Toronto’s early Chinese restaurants attracted both gourmets and goons - low carb dishes chinese restaurant

At the end of the 19 th century, Chinese immigrants began to settle in cities across Canada. except in B. C. and Alberta).
They were unable to find paid jobs due to their skin color, and they were mainly engaged in two lines of work: laundry and cafe.
These cafes require more start-up funds and will take a long time to stay open seven days a week from early morning to late night.
Owners often live here to reduce costs.
In 1901, singing Tom opened the first Chinese cafe in Toronto. 1/2 Queen St. W. , opposite E. J.
The towering new town hall of Lennox.
According to the Toronto City Directory, there were 19 Chinese restaurants by 1912, about half of the ward.
In just 10 years, the number has risen sharply to 100 cafes.
In the ward, there are restaurants offering Chinese food, as well as restaurants offering Chinese food.
A cafe offering Western food.
According to author Mariana valved, The Moral Reform Party "the temptation of the Chinese" has issued a warning, especially the reformists who believe they must be linked to opium and white slavery.
As such, a number of xenophobia Canadians consider these spaces to be sinful places that pose a danger to the public, especially to innocent young white women.
More stars.
Com Toronto's original immigrant slum, Ward, recorded Ward: one of Toronto's more historic but forgotten neighborhoods, where white customers frequent, attracted by exotic food and affordable prices
In 1917, universal food critic Peter MacArthur expressed his appreciation for unusual dishes in his column "food value.
"Even if I went to a Chinese restaurant, the mystery of chop suey was no longer appealing to me," he wrote . ".
"I'm looking for the dark mystery of Goy Main or Egg Foo Young.
Reporter Bruce West, who also ate at these cafes in his 1920 s, recalled his experience eating at a Chinese restaurant on the second floor of a building on Elizabeth Street in his teens.
West described it as a "strong shade of green" with a coal stove in the middle of the room.
He further reflected that he liked to see from the vantage point of the table that the chef prepared the meal with a wide variety of chopping boards and huge frying pans.
He said diners can buy a "hearty" Chinese meal for 75 cents, enjoy the "exotic" floating in the kitchen, and evoke memories of Hong Kong or Shanghai.
In addition to the food critic, the restaurant in Chinatown has attracted some celebrities.
According to Chen Yalin, Edward.
Robinson and other Jewish juggling actors often eat at Chinese restaurants after performing at the Shea Arena in their 1920 s.
Robinson revealed that his favorite location is 12-
1/2 Elizabeth red Fah is low and is owned by MP Zheng.
This restaurant is mainly a Chinese customer,
Easttonian is a major customer of most Chinatown cafes.
Although most owners are legal
They met with a lot of harassment from the government and the police.
In 1908, for example, the city threatened to refuse a business license for Chinese restaurants that employ white women.
In 1914, similar legislation was introduced in the province.
Neither municipal nor provincial legislation was well implemented.
1923 of the time, 126 white women worked in 121 Chinese restaurants in Toronto.
On 1928, protests were held to challenge the seemingly racist regulation in Ontario.
In fact, the owners of these restaurants are supported by 80 white women working as waitresses in Chinese restaurants.
In addition to regulatory measures, police often raided Chinese restaurants that offer alcoholic beverages or allow gambling, especially after passage of section 1916 of the Prohibition Act.
For example, on 1918, Youk You, the owner of a restaurant at 12 Elizabeth Street.
Arrested for Selling Chinese whiskey in a teapot for 25 cents.
The police detained two boxes of whisky and accused him of breaking the law.
You're on bail for $500.
Even after the bill was abolished, Chinese restaurant owners still face harassment of alcohol crimes.
Chongwan, the owner of a cafe at 11 Elizabeth Street.
On May 1929, he was locked together on suspicion of selling alcohol at the premises and may not have a permit.
Gambling is also common in China because many bachelors like to play popular opportunity games, such as "fan games"
"Tan" and "Pai Jiu.
As a result, the police conducted multiple raids on violations of the god's Day Act, especially on Sunday.
One of them happened at a Chinese restaurant in Elizabeth and Albert.
In the summer of 1919, there were 27 men playing fans-tan.
They quickly paid $15,000 in bail, a staggering amount during the period.
In addition to police harassment, Chinese restaurant owners are also frequently subjected to mischief and abuse from white locals.
Some customers order, eat, and leave without paying.
When a young man tries to dodge the bill on Queen StreetW.
The owner of the cafe and the waiter chased him.
The criminal was rushed over by a police officer who jumped on the pedal of a passing car and forced him into the corner on Pearl Street.
When the owner of the cafe asked for payment, passers-by picked up a receipt to pay for the meal.
Police released the young man because the owner of the cafe did not file charges.
Are these bystanders protecting themselves from the "loss" of the despised Chinese?
Other troublemakers shouted profanity, sang loudly, and beat the table to drive away customers.
One of them deliberately slammed the door of the cafe and broke the glass. The reason?
The owner did not make the change fast enough.
In another incident, cafe owner Harry kunn dodged a punch from William Lund, who then broke the furniture and poured coffee and soup to the customer, and
John Shore refused to pay 20 cents for a bowl of soup.
Instead, he gave 15 cents and told owner Yok Lee to fight for balance.
When Li appeared in court, he had a few stitches in his head and blood flowed. soaked collar.
This abuse shows the contempt of some white people for Chinese residents, who are called "chinks" and "Chinese ".
"In October 1919, when a group of young former-
Soldiers raided a Chinese restaurant at 199 Queen Street. W.
They broke the window and threw the cash register into the street.
A month later, veterans sparked another major riot on Elizabeth Street.
They marched around Chinatown and threw stones at Chinese shops and restaurants.
They later explained to the police that they wanted to retaliate against a restaurant owner at 33 Elizabeth Street.
When they ate at his restaurant, they felt they insulted them and called them "white dogs ".
The police used batons in the crowd but did not arrest them.
The soldiers immediately went to the town hall to talk to Mayor Tomi Church, who told them to evacuate.
After the violence, the Chinese consul general in Ottawa asked the police chiefJ.
Glaset, which provides special protection for the community.
In the 1940 s, some Chinese restaurants were in disrepair and their reputation was damaged.
WK cafe at 56 Elizabeth Street.
Owned by Mah Keung and Henry Mah, the company lost its license after the police Council described it as a "diving and sewage pool" and a suspicious gathering place for criminals and prostitutes.
The owner's lawyer brazen argued, "The police don't have to hunt down criminals everywhere in Toronto because they know they can be found in restaurants.
"Other owners say they can't expel unwelcome tourists because they can't lose their business.
The strange thing is Elizabeth Street.
Experienced the restaurant boom in the 1940 s and 1950 s.
The first large open facility was Nanjing in 1947, and shortly thereafter, Lychee Garden restaurant and club opened on 1948.
The lychee garden has a huge and elegant restaurant that hosts up to 1,500 customers a day.
It has a band that offers dining and dancing until it closes at 5 in the morning. m.
The two hotels are mainly for Western customers.
Advertisements for these businesses are published in Selected Ethnic newspapers such as mainstream newspapers and Canadian Jewish reviews.
Other big competitors entering the region in the 1950 s included Chow state, Golden Dragon and seyu.
These modern restaurants are not only bigger and more complex than their predecessors, but also known for their clean, authentic and rich menus.
Ironically, by the end of the 1950 century, Chinese investors had spent more than a million dollars on the renovation of Elizabeth Street's Chinatown.
Despite the city's actions to dismantle the area.
Many of these restaurants survived and even flourished, but in the 1970 s and 1980 s they were forced to relocate to the nearby Kensington Market.
Excerpt from Ward: life and loss in Toronto's first immigrant community.
Published by Coach House Books, 2015.
Copyright of thesis©Alan sheenberg and Paul Yee
All rights reserved©Coach's house book, 2015.