The Mandarin (1961-2006)
Cecilia Chiang opened The Mandarin in San Francisco in 1961, introducing diners to northern Chinese and Szechuan cooking beyond the Cantonese dishes most Americans knew. It later moved to Ghirardelli Square.
The restaurant built a devoted following and made Chiang a national figure in Chinese cuisine.
The Mandarin helped establish Chinese fine dining in the United States.
Like Phoenix Restaurant in Chicago, it anchored a city's Chinese dining scene for decades.
