
Jack Chiao of Little Shanghai. Photo by Chip Scheuer.
Little Shanghai, co-owned by Jack and Sue Chiao, has for years been a downtown Santa Cruz destination for fresh-tasting Chinese food made with local vegetables. Jack and Sue moved to Albuquerque from Taiwan in 1977, and then to Santa Cruz in 1986, three years before the Loma Prieta Earthquake forced the Chiaos to make big changes to their fledgling restaurant. We talked to Jack Chiao as he and Sue prepared to open for dinner.
What are you making?
JACK CHIAO: Shanghai Shrimp. It has snow peas, eggplant, snow peas, zucchini and red bell peppers.
Why do you like it?
It’s healthy. It has a lot of vegetables, lots of color and a light sauce.
How do you get such a big flame?
This [stove] has a four-inch pipe. Usually at home, you have a half-inch or three quarters. I have four inches because the flame makes the outside crunchy and the insides still good.
How did you like serving inside the tent after the ’89 earthquake?
It was just like a circus—those big tents. It had a few different kinds of restaurants inside. Everybody had small spots. We were in there for a couple years…We were pretty happy. You got to talk to your neighbors—‘Hey, what’s going on?’ We made lots of friends.
In what ways does Santa Cruz reminds you of Taiwan?
I was born by the ocean, just like Sue. A small town—it’s just like Santa Cruz. When you grow up, you miss it a little bit.
Who’s a better cook, you or Sue?
It’s harder to say. At home she is. At the restaurant, I am. I say it that way. If not, I might get popped in the ear.