1900-1908
By 1900, Chinese restaurants were beginning to attract American-born middle-class diners. This shift occurred gradually as restaurant owners introduced dishes such as chop suey and chow mein to suit American tastes. Over time, these adaptations led to the addition of so-called “American dishes” to their menus. Two menus from a well-known Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, printed during the first years of the twentieth century, capture a pivotal moment in this transition. The restaurant changed a single letter in its name, signaling that it was now targeting a new, broader clientele.
