The Dickinson press., 1888-09-01
A CELESTIAL FEAST.
WESTERN eARBARlANs At NEW
Works CHINESE "oELMoNIco."

\ Marvellous Array of Crockery-Cups Of
Delightful Tca-The Famous Dish Nut
chi-ki-Oricntal Art In Cooking Eggs.
Tho Cooks Triumph.
The party numbered a novelist, O journal
list and n poet and two ladies, likewise literary
folk moro or less known to the world The
time was G O'Clock on a rainy night and the
place was the Chinese quarter Of New York.
better known as the Bend. where Mott street
.lcbouches into Park row
Picking their way among the pools and
pitfalls of the narrow sidewalk, the party
halted before an ancient tenement, somewhat
more dilapidated than its neighbols. whose
door post bore a legend in Chinese-if one
could but have deciphered it-informing the
hungry wayfarer that here he might eat and
DC filled.
The novelist. to whose experience in Chinese
cookery tho rest of tho party humbly sub
United themselves, led tho way into the dusky
interior Mounting one flight of stairs. lie
usllered his companions into II large, square
front room, u%ncarpeted, and furnished with
u number of plain wooden tables and stools
Near a window in one corner of the room one
OF the tables was set forth with a number of
curious dishes. Hero the party seated them
selves, and prepared for what was to follow
A MARVELLOUS ARRAY.
Two clocks and a stove, together with the
tables and stools, were the only strictly DC
cilental appurtenances which the room con
tained. In tho left hand corner of the apart
mcrt stood q broad, short lounge or divan.
piled high with pillows, and furnished witt,
Il tray containing n miscellaneous assortment
Of needles, jars, pipes and a lamp which was
kept constantly burning. 1t was occupied at
present by n large, plump specimen of tue
Oriental, who lay at length lazily manipu
lating needle and pipe, and presently the
faint, insipid odor of opium circled through
the place.
In the opposite corner Upon n number of
shelves was arranged Il marvellous array Of
crockery, calculated to set n k~eramomaniac
wild. Wonderful t%urecns, decorated with
intertwisted dragons, snakes, dwarfcd foliage
md monstrous humanity, bowls of all shapes
md sizes, jars, pots, saucers and utensils
whose uso would puzzle my but q Chinese.
were displayed to the admiration of envious
yes. Below these again were metal utensils
If %multitudinous shapes, chatting dishes, fish
shaped, to contain fish, plates, fowl shaped,
10 hold fowl, and many formed to contain
Tho nondcscript delights which so largely
make up a Chinese meal.
Near at hand was tho counter for what in
English would be the cashier, with the count.
ing frame, ink pot and brush md account
hooks. Over this presided a fat, ,iovial look
ing Celestial, who had evidently thrivcn
ron entertainment of his own house. Back
t tho main apartment the kitchen displayed
% view IL perpleXing maze of articles, wholly
lamcless to n western understanding, the
whole pcrvadcd by q mouth watering per.
fumc and a suggestive sound of irving and
frizzling.
Before each of tho party was set n cup of
delightful tea-many times rcplcnishcd dur
~ the %mcal-chop sticks, and, rs Il cGxlccs.
.on to English ignorance, n very small plate
md u fork.
THE FIRST DISH.
Tho first dish brought on was the famous
Nut.chi-ki. In cold words, it is II prepare
tion of fowl, pork, Chinese mushrooms and IL
nut somewhat similar to q chestnut. In alb
solute fact, it is the original ambrosia-tlie
truo food of tho gods, in whose luscious
,aucc Jove's beard was daily dipped. Its
taste and flavor are simply indcscribable-
English has no synonym for it, adjectivcs
TO feeble and insulting. Ono of the kldies
.;Served, i'll passing her saucer for Il second
clip, That it was "hcavcnly." The novelist,
10 whom the observation was addressed, had
no audible reply to make. With his mouth
full lie could do nothing but reply f%ervently
with his eyes. The poet dcvcured i'll silence,
he had found something for which there is
no rhyme.
Following this came Foy-yung-darn-an
"mclet-of which it may be said that no o.
ridental chef d'uuvrc could ever compare
With this Oriental work ofiart i'll eggs. The
Chinese chef had no rival except in his own
country. Then came Chow-chop.suy, an
other mysterious mixture, after eating OF
which the poet expressed his opinion that
nature had done hin wrong in not giving
him two stomachs. Marvellous comestibles
now followed each other in rapid succession
and tho diners were reduced to n condition OF
silent contentment.
1t seemed at the point where the menu be
gins to taper for this to DO read from left tc
right, as if even Chinese ingenuity must have
exhausted itself, but there was Il KNOWN.
twinkle in the eye of the novelist, aud hi:
deludcd and o%verfull companions began t,
suspect that he had prudently reserved ;
nook for some culinary wonder yet to come
iieralded by birds nest sovp-thc king of al
soups-it came i'll tho shape of Chow-gow
men, the apex aud pinnacle Of all things eat
able in this world or the next. 1t is simply
species of macaroni, so prepared aus to ltav'
a part soft while a part is cooked crisp l'ast
ing it gingerly, the party uttered simultanc
GUS cries of delight, and made Il combined 81;
tack upon the dish, which disappeared witt
startling rapidity.
The bill of fare is not tho work of an ink,
spider, as it seems, but the passport to dc
lights such as Lucullus never knew, eve
when no dined with himself. Let any on
who wishes to know how to dine hand it t
u Chinese restaurateur. New York World
Nine. Ristori's Stage Face.