Cecilia Chiang, the groundbreaking chef who introduced authentic Chinese cuisine to the United States, passes away at the age of 100

Cecilia Chiang, the San Francisco chef who paved the way for Chinese culinary culture in America, died on Wednesday at the age of 100. Her granddaughter, Siena Chiang, confirmed the news to Dinogo.

Siena Chiang revealed that her grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday morning at her San Francisco home, surrounded by family. The family has chosen to keep the specific details of her passing private, as per Chiang’s wishes.

Chiang was the visionary behind the iconic San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin, where she worked as the owner and chef. Widely celebrated for introducing true Chinese food to America, she became a trailblazing celebrity chef long before the phenomenon became widespread.

“I will miss my grandmother’s warmth, her fearless spirit, her sharp humor and vitality, her endless curiosity, her deep knowledge, and her zest for life,” Siena Chiang shared with Dinogo.

“I will deeply miss learning from her wealth of stories, which were both endlessly captivating and filled with profound wisdom.”

The journey to San Francisco

Born near Shanghai into an upper-class Chinese family, Chiang’s husband served as a diplomat in Japan. While she was open about her fortunate circumstances, she also faced numerous challenges that were perhaps more difficult to overcome.

Convincing diners that Chinese cuisine wasn’t just about cheap take-out for Thursdays, Chiang, who relocated to the Bay Area in 1959, had a significant challenge ahead of her.

“Even many ABCs, American-born Chinese, were unfamiliar with Chinese food,” Chiang shared in a 2018 interview with Dinogo Travel. Having never visited China, this group also needed to be educated on its true culinary diversity.

Simply introducing new dishes to the patrons of the Mandarin, her intimate 50-seat restaurant on Polk Street, wasn’t enough.

The refined side of Chinese cuisine

In 1961, Chiang was determined to showcase the more sophisticated side of Chinese cuisine. Her strategy included a carefully selected wine list. Chiang aimed to elevate the Chinese dining experience, making sure to emphasize the importance of presentation as well.

The Mandarin, which later moved to a much larger space in Ghirardelli Square, stood apart from traditional Chinese restaurants.

This contrast was intentional.

“Is this a Chinese restaurant?” Chiang recalled being asked frequently. The Mandarin didn’t serve chop suey or chow mein—two dishes that were staples in every Chinese restaurant across the U.S. at the time.

This was exactly what Chiang wanted to avoid. Her early experiences with Chinese food in America had left her unsatisfied, driving her to show San Francisco what authentic Chinese cuisine truly tasted like.

Not only was Chiang a woman managing a restaurant in a male-dominated industry, but she was also on a mission to educate her patrons about the real flavors of Chinese food.

Changing people's perceptions was no easy task. Chiang, who had been retired for 20 years by the time of her death, once stated that no restaurant could rival the Mandarin.

Cherished memories

Chiang’s confident embrace of her achievements was truly refreshing.

Two years ago, while Chiang was collaborating on a project for Dinogo with four renowned Bay Area chefs, she recounted a story about food writer Ruth Reichl's love for the Mandarin. Long after the restaurant closed, Reichl confided in Chiang that she wished the Mandarin were still open so she could enjoy another meal there.

Chiang reminisced proudly about her past, sharing tales of celebrity regulars who would fly to San Francisco on private jets every weekend just to dine at her restaurant, speaking of it with the same enthusiasm as she did about her next great culinary adventure — one of life’s greatest joys.

“What a loss of a truly wonderful woman. Spending time with her over the past couple of years was so inspiring. She was a true force of nature,” said Oakland-based chef Tanya Holland, one of the Bay Area chefs who enjoyed lively discussions on the evolving food and dining scene with Chiang.

“She was a fierce and relentless advocate for those on the outside trying to make their mark in the food world, both Chinese and non-Chinese,” her granddaughter shared. “I hope she becomes a beacon and an inspiration for people with marginalized identities, urging them to believe in their own worth, knowledge, and to stand firm in their cultural pride.”

Well into her 90s, Chiang was known to fly to Tulum to dine at René Redzepi’s Noma Mexico, a brief but renowned pop-up, or gather with industry friends like Alice Waters and Belinda Leong in the Bay Area.

One week, Leong recalls, Chiang had visited three Michelin-starred restaurants in California's Wine Country: Meadowood, The French Laundry, and Single Thread.

Chiang embodied the spirit of living life to the fullest.

During a December 2018 gathering at her San Francisco home, sharing a cold beer and red pork, Chiang offered a piece of simple yet profound advice: “Have fun… you never know what tomorrow holds.”