But my Chinese name means "chunk-style"

[muckefuck]

tyrannio has drawn my attention to a Yunnanese-style restaurant in Chinatown. Anyone else interested in a visit? After all, I don't want to be the only one eating the pig's ear.

It reminded me of my ongoing desire to do a post on the gulf between the English and Chinese names of Chinese restaurants. The place calls itself 红塔山食莊 or "Red Pagoda Mountain Eating Villa" in Chinese, but Spring World in English. Perhaps there's a connexion in the minds of the owners, but it escapes me. (I assume there's a Red Pagoda Mountain in Yunnan, but all Google brings up is pages for cigarettes. It's apparently China's leading brand--and made at a government-owened factory in Yunnan, so perhaps there is an ultimate connexion.)

Similarly, Moon Palace carries the baffling name of 四五六 or "456". I finally got an explanation for this last night from my Mandarin teacher: In one of the Chinese dice games, 4-5-6 is a jackpot roll. Apparently, there are many restaurants out there with such an auspicious name (though a quick Googling fails to bring up any). Very understandable, after a fashion, but why pick the entirely unrelated "Moon Palace" as the English name?

Last week, monshu and I passed by 渝園, a.k.a. Szechwan. Here, the relationship is clear: 渝 is the ancient name of the Jialing River in Sichuan, which empties into the Yangtze at the site of Chongqing. Thus, it's a nickname for that city--something like using "Complutum" for Madrid or "Lutèce" for Paris. A rather literal translation would be "Chungking Garden", but that's not going to say "Szechwan food" to the average joe, thus the alteration.

Addendum: Oh, and as long as tyrannio has gone through the trouble of posting the extensive menu for Spring World, I might as well link to it. Some highlights:

106. "Hong Tashsan" Rabber
111. Unusual Seasonings Chicken
112. Chef's Special Shredded Triple
S14. Preserved Pork w/Leak
S16. Chairman Mao's Pork
301. Braided Whole Fish w/Szechwan Chili Miso Sauce
315. Concubine Prawns
705. Vegetarian Bird Nest
1305. Stir-Fried Beef Tripos
1505. Nine-Story Pagoda Slice
1704. Chengdu Glutinous in Wine Sauce

Comments

[gopower.livejournal.com]

Even the prospect of unusual spiced chicken would not tempt me to dine at an establishment that names dishes after Chairman Mao.

But then years ago, I was charmed on my first visit to Little Saigon by a restaurant that had a map of Vietnam on its menus, complete with the North-South border ostentatiously added. Alas, I don't remember it's name.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Do you similarly boycott the Lincoln Restaurant for their habit of naming dishes after officers of the Confederacy?

[niemandsrose.livejournal.com]

Do they really? The Lincoln Restaurant at Lincoln/Damen/Irving Park, where every time I go by, the restaurant is full of people playing banjos?

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Err...that's where the restaurant is, but I've never seen a banjo near it. I've only ever been there for weekend brunch, so perhaps the fun must happen when I'm away.

[niemandsrose.livejournal.com]

I guess that banjos must be Monday nights, that would explain it...

[gopower.livejournal.com]

Can't say I've ever heard of it. I guess it would depend on which Confederate generals. While they fought for a society that committed a great evil, it's important to note that the war itself was not about that evil. To some extent (sometimes a great extent), every American up to the Civil War is implicated in that evil.

Mao and everything he stood for, however, was evil incarnate. How any Chinese who were fortunate enough to escape him could honor him is beyond me.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Just as well that you missed out on the late 80's wave of Mao Nostalgia...

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

Looking at those paticular menu items has captivated me like a car crash. I now have the strange urge to seek this place out when I'm in Chicago next week. *fear!*

[carneggy.livejournal.com]

Great icon.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

Why, thank ya. Thankyaverymuch.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Have no fear! We shall go together and lo! how the organ meats will tremble at our approach!

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

Our favourite place is called "Szechuan Pagoda" in Chinese and "Pals WT Restaurant Concern" in English. One of their specialties is "Fried Shredded Glutton Sheet".

[niemandsrose.livejournal.com]

It seems that the Chinese have a fragrant, floral euphemism for everything *except* the stuff that really *ought* to be euphemized, like "Fried Shredded Glutton Sheet".

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I am willing to bet real money that there is a gorgeous euphemism for this in Cantonese restaurant-speak which they just happen not to be using on the menu.

[niemandsrose.livejournal.com]

"Peony Petal Surprise"!

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

"Long Life Daoist Paper Amulet"

[tyrannio.livejournal.com]

What is it, that it ought to be euphemized? My guess was that it's made from either wheat gluten (from "glutton"), or bean curd skin (from "sheet").

Perhaps "shredded white (sù) phoenix skin"?

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

I would split a pig's ear with you.

[prilicla.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm always up for some Chengdu Glutinous in Wine Sauce.

[aadroma.livejournal.com]

I wish I could remember where it was, but this restaurant had a beautiful name in Chinese of, "Dragon Emperor Inn". It sounded really cool. In English? "Jumbo Chinese Restaurant." o_O That's kind of a jump, there.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

The Dragon Emperor is not a small man...

[trom.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm clearly living in suburbia and need to spend copious hours in SF exploring chinatown.....

-M

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

I thought you lived in the kind of suburb that would have Chinese food as adventurous as that to found downtown! Do you really need to go further than Daly City for Asian restaurant weirdness?

[tyrannio.livejournal.com]

Hongtashan is also the name of a Yunnanese
football (soccer) team. I couldn't find it in any of the gazetteers/atlases I consulted: maybe it's legendary, or maybe I just didn't try hard enough.

Also, here's the other side of the menu.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Actually, I linked to both pages (a different one on each word).