January 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Madame Wu, Famed Santa Monica Restaurateur, Dies at 106

Restaurateur behind Madame Wu’s Garden passes away September 19

By Dolores Quintana

Sylvia Wu, born Sylvia Cheng, was much better known as restaurateur Madame Wu to her customers at her restaurant Madame Wu’s Garden, located in Santa Monica on Wilshire Boulevard. She died at the age of 106 on September 19, as reported by The Associated Press.

Wu opened her famed Hollywood hotspot Madame Wu’s Garden in 1959 which was an industry favorite for four decades. The restaurant’s decor was that of a pagoda with a koi fountain, jade statues and a waterfall and Wu would wear a long silk gown as she took to-go orders on the phone and greeted her famous guests according to AP.  

The reason that Wu became a restaurant owner was that she was appalled by the prevalence of restaurants that served fake Asian cuisine. Indeed, the popularity of restaurants that served chop suey really upset her. Wu said to USA Today, as quoted by AP, “Chop suey everywhere. All you see are chop suey houses.”

At Madam Wu’s Garden, more traditional Asian dishes were served. According to the Los Angeles Times, Mae West’s favorite was the cold melon soup, Paul Newman and Gregory Peck liked the crab puffs and shrimp toast and Princess Grace was a fan of the restaurant’s Peking Duck. 

Wu was born on Oct. 24, 1915, her family lived in Jiujiang, near Shangai and Wu learned to cook by observing the maids who cooked for her family according to AP. She took an ocean liner during World War II to the United States. She said, as quoted by “I don’t know how I had the courage. I had no family in America. The trip took 40 days, and because of the war there was a blackout all the way.”

She met and married chemist King Yan Wu and were married for 67 years. King Yan Wu died in 2011. They are survived by two sons and many grandchildren. Wu worked for charitable causes and focused on working to help the City of Hope cancer center after their daughter Loretta died of cancer. 

Talk show host and media mogul Merv Griffin said of Sylvia Wu, as quoted by AP, “Everybody in this town knows Madame Wu. One of the dearest, sweetest, most elegant women I’ve ever known.”

<>Related Posts

French-Inspired Palisades Restaurant to Close After Six Years

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Menu Featured Dishes That Ranged From French Onion Soup to Locally Inspired Creations Like Radiatore With Lamb Bolognese The...

Suspect in Downtown Target Shooting Apprehended After Hourslong Standoff

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Arrest Came Less Than 24 Hours After a Shooting at the figat7th Shopping Mall That Left Two Target Employees...

Jennifer Smith Re-Elected as SMMUSD Board President, Laurie Lieberman Named Vice President

January 2, 2025

January 2, 2025

The Board Also Extended a Thank-You to Outgoing Vice President Jon Kean for His Service At its annual organizational meeting,...

Brentwood Beat: Maria’s Italian Kitchen to Move from Brentwood After 52 Years

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

I’m ill.   Maria’s Italian Kitchen is leaving Brentwood Village and will be gone by the end of 2024. Like many...

Chef Nobu Debuts Luxurious Gold Standard Roll for Golden Globes® Celebration

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

Indulge in a Limited-Time King Crab Roll Adorned With Gold Flakes and Caviar In honor of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s return...

110 Years Ago, Charlie Chaplin Debuted The Iconic “Tramp” Character From Venice Beach

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

The 1914 short Kid Auto Races at Venice introduced the iconic character that would become synonymous with silent film, sparking an international...

Gov. Newsom Touts New 2025 Laws to Strengthen Civil Rights and Inclusivity

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

The Laws Cover Various Aspects of Society, From Education to Property California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a recent news release,...

LAPD Seeks Additional Victims in West Los Angeles Sexual Assault Case

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

Hajhosseini Reportedly Pressured One Victim Into Consuming Alcohol, After Which She Lost Consciousness and Was Assaulted Detectives with the Los...

Santa Monica Gets Temporary Community Development Director

December 30, 2024

December 30, 2024

Yeo Has Been With the City of Santa Monica Since 2006, Starting as a Senior Planner and Eventually Leading the...

$75M Malibu Estate Hits Market on Coveted “Billionaire’s Beach”

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

The Home Offers Sweeping Views of the Queen’s Necklace, Palos Verdes, and Catalina Island A sprawling estate on Malibu’s exclusive...

UCLA Police Investigate Off-Campus Assault as Hate Crime

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

The Suspects Are Described as Four White or Middle Eastern Males in Their Early 20s The UCLA Police Department is...

(Video) At Vistamar School – Discover the way high school should be

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

Students achieve remarkable outcomes with our strong academics, small classes, andpersonalized approach. Our graduates don’t just attend college—they excel. Vistamar’sunique...

HUD Report Reveals Record 18% Surge in U.S. Homelessness in 2024

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

Despite the Rise, Veteran Homelessness Hits Record Low The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2024...

Film Review: The Brutalist

December 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

By Dolores Quintana Filled with grandeur as stark as the Brutalist architecture designed by László Tóth, The Brutalist is epic...

Santa Monica Man Arrested in Fatal Hit-and-Run of Vietnam Veteran

December 28, 2024

December 28, 2024

Suspect Faces Murder and Felony Charges; Police Recover Evidence Rod Sharif, a Santa Monica man, was arrested on December 27,...