-
Kevin Godbee ha publicado una actualización
Sichuan Dry-Fried Beef inspired by the famous Mandarin Restaurant in San Francisco. (Closed in 2006 after 45 years.)
This was one of their most popular dishes according to owner Cecilia Chiang in her book, “The Seventh Daughter”. She and the restaurant were famous.
The restaurant opened in 1961, sold in 1991, and closed in 2006. Cecilia died in 2020 at 100 years old.
She taught Alice Waters, Julia Child, and James Beard how to cook Chinese food. “Trader Vic” was a regular as well as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Chuck Williams – the founder of Williams Sonoma.
The restaurant was unique when it opened since it was the only Chinese restaurant in the U.S. at the time that offered northern Chinese cuisine. All of the rest offered American-Cantonese dishes as the initial wave of Chinese immigration was from Canton, Guangdong Province. The Mandarin was also the only fine dining Chinese restaurant in the U.S. at the time.
Sichuan Dry-Fried Beef was the first dish she ate at her uncle’s home when her and her sister (daughter number five) fled the Japanese invasion in 1943 and walked 1,000 miles over six months to safety in Chongqing, Sichuan Province. On the restaurant menu it was called Chongqing Dry-Fried Beef.
Cecilia Chang’s son Philip Chiang is the Co-Founder of U.S.-based Chinese restaurant chain P. F. Chang’s.
Judy Keegan, sangeethamala guduri y2 más5 Comentarios-
Level:
Scoolinary Team
Such a fascinating story, Kevin! Thanks for sharing it. The connection between food, history, and the people who shaped an era is incredible. I love how the dish reflects both tradition and innovation. What a great legacy Cecilia Chiang left!
1 -
Level:
Stagier
Espectacular
1 -
-
This story is absolutely extraordinary—thank you for sharing it. The legacy of Cecilia Chiang and The Mandarin Restaurant is not just culinary history, it’s cultural heritage. That Sichuan Dry-Fried Beef carries so much more than flavor—it holds memory, resilience, and the spirit of a woman who transformed how America understands Chinese cuisine.
To think that Cecilia walked 1,000 miles to safety, and later introduced a nation to the depth and elegance of northern Chinese cooking—it’s humbling. Her influence reached icons like Julia Child and James Beard, yet her story began with a simple, powerful dish shared in a moment of survival. That’s the magic of food—it nourishes, connects, and endures.If you’re recreating that dish or drawing inspiration from it, you’re not just cooking—you’re honoring a legacy. And that’s something truly beautiful.1-
@judyrusselllive-com-au Thank you!
-
-
