Chinese restaurant

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The interior of a Chinese restaurant in Sha Tin, Hong Kong HK Shatin Yu Chui Shopping Centre Chinese restaurant interior visitors Sept-2012.JPG
The interior of a Chinese restaurant in Sha Tin, Hong Kong

A Chinese restaurant is a restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine. Most of them are in the Cantonese style, due to the history of the Chinese diaspora, though other regional cuisines such as Sichuan cuisine and Hakka cuisine are also common. Many Chinese restaurants may adapt their cuisine to fit local taste preferences, as in British Chinese cuisine and American Chinese cuisine. Some Chinese restaurants may also serve other Asian cuisines in their menus, such as Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, or Thai cuisines, though their selection is often limited and minimal compared to Chinese dishes.

Contents

Chinese takeouts (North America) or Chinese takeaways (United Kingdom and Commonwealth) are terms used to describe Chinese restaurants specifically designed for take-out, as opposed to traditional eat-in restaurants which typically offer take-out as an option; such take-out restaurants are often simplistic and lack tables or seats.

By country

Australia

At the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese restaurants had been present in a significant majority of Australian cities and towns for over fifty years, and in many places for over one hundred and fifty years. [1]

They emerged as commercial enterprises on the Victorian gold fields. [2]

The significant majority of original Chinese migration came from Guangdong Province in southern China, heavily influencing the style of food, consisting of fresh vegetables and fruit, with fish, poultry, and pork, with rice, herbs and spices. [3]

One third of all cooks in Australia were Chinese by 1890. [1] [4]

Canada

Buffet-style servings at a Mandarin all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant in Ontario Buffet Photo.JPG
Buffet-style servings at a Mandarin all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant in Ontario

The first Chinese restaurants in Canada were established in Western Canada and the Canadian Prairies by Chinese labourers working on the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 19th century. Due to common anti-Chinese sentiment at the time, many Chinese immigrants were unable to work in businesses that were not restaurants or laundromats, leading to the common establishment of the former. [5] [6] The number of Chinese restaurants in Canada grew due to increased immigration to Canada in the mid-20th century following the repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act, 1885. [7]

Many towns and cities across Canada have Chinese restaurants, most prominently in areas with large concentrations of Asian Canadians such as Markham, Ontario.

Egypt

The majority of Egypt's Chinese restaurants are found in Cairo, described by Slate in 2015 as "Shanghai on the Nile" due to its burgeoning Chinese food scene. [8]

In 2000, periodical Flavor and Fortune recorded between 7 and 8 restaurants in Cairo and around "a dozen" in the country, although the number was increasing. [9]

In 2020, Egypt's Health Ministry launched a campaign aimed at inspecting Chinese restaurants over food safety concerns in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; [10] however, Egypt denied reports that premises were being raided. [11]

Germany

In 1923, one of Germany's first Chinese restaurants opened in the Kantstraße region of Berlin, known for its large Chinese community. [12] By 1966, there were 100 Chinese restaurants across Germany; in 1992 this had increased to over 3,000. [12]

Today, Chinese restaurants can be found throughout Germany to the extent that, in 2016, almost every German city with a population of over 15,000 has at least a single Chinese restaurant. [12] The largest concentration is found in Berlin [13] where restaurants have been known to pair traditional Sichuan- and Shanghai-inspired dishes with German wines. [14] Many students from China and Hong Kong studying in Germany open Chinese restaurants. [15]

Netherlands

There are many Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands, [16] although the number has fallen in the decade preceding 2019. [17] The first Chinese restaurant opened in the 1920s. [18] Chinese food in the Netherlands is often inspired by Indonesian cuisine owing to the Netherlands' colonisation of Indonesia. [16]

In 2019, it was reported that the previous decade had seen a 22% decline in the number of Chinese-Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands, whereas the number of other restaurants increased by 15%. [19] Researchers attributed this to Chinese restaurants not meeting "modern" desires of consumers, including outdated décor and fatty food considered unappealing to an increasingly health-conscious population. [17] For the Netherlands, the typical Chinese-Indonesian restaurant culture – where three cultures come together (Chinese, Indonesian and Dutch) – has been acknowledged as Dutch intangible cultural heritage. [20]

In 2020, a number of Chinese restaurants began trialling the use of service robots, including in Renesse [21] and Maastricht. [22] A study published in 2019 raised concerns regarding labour trafficking in Chinese restaurants in the country, due to the migrants' "vulnerability to exploitation" and urged protection for migrants against "extreme forms of labour exploitation" seen across Europe. [23]

United Kingdom

The Feng Shang Princess, a floating Chinese restaurant in Regent's Park, Primrose Hill, London 2010-06-07 Chinese restaurant in Regent's canal.jpg
The Feng Shang Princess, a floating Chinese restaurant in Regent's Park, Primrose Hill, London

In the early 1880s, Chinese food items and eating houses appeared in London and Liverpool, mainly visited by Chinese seamen and students. [24]

In 1884, Chinese food was made available as part of an exhibition featuring a restaurant in the International Health Exhibition in South Kensington, London. [25]

In 1907 [26] or 1908, [24] the first recorded Chinese restaurant was opened in London. The rise in the number of Chinese restaurants in the UK only began after the Second World War, and has been attributed to returning service personnel from Hong Kong. [25] The restaurants were operated by Hong Kongers who moved to the UK. [27] One restaurant that stands out in the history of Chinese restaurants in the UK is the Kuo Yuan which in 1963 was the first restaurant to serve Peking duck.

In 2003, the first British Chinese restaurant achieved a Michelin star. [28] In the United Kingdom, the business employed a large percentage of Chinese immigrants in the 1980s (90% in 1985). [29] Opening a restaurant or takeaway gave a relatively low capital cost entry for Chinese families into self-employment. [30] Many takeaways served a pseudo-Chinese cuisine based around western tastes, and the limited cooking skills and experience of the shop owners. [30] [31]

In 2011, the Ming-Ai (London) Institute launched the British Chinese Food Culture project with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, aimed at exploring and tracking the changes in Chinese food throughout its history in the United Kingdom. [32] [24]

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted many Chinese restaurants in the UK, with a number of restaurants in London's Chinatown in particular facing financial difficulty, [33] due to lockdown restrictions and social distancing as well as prejudice against Chinese takeaways, which the BBC described as "unfounded". [33]

United States

The front desk of a Chinese takeout in Washington, D.C. Chinese restaurant Washington, DC 2.jpg
The front desk of a Chinese takeout in Washington, D.C.

Chinese restaurants in the United States began during the California Gold Rush, which brought twenty to thirty thousand immigrants across from the Canton (Kwangtung or Guangdong) region of China. The first documented Chinese restaurant opened in 1849 as the Canton Restaurant. [34] By 1850, there were five restaurants in San Francisco. Soon after, significant amounts of food were being imported from China to America's west coast. The trend spread eastward with the growth of the American railways, particularly to New York City. [35]

At the ratification of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 there were only 14 restaurants in San Francisco. [34] However, the Chinese Exclusion Act allowed merchants to enter the country, and in 1915 restaurant owners became eligible for merchant visas. This fueled the opening of Chinese restaurants as an immigration vehicle. [36] The Chinese Exclusion Act forced Chinese immigrants to move away from wage work to self-employment through laundries and restaurants. [37] [38] As of 2015, the U.S. had 46,700 Chinese restaurants. [39]

There has been a consequential component of Chinese immigration of illegal origin, including Fuzhou people from Fujian Province [40] and Wenzhounese from Zhejiang Province in Mainland China, specifically destined to work in Chinese restaurants in New York City, beginning in the 1980s. Adapting Chinese cooking techniques to local produce and tastes has led to the development of American Chinese cuisine. Many of the Chinese restaurant menus in the U.S. are printed in Chinatown, Manhattan. [41]

See also

Related Research Articles

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American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those found in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fusion cuisine</span> Cuisine combining multiple culinary traditions

Fusion cuisine is a cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions, or cultures. Cuisines of this type are not categorized according to any one particular cuisine style and have played a part in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown</span> Ethnic enclave of expatriate Chinese persons

Chinatown is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fish and chips</span> Hot dish of fried fish and fried potato

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chop suey</span> Dish in overseas Chinese cuisine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dim sum</span> Chinese cuisine

Dim sum is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuisines. In the tenth century, when the city of Canton (Guangzhou) began to experience an increase in commercial travel, many frequented teahouses for small-portion meals with tea called "yum cha" (brunch). "Yum cha" includes two related concepts. The first is "jat zung loeng gin", which translates literally as "one cup, two pieces". This refers to the custom of serving teahouse customers two delicately made food items, savory or sweet, to complement their tea. The second is dim sum, which translates literally to "touch the heart", the term used to designate the small food items that accompanied the tea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take-out</span> Prepared food purchased with the intent to eat elsewhere

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatowns in Europe</span>

Urban Chinatowns exist in several major European cities. There is a Chinatown in London, England, as well as major Chinatowns in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool. In Paris there are two Chinatowns: one where many Vietnamese – specifically ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam – have settled in the Quartier chinois in the 13th arrondissement of Paris which is Europe's largest Chinatown, and the other in Belleville in the northeast of Paris. Berlin, Germany has two Chinatowns, one in the East and one in the West. Antwerp, Belgium also has an upstart Chinese community.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Chinese cuisine</span> Chinese cuisine developed by Chinese Canadians

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribbean Chinese cuisine</span> Fusion of Chinese and West Indian cuisines

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Chinese cuisine</span> Fusion cuisine combining Indian and Chinese traditions

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Melbourne</span> Neighborhood in Melbourne, Australia


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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatowns in Australia</span>

Chinatowns in Australia is a term used to describe major Chinese ethnic enclaves in Australia, especially those that claim to retain a strong Chinese cultural identity and a strong relationship with China. Chinatowns exist in most Australian states and territories, especially in the highly-populous and cosmopolitan capital cities but also in rural areas. Many large present-day Chinatowns in Australia have developed out of smaller historical Chinese settlements in Australia dating back to the 19th century. Chinese people first immigrated to Australia in large waves in the midst of the Australian gold rushes. Many of these people subsequently chose to return to China or were forcefully deported from Australia. The first known Chinese Australian was John Shying, who immigrated to Australia in 1818.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Chinese cuisine</span>

Australian Chinese cuisine is a style of cooking developed by Australians of Chinese descent, who adapted dishes to satisfy local Anglo-Celtic tastes. Its roots can be traced to indentured Chinese who were brought to work as cooks in country pubs and sheep stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Chinese cuisine</span> Chinese cuisine developed by British Chinese

British Chinese cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine developed by British Chinese in the United Kingdom, typically adapted to British tastes but increasingly inspired by authentic Cantonese dishes. It is considered a major part of British cuisine. It often consists of fried food with the inclusion of chips and curry sauce, which are not known for being traditionally Chinese, but are food staples in the UK.

References

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  2. ↑ Nichol, Barbara. "Sweet and sour history: Melbourne's early Chinese restaurants" (PDF). National Archives of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
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  5. ↑ Tran, Paula (22 October 2022). "An ode to ginger beef: the hidden history of Chinese Canadian cuisine | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
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  7. ↑ "A Brief History of Chinese Food on the Prairies". MountainviewToday.ca. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  8. ↑ Berger, Miriam (16 January 2015). "A Tour of Cairo's Surprisingly Rich Chinese Food Scene". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "On Menus: In Egypt". Chinese Food. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Health Ministry launches campaigns to check Chinese restaurants in Egypt". EgyptToday. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Egypt denies raiding Chinese restaurants to tackle coronavirus". Middle East Monitor. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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  22. ↑ "Robots dish out the drinks at reopened Dutch restaurant". U.S. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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  30. 1 2 J.A.G. Roberts (2004). China to Chinatown: Chinese Food in the West. Reaktion Books. pp. 175–181. ISBN   9781861892270.
  31. ↑ Wai Kam Yu (Joseph Rowntree Foundation) (2000). Chinese older people: a need for social inclusion in two communities. The Policy Press. pp. 6–7. ISBN   9781861342423.
  32. ↑ "BRITISH CHINESE FOOD CULTURE". Ming Ai London. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  33. 1 2 Gillett, Victoria Lindrea & Francesca (3 February 2020). "Coronavirus fear hits London's Chinatown". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  34. 1 2 LIU, HAIMING; Ling, Huping (2015). From Canton Restaurant to Panda Express: A History of Chinese Food in the United States . Rutgers University Press. ISBN   9780813574752. JSTOR   j.ctt16nzfbd.
  35. ↑ Smith, Andrew F. (2009). Eating history: 30 turning points in the making of American cuisine. Columbia University Press. p. 47. ISBN   978-0-231-14092-8.
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  37. ↑ Carter, Susan B. (28 January 2011), "America's First Culinary Revolution, or How a Girl from Gopher Prairie Came to Dine on Eggs Fooyung", Economic Evolution and Revolution in Historical Time, Stanford University Press, pp. 419–446, doi:10.11126/stanford/9780804771856.003.0016, ISBN   9780804771856, S2CID   107967493
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