New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-02
EATING WITH CH0PSTICKS.
AMERICANS ~ A CHINTsE REsTAuRANT-NoTT
ST. ETIQUETTE OF THE RICE BOWL
AM CHICKEN noNE.

AMERICANS ~ A CHINTSE W2STAURANT-MOIT
ST. ETIQUETTE OF THE RICE BOWL
AND CHICKEN BONE.
A Tribune reporter the other day climbed MP two
aghis Of dark stairs IN tenement house. where the
turns arc uncertain, tn Of the Chinese restaurants
that aaHk Tho Joss house al No IL Mo'tSt. on each
side lie found long, narrow room, lighted BY two
small windows I'm front The dark walls were 70
lleved only By occasional strips OF bright ri paper
bearing Chinese lnsertp tons perhaps the slAes' OF
Chinese rounAcrS7 possibly applications 10 the
Celestial god of tho stomach. This place WAS rather
gloomy. but scrupulously clean dozen small bare
wooden tables StoOd about surrounded by neat wooden
stools No tAhieoo'h or bis Of linen visible about
tho place, yet the effect not squad or rcpulslve,
like that Of the American eating dives" where the
prices arc nearest 10 the Chinese level The few Chi
nose sitting about eating their meal eyed the In
tr1Ider curtouSly unt waiter with queue and skirts
Appearpd and stood In true Mclean" style
waiting for an order a scanty knowledSr
OF Chinese menus limited this To chicken and rice.
Tho walter disappeared and returned quickly with
stoamInE tin teapot, and for each diner pair Of
chop-Sttcks tes-cup holding about gill, two small
butter plates one containing mustard and The other
q sweet sauce, . small porcelain lahe and thrco
tined Starl fOrhtho latter concession 30 American
weakness and ignorance Of the chop code. Then
followed two pint bowls, filled with chchcn cut
into pieces small enough eat comfortably but divided
and IN utter disregard TO s joints, un'Il all tho
pieces Nsro Of the same sIyo Each contained fraE
meut Of bone. Tho other bowl was hllod with
boIloi Hoe.
Upon these vands tho chop sticks were expected TO
OPERATE. They arr about ten inches long, as largo
a. coarse wooden knitting neclles, square az ono end
and slightly curvcd when the square sidcs OF the
scks properly pressed together IN the hand the
points spread a little enough TO enable an expert
to raise a bit OF chicken rice upon them 70 his
! mouth with some semblance OF grace Even an
ordinary person with their aid as much rice
a. no IL likely 10 eat-Chnose rice The rice was
| thoroughly cooked, but IL was dry As a bone, No
sauce Of any sort was served with It,
| and tho sauces Ia the two butter plates
made Il taste worse rather than better. The Chuose
customers balanced tho rico bowls dcty IN their lon
| hands raised the bowls and bent their faces until
| they resomblod cats licking cream. In thi" attitude
by the aid OF tho chop they were able TO mako
sure Of 4 considerable quantity Of their dainty with
| railroad restaurant speed. The effectiveness Of The
procedure would for it' Lack Of elegance IN the
| case OF an exceedingly hungry man,
| The chicken was individually chicken. Its favor
was fairly good when dipped 10 the sweet sauce
= to :syS 81 The The Dis OF .b S%GSoT PPa S s
piece served In the bowl had bone Of some sort No
plato q sHtS wa VA. " Ssce ana niece G S"wc S tho
teeth with the chOp.stch or fork and then pick out
| tho bones with The hngeH' inc 'hlheNr themselves
mrsuod this method dcNtrously, and on the table In
! front Of one chicken. eater lay a little pllo Of
! hnncS resembling the remains OF pusSyi
surreptitious feast upon rooin -,
Tho tea from the lttile dlngy teapot, which might
fairly b. expected 10 bc god, had been boiled until
| Il became q distillAton Of tannin, and tasted nhe
the green tea sometimes served to 1Ti Districts ,,.
which Is served In bowls Ike the chicken and rico
aud everything else about the place
| navorte dish hash with bright green
leaves IN IT, Tho flavor good, but rs composition
WIZ q mystery OF tho big Chinese kitchen across the
hall The small American pal rOnagD OF tho restaurant
Is evan moro than Is desired, II one may judge
by tho remarks Of tho cashier, When the reporter
handed over 10 cents for his meal and ASKED II many
Americans came there, the money aher responded
syuniy: Heap M~iican man Hoap too much
/ Mclean man ~