Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-08-28
WHAT THE CHINESE EAT.
CUISINE OF THE MoNGoLIAH RES.
TAURANFs IN NEW YORK.
SIX Oriental Eating ITOuseS I'm the
Metropolis Their Queer Dishes
What n Dinner Costs,

ung John Chinaman. Every church
patronized by the creme de Ia creme has
It's Chinese class, its Chinese teachers,
is Chinese night-school. 1t has done
much in turning attention to Chin atown
and in making known many things that
heretofore were Celestial mysteries.
Among these is the Monaghan restaur-
ant. 1t is safe to say that in 1880 not
more than a hundred New Workers had
ever dined in oriental style. In 1885
the number is far up among the thous-
ands. The average American, when he
first approaches the Chinese table, does
so in fear and trembling. Vague pre-
sentiments of ragouts of rats, mayon-
naise of mice and similar luXuries Goat
through his mind. Nine times out of
ten he leaves the table with the convic-
lion that he has learned something, and
that the Acknowledged sons of the queue
are the best cooks in the world. So he
goes again, and with him brings two or
three inquisitive or adventurous friends.
There are six Chinese restaurants
proper in the Monaghan settlement.
Each is famous for some dish or style of
Cunning hC DClllOulkO VI lllC uulnUGL
is Yu- Ung-Fang-Lan, at No. IA Mott
street. Here repair Canton reporters
and Hong Kong merchants from Frisco,
flush gamblers aud wealthy laundrymen.
All of the restaurants are run on the
same plan. A plain wood floor, swept
and scrubbed hourly till it fairly shines,
simple pine or walnut tables, small stools,
crimson banners and notices on the
walls, and lavish display of curious
porcelain vessels in racks and stands
characterize one and all.
You have never dined, reader, under
such auspices. With two friends you
enter Yu Ung's and perch on stool
near large square table. The next mo-
ment the attendant has put down in front
Of you teapot filled with fresh boiling
tea, q teapot one third the size of those
used by Americans, two bony chop sticks,
porcelain spoon, tin liqueur bowl and
saucer filled with a chocolate fluid
called se-yu. This is a hybrid between
salt and diluted Worcestershire sauce.
From its name comes the familiar British
term "soy.n The first course is cold
roast chicken, served with picked per-
fumed turnip. The flesh is tender, snow
white and free from sauce. 1t is cut
into small pieces, but these are arranged
so as to preserve the outline of the fowl.
You seize piece with your chop-sticks,
dip in the sauce, and then cat it in SOL
emn silence.
The next course is fresh fish, steamed,
boiled, or fried whole and covered with
q dark and very aromatic sauce With it
is served bowl heaped TO OVERLOOKING
with rice. 1t is cooked as only the Chi
nese can-each grain soft and tender and
distinct from its fellows. Next appears
a bowl Of chicken soup, on whose sur
face floats few thin slices of some green
vegetables. Then follow roast duck
with picked carrot, chow-chow- sue "a
ragout of chicken liver, lean pork, BAN,
boo tip, celery, bean shoots and onion),
dried fish, steam-chopped pork, maca
roni and chicken, and dainty dumplings
filled with spiced hashed meats.
With the foods are served tiny pitchers
of liquors. One is brown ice arrack
the second date brandy and the thirt
an orange gin. The nearest approache!
to these in the American barroom arr
Batavia arrack, pear brandy and greer
curacao. All the dishes are we'll cooked
and served, and all are novelty to tn
most blase gourmet. The made dishe
especially are new and strange.
The next surprise is the bill. The sam
or an equivalent dinner at an averag
restaurant would cost party of tire
persons at least $3.50; in first
hotel, $3.50. At Yu Ung's, however
the cost is but $2.4S. OF course tn
Monaghan has luxuries, and pay
for them "alle samee Mclean man
A duck half boiled and stuffed with al
monds, chestnuts, raisins watermelo
seeds, imported spices, and roasted,
worth 50. A sucking pig similaril
treated brings S. to 81. Birds-nest sou
at fifty cents portion, sharks fins friC
aseed at forty, dragon fish ragout q
thirty-fve and sea- worm at seventy
five are other instances in point. 1t
not uncommon for Chinese dinner t
cost S. plate, exclusive of wine, an
on state occasions $40 head has bee
the price paid by the giver of the feas
At these great dinners feature of til
cooking is the element of surprise.
dish of apparently hard boiled eggs
placed before you. You open one and
is filled with purplish custard, flavore
! with violets: second has a brown fill
, ing, colored and favored with chocoat,
and third a rose tinted and perfume
; cream. A second dish of eggs will col
; tain assorted ices and ice creams Agail
the attendant deposits before you whit
> seems well-boiled trout. Your cho
stick removes the fish-head and skin
one touch and discloses long dumplr
4 ! filled with delicious chopped meat
: game. Another charming dish consis
> apparently of small, we'll fried potatoe
: Each one, however, is a thin shell
: fine, thoroughly cooked dough, co
. talning vegetables, poultry, fish, gan
= or meat.
o While dining you have good oppo
h tunity to study the domestic habits
:. the Monaghan race. However crowdt
!. the restaurant may be, quiet reign
n broken only by the orders of the stewa
: and walters to the cooks, and Il
,. "thank you" Of the guest. In Engli
. the latter practice would become mono
= onous. In Chinese there are seven c
h pressions for our one, and a happy v
"a riety therefore exists. They eat leisurel
re- and almost invariably leave portion
!. their food untouched Each, as he /
n gins his meal, pours tablespoonful
: tea into his cup, and then, by dextt
Gus swing of the wrist, throws the liqu
in semi circle on the floor. The custol
or ceremony, seems to have had !
igious meaning in remote antiquity, b
st to-day is kept up for luck, or perha
d from mere habit.
ii Ano4bo, Foo+,,ro 60 A. n;~ou1;o;.-r