NEW YORK, NY – To many dining enthusiasts, the Mr. Chow restaurant brand symbolizes upscale Chinese-American cuisine.
Mr. Chow interior, taken from restaurant website
To those who follow pop culture, Mr. Chow represents the exclusive space where A-listers and influencers roam freely. Behind the name of this globally successful chain of restaurants (with locations in New York, Beverly Hills, London, just to name a few) is restauranteur Michael Chow, known to the public as “Mr. Chow”.
In HBO’s latest documentary, set to be released on October 22, 2023, “AKA Mr. Chow” dives into Chow’s background, with particular emphasis on his childhood. From leaving his home country, China, at the young age of 12, for boarding school in London, to pursuing a career of painting for 12+ years, the film helps viewers understand what makes Mr. Chow such a driven and savvy businessman.
Premiere
It’s no surprise that part of the reason his restaurants have achieved monumental success over the past few years is due to the names that frequent them. A-list celebrities and artists (such as Basquiat) all found solace within this upscale dining scene and returned to the establishment to enjoy the company of the owner himself.
Mr. Chow in front of LA branch
Since the beginning of his operations, Mr. Chow has been meticulous about the details of the restaurant. One shot shows him teaching his staff how to fold a napkin. Another shows him comparing running a restaurant to putting on a theatre performance, as the staff must always keep the diners entertained.
Throughout the documentary, Mr. Chow makes several references to theatre, a sentimental reminder of his father, a famous Peking opera singer who perished during China’s Cultural Revolution as many unlucky artists did. Having left the country in his teenage years, Mr. Chow’s father’s final words to him were to always remember his Chinese identity.
Now that he’s 80 years old, with an established restaurant business that he has since handed off to his son, Maximillian Chow, he’s in pursuit of reclaiming one of his life’s former ambitions. Finding ways to constantly connect to his Chinese roots has been the central motivator for Mr. Chow in his business endeavors – first in the restaurant space, and now in his next adventure, where he has transformed into the contemporary artist “M”.
“AKA Mr. Chow” will be released on October 22, 2023 at 9pm Eastern on HBO.
Image of “M” taken from Sotheby’s.
Interviews:
with Director Nick Hooker
with Mr. Chow’s son, Maximillian Chow