Dragon Village

Dragon Village Restaurant owner Mary Wong asks customers Willi Wolfschmidt, left, and Mario Saenz how they are are finding their lunches. Wong does the out-front socializing while her husband, Chi Ping Chan, presides over the kitchen.The way Mary Wong sees it, owning a restaurant is a lot like being a hospital nurse, which she was in her native China."You take care of people, " the owner of Dragon Village Restaurant said of both occupations.Apparently, Wong and her staff took such good care of a mystery diner or diners a few weeks ago that her Oro Valley business ended up being named one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the country by an industry magazine.The Dragon Village won in the Chinese/Asian fusion category and the signature-dish category for its sesame chicken.The Chinese Restaurant News, a California trade publication, created the awards in 2004, said Betty Xie, editor in chief.Wong, 37, said she was flabbergasted when she received a letter with the news. In November, she flew to New York for a gala event where celebrity chef Martin Yan was among those handing out awards."He is my idol, " Wong said of Yan, whom she started watching on television when she moved to Arizona from China in 1993. "He's a good cook; he's funny and delightful."One of the trophies she received at the Nov. 11 event now sits on her restaurant counter. A framed photograph of Wong, Yan and other chefs hangs on a nearby wall.Wong and her husband, Chi Ping Chan, opened the Dragon Village in January 2003 in a Safeway shopping center at North Rancho Vistoso Boulevard and East Tangerine Road.