Mandarin House SF

Cecilia Chiang Documentary ‘Soul of a Banquet’ Tells a Powerful Story | Eater

"Chef-restaurateur Cecilia Chiang served family, banquet-style recipes in a refined San Francisco setting and played a pivotal role in changing Americans' understanding of Chinese cuisine by preserving and interpreting a nearly lost regional style. After fleeing China and eventually becoming the sole proprietor of a new restaurant, she built success through warm hospitality and a knack for explaining dish origins, even as her approach differed from the Cantonese-leaning eateries in Chinatown. The documentary Soul of a Banquet frames her career alongside a traumatic return to Mao-era China and ends with a sumptuous banquet that illustrates how cooking these dishes keeps childhood memories alive; although she sold the restaurant nearly three decades ago, Chiang—now 99—is still active in the city's food scene and remains an inspiration to chefs and diners." - Greg Morabito