Since 1895 the residents of the mining city of Butte, Montana have had Chinese cuisine available to them. Noodle parlors which feature Yatcomein (noodles cooked in clear broth, garnished with slices of hard-boiled egg, pork or chicken) seem to have been unique to Montana and particularly Butte. In other areas, the noodles were available but the customers preferred dishes such as chop suey and chow mein. Butte’s Chinatown had seven noodle parlors which catered to dinner and after-theater trade. There was also a brisk business in “home orders.”
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Upstairs in Mai Wah, Butte’s Museum of Chinese Heritage were two noodle parlors: the Wah Chong Tai Noodle Parlor which was in operation from 1899 to 1941 and the Mai Wah Noodle Parlor which operated from 1909 until 1941. The booths in the noodle parlors had high partitions and a curtain that could be drawn across the front for privacy. This privacy allowed for business (which was sometimes illegal or which sometimes involved prostitutes) to be conducted in relative secrecy.
Walking through the old noodle parlors today is like walking through an archaeological site as they have not been restored: with the exception of a few displays the areas are as they were when the business was abandoned in 1941.
Wah Chong Tai:
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Shown above is one of the stairs leading up to the Wah Chong Tai noodle parlor.
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Shown above is the Wah Chong Tai noodle parlor looking toward the main door (to the right) and the old kitchen area.
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Some of the displays in the noodle parlor tell of the history of the Chinese in Butte. According to the display:
“Toward the end of the 19th century, labor competition and rising unemployment increased anti-Chinese sentiment. In Butte during 1895, these attitudes took the form of a citywide boycott of Chinese businesses and laborers. The Butte Chinese sued the labor unions initiating the boycott; the Chinese eventually won.”
Mai Wah:
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Shown above is the noodle parlor looking from the kitchen toward the front. The original ceiling is interesting. The original stairs (now closed) connected to a cheater story in the Mai Wah building.
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Shown above looking back toward the kitchen. The door connecting to the Wah Chong Tai noodle parlor is on the right.
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Shown above is an old photograph of the noodle cutting machine used in the Mai Wah noodle parlor. All noodles were made by special noodle-makers employed by the noodle parlors. This ended in World War II because the men entered the armed forces or went to work in the defense industries.
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The kitchen is shown above, looking toward the door to the dining room with the stove on the right and part of the noodle washing sink shown on the left.
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Shown above is the noodle washing sink.
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Shown above is the original stove which was designed in Chinese style to use large woks for cooking. It was originally a wood stove and was later converted to gas.
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The gas burner in the stove is shown above.
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Shown above is the original ice box—blocks of ice were used to keep the food cool.
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Shown above is the sky light above the ice box.
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Shown above is a detail of the ceiling.
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Shown above is a Chinese altar. Shrines or spirit houses, like the one shown above were found in both homes and shops. The spirit houses, called Ti Ju Eia, were painted red with gold decorations. Storeowners would place these shrines in their shops to protect their properties and ward off bad spirits. According to the display:
“Ancestor worship is very important in China, because like many people around the world, the Chinese believe that their ancestors take an active part in the lives of the living. Ancestors are like guardian spirits. They are believed to bring prosperity, health and good luck to the family.”
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Shown above is a display of small items which had been in one of Butte’s noodle parlors.
Montana’s Dragon:
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The Mai Wah Society revived the tradition of celebrating Chinese New Year in Butte. They envisioned a time when an authentic dragon would lead the annual parade. In 1998, Consul General R. H. Liu presented a Chinese Parade Dragon to Montana on behalf of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission of the Republic of China.