SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The owner of legendary Sacramento dive bar Simon’s Bar & Cafe, Simon Chan, passed away over the weekend.
“It is with great sadness to report that Simon Chan has passed away. He will be so missed by our community,” Save Simon’s, a Facebook page created in June 2015 to boost business at the bar, announced Chan’s passing on Sunday night.
Simon’s Bar & Cafe, located at 1415 16th Street, near the corner of 16th Street and N Street, is described in online reviews as a dark and cozy pub offering up Chinese cuisine, beer, wine, and cocktails.
Regulars gushed about the attention to detail and quality of the food, the incredible cocktails, and the affordable prices. Friends and patrons have started dropping off flowers and candles as a tribute to Chan at the front doors of the business.
Some of the bar’s most notable customers were local politicians.
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors member Phil Serna wrote about his memories of Simon’s, and Chan, saying in part, “I’ve spent many a memorable evening dining on superb Chinese interpretations of wild game harvested from the Sacramento Valley that was honored with Simon’s delicious preparation. Duck, venison, goose, elk . . . you name it, Simon and his staff prepared it with incredible attention to detail, flavor and presentation.”
California State Treasurer Fiona Ma also commented on Chan’s passing Sunday night.
“Simon Chan was an icon in Sacramento. I got elected to the Assembly in 2006 and Simon said that Mike Honda used to do karaoke at Simon’s and he would welcome more Karaoke nights. And that started our Karaoke Caucuses for the past 15 years,” Ma wrote.
