Sylvia Wu was the owner of the legendary restaurant Madame Wu’s Garden in Santa Monica, California, a popular destination for Hollywood stars.
- Died: September 29, 2022 (Who else died on September 29?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 106.
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Madame Wu’s Garden
A native of Jiujiang, China, Wu came to the U.S. during World War II. She studied at Columbia University and later settled in Los Angeles. There, she found that her beloved dishes from her homeland were nowhere to be found; the Chinese restaurants that existed focused on Americanized fare like chop suey. When Wu opened Madame Wu’s Garden in 1959, she offered a happy medium between highly authentic Chinese dishes and the basics that were available then in the U.S., bringing in her favorite recipes but catering them to American tastes. The restaurant quickly became popular and thrived for decades as a favorite of stars including Frank Sinatra (1915–1998), Cary Grant (1904–1986), Mae West (1893–1980), and Paul Newman (1925–2008). In 1978, she shared her beloved recipes in the cookbook “Madame Wu’s Art of Chinese Cooking.” Wu closed Madame Wu’s Garden in 1998, then briefly opened Madame Wu’s Asian Bistro & Sushi.
Tributes to Sylvia Wu
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
