The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-09-08
CH0PSTICK DINNERS.
A FAD WITH WOULD BE BoHEMlANs
IN NEW YORK.

Chinese Restaurants There Tolerate
Free and Easy Etiquette, and Ev-
cTybOdy Does Just About as He or
She P1cases.
In the last few years a surprisingly
large number Of Chinese restaurants
baye made their appearance in up town
districts 10 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 uuattractlye entrances, the
walls decorated with colorcd pictures
pf pretty Chinese girls and marvellous
Ipcclmens Of landscapes, the little Ia.
bles covered with white oilcloth, the
general dilapldatlon Of the establish.
ment Nothing about them seems at
tractIye, and yet these places thrive,
and their number increases with aston
Ishing rapldity. The reason Is not far
10 seek II one is at all familiar with the
facts. There are several characteris-
tics Of the Chinese restaurant which
recommend II highly to certain classes
and seem TO indicate that It's popularity
IA not a mere fad.
In the first place II 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 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 df
you like ~ II can easily outclass STINT
lar places run by American cooks. The
Chinese IL a 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 a visit thither
sends one back with renewed appetite
10 the untidy eating room. So many
who while possessed Of a small share
OF this worlds goods still affect sport
mess frequent the restaurant for its
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 a 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 n 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 be 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 Il culinary
way, us those down in Chinatown. 1t
Is usual to speak as II Mott and Pell
streets were the citys sink Of iniquity,
and so they are in some respects, but
there are no Chinese restaurants In the
nelghborhood 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 lin.
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 a 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
llnary skill by these up town houses.
Many of the guests In these restau-
rants come regularly. Frequently men
and women come with pals to buy the
food and take 1t home. Negroes are in
diSproporticnately large numbers. They
seem to like the Chinese, and indeed
the noise in the kitchen reminds one of
the similar condition of southern kitch-
ems under negro management How
ever solemn the Chinese may seem to
be In public, he is cheerful creature
in his own kitchen. Talk and laughter,
even music during "off" hours, float out
to the dining room. All the servants
seem ready to break into smiles at the