Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-25
DINNER IN CHINESE NEW YORK.
Peculiar Sort of Hash-Chop-
Sticks n Eailure-DeSert..


Half the world does not know how
the other half lives" said Brooklyn
lawyer to reporter d few DAYS ago, "and
in proof of this holy MAXIM" continued
| the disciple of Blackstone, Il will take
1 you over to New York and give YOU a
Chinese dinner There are great many
of these Acknowledged Celestials in New
York, and they keep up the habits and
customs OF their race in this distant land
with wonderful tenacity." The invitation
was not one to be dispised, and the re-
porter and the lawyer crossed the bridge
together, and ten minutes walk from
the Chatham street entrance brought
them to the Chinese restaurant, situated
in Il small frame building on Park street.
The eating room was close and narrow,
and the low, overhanging ceiling made
the air of the place oppressive. The
tables were made OF pine boards and I'M
covered, and the chairs were OF the rough
est description The room was filled with
Celestials eating with chopsticks and talk
ing loudly in their native tongue. The
BROOKLYN lawyer seemed at home amid
the queer surroundings, and he ordered
the dinner in the most approved pigeon
English. The kitchen in these Chinese
restaurants is alongside the dining-room !;
indeed, it is part OF it, and the expect
ant diner sees his meal cooked before his
eyes. The dinner consisted OF Il peculiar
sort of hash, called ''chop sui" 1t is
made of-the Lord knows what-but
sliced bamboo, kidneys, celery and spices
were certainly used in its composition.
The queer mixture, provided the eater
does not investigate it too carefully, can
be eaten, but an everyday American
would certainly not banker after Il second
time.
In eating this mixture the Brooklyn
lawyer used the national chop-stoeks
with the ease and grace OF Il Mandarin,
but the reporter, after several unsuccess-
full attempts to capture with the ivory
sticks bit of kidney that hoated allpr-
ingly on the top of his bowl of "chop-sui,p
gave up the attempt in despair, and fin
ished the meal with knife and fork. The
chop-sui was washed down with tea, and
it was real tea, not the abominable stuff
that goes by that name in American eat
ing-houses. This tea was served like
water. and drunk as abundantly during
the entire meal. 1t was drunk out OF
thin, Acknowledgment cups, and had a
most delicious flavor. After the chop-sui
came boiled chicken and rice The fowl
was cut up into small blocks, each
block about two inches square; bones,
meat and fat were all cut up together.
The rice was cooked as it is in South Caro-
lima, steamed dry, each grain standing
out separate and distinct. Some of the
Cinnamon ate it with the "chop-sui''
gravy, but the majority OF them swal-
lowed it dry. The chicken and the rice
were very palatable.
A small plate of candied figs, pony OF
Chinese whisky, which tastes very much
like vermouth, only much stronger and
cigarette, which smoked as if it was
made of dry fine-cut chewing tobacco,
brought the repast to close. The whole
meal for two persons cost 40 cents. 1t
did we'll enough for an experience, but
few Americans would care to live a la
Chinese every day.