After immigrating to the U.S. almost 15 years ago, Quanwei Han has been on a singular mission to open a family-owned restaurant, working tirelessly in restaurants until he could afford to start his own.

Although his initial foray into business ownership fell through after opening an eatery in Kerrville, the setback did not deter Quanwei. Instead, he went into business with his son, Mike, and his daughter-in-law, Cynthia.

“Part of Chinese culture is that you have to take care of your parents,” Mike said. “We don’t treat this restaurant like a business. We are here because we love the community.”

Mike left his job with the U.S. Army to help his father fulfill his dream of creating a family business. Together, the trio opened China Han in Friendswood.

The Hans took over the former storefront of Habi Dynasty last September. While much of the menu would be familiar to patrons of Habi Dynasty, new dishes, such as salt and pepper shrimp, orange beef, kung pao triple and Peking duck have been added to the mix.

“The customer wants to come here for the fresh food, the good food and the good service,” Mike said. “We want to give the customer the best.”

Quanwei learned how to make authentic Chinese food while living and working in China.

Quanwei ran his restaurant, Panxi Restaurant, in China for about 15 years before coming to the U.S., Cynthia said.

One of the reasons Quanwei enjoys cooking Chinese food is the history behind each dish.

“He tries to cook a new Chinese entree every Saturday,” Mike said. “We are the only restaurant that has Peking duck in this area.”

The Hans are considering future plans for a new location, but they have not made any definite plans.

“We want to make sure this one is successful first, and then we’ll think about expanding,” Cynthia said.

According to Mike, running the family restaurant is more than a business—it is a lifestyle.

“As owner, you have to be here for over 14 hours a day,” Mike said. “No one can replace you.”