British diners refine appetites for Chinese cuisine

Similar things were happening in other cities. In Liverpool in the 1930s, former Chinese sailors were serving dishes from Ningbo (Zhejiang province), Fuzhou (Fujian province), Shantou (Guangdong province), Hainan province and Shanghai. These included chop suey (a mix of meat and vegetables cooked together), fishcakes and black jam cakes. In 1938, chop suey, chow mein and fried rice were popular among students at a restaurant in Cambridge, eastern England, because they were cheap.

In 1939, Chinese recipes were first broadcast on the BBC and Chinese cooking ingredients became available at the Shanghai Emporium on Greek Street in London's Soho district.

In the late 1950s, Chinese restaurants started serving meals in three courses to cater to British diners. By the 1970s, the phrase "Hong Kong style" had emerged to describe Cantonese cuisine that combined exotic or expensive ingredients with Western catering.

London's Chinatown moved to its current location in Soho in the 1970s, when rents were relatively cheap and the district was known for crime and prostitution. For nearly 50 years, it has been the heartland of the UK's Cantonese community and, during this time, many Britons have come to regard Cantonese cuisine as the only type of Chinese food.