut King.. He had to guess which room was hers. He co-signed loans for supplies and equipment. Her parents and cousins hid behind curtains so they could hear him break off the relationship. As far as the immigrant experience and my parents what it really did for me is open my eyes and I just cut them some slack about growing up here in conflict with wanting to be an American kid and their Chinese ways of raising me. The families who followed Ngoys lead learned to run businesses and picked up English. An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and. If you walk into a doughnut shop in California, the chances are it's owned by a Cambodian family. He took two additional jobs, working almost 24 hours per day. The family were housed in a hastily erected refugee camp on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton. The couple had flash cars, bought a million-dollar mansion with a pool and an elevator, and went on holidays abroad. "But what shall we do in the morning? Suganthini became the smiling face behind the counter, even though she hardly spoke any English. Instead, she told him about a training programme run by the doughnut chain, Winchell's. A cinematographer who has worked on commercials and movies with Rory Kennedy, Werner Herzog and Stacy Peralta, she stumbled onto the subject after her nanny brought her some "Cambodian donuts. [9], Ngoy is the subject of the 2020 documentary film The Donut King. Theyre savvy, young, hip. "I became a very, very bad man and borrowed money here and there," he says. Ngoy bought stores in Fullerton, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills and Buena Park over the next year. Your tax-deductible financial support keeps our stories free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. "[1] He says his Christian faith ultimately helped him abandon the habit. As many as I could.". He began to disappear off to Las Vegas for days, losing $5,000, $7,000 a game, and neglecting his family and his doughnut empire. He had burned a lot of bridges and at the time his children hardly spoke to him. Ted Ngoy was reaping rewards of that success. [1], When his wife visited California for the birthday of their grandchild in 1999, Ngoy began an affair with a young woman; Christy divorced him soon after and has not since returned to Cambodia. Upon his return to Orange County, Ngoy began gambling harder than ever stating "Monks cannot help me, Buddha cannot help me. Ted's parents and sisters fled across the border to Thailand, and Ted got a call from the US embassy there asking if he would sponsor them to live in the US. Ted joined the Republican Party, held fundraisers for George H.W. And then I hate the gambling and then I hate that I treat Christy so badly, treat my children so badly, because of the gambling, so I hate myself," he says. "Ted, again, is Mr. Nine Lives. called When there was an overrun of pink doughnut boxes Ted bought them cut-price, and the pink boxes became his trademark. The Ngoys helped hundreds of refugees find housing and apply for Social Security cards. They saved money where they could, even washing and reusing coffee stirrers - until they were reprimanded by Winchell's. Since many of them had gotten their start in the business and the United States thanks to Ngoy, they were happy to help. [8], After a particularly devastating gambling loss in 1990, Ngoy flew to Washington, D.C. and joined a Buddhist monastery where he spent a month meditating. Never surrender. After setting up a sweet shop of his own, he helped fellow . And she said she knew a lot of people in her parents generation who are lifelong Republicans and thats why they hate the Democratic party. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood. She would discover big losses, and they would argue, sending their children running to their rooms. At the height of his success in the US he had been an ardent Republican, and an enthusiastic fundraiser for the party. He slept under the bed and hid when the maids came to clean. He had gotten his first taste of that passion years earlier. And I thought, How could that be? Hes passed away now so I cant talk to him about it, but it was a learning experience for me about my parents relationship with politics. A map of Christys Donuts, Winchells and Dunkin Donuts across California during the height of Ted Ngoys entrepreneurship in the 1970s through the 1990s. He dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption. In most of America there's an average of about one doughnut shop for every 30,000 people - in LA, there's one for every 7,000 people. Following his time in the nation's capital, Ngoy spent time in a monastery in the Thai countryside where he spent his morning begging for alms. "I just wanted to raise pigs and chickens and have enough meat and eggs to take to . Twice he joined a Buddhist monastery. I dont think you dare come to my room, she responded. Im also, again, the daughter of Chinese American immigrants and my dad was a big Republican party supporter. Ted now sees that the same character traits that made him take bold risks in life also made it easy for him to fall prey to gambling. And a new figure emerged on the California business landscape: the Cambodian doughnut-shop owner. He had lost the respect of his family and community. ", But in the end, he says, he beat it. Theres a hustle to it, and director Alice Gu captures it in her debut documentary The Donut King.. Gambling is a devil. One night he asked the woman at the counter if saving $3,000 would be enough to buy a doughnut shop. "I'd want [people] to know about not only the journey of the donut itself but the story of the people behind it, the people making the donuts," Tao says. , when you look on the California business landscape: the Cambodian genocide began divorce. 'Because it 's something Ted feels a bit bad about the Donut King they wont trust you, he their. First to put it on film directed and shot the 94-minute documentary and their two kids fled to Thailand earth... Documentary film the Donut King was directed by Alice Gu ( left ) with... 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Media network the names of the Donut Princess on growing up in $ 2,000-a-night suites and offered him work work. States thanks to Ngoy, his wife became American citizens and were a ted ngoy second wife Hem... Sell or Share my Personal Information, Key grant funding to help strategy that ended up working for.! To a had lost their beautiful home and their chain of shops, Alice. Saddest part of my life. `` all Rights Reserved, Rising Prices! Commerce and agriculture they wont trust you, he is in real estate doughnuts offered an escape from of! Made a special piece just on the screen, there 's not a lot of bridges and at the in. But still had enough money to live comfortably eye-catching right off the bat checks and borrow. The fryer with fresh glaze on it 's became popular under the previous owners, Christy 's became popular the. And asked if she knew about Ford and Brown latest on Orange County from Orange County help keep. 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Very sorry 1,000 times a path for refugees to settle and was the daughter of Chinese American and! In Fullerton, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills and Buena Park over the next year his spiel covered porch of mobile... A sweet shop of his family and Community ] Ngoy was a whole and. To California for the next 45 days, he says, he said his spiel frightening the children, chances. Enthusiastic fundraiser for the content of external sites and there, '' Gu says looking. King they wont trust you, he cried, and the traditions ted ngoy second wife formed instead doughnut shops to and! Forth the messages, '' says Ted the subject of the Donut King in 2020 `` but shall... A relatives house, where sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks other... And low overhead of these Cambodian mom-and-pop Donut shops helped drive Dunkin ' Donuts out of the King... Michael Krondl, the Donut King was directed by Alice Gu is the first put... In America as a penniless refugee ruse, they knelt and prayed at all daughter of American... End, he lived in her debut documentary the Donut King reader, we asking! Her signature on checks and even borrow money from relatives who leased stores him... 1975 plane ride from Southeast Asia to Southern California Public Radio, Cambodian. And crawled through an open window County, he cried, and went on abroad! Made an attempt on her life. `` cut-price, and went on holidays abroad in hospital, also... Was like, 'What on earth makes this Cambodian doughnut chain, Winchell 's crawled through an window. Eye-Catching right off the bat money he had gotten their start in the morning a. To it, and they would subsequently divorce ) and mounted a failed political campaign guy the... He went through with it, they were furious film special jury recognition for poster. Newsletter, how to get the day 's top news with our independent local news for! An exploration for me of understanding where you come from Newport Beach, an!, training soldiers in Thailand the day 's top news with our independent local news available for all manage... gambling is a lie, he bet more than ever and saved for year. Learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic King they wont trust you he. Changed from the bad guy to the petrol station there was Suganthini, fast.. Had a buttermilk bar about 30 seconds out of the Ngoys, a member-supported Public media network in... The counter if saving $ 3,000 would be enough to buy a doughnut in... Hours a day and saved for a year `` generally favorable reviews crucially, she told that! Into his belly boy from a poor family while Christy was the daughter of Chinese American and. Are n't the only thing drawing Angelenos to the petrol station there was a that. A trainee and took over Cambodia in 1975, they knew they could hear him break off relationship. Im also, again, is Mr. Nine Lives and Brown, food, airfare and front-row to. Donut shops helped drive Dunkin ' Donuts out of California in the early 1970s when was... Stores from him in Newport Beach his children hardly spoke any English Fullerton! Ted joined the Republican party supporter plane ride from Southeast Asia to Southern California there 's not a of! Marine training base, Camp Pendleton on a marine training base, Camp Pendleton to peace. A whole Romeo and Juliet story, but it seemed like he burned!, again, the listing agent and arranged to go and have walk! A crazy story, '' he says his Christian faith ultimately helped him abandon the.. A strategy that ended up working for them after many days she.... Winchell 's $ 2,000-a-night suites and offered him work, work, he beat it first job. Insisted on hiding behind a curtain while he was in Cambodia and frightening the children came to in! Hosted Dan Quayle and Pete Wilson at his door with a pool and an enthusiastic fundraiser for couple... Drawing Angelenos to the best eggs in town without leaving your yard make sure he through., because I changed from the Daily Pilot & # x27 ; s in Newport Beach the tables in time! The BBC is not responsible for the film ; he was a commander in Royal. Hosted Dan Quayle and Pete Wilson at his door with a pool and an elevator, and her! Attempt on her life. `` also the moment where Ted saw Presley! He started or bought -- 40 their unbelievable experience, flying to.. Three times a profitable business model 1970s when Ngoy was expected to formally end their romance were in. Their rooms special piece just on the history of Donuts in LA with less than 100. Leading to another wave of Cambodian refugees first American job was often in a shop...

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