Morris tribune., 1901-03-09
CHOPSTICK DINNERS.
A FAD WITH WOULD BE BoHEMIANs
IN NEW YORK.

Chinese Restaurants There Tolerate
/ erybOdy Does just About as He or
She Pleases.
In the last few years surprisingly
large number Of Chinese restaurants
have made their appearance in up town
districts in New York. The tawdry
outward decorations Of red and blue
lights and huge gilt Chinese characters
are in every case the same. The same,
too, are the unattractive entrances, the
walls decorated with colored pictures
of pretty Chinese girls and marvellous
specimens Of landscapes, the little Ia
bles covered with white oilcloth, the
general dilapidation Of the establish
ment. Nothing about them seems at
tractive, and yet these places thrive,
and their number increases with aston
ishinP rapidity. The reason is not far
! to seek if one is at all familiar with the
facts. There are several characteris-
tics Of the Chinese restaurant which
recommend it highly to certain classes
and seem to indicate that it's popularity
is not mere fad.
In the first place it should be under
stood that most Of these places are
really what they are supposed to be,
eating houses carried on under Chinese
management. The cooks are invaria-
bly, true Celestials, and in only a few
cases are the proprietors Americans.
The food is prepared, therefore, accord
ing to the most approved methods of
the Middle Kingdom, with the result
that in cheapness and savoriness IF
you like it, it can easily outclass SINH
lar places run by American cooks. The
Chinese is master Of the art OF max
ing palatable dishes out of next to
nothing or rather little Of everything.
Not even. the French cook can rival
him. The insipidity Of cheap chop
houses and the sameness of the dairy
lunch counters are thus escaped by
frequenters Of these restaurants. More
over, in spite Of appearances the food
is prepared in an extremely cleanly
manner. No one is debarred from en-
tering the kitchen, and visit thither
sends one back with renewed appetite
to the untidy eating room. So many
who while possessed Of small share
Of this worlds goods still affect sport
mess" frequent the restaurant for it's
cheapness and grow to enjoy the highly
favored dishes.
There is also free and easy atmos-
phere about the Chinese eating house
which attracts many would be "Bohe-
mians'' as well as goodly share Of a
class below the lowest grades of the
city's many graded Bohemia. Visitors
loll about and talk and laugh loudly.
When the waiter is wanted, some one
emits a shrill yell which brings an an
sWering, whoop from the kitchen. fol
lowed sooner or later by little Chi
nese at a jog trot. Any one who feels
like it may stroll into the kitchen and |
try little pigeon English on the cook.
The proprietor will teach anybody to
use the chopsticks and roar with laugh |
ter over the failures of the novice. & Ev- |
erybody does as he or she pleases with |
In certain very elastic bounds. The |
limit is reached sooner in some places |
than in others, for while some Of the |
houses are before midnight at least
perfectly well conducted others are Of /
more than questionable responsibility
1t is curious and interesting to note
that under American management the
tone Of these places is lower than when
the Chinese are in sole control.
These new up town places are not SO
good, either in a moral or culinary
way, as those down in Chinatown.a 1t
is usual to speak as if Mott and Pell
streets were the city's sink Of iniquity, |
and so they are in some respects, but
there are no Chinese restaurants in-the
as disreputable as one or
two up town. The clientele of the
down town places is above suspicion as
a rule. Chinese drop in for their meals,
and dwellers from up town come either
from curiosity or because they have
learned to like good Chinese cooking.
Up town the bills Of fare are more linn
tied. ''Yockaman," "chop suey" and
'chowman" are the pieces de resist
ance. They answer the purpose GER
tainly, for % cents worth Of some
kinds Of chop suey served with rice
will make toothsome dish for two
people, Tea is served free of charge,
and the quantity is not limited. But
no one should Judge the Celestials' Gu
inary skill by these up town houses:
Many Of the guests in these restau-
'ants come regularly Frequently men
and women come with pals to buy the
food and take it home. Negroes are in
lisproportionately large numbers. They
seem to like the Chinese, and indeed
he noise in the kitchen reminds one of
he similar condition Of southern kitch-
ms under negro management. How
.ver solemn the Chinese may seem ito
De in public. he is cheerful creature
n his own kitchen. Talk and laughter,
wen music during "ofP' hours float out
o the dining room. All the servants