104 JANUARY 2020
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I’m still quite active,
and I love to work.
It keeps me busy. Also
it keeps me young.”
—CECILIA CHIANG
“
BEFORE CECILIA CHIANG opened her San
Francisco restaurant the Mandarin in 1961,
Chinese food in the states was limited to
Americanized Cantonese creations like chop
suey. At the Mandarin, Chiang introduced
diners to Szechuanese and Hunanese,
including now-classic dishes like kung pao
chicken. Her culinary students over the years
included James Beard and Julia Child; her
son, Philip, cofounded P.F. Chang’s. Today, as
she nears her 100th birthday (in September),
she continues to mentor and consult. Lucas
Sin, chef of New York’s Junzi Kitchen, sum-
marized Chiang’s most important lesson:
“to not be embarrassed of our heri-
tage, to seek empowerment, and
when in doubt, to return to the
kitchen.” —NINA FRIEND
Celebrating
Cecilia
A CENTURY OF CECILIA
52
Rooms in the Ming
dynasty palace she
grew up in
Amount Chiang paid a
landlord for friends who
planned to open a restau-
rant. The friends backed
out, so she opened the
Mandarin instead.
$10,000
CECILIA CHIANG
BY THE NUMBERS
Miles walked in 1942 to
escape occupied Beijing
1,000
Items on the
Mandarin menu
300
Opens the Manda-
rin on Polk Street
in San Francisco
with 55 seats
1961
1959 Immigrates to U.S.
Moves to Tokyo
with her husband
and daughter
1949
Flees Beijing to
escape Japanese
occupation
1942
Chiang is born in
Wuxi, the seventh
daughter of 12
children.
1920
Moves the Manda-
rin to Ghirardelli
Square to meet
demand; re-opens
with 300 seats
1967
Chiang sells the
Mandarin to focus
on consulting,
teaching, and
charity work.
1991
Philip Chiang
founds P.F. Chang’s.
1993
Chiang receives
the James Beard
Foundation’s Life-
time Achievement
Award.
2013
PH
OT
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VI
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CA
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