Michael Chow (restaurateur)
| Michael Chow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 (age 77–78) Shanghai, China |
| Occupation | Restaurateur, interior designer, actor |
| Years active | 1958-2009 |
| Spouse(s) |
Grace Coddington (m. 1968; div. 1969) Tina Chow (m. 1972; div. 1990) Eva Chun Chow (m. 1992) |
| Children |
China Chow Maximillian Chow Asia Chow |
| Parent(s) |
Zhou Xinfang Lilian Qiu |
| Relatives | Tsai Chin |
Michael Chow (simplified Chinese: 周英华; traditional Chinese: 周英華; pinyin: Zhōu Yīnghuá; born 1939) is an actor, interior designer, and restaurateur. He is the co-founder and owner of the Mr. Chow restaurant chain.
Chow was born in Shanghai as Zhou Yinghua. His father was Zhou Xinfang, one of China's most famous actors of his time and the leading figure at the Peking Opera. His sister is actress and erstwhile Bond girl Tsai Chin.
His mother came from a wealthy family whose fortune had been made in tea. He was sent to a British boarding school when he was 12 and grew up in Europe. He studied art in London before setting out on a business career alongside his acting.
Before opening his eponymous restaurant chain, he and his business partner Robin Sutherland opened "Smith and Hawes", a hair salon in London's Sloane Avenue, which they later sold to the famous hairdresser Leonard of Grosvenor Square, when it became Leonard and Twiggy. They then opened the Mr. Chow restaurant. Michael Chow’s concept was for a restaurant to offer Chinese food served by Italian waiters, and with a menu the British could understand.
Chow has said his restaurants have always been underlined by "this desire and need to promote the Chinese culture", which he has done through food. He visits China at least twice a year, and has said he’s thrilled by the country’s economic growth and greater presence on the world stage. "China always has been a great, great nation", Chow said in an interview for The Wall Street Journal and added, "Chinese people — I like them. What can I say?" His restaurants have been widely panned by food critics, but remain popular for decades due to their ability to attract celebrities with the allure of fancy dining and intentionally high prices.
Sutherland backed the original restaurant idea, raised the money and housed six chefs hired from Hong Kong. Chow designed the restaurant featuring cool green floor tiles and white walls, and it opened in Knightsbridge, London in February 1968, serving Pekinese cuisine. Mr. Chow was a hit and remains in business. Chow bought art by Allen Jones, Peter Blake, Patrick Caulfield, David Hockney and Jim Dine for the walls, which became as celebrated as the food. The partners opened three other Mr. Chow restaurants in London before Michael Chow bought Sutherland out and moved to New York.
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