Oldest Western Restaurant in China

[Ian_Lee]

The oldest western restaurant in China should be "Tai Ping Koon" restaurant that was established in Guangzhou in 1860s.

It is famous in inventing the "Shoyu Western Food" -- literally meaning that western food is cooked with Chinese ingredients.

When Zhou Enlai married in Guangzhou in early 1920s, his wedding party was held in Tai Ping Koon.

When the Northern Expeditionary Army launched their military venture to the north, Tai Ping Koon was catering all their meal boxes.

Its branches are still active in HK after the main restaurant in Guangzhou was dissolved in the early '50s.

And its menu stays the same throughout its history. Basically what you order today is what Zhou had eaten in Guangzhou 80 years ago.

[skylee]

Thanks for the post. Didn't know that it has such a long history.

Did you use shoyu as it is in Japanese or was it a typo?

[Jive Turkey]

Where are the HK branches? What's the name in Chinese characters? I might go check it out.

[skylee]

It is 太平館餐廳. For addresses, check out its website.

[Quest]

Dissolved in early 50s? My aunt was a manager there until she came to america in the early 90s. 北京路太平馆 right?

I found some history: http://www.southcn.com/travel/lyxw/200502230108.htm

看来日本人和CmvnistPrty执政初期对广州和上海的伤害还真不小，有些资本的人都迁到了香港。我记得我爷爷的烧腊店和公公的照相馆都是被TMDComvnistPrty收了。然后名义上是公私合营，但事实上由原来的老板变成为政府打工，每个月做又36唔做又36。

It changed ownership in the 50s from the original owners who moved to HK and openned branches there during the Sino Jap war, to the communist party. It transferred ownership again later to 东江集团，who rented the place out to some clothing business in 2002. But since the Guangzhou government named it a historical site in 2000, the government deemed the closing of 太平馆 illegal, and said only 太平馆 can operate at that site. I think the government helped reopen the restaurant.

太平馆复业: http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2005-03-22/09575428515s.shtml

[Ian_Lee]

Quest:

Since the original owner was forced to turn the Guangzhou restaurant over to the government in early '50s and continued to operate only the HK branches since then, I consider the HK branches to be authentic while the Guangzhou one to be unoriginal since the latter is operated by another group.

[Quest]

No question about that, but the restaurant in Guangzhou did continue to be popular and well known all the way into the 21st century. The failure in the new millenium I think was largely due to the change of Guangzhou itself. Guangzhou isn't the same city anymore. Native Guangzhouness only take up about 50% of the population now, and continue to shrink and get dispersed from their traditional homes and neighborhoods.

[liuzhou]

So. Are you saying that the "oldest western restaurant" no longer exists (which kind of disqualifies it.) , or/and are you saying that a new chain with the same name exists but has no connection with the original restaurant.

In either case, there is no claim to being oldest.

[skylee]

What if the "oldest" still exists but has been relocated (i.e. not in Guangzhou but in Hong Kong) and is still run by the same family?

[Quest]

The restaurant has been operating at the same location with the same name in Guangzhou. The founder's family started a chain with the same name in Hong Kong and continue to operate today. I don't know whether either would qualify for the claim.

[Ian_Lee]

The restaurant has been operating at the same location with the same name in Guangzhou. The founder's family started a chain with the same name in Hong Kong and continue to operate today.

The founder's family didn't start the chain AFTER their restaurant in Guangzhou was forced to turn over to the government in early '50s. In fact, the "Tai Ping Koon" restaurants in HK opened in 1930s when the owner family expanded their business outside of Guangzhou.

From 1930s to early 1950s, Tai Ping Koon existed in both Guangzhou and HK under the same ownership. (Of course the business during the Japanese occupation period must be terrible in both places.)

But after early 1950s, only the restaurant chain in HK has been under the same ownership with the same management.

Anyway, I will try the Tai Ping Koon in Guangzhou to see if their foods are identical with those in HK.