Michael Chow

Michael Chow (; born 7 March 1939) is a British Chinese restaurateur, interior designer, artist and actor. Chow, also known as M, is the co-founder and owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain. He has appeared in numerous films, held solo art exhibitions and worked as an architectural designer. Life and career Chow was born Zhou Yinghua in Shanghai. His father was Zhou Xinfang, one of China's most famous actors of his time and a leading figure of Peking Opera. His mother who was Catholic gave him the name Michael. His sister is an actress and erstwhile Bond girl Tsai Chin. His mother came from a wealthy family whose fortune had been made in tea. He was sent to a British boarding school when he was 12 and spent his adolescence in Europe; after arriving in London in 1952, he was never able to speak to nor see his father again. In 1956, Chow studied at Saint Martin's School of Arts and the following year at the Hammersmith School of Building and Architecture. He had a career as a painter in parallel with his acting career. He had multiple gallery shows across London, including at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Chow and his business partner Robin Sutherland opened "Smith and Hawes", a hair salon in London's Sloane Avenue, which they later sold to the famous hairdresser Leonard of Grosvenor Square, when it became Leonard and Twiggy. Chow then came up with a concept to open a restaurant that offer Chinese food served by Italian waiters, and with a menu the British could understand. Sutherland backed his idea, raised the money, and housed six chefs hired from Hong Kong. Chow designed the restaurant featuring cool green floor tiles and white walls, and Mr Chow opened in Knightsbridge, London in February 1968, serving Pekinese cuisine. Chow bought art by Allen Jones, Peter Blake, Patrick Caulfield, David Hockney and Jim Dine for the walls, which became as celebrated as the food. The partners opened three other Mr Chow restaurants in London before Chow bought Sutherland out and moved to New York. His restaurant chain has expanded to places such as Las Vegas, Miami, New York City and Beverly Hills.