News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-27
Chinese Restaurants.

Mr.. Wong Chin Foo, an Americanized
Chinaman, and well-known journalist
OF New York, contributes a very inter
estlng article on "The Chinese in New
York, to the August number of the Cos
mopotttan. In speaking of the CASTRO
nomic habits of the Chinese, Mr.. Wong
(the Chinese put the family name frst)
says that in their restaurants these peo-
pie do not generally pay by the dishes
ordered, but by the tables or spreads,
called gzuh. A irst-class spread includes
about forty courses, which it takes two
days to finish, and which costs fifty
dollars. A second-class spread, with
twenty EIGHT courses, costs forty dollars.
A third-class spread, with eighteen cour-
ses, costs twenty-five dollars. The
cheapest spread includes eight courses,
and costs eight dollars. This is the low
est price for which man can order a
formal dinner in a first-class Chinese
restaurant (of which there are eight in
New York City; but then the spreadgs
made Tor any number of people within
twelve. II person simply wants to eat
a short meal for himself and a friend or
two, he can get ready made dishes of
fish, chicken, ducks, pigs feet, rice, tea,
etc., cheaper than in any other restau-
rant The foods are all chopped in small
pieces, rendering knives and forks un-
necessary. The Chinese table imple-
ments are chopstioks of ebony or ivory,
a tiny teacup, and porcelain spoon.
A staple dish for the Chinese gour-
mand is chOU chop sCey, q mixture of
chickens hvers and gizzards, fungi,
Bamboo buds, pigs tripe and bean
sprouts stewed with spices. The gravy
OF this is poured in the bowl of rice and |
makes delicious seasoning for the fa- |
vorite grain. The tea is made by pour
ing hot water over the fresh oolong in |
CUP, and covering the latter with |
smaller saucer to draw. Then pushing
back the saucer little, the fluid is
poured into smaller cup, and more hot
water is added to the grounds. This
nay be repeated five or six times, and
he last cup will be nearly as strong as
he first. The Chinaman always takes
spirits with his meals, pouring rice
Yhlskey into tiny cup from pewter
Dot but he always drinks moderately,
md never apart from meals. When
'arty of Cinnamon sit around table,
ne dish of each kind of food is served,
nd all pick from the same dish with
hopsticks. When there are several
curses, the earlier dishes are never re-
loved, and, by the time good dinner
as been served, the table is literally
uried under dishes.
The walls of the restaurant are hung
nth long scrolls of Chinese writings
laxims from philosophers for the enter
linment of those who eat-and from
le ceiling hang large Enthusiastically pain
I'd Chinese lanterns, and flower baskets
lat resemble bird cages.
To the rear is the kitchen, which is
ways scrupulously clean. The stoves
e curiosities. They are long ranges
1ilt of thin, broad bricks. In the top
ere are great pits into which are firm
set iron gridirons, imported from
hina. Two of the ranges have open ,
is only, and there are places where !,
hole hogs are occasionally hung upon
IN bars and roasted. Coal is never ,
ed in these Chinese kitchens, but only
y, or hickory wood. {
Sat least 500 Americans take their 1
orthodox Chinese fashion, with chop
cks,"