birmingham is home to a wide variety of asian eateries which have served the people of birmingham since the 1940s. the first chinese restaurant was the tong kung on holloway head, which opened in 1956. in the late 1950s there were also kam ling in livery street and tung hing at 15 snow hill. notable also were the slow boat, opened in 1961 under st. martin's car park (this business failed after a public health action for the use of illegal meat in its dishes), heaven bridge in smallbrook queensway, and, by 1968, the old happy gathering in pershore street, which offered more authentic cantonese cuisine, the earliest restaurants being more in the style of "chop suey houses".