Cecilia Chiang, pioneer of Chinese cuisine

湖北 殷 莉

Cecilia Chiang, who introduced regional Chinese dishes to the United States and transformed the way Americans think about Chinese cooking.

Chiang, who opened the high-end restaurant the Mandarin in 1961 and operated it for the next three decades, died last year when she was 100. The Mandarin opened on Polk Street before moving to larger digs in Ghirardelli Square in 1968. At the Mandarin, visitors could enjoy dishes fairly commonplace to diners today but that many Americans had never tried before—pot stickers, Peking duck and hot and sour soup. Back then, the majority of Americans' experience with Chinese food came in the form of dishes that catered heavily to the American palate（味覺）.

“Cecilia single-handedly brought traditional regional Chinese cuisine to the American table with imagination and diversity,” said Martin Yan, chef and longtime host of the PBS cooking program Yan Can Cook via email. “She elevated the American public's understanding of Chinese food.”

The primary language of Chinese immigrants in the US when Chiang arrived was Cantonese—not Mandarin, which she spoke—and the cuisine of immigrants from Hong Kong and Southern China dominated Chinatowns nationwide. Chiang is credited with being the first to popularize regional Chinese favorites that she grew up loving.

Chiang was not a chef, nor had she ever opened a restaurant on her own. But she had an excellent palate and determination to make the business work. Amazed by the lack of variety in Chinatown,Chiang sought to create a space in the image of the food she grew up with: elegant, refined, and technique-driven. This was directly counter to the quick-and-easy stereotype that many Americans held about the cuisine.

The restaurant wasn't immediately successful, but about a year after opening, the Mandarin received a mention from San Francisco Chronicle's Herb Caen. The effect of the powerful columnist's write-up was instant. Soon, there was a line out the door.

Gradually, the Mandarin became a must-visit for celebrities from both in and out of the food community: James Beard, Alice Waters, Jackie Kennedy and John Lennon all flocked （群集） to enjoy Chiang's food. After three decades, Chiang sold the restaurant in 1991. It closed permanently in 2006.

Critical

Thinking

What made Chiang open a restaurant on her own?