Phillip Chiang is a co-owner of the renowned P. F. Chang's restaurant chain. It must be a genetic thing because his mom, Cecilia Chiang, helped some friends open a restaurant of their own. She was basically financial backing and didn't really want to be actively involved, but when her friends pulled out of the deal, Cecilia was left with everything. She went ahead and opened The Mandarin on her own at 40 years old in 1961. The Mandarin specialized in Northern Chinese food which relied on fairly expensive ingredients. Cecilia grew up in Beijing and wanted to serve more traditional Chinese food rather than the cheap Americanized Chinese food that Americans were accustomed to. Business was slow until The Mandarin received a rave review from the San Francisco Chronicle. Heavy crowds forced Cecilia to move to a larger location. Regulars included Henry Kissinger, Julia Child and Jefferson Airplane.
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