Choys of Frith Street Menu – Early 1950s
Posted: April 29th, 2024 | 1 Comment »I posted some time ago about Choys, one of post-war London’s best known and much loved Chinese restaurants on Frith Street, Soho. You can see that post here. My thanks then to ChinaRhyming reader Jonathan Sanders for sending me a menu from the 1950s that his mother kept after visiting the restaurant as a young woman. Quite extensive and well worth reading through. I would note that no alcoholic drinks are included. Most Chinese restaurants were not licensed (I suppose due to the ever-arcane UK licensing laws), however arrangements were made with pubs in the area – the old Shanghai Restaurant on Greek Street, round the corner, had a deal with the old Pillars of Hercules pub (recently sadly gutted and turned into some non-entity of a bar) next door to deliver in beer and wine.
By the way – for Londoners – 45 Frith Street is now the Zima Russian Restaurant.
I was with the USAF stationed at Denham Studios in the early 1950s. One of my fellow airmen introduced me to Choys on Frith Street and it became my all-time favorite place to eat. On a 1-10 rating scale, I would have given it a 15. This was truly a world-class experience and I still enjoy the memories of my delighted palate as we enjoyed the excellent food and ambiance. Their sweet and sour dishes were superb and memorable. Eating there was a life remembering experience.