Michael Chow (restaurateur)

Michael Chow (周英华; pinyin: Zhōu Yīnghuá) (born 1939), an international restaurateur, interior designer, and part time actor.

Biography

Chow was born in Shanghai in 1939. His father was Zhou Xinfang who was regarded as 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 1/2 Scottish mother was from a wealthy family whose fortune had been made in tea. He was sent away 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 an hair salon "Smith and Hawes", 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 Mr. Chow, a Chinese restaurant, in 1968. Michael Chow’s concept was for a restaurant to offer Chinese food – but served by Italian waiters, and with a menu the British could understand: "I wanted Chinese culture to have respectability and acceptance,” Chow says in an interview. Sutherland backed the idea, raised the money and housed the six chefs hired from Hong Kong. Mr Chow, designed in cool green floor tiles and white walls, opened in Knightsbridge in February 1969, serving Pekinese cuisine at a time when most Chinese food in Britain was of the cheaper Cantonese variety. Mr Chow was a hit and survives to this day. Sutherland and Chow bought art by Allen Jones, Patrick Caulfield, David Hockney, Peter Blake 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 set off to conquer New York.

His restaurant chain 'MR. CHOW' has expanded to places such as London, Las Vegas, Miami, New York and Beverly Hills, California (EUROCHOW).

Spouses

• Eva Chun (1992 - present)
• Tina Chow (1972 - 1990) (divorced)
• Grace Coddington (1968 - 1969) (divorced)

His wife, Eva Chun, is the niece of famous Korean singer Patty Kim, who is considered the Barbra Streisand of South Korea.

Children

• With Tina Chow
• China Chow
• Maximillian Chow
• With Eva Chun
• Asia Chow

Filmography

• Rush Hour 3 (2007) - Chinese Foreign Minister
• The Circuit (2002)
• Rush Hour 2 (2001) - Gambler
• Rush Hour (1998) - Diner Guest
• Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) - Benny's assistant
• Basquiat (1996) - Michael Chow
• Dream Lover (1994) - Mr. Mura
• Hammett (1982) - Fong Wei Tau
• Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978) - Soong
• Joanna (1968) - Lefty
• The Touchables (1968) - Denzil
• You Only Live Twice (1967) - SPECTRE #4
• The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) - Guard
• Modesty Blaise (1966) - Weng
• 55 Days at Peking (1963) - Chiang
• Marco Polo (1961) - Ciu-Lin
• The Savage Innocents (1960) - Undik
• Violent Playground (1958) - Alexander

External links