Mr. Lee (restaurant)

Mr. Lee (Chinese: 李先生; pinyin: Lǐ Xiānsheng) is a popular fast-food chain in mainland China, specializing in beef noodle soup and other Chinese-style fast food. It is headquartered in Beijing. The chain was formerly called California Beef Noodle King U.S.A. (Chinese: 美国加州牛肉面大王; pinyin: Měiguó Jiāzhōu Niúròumiàn Dàwáng).

The first franchise was opened in Beijing in 1988 by a Californian Chinese-American, Li Beiqi (Chinese: 李北祺; pinyin: Lǐ Běiqí), also known as "Mr. Lee." Li's face can be seen as part of the company logo, in a style similar to KFC's Colonel Sanders logo. Today, there are several hundred franchises are present in many major north-eastern Chinese cities. Notable locations include Shanghai, Nanjing, Tianjin, Harbin, Changchun, Qingdao and Shenyang. Mr. Lee competes with foreign franchises such as KFC and McDonald's with lower prices and a greater appeal towards Chinese tastes.

Popular items on the menu include the original beef noodle soup, made from a unique recipe; and California Chicken, a cold dish dressed with red and green sauce. It also offers other Chinese staples such as wontons and dumplings. Despite the foreign branding, the recipes as well as the ingredients are all from within China and have nothing to do with California.