In the words of former Harvard president Nathan Pusey, Joyce Chen’s will be remembered as “not merely a restaurant, but a cultural exchange center.” In 2001, Friends of the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge named Joyce Chen “person of the week” and led a tour in her honor, and in 2014 Chen was honored with a Forever stamp as a pioneer in Chinese cuisine. Her first return visit to her native country in 1972 was filmed and shown on PBS as “Joyce Chen’s China.” In June 1974, Chen spoke at the Cambridge Forum on the topic of “What’s Happening in China?” In 1971, Chen established Joyce Chen Products, featuring knives, a cutting slab and a wok that Chen redesigned for use in modern Western kitchens. In 1967, she had her own national PBS show, “Joyce Chen Cooks,” filmed at the WGBH studios and using the same set as Julia Child’s “French Chef.” The show became popular internationally. In the early 1960s, Chen taught thronged cooking classes at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Joyce Chen Foods imported and sold lines of kitchenware, and she self- published “The Joyce Chen Cookbook” in 1962. After Nixon visited China in 1972, a new trade agreement enabled her to import needed ingredients. She also aspired to make Chinese ingredients and utensils accessible to the American public. Thomas and Joyce Chen in 1958 at the Cambridge Highlands restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Chen)Ĭhen, a descendant of a war hero in China, became a pioneer in her field. It was on two floors, with a kitchen in the basement where chefs specialized in five primary cooking styles: Kan Shao, Kung Pao, Ma P’o, Yu Hsiang – all Szechuan – as well as Mandarin Moo Shi and Shanghai cuisine. A perfect example of Chen’s ethos was her clever coining of the term “Peking ravioli” to entice Americans, making the pan-fried meat potstickers a household word in Boston and beyond. In 1973, Chen opened her 350-seat 390 Rindge Ave., North Cambridge, location. From the beginning, Henry, the oldest son, Helen, the middle daughter, and Stephen, the youngest, were on hand. At age 6, Stephen began his career by filling duck sauce and mustard containers. The restaurant also offered takeout and party facilities.Īs in many immigrant families, the Chen children helped out in the restaurant. American chop suey and chow mein were initially offered, but later dropped from the menu’s second printing as Chen’s more authentic dishes became popular. During this early period, the restaurant also offered American food to customers unfamiliar with Chinese food or too timid to try it. The lines were out the door, so they played fast-tempo music to speed up the lines. A skilled entrepreneur from the start, she regularly advertised Tuesday and Wednesday “all you can eat” dinner buffets for $3 these included turkey and ham to attract newcomers. In the same era Julia Child was changing America’s palates through French cooking, Chen was doing just that with regional Chinese, introducing dishes such as Peking duck, hot and sour soup and moo shu pork.Ĭhen left China in 1949 and opened her first restaurant in 1958 at 617 Concord Ave., Cambridge Highlands, with 250 seats. Joyce Chen was Boston’s first real celebrity restaurateur and holds indisputable importance in U.S. In honor of May being Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we salute Joyce Chen, her restaurants and her family legacy. My best experience so far has been speaking with Stephen Chen, son of Joyce Chen, to review information and enrich the restaurant’s history with photographs and personal stories. Digging through the Cambridge Public Library’s Historic Cambridge Newspaper Collection has been a great opportunity to revisit some of my favorite restaurants. I recently began working as a volunteer for History Cambridge, updating the 2011 Culinary Cambridge website written by Rain Robertson. Inside Joyce Chen’s North Cambridge restaurant.
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