Joyce Chen

Joyce Chen was born in Beijing in 1917. She grew a passion for cooking, learning from their family’s chef and her family members. By the age of 18, Chen had cooked her first professional dinner. In 1949, Chen moved with her family to Cambridge, MA, where she laid the foundation of her American culinary career.

Chen found great demand for her cooking amongst students. She opened her first restaurant, Joyce Chen Restaurant, in 1958. It aimed at making Chinese cuisine more accessible, featuring menus with both Chinese and English translations, numbered dishes, and a buffet.

In 1962, she published her first cookbook, which ultimately sold over 70,000 copies and was praised by President Dwight Eisenhower’s heart surgeon for its healthy recipes. Chen opened three more restaurants and even had her own PBS cooking show, Joyce Chen Cooks. While filming, she became good friends with Julia Child. Chen passed away in 1994. During her career, Joyce Chen coined the name ‘Peking Ravioli,’ introduced soup dumplings, grew her fame through her restaurants, and later, her cooking utensils and sauces.

📸: Joyce Chen Foods