Search Results for: wan chai

Thip Samai (Best Pad Thai in Bangkok?)

March 26, 2013 by Jennifer Che

This is the first post in the Thailand! travel series of my eats in Bangkok.

Even people who hardly know a thing about Thai cuisine know the national dish Pad Thai.

I know because I was one of those people. My family never ate Thai food while I was growing up, most likely because we had very little access to it in the middle of Ohio. Even after I moved to Boston, my brief exposure to Thai food usually consisted of sweet, toned down, less-spicy versions of the real thing. If you asked me to name Thai dishes, the best I could squeeze out would be the commonly known "Pad Thai,", "Drunken Noodle,", and maybe "Pad See Ew."

I was really curious whether pad Thai was actually a really a common dish in Thailand, or it was something that was ubiquitous in America, but didn't really exist in Thailand.

As it turns out, pad Thai is all over Thailand now, though it wasn't always that way.

Pad Thai derives its roots from Vietnam, created when one stir fries Vietnamese "Pho" noodles together with Chinese ingredients such as preserved radishes, Chinese chives, dried bean curd, and shrimp. The humble noodle dish became a national dish in Thailand in the 1930's and 1940's under Prime Minister Luang Phibunsongkhram, who put on a massive campaign for the dish in an effort to promote patriotism, support local rice farmers, and unify the nation.

He disseminated the recipe for pad Thai around the country, encouraging people to sell this new national dish (renamed Pad Thai), on street carts all around the city. He encouraged Western cultures, such as the use of forks and spoons for eating and Western clothing.

The dish became a national sensation, and people began associating the dish with Thailand itself.

To this day, pad Thai is a dish that is mostly enjoyed in casual street stalls. Many will argue that proper, formal restaurants just don't serve good enough pad Thai. It's a dish that's meant to be enjoyed on the street.

So Bryan and I made the journey to seek out the most famous pad Thai in Bangkok.

A healthy walk from Democracy Monument, this roadside unassuming restaurant called Thip Samai employs over a dozen people. It's fascinating to walk by and see all of them furiously churning out pad Thai.

The restaurant opens at 5:00 PM, so don't expect to come for lunch. You will be sorely disappointed if you try (as many tourists have).
There are seemingly workers making pad Thai everywhere, even this guy cooking pad Thai out on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant!

We sat inside, though you can see that the front of the restaurant is just open to the street. Because we came pretty early (close to 5:00 PM), we were able to easily grab a seat.

Every plate of pad Thai is served with a side of fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, and other greens I couldn't identify.

We ordered the Original Pad Thai, which was tasty and a bargain for the quality. The above dish costs 50 baht, or about $1.67 USD and was filled with all sorts of delicious ingredients, such as dried tofu, cilantro, Chinese chives, and eggs.

Thip Samai uses Chanthaburi Noodles, rice noodles that are dried out in the sun (instead of with machines). These noodles were a bit thinner than what I see in the States, and had a nice, chewy texture. The red color comes partly from the use of shrimp oil, which is made by cooking either dried shrimp or shrimp heads in hot oil.

Pad Thai is cooked to order in steel woks on traditional charcoal stoves.

Bryan, who doesn't love sweet dishes, still found the pad Thai to be a bit sweet for his tastes, and told me he preferred other dishes in Thailand to this one. However, a few sprinkles of the chili pepper flakes made things much better for him.
We also tried the "Superb Pad Thai" (70 Baht, or $2.30 USD), a twist on the original dish because the pad Thai noodles are wrapped in an egg omelet.

Everything was quite tasty, served fast, and cost next to nothing. I thought that the pad Thai reached a nice balance between salty (from the fish sauce), sweet (from the palm sugar), and sour (from the tamarind). I liked how the noodles were nice and chewy, and overall, the dish was very good.
I'm not sure if it's the best pad Thai I had in Thailand. I took a few cooking classes while I was in Bangkok, and I would argue that some of those home cooked versions rivaled this one.

However, I do want to mention that I had just eaten at another street side restaurant prior to this, so the fact that I was already a little full may have also influenced my overall enjoyment of the meal. I bet if I were famished before coming here, I would be raving a lot more about this meal.

I still think it's totally worth coming to visit. It's a Bangkok institution, and it's fascinating just to see all these people making their crazy volumes of pad Thai the old, traditional way. Plus, the dish is really good, and it won't hurt your wallet the least bit.

Come early, to beat the lines. We came right at 5PM and had no trouble finding a seat.
Thip Samai
313 Maha Chai Road
Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon
Bangkok 10200
Thailand

Hours: 5:00 PM - 3:00 AM daily

sources: the morning news msihua

Hard Rock Cafe Boston

August 22, 2012 by Jennifer Che

A long time ago - during my awkward, braces-wielding, teeny-bopping days - I used to be obsessed with Hard Rock Cafe.

It wasn't because I liked hard rock. In fact, I sort of hated it. Seriously, it was only because so many other people at school wore their shirts. You know how it is in middle school - you scope out what everyone else is wearing and you desperately try to copy it.

Hair-sprayed tall hair? Check. Huge Esprit tote? Check. Guess jeans? Hmm, actually my mom never let me get those, so I guess that's not a check. But I tried as hard as I could.

I also liked visiting Hard Rock Cafes because they served as badges representing cities I had visited. My hometown did not have a Hard Rock, which meant we had to travel to get the coveted T-shirts. My sister and I relentlessly dragged my parents to multiple Hard Rock Cafes every time we traveled. If there was a Hard Rock Cafe in a city we visited, we had to go there.

I have Hard Rock memorabilia from Boston, Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Beverly Hills, and Orlando - not to mention Banff (Canadian Rockies), Tokyo, Singapore, and Honolulu.

We were nuts.

Then I went to college and proceeded to completely forget about the Hard Rock Cafe.

That is, until a couple weeks ago, when I got an invitation from My Blog Spark to try Boston's Hard Rock Cafe's new menu.

Hard Rock? Wow, that totally brings back such funny nostalgia. It's been years since I've even thought about that place.

I decided that, after almost 20 years, it was worth revisiting this place I'd sought after with such zeal during my childhood. I really had no idea how my new adult, food blogger self would see this place.

There was only one way to find out.

For those of you who have never heard of Hard Rock Cafe, it is a nationwide chain that houses cool rock memorabilia from famous (often local) artists.

It all started back in the seventies in London when Eric Clapton, who loved eating at this American restaurant called "Hard Rock Cafe", asked them if he could mark his favorite seat with a plaque.

They said, "why don't we put up your guitar?"

A week later, Pete Townshend of The Who dropped off his Gibson Les Paul.

Pretty soon, donations of guitars and other musical memorabilia began pouring in, and the restaurant slowly expanded throughout the world.

Eddie Van Halen

In Boston, for example, you can see Eric Clapton's acoustic guitar, Aerosmith's outfits, Van Halen's electric, and handwritten lyrics by Bruce Springsteen. It's sort of fun just to wander around the restaurant and peruse the stuff hanging on the walls.

Bryan and I arrived at the Hard Rock Cafe Boston on a warm, Monday evening. Although tons of seats were empty, the hostess told us there was a 20-minute wait. She could not seat us because the restaurant was severely understaffed.

"We only have 6 servers. You're welcome to go to the bar."

We walked over to the bar. Initially, the bartender told us she was maxed out and wouldn't be able to serve us. However, we indicated that the hostess had sent us here. She looked harried. A piles of dirty dishes sat forlornly a few seats down from us, desperately wishing to be cleaned up.

It was quite evident the staff was overworked.

Bryan tried to order a beer on tap, only to find out almost all of their beers were sold out.

"We had a crazy weekend; the patrons drank up most of the beer on tap."

Thankfully there were one or two remaining choices, so Bryan opted for one of them (sorry, I can't remember what it was!).

For appetizers, we tried the Santa Fe spring rolls, which were stuffed with spinach, black beans, cilantro, corn, jalapenos, diced red peppers and Jack cheese. It was satisfying (we were hungry!) and decent, though I did leave behind the tired bed of lettuce in which they sat.

We tried the hickory smoked BBQ combo with ribs and pulled pork. The ribs were, unfortunately, a bit tough and far from "fall-off-the-bone." The pulled pork was OK, but it was hard to really love either one considering we had just tried some pretty incredible barbecue a few weeks ago.

Hard Rock calls their burgers "Legendary", which compelled us to try one. These burgers are 10 ounces and come with either fries or onion rings. At $15 each, they are flirting with the prices of Craigie's famous bone-marrow-infused burger, the famous Radius Burger, and actually cost more than a Smith & Wollensky burger made from 100% prime beef.

The burgers were good - definitely the best item we had that night. The meat is juicy, cooked well, and slightly charred on the outside. It's filled with onion rings, cheese, and bacon.

They make regional versions of burgers too. The Boston version is topped with baked beans, which just didn't sound all that appetizing to me.

For dessert, they have normal sized desserts and "bites", which are small portions that only cost $3. We tried two different bites - chocolate mousse and chocolate peanut butter pie. Both tasted as expected - decent, but nothing to write home about.

Overall, Hard Rock Cafe is a mixed bag. The memorabilia is cool, and if you're a fan of rock, you'll love looking through the cool collection that the Boston Hard Rock Cafe has. However, the food is mediocre, not exactly cheap, and the service can be spotty (though I must say that after we sat down, our bartender actually took reasonably good care of us).

If you do come, the burger is pretty solid, and I'm guessing some classic "American" dishes might not be too bad either. However, I definitely wouldn't consider the food destination-worthy. There are much, much better places in Boston for the same price.

Disclaimer
I received free gift certificates to try the food at Hard Rock Cafe as part of the My Blog Spark program. All opinions in the post are my own.

Eating The Big Apple

July 6, 2012 by Jennifer Che

In the spirit of celebrating our nation's birthday this week, I thought it made more sense to finish off this week writing about the U.S. instead of other countries, say, like Italy. So, even though there are still a couple posts left in the Spontaneous Weekend Trip to Rome series, I am ending this week by sharing with you a couple sneak previews from my next travel series: Eating The Big Apple.

I was lucky enough to visit New York City three times these past six months. Two were business trips for work, but one was a completely unexpected trip to the Saveur offices in Manhattan to celebrate my Best Food Blog Awards win (thanks again all for your support!).

New York is fun because you never know who you might encounter.

Like these men, who I saw in the window during a random morning stroll to the new Bouchon Bakery in Rockefeller Center.

Or this celebrity chef, who was wandering around saying hi to guests in his own restaurant. Of course I had to ask if I could see the kitchen.

Celebrities aside, there's still the never-ending diversity of interesting and really good food in New York, which is what I spent most of my time exploring.

Gospel Sunday brunch at a well-known Southern restaurant in Harlem, famous for its ultra moist and buttery cornbread (among many other things!).

Trying out Shojin Ryori (traditional Japanese Buddhist cuisine) at a two-Michelin star vegan Japanese restaurant by a new executive chef.

Our first time witnessing and tasting homemade soba noodles.

Discovering our current all-time favorite Italian restaurant in the entire U.S. - right here in New York.

Finally trying hand-pulled noodles from Chinatown.

A fantastic Italian find that pushes the envelope just a bit to serve creative dishes sprinkled with a touch of inspiration from other cuisines (like the bagel + lox inspired starter above).

After waiting in line for 45 minutes, tasting for the first time noodles from the ever-famous Japanese ramen chain.

Having drinks with Bryan's cousin at a cool, Japanese bar hidden behind an unmarked door of a normal Japanese restaurant.

The view from my train leaving New York.

Can't wait to share with you about these restaurants.

And just curious (I always love sharing celebrity stories) . . . what celebrities have you spotted or met before?

Bond Boston (Langham Hotel)

May 31, 2012 by Jennifer Che

As I get older I am sometimes appalled at how inaccurate my memory is.

Has this happened to you before? You swear by a certain memory until a photograph from the time period totally proves you wrong - like 100% wrong. No wonder eyewitness testimonies only hold so much weight.

Having said that, there are certain memories - the types that induce a certain deja-vu moment - that remain long after your conscious memory has forgotten about it.

I swear this happened when I walked into Bond Boston a few weeks back.

Bond Boston is in the Langham Hotel. This building was formerly the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which explains both the restaurant name and all the money references throughout (large dollar bill murals on the wall, a vault in the basement, etc). I had been invited to attend a media tasting of Bond Boston's new spring menu here.

The moment I walked into Bond Boston, I instantly felt a sense of familiarity.

The super high ceilings, the chandeliers, the location right inside of a fancy hotel.

It all seemed so familiar. Then it hit me.

I turned to Bryan. "Doesn't this look like Julian? Look at the ceilings. Do you think it's the same space?"

We had gone to a restaurant called Julian for a special occasion dinner back in college. It was one of our first "fancy" dates. It was the first time we had ever enjoyed a free amuse bouche before a meal. I still remember being absolutely tickled by the the "free" grapefruit sorbet palate cleanser that they passed out between dinner and dessert.

The Sawbuck: Greygoose la poire, domaine de canton, fresh lime juice, basil leaf

Bryan had wanted to go there because they had these cushy armchairs you could sit in. For some reason, he thought that was so cool.

"No. That was in another hotel," he quickly replied.

Seeing as he's often right, and I tend to doubt my memory so much anyway, I took him at his word.

It wasn't until much later, as we were talking to the chef at the end of the evening, that he happened to mention "Julian" in passing.

"Wait," I interrupted, "did you say Julian?"

Indeed he had. My hunch was correct. We were sitting in the very space that we sat in fourteen years ago on our first "fancy" date.

Fourteen years is a long time. The traditional high-society French restaurant with the high-backed armchairs that Bryan loved so much is long gone. In its place sits a trendy bar that serves excellent cocktails and decent bites where, if you just look up, elements of glamour from its former life still linger.

If you look down, you'll notice that the high backed armchairs have been replaced with all sorts of comfortable seating, from plush couches to soft leather chairs. It makes for a much more relaxed dining experience. You sort of feel like you're sitting in someone's living room enjoying cocktails and savory bites.

We started with some homemade kettle chips, which were fantastic.

I must confess. I was really late. Bryan (patient guy that he is), held off on eating all the mouthwatering plates of food that were piling up in front of him so that I could take pictures when I arrived. He refrained from everything except these delicious house made chips, which were wonderfully crunchy and all around fantastic.

Stracchino Cheese and Heirloom Tomatoes
Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic

We moved onto these beautifully presented heirloom tomatoes filled with Stracchino cheese. I enjoyed the bigger tomatoes because they were stuffed with more cheese, thus giving a better cheese to tomato ratio. The green tomatoes had a pretty tough exterior (I think they are like this by nature), which made the entire piece a bit more difficult to eat. Although these were decent, they suffered from the fact that tomatoes just don't taste that good in the spring here in Boston. The tomatoes weren't super sweet, were a bit tough, and somewhat bland in flavor.

Grilled Baby Corn with Espelette
Cotija Cheese, Aioli, and Lime

I'd never seen fresh baby corn, so I was tickled at the idea of trying some here. These were nicely charred, though I thought perhaps they were a bit undersalted. Bryan didn't like the addition of the lime juice, which I accidentally squirted over the entire dish. Oops!

Sweet Soy and Ginger Chicken Wings

These sweet soy ginger chicken wings were perfectly charred and nicely seasoned. I really liked the addition of the crystallized ginger on each "lollipop", which added a nice gingery kick to the wing.

Crispy Point Judith Calamari
Sweet Chili, Black Sesame, and Cilantro

The crispy calamari definitely had Asian flavors, reminding me of the Thai style calamari from Legal Sea Foods. It was sweet, spicy, and was pretty flavorful. The texture was decent, and overall it was a pretty enjoyable dish.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Shrimp, Chicken and Spicy Peanut Sauce

The spring rolls were fine, although because it's so easy to make these at home, it wouldn't be the first thing I would be inclined to order.

Flat Bread Pizza
Great Hill Blue, Grilled Stone Fruit, Pancetta, Arugula

Neither of us were huge fans of the pizza. The crust was thin but a bit too chewy for my tastes. Additionally, I found the blue cheese flavor to be too overpowering. Finally, I found the pizza to be overall too salty. I would not order this.

Lobster and Chorizo Quesadilla

Queso blanco and Sweet Corn
The lobster and chorizo quesadilla was Bryan's favorite dish of the night. It was not particularly memorable to me, but I do remember thinking it was reasonably tasty.

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Brown Butter Ice Cream, Bookers Whiskey Caramel

The sticky toffee pudding was originally a winter menu item and was meant to be seasonal. However, it was so popular that the chef just could not bear to take it off the menu. I'm so glad he did not! This was by far our favorite dessert of the night. It is fantastic - the cake is super moist and gorgeously deep and rich with the Bookers whiskey caramel. It went perfectly with the decadent brown butter ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Gratin
Marscapone Mousse, Mint, Black Pepper Sable

The bartender brought over this bright, vivid drink to pair with the strawberry rhubarb gratin, which was nice and refreshing.

Chocolate Tasting
Milk Chocolate Powder, Guanaja Ice Cream, White Chocolate Brulee, Smoked Chocolate Cake

The Langham Hotel is famous for their all-you-can-eat chocolate bar. I've done it once. It's kind of crazy, and definitely not something you want to do too often! They gave us various tastes from the chocolate buffet. All the components were pretty tasty, though at the end of the day I was still dreaming about that sticky toffee pudding . . .

I also ran into some other local food bloggers. From left to right - Meghan from Travel, Wine, and Dine, Lindsey from Beantown Eats, Dean (Bill's guest), Bill from Boston Foodie, Daisy from Indulge Inspire Imbibe, and Megan from Delicious Dishings.

It was nice seeing the old space where Bryan and I had one of our first ever "fancy" dates. Though it brought back certain memories, I was also shocked at how little I remember. I tried digging up a photo, but I don't think we took one.

As for Bond Boston, it's kind of a fun place. There's jazz on Tuesday nights. The cocktails are quite good, and the food is not bad, with a few gems here and there. I probably wouldn't trek all the way out from Cambridge to come here. After all, aside from the cool space, the food doesn't necessary make it a destination-worthy location. However, if I'm staying at the Langham Hotel, or if I happen to be nearby and feel like having a drink, this is a perfectly acceptable place in which to sit back, listen to some jazz, and relax with a drink.

Bond
250 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110

Disclaimer - I did not pay for this meal. All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Oxford: The Turf Tavern and Jamie's Italian

February 27, 2012 by Jennifer Che

This is the fourth post in the series Winter in London. Other posts include Bob, Bob, Ricard, Kitchen W8, Fernandez and Wells, and the Trout Inn.

I guess it's a bit misleading to call my series "Winter In London" when a large portion of my trip was actually in Oxford.

Oxford is a beautiful city and definitely worth a visit if you have time. The train ride from Paddington Station in London is less than an hour. If you travel during off-peak hours (e.g. something like anytime after 9AM), you can save close to half off the fare of the ticket!

The city center itself is quite small, and most sites are within walking distance of each other.

This is Christ Church, an awe inspiring building whose dining hall was actually used in the Harry Potter films (yes, THAT dining hall with the sorting hat and all . ..).

I spent about 3 days in Oxford and had a chance to check out some of the famous pubs in the area.

The Turf Tavern was the first place I visited. Legend has it that former U.S. president Bill Clinton, during his Rhodes Scholar years, infamously "did not inhale" here. The building itself has been around since the 17th century, sitting on top of a foundation that dates back to the 13th century (!!).

The pub is definitely off the beaten track (you drive through a bunch of small, windy roads before arriving at your destination). If it weren't for the cars, you could almost convince yourself that you've traveled back in time a few centuries.

I only stopped her for drinks, but they had a pretty cool selection of beers, most of which were unfamiliar to me (I'm not really a beer expert by any means). The inside lodge area was full, so we sat outside in the tent area and enjoyed our drinks. It was definitely a nice, cozy experience and felt so authentically British.

For dinner, we went to Jamie's Italian, Jamie Oliver's chain of Italian restaurants across England. Huge prosciutto hams hang alongside the window, giving the entire place an air of Italian authenticity.

Although some of the dishes, such as the burrata and the carbonara, were solid (no fresh pasta here, but it was cooked a nice al dente), other items were clear misses. The black truffle risotto was not cooked properly (too watery and mushy!) and neither dessert succeeded in impressing us.

The person who brought me here assured me that the risotto has been better in the past, so perhaps we just stumbled upon a bad night. Nevertheless, it may take me quite awhile before I decide to come back and give this restaurant another chance. There are too many other good places to try!

Circling back to my original point, I definitely think it's still worth visiting Oxford. The architecture is stunning, the history is rich, and it's just a fun place to walk around. You could probably make it a day trip.

If you do plan on a day trip, I would head back to London for dinner, since I think food is still generally so much better in London. However, if you do decide to stay in Oxford, you may want to check out the other pub that I visited, which I'll write about next in this series!

Baking Lesson at Panera in Porter Square

September 29, 2011 by Jennifer Che

It was an intriguing invitation.

Baking with the bakers at Panera? Really?

Up until recently, Panera has been an institution of the suburbs and this has not really been on my radar. I always thought it was because there was too much competition in the city. I mean, how can a national chain compete with beloved, artisanal local favorites such as Hi Rise and Flour or Bostonian institutions like Mike's or Modern?

The history is a bit convoluted, but essentially Panera used to be the Au Bon Pain Co. In 1993, it bought the St. Louis Bread Company, which was also starting to expand. In 1999, Au Bon Pain Co. renamed itself Panera and sold off a bunch of other brands, including Au Bon Pain. Maybe some sort of understanding that Panera wouldn't step on Au Bon Pain's city-focused turf for some time?

In any event, it's been more than 10 years since those days, and Panera has finally moved into the city. Just this past May, Panera opened a flagship location in Back Bay. In July, Panera opened its first branch in Cambridge, right in Porter Square.

The folks at Panera were kind enough to invite me to come and see the inner working of the bakery. Most of the baking happens in the wee hours of the morning. Did I want to come at 2AM? I politely declined that option (no way with a full time job!) but after some more emails back and forth, we set up an appointment for early Saturday morning. I would meet one of the day bakers and still get a chance to make some pastries!

I met Allie, the main day baker here at Panera Porter. Allie was super perky and clearly loved her job.

As a day baker, Allie refills whatever items have run out. Here she is making the ever popular egg souffles, which often run out multiple times in a morning. The night bakers usually make the bulk of the pastries, but she still makes a ton of stuff during the day. For examples, baguettes are freshly baked every hour and even labeled with the time at which they were baked!

Yes, I was at Panera well before 8AM on a Saturday morning!

I put on my apron and hat (do I look like a Panera employee? ha ha ha ha) and we got to work. I knew I had only scheduled an hour and a half with them, so I was really wondering how in the world we would have enough time to bake bread or even pastries! These things take a long time! As Allie started showing me stuff, it all began to make sense.

Nothing at Panera is made from scratch on site. Instead, most of the intense prep work is done at an off-site location in the suburbs. In this main baking facility, various types of dough are made on very large scale. The dough is then rolled out into sheets and frozen. They have different types of dough depending on the application: flaky pastry dough, baguette dough, babka dough, etc.

Breads come premade but not yet baked in these HUGE metal containers, which are delivered daily.

Similarly, bagels are also already made when they arrive in Cambridge.

An on-site baker at Panera basically does the finishing steps for all the baked goods at the local Paneras. No wonder an hour and a half was plenty for me to "learn how baking is done" at Panera. There really isn't that much prep work to do!

So, I learned how to make a cinnamon roll.

Start with the pre-made pastry dough, which conveniently comes in these perfect squares. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, roll, cut, twist, spray with egg wash, and top with a pecan. It takes a little practice to make them pretty, but it's not all that bad!
They have this super fancy oven that has all these programmable settings. Allie has set up a bunch of macros herself for the various baked goods.
It really looks like an oven from the future! The pastries spin around for a preprogrammed amount of time. I'm sure at night that oven is completely filled with baked goods!
Finished product! I'm amazed that the same little square of frozen pastry dough can be manipulated in so many ways. When you look at the spread of beautiful, "artisanally" baked goods at the counter, you never would have guessed that they all came from this same pre-made dough. It's really quite ingenious.

Space is super tight in the city, and this basement kitchen is really tiny! At night, there are actually two people in here, baking the night away. I can only imagine how crowded it can get.

Of course they wouldn't let me leave empty-handed. I left carrying a box of Panera pastries (pictured above) as well as an entire chocolate babka (pictured at the very top), a new item they have just introduced this fall.

In general, I find their pastries to be a bit too sweet for my tastes, but it was still fun to try everything.

Thanks Panera for a fascinating underground look into the way things work at your bakery cafes.

Disclaimer: I did not pay for the pastries or the babka that I took home

Panera Porter Square
5 White Street
Cambridge MA

Snacking in Japan

April 8, 2011 by Jennifer Che

It's all my dad's fault.

Starting from when I was around 2 years old, My dad started me on a tradition. Every day, he would place me in the front basket-seat on his bike and we would visit . . . . . the ice cream shop. I'll never forget the look of that unique ice cream shop in Toledo that was shaped like a huge igloo.

And thus the habit began.

I love love love ice cream. In high school I used to eat three scoops a day after school. Even now, whenever I make ice cream, I end up eating it day after day until it's all gone (especially if it's my all time favorite flavor).

This post is actually not just about ice cream, though it was one of the first "snacks" that caught my eye when I was in Japan. Instead, think of this as a mini tour of my snacking experiences during my trip to Japan.

Soy Milke Soft Serve at Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean is a new chain (originally from Singapore, which hails over 50 stores!) that just opened up in Tokyo. This Shibuya location is the first one in Japan. I must admit, I was totally drawn to the super cute bean character smiling at me. Isn't he cute? This stand offers various types of soy milk soft serve, such as plain soy and green tea.

They also have these cute griddle cakes filled with various sweet or savory fillings -sort of like a conveniently neat sandwich on the go.

Of course, don't eat while walking! Unlike the Chinese, who are all about street food, the Japanese tend not to eat while walking around. You also can't eat in the trains, so you basically have to find yourself a nice corner to enjoy your snack.

I loved the fresh and natural soybean flavor of the soft serve. It reminded me of a nice, cold glass of fresh, homemade soy milk. It was clean tasting, not too sweet, and just really refreshing.

Sushi for Breakfast in Tsukiji

Another fun thing to do in Japan is to enjoy sushi in the morning after visiting the fish market in Tsukiji. If you can help it, avoid the weekends, because the lines can get super super long! I've often heard great things about Sushi Bun and Sushi Dai. Unfortunately, the line was about three hours long when we tried to go, so we opted for a smaller, lesser known place with a shorter line.

At Tsukiji, we saw lots of sea urchin (uni), various grades of tuna (maguro, toro, otoro, chutoro), and lots of salmon roe (ikura). Essentially, you are eating whatever is in season at the time - straight off the boats. Prices aren't too bad - you can get a nice bowl topped with lovely slices of super fresh seafood for around $10-20.

Streetside Snacks at Asakusa

One of the most fun places to enjoy more traditional Japanese snacks is on the main street leading up to the temple at Asakusa. Along this admittedly touristy way, dozens of street vendors sell souvenirs as well as snacks. It's fun just to explore and try various things. Most snacks aren't very expensive, and thus you can definitely try several!

Here's a man baking rice crackers . . .

A nifty little machine that cranks out little round leaf shaped pancakes filled with red bean paste.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a savory, octopus-filled cake that is very often sold in little street stands. It's typically served with mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce, and dried bonito flakes. These are especially satisfying on a blustery autumn day since they come out fresh and hot from the griddle.

Depachika
One of my favorite things to do when I go to Japan is to explore the vast food-filled basements of the department stores. They are called "depachika", which is a shortened form of "depato" (department store) and "chika" (underground mall). There are countless different types of shops selling everything from raw vegtables to high-end bakery items (like Pierre Hermes!) It's a fun place to try various snacks or grab dinner (although, again, you won't see anyone walking around and eating).

On our first evening in Japan, Bryan left to attend a business dinner, so I just wandered the basement of Tokyu (a department store) and bought some fun a la carte salads. It was one of the first times I tried to use my rusty Japanese and (thankfully) I was able to communicate. Corn and mizuna salad on the left, lotus root and gobo root salad on the right.

The supermarkets are filled with beautiful produce. Just the selection of thinly sliced super marbled beef (some of which looked like Kobe!) was mind-boggling.

Of course the bakery selection is phenomenal - many of Europe's most famous bakeries are represented in these depachikas. Naturally, I visited my favorite and picked up my favorite macaron.

I guess I broke the cultural rules and ate my macaron while sitting on a random chair in the hallways of the depachika. Oh well . . .

Related Posts in this Series

Tribute to Japan

Kappabashi-dori

Tapas Molecular Bar

Suzuran (Ramen)

Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

Maisen

Masamoto Tsukiji Knives

April 1, 2011 by Jennifer Che

This post is part 4 of my series: Tribute to Japan. Other posts in this series include: Part 1: Kappabashi-dori, Part 2: Tapas Molecular Bar, and Part 3: Suzuran (Ramen)
Part 4: Japanese Matcha and Azuki Breads

I'm not one that typically buys souvenirs.

Sure, there was a time back in high school when I obsessively collected pins or mugs from every place I visited, keen on bringing back with me physical mementos of my trips. As the unused junk started piling up at home, I subconsciously began coming home from my trips empty-handed.

That totally didn't happen on this Japan trip. For some reason, (probably via Bryan's insistent prodding) I decided it was time to upgrade my knives. Up until this point, I had been using the same, relatively economical knife set that I got right after college.

Japan is probably THE top maker of knives in the entire world. Japanese steel is generally much harder than Western steel, and thus their knives hold their edge a lot better. How else do those sushi chefs cut such perfectly thin and delicate slices of fish? Of all cuisines, Japanese is the one with the artistry and sophistication that really demands the highest quality knives in the world.

After doing some reasonably extensive research online, I decided to visit Masamoto Tsukiji in Japan's most famous fish market, Tsukiji Fish Market.

This old world knife shop opened in 1891 and is currently owned by the 5th generation of the family. Not to be confused with Masamoto Souhonten, a completely unrelated company (although they do have the exact same logo - likely due to a split earlier on?), Masamoto Tsukiji is the smaller of the two, but still extremely highly regarded.

It's arguable which knife company is better. Of course Masamoto Tsukiji claims it's better, though others would argue that Souhonten is the industry standard for excellence.

Some report that Tsukiji knives are all handmade whereas Souhonten has gone the larger, commercial route, selling machine-made knives in bigger, fancier stores. The logo for most Tsukiji knives are hand "stamped" while the Souhonten ones are machine stamped. In fact, you can get your name personally engraved on the Tsukiji knives! I was fascinated by the skills of the store owner, who sharpened our knives for us and also hand-engraved our name on the knives.

It's a bit overwhelming to pick out a knife, as the store is filled with many, many different types. Many of these knives are pretty specific for Japanese cooking, especially the various sushi knives, and therefore there's a high likelihood that a typical home cook will not consider most of them. In fact, 90% of Masamoto Tsukiji's users are culinary professionals in Japan.

Steel
For me, the choice came down to a few key issues. First, I had to choose whether I wanted a carbon steel knife or a stainless steel knife. As a general rule, carbon steel knives sharpen more easily and have a smoother and sharper edge. Overall, they perform much better than stainless steel knives.

However, there are some disadvantages. Carbon steel knives are slightly more "brittle" and may not retain their edges as well. They rust easily, and therefore you must take care to wipe the knife dry after every use. They are sensitive to acidic foods and can easily discolor upon contact.

Stainless steel knives, although perhaps not as sharp, can withstand a lot more abuse. They are much less brittle and pretty impossible to rust. If you leave it in a wet sink and forget about it, you won't see a rusty knife the next day. Overall, they are much lower maintenance.

Industry professionals tend to use the superior carbon steel knives. It was quite clear that Masamoto Tsukiji was geared toward the restaurant industry. In fact, out of the hundreds of knives in the store, there were only four stainless steel knife choices.

I knew myself as a cook and knew that I needed a knife that I could sort of abuse. I decided to purchase three stainless steel knives and one carbon steel knife.

Chinese Cleaver (carbon steel)
Rectangular, heavier blade, all purpose knife for Chinese cooking. This workhorse is super sharp and chops like a dream. It's a bit big for my hands, but the large size makes chopping large vegetables (such as huge heads of cabbage) or huge fruit (like watermelons) much easier.

Santoku
Light, thin-blade, typically vegetable knife. Though some argue that this is not worth buying, it has become one of my favorite knives. The slightly smaller size fits my hand absolutely perfectly, and thus I feel like I have a lot of control (compared to the gyuto, which is just a bit long for my comfort).

Gyuto
"Butcher's Knife" - this is the closest thing to a chef's knife by Western standards. This medium weight knife can be used for meats, vegetables, and even bread! Most will argue that if you're going to get just one knife, this one is by far the most useful.

Small "Petty" Knife
I'm not sure of the name of the smallest knife on the bottom, but it reminds me of a slightly longer paring knife. The only stainless steel knife I didn't buy was an even smaller one which reminded me of a steak knife. Basically, the store employee recommended the larger one over the smallest one.

Once you've picked out your knives, they sharpen and engrave each one at the store. It was fascinating watching them go through the step-by-step process of sharpening - first with a huge rolling stone and eventually down to whetstones of different "roughness" grades.

Here's the store owner, manually sharpening my knife on a whetstone.

Sparks fly!

I was really amazed at the artistry of the hand-engraving. With just a few tools, he was able to write out beautiful-looking Chinese/Japanese characters on the side of the knife.

The knives at Masamoto Tsukiji are not cheap. I think the prices for my four knives ranged from around $75 (for the smallest one) to over $200 for the Chinese cleaver. I think I spent close to $600 in the store. One inconvenient point is that they accept cash-only (Euros, dollars, Yen all OK). We had trouble taking out so much money at one time from the ATM. We ended up having to withdraw multiple batches before being able to come back (nearest international ATM was 10 minutes away in Ginza) and pay with cash. 😛

Absolutely no complaints, though. I love love love my knives. I have never used such sharp knives before in my life. They seriously make prep work so much easier. Prep tasks that used to be a chore are now simple, as these knives will cut through most things like butter.

I have accidentally hurt myself a few times because I forget how seriously SHARP these guys are. I'll lightly brush my hand against the edge and the next thing you know, I'm bleeding.

Must show respect!

I highly recommend these knives. They are beautiful, cut like a dream, and are a special, sentimental reminder for me of one of my favorite countries. I think they are worth the hassle of lugging all the way back from Japan because:

1) They are very difficult to get outside of Japan (thought there might be ways now) and

2) They are very very useful, totally different from the scores of keychains, mugs, and T-shirts I used to buy while traveling

3) It's totally worth it to watch the knife being hand-sharpened and hand-engraved right in front of you at the shop! A personalized souvenir!

Here's the hand engraved logo (bottom) with our family name (CHE) on top.

4-9-9 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku
(Harumi Dori, Shin Ohashi Dori)
81-3-3541-7155
tukijimasamoto.co.jp

China Poblano

February 14, 2011 by Jennifer Che

Beef tendon Kumamoto oyster tacos with Szechuan pepper corn sauce? Fried potatoes with a choice of mole poblano or XO sauce?

José Andrés' newest venture in the swanky new Cosmopolitan hotel on the Strip in Las Vegas pairs casual Chinese and Mexican food together in one trendy location. The vibe inside is interesting. Chow down on casual dim sum / tapas all while gazing at Chinese doll statues, a slideshow montage of Chairman Mao and the like, and an open kitchen with cooks diligently churning out tortillas, hand-pulled noodles, and other little "eats."

To quote Mr. Andrés himself, it's a “grand, beautiful, sexy fantasy.”

The two cuisines don't really mix, save for the one or two dishes that I've mentioned above. In fact, the kitchens are separated, with two distinct take-out counters under matching neon signs ostentatiously screaming "CHINESE FOOD" and "MEXICAN FOOD."

José Andrés was originally tasked with the job of creating a Chinese restaurant for this new hotel. Not being comfortable with the cuisine, he instead opted to do a mix - half Chinese and half Mexican (the cuisine with which he is most familiar and for which he is most well-known).

Odd concept, to say the least, but José Andrés argues that, at the end of the day, the two cuisines are not too different. Really, isn't a Peking duck wrap basically a Mexican soft taco with a few twists?

We'd have to try it for ourselves to see.

Drinks are super fun. Bryan tried the Salt Air Margarita (see foamy drink on left - $11), which is described as José Andrés’ personal favorite drink made with with fresh lime and salt "air". Bryan thought it was tasty, but too sweet for his preference. You can choose from a variety of Aguas Frescas (a Mexican drink made with fresh fruit, water, and sugar - $4.88). I especially enjoyed my cucumber flavored one (second from left), although I'm sure the passion fruit and raspberry ones were just as good.

We thought his Mexican dishes were spot on. Tacos were fresh, flavorful, and had a great combination of flavors. I actually really enjoyed the Viva China, one of the few fusion tacos on the menu made with soft beef tendon, Kumamoto oyster, and scallions with a Sichuan peppercorn sauce ($9).

The Carnitas (braised baby pig/pork rinds/spicy salsa verde cruda $8) was also very good, as well as the Pescado Frito (fried fish/Mexican salsa $11.88) and Pancita al Pastor (slow-cooked pork belly/pineapple $9). Overall, José Andrés clearly knows his Mexican food and he does a fantastic job executing it. This is definitely better than anything I've tried in Boston.

One of my favorites (a must order!) was the Scallop Ceviche (pictured at the top of the post). You get these little bay scallops which are each perched on top of a key lime half dipped in ancho chile and sugar. The resulting "shot" is a wild burst of contrasting flavors that's not only fun to eat (look at Bryan's expression here!) but also really enjoyable.

The Handmade Tortillas were soft, chewy, and went addictively well with the Guacamole (one of the best I've had - $12). Also pictured above: Papas fritas (lower right) - fried potatoes with XO sauce - $6 and Rou Jia Mo Street Sandwich (upper left) - $8.88.

Top left: Caldo Tlalpeño (shredded chicken/rice/peas/carrots/avocado/chipotle $8). Top Right: Shrimp Mojo (shrimp/sweet black garlic/roasted poblano peppers $14). Bottom left: When Pigs Fly BBQ pork buns). Bottom right: The Unruly Monk ( hand-cut noodles/bok choy/wild wood ear mushrooms/poached egg/spicy sauce $16).

Chinese food is definitely a different story. Granted, I've had some of the best Chinese street food in the world between places like Jia Jia Tang Bao, Yang's Fry Dumpling, and China and Taiwan in general. The dim sum is quite average here and really not worth the higher prices that he charges. You might as well stick to the good (and cheaper!) Chinese food in LA, NYC, or possibly even Chinatown in Las Vegas.

We did enjoy his soups, which have a flair of creativity that definitely elevates them above an ordinary Chinese street dish. Check out the perfectly poached egg in The Unruly Monk. The hand cut noodles had fantastic texture and the food was clearly made with top quality ingredients. Skip the When Pigs Fly (essentially tiny Char Siu Baos costing way more than normal).

In general, we much preferred his Mexican offerings to his Chinese offerings.

Though not particularly authentic, the Chicken Ji Song (chicken/lettuce leaf cups/fried sweet potatoes $15) was actually quite tasty. I really enjoyed the textural differences between the lettuce cup, the juicy chicken, and the crispy fried vermicelli on top.

Nice, but Naughty (sautéed lotus root with fresh pea shoots and sesame - $9.88) was actually a nice, refreshing counterpoint to all the other meat & carb-heavy dishes we had ordered. I love lotus roots and pea shoots, so I actually enjoyed this dish. It was also generously sized, and arguably much bigger than a typical "tapas".

For dessert, I highly recommend the Cajeta Flan (goat’s milk caramel/pineapple $8), which I'm pretty confident is the best dessert on the menu. The flavors were delicate yet sophisticated at the same time. The caramel was deep and rich, and the goat's cheese definitely added a unique twist to the traditional dessert.

Happy Buddha Giggling Taking a Bath (shaky belly strawberry gelatin $10)
My friend Emily, a Las Vegas wedding photographer, saw this on the menu and absolutely had to order it because she was sooooo curious. This is the wackiest thing I've ever seen. There is an entire Buddha who really looks like he's taking a bath, all covered with strawberry flavored foam. It's a bit disconcerting to be eating his body parts, but the jello, which is all-natural, was pretty good and not too sweet. Though there's a bit of novelty to this dish, it's probably not worth the $10.

Concluding Thoughts
Overall, we really liked this place. In fact, we visited it twice during our short stay here in Las Vegas (the second time we only ordered Mexican dishes!!). It's conveniently located right in the center of Strip, and the prices are reasonable for the location. They recommend that you order 2-3 tapas per person. I found that to be a bit much, as some of the "tapas" are almost the size of regular dishes. I would start with 2 per person and then order more if you're still hungry.

My favorites? Get a couple tacos (I actually loved Viva China, but they are all good), Scallop Ceviche, Guacamole, and Cajeta Flan. If you like hand-pulled noodles you can get one of the Chinese dishes, since that's still a pretty unique concept.

Highly recommended.

This post is part of a larger Las Vegas series. Posts in this series:
Bouchon Bistro
Bouchon Bakery

China Poblano
Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie
Beijing Noodle No. 9
Raos
Mesa Grill
Joel Robuchon (The Mansion)
B&B Ristorante
Enoteca San Marco

China Poblano
3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Crystal Jade {Shanghai, China}

January 10, 2011 by Jennifer Che

Dan dan mian with hand pulled noodles

If only franchised Chinese food chains in the US were this good.

Yes, Crystal Jade is a well known restaurant group that actually originates out of Singapore. They have multiple locations throughout Asia, including Singapore, China (Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou), Hong Kong, Thailand (Bangkok), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), Korea (Seoul), Indonesia (Jakarta) and Japan (Tokyo). They make everything from sweet bakery items to savory dim sum dishes.

It may seem a bit weird to be visiting a Singaporean chain while in Shanghai. However, many have claimed that this place has some of the best dim sum (both Cantonese and Shanghainese) that Shanghai has to offer. Not wanting to miss out on some of the best food in Shanghai, we came here for our first meal right after hopping off the plane from Xi'An.

There are multiple Crystal Jade locations in Shanghai, but the one at Xin Tian Di was only a few minutes away via cab (which are very inexpensive in China!), located in the same shopping complex as Din Tai Fung.

It's great to be really hungry if you're going to be visiting this place, because you'll have a hard time narrowing down what you want to order! Come with a group of friends, if possible, so you can share a bunch of things!

We were very very impressed with the food here. This is a great place to visit if you want to try a variety of dim sum items, all executed with expert precision, quality, and care. The xiao long baos (soup dumplings) had a nice, thin skin that did not break at all. These were light years better than any dumpling we'd ever had in Boston, and definitely closer in rank to the likes of Din Tai Fung and Jiai Jia Tang Bao. Similarly, the daikon pastries and steamed buns were also delicious.

We also tried this new type of . . . sandwich? . . . that we'd never had before. It reminded me of Peking duck in some ways, but made with pork instead. First, they brought out a plate full of the barbecued pork, cucumbers, and fried tofu crisps? I'm not sure what the last ingredient was. Help! Does anyone know?

The waitress then brought some flat steamed bread that had the consistency of Chinese mantous (steamed bread). She proceeded to construct a "sandwich" for us, placing pieces of pork, cucumber, and crispy tofu skin in between the bread.

The resulting little "pocket" was by far my favorite dish of the evening! I loved the interplay of textures between the soft, warm bread, the layered tofu crisps, the crunchy cucumbers, and the chewy pork. The flavors came together nicely as well, with the sweet and rich pork contrasting nicely with the light and crisp cucumbers. I really could have ordered two of these.

We also got a side dish of tofu noodles, edamame, and mustard greens, which was forgettable. We basically ordered this in a vain attempt to be healthy. I'd skip this unless if you are really feeling guilty about all the rich foods you've been eating!

Another favorite was the wontons in spicy chili sauce (hong you chao shou). I love the spicy kick of the hot oil, and the pork dumplings were juicy and flavorful as well.

Finally, we tried the hand pulled dan dan noodles (pictured up top). These had good texture, although we both decided that we didn't love the thick, sesame-like flavors of the dan dan mian. It's probably a matter of personal preference, but I found it a bit rich and heavy for my tastes.

In general, you really can't go wrong with Crystal Jade. Some claim that it's still not quite as good as the best dim sum in Hong Kong or Singapore, although in the same breath they say that it comes quite close. Having never really done that comparison, I can't comment on that. What I can say is that the dim sum is excellent, probably better than most, if not all, of the dim sum that is available in the US.

Plus, I think "close" to the best dim sum in the world is reason enough to visit, n'est-ce pas?

Highly recommended.

Notes: Apparently this place is very popular and can sometimes be super crowded. Definitely try to make a reservation if you can, or arrive a bit earlier. The menu is written in English (which is helpful!) and the service is excellent. You can easily reach Xin Tian Di by cab or by subway (Xin Tian Di stop on Line 10 or South Hangpi Road on Line 1). Check rail times! Line 10 just opened in April and has limited hours. We learned the hard way that it closes pretty early (like 8 PM or something) and got stuck having to hail a cab from another random station!

Crystal Jade
2/F South Block Xintiandi Ln
123 Xingye Lu
Shanghai, China 200031
上海市卢湾区兴业路123弄

This is part 11 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai.

Other posts in this series:

part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing

part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (handmade dumplings)

part 3: Made in China (Peking duck)

part 4: Noodle Bar (hand pulled noodles)

part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling (handmade dumplings)

part 6: Da Dong (Peking duck)

part 7: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Soup dumplings / xiao long bao)

part 8: Yang's Fry Dumpling (Pan fried steamed buns / shen jian bao)

part 9: Din Tai Fung (dumplings)

part 10: Eating At the World Expo

China: Lost in Translation

Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks

Ding Tai Fung {China}

December 29, 2010 by Jennifer Che

I must sound like a broken record by now. And you must think I’m a bit cuckoo to be visiting seemingly every Din Tai Fung under the sun.

But haven’t I told you the story of how dumplings are the one food I would choose to eat if I could just eat one thing forever? Or how Din Tai Fung is one of my favorite restaurants in the world?

Is it that crazy to try to visit all the Din Tai Fungs in the world?

Don’t answer that.

Ding Tai Fung in Beijing

The first Din Tai Fung we visited on this trip was the one in Beijing. This is, I think, the prettiest Din Tai Fung I have ever visited. It is located at the top floor of the ritzy Shing Kong Place shopping center. Just like every other Din Tai Fung, here you can peer through a glass window to watch the dumpling makers (always all men) churning out perfectly formed little xiao long baos (soup dumplings).

Don't they look like they are in a clean room?

Of course we had to get our favorite staples: the classic pork xiao long bao (58 RMB for 10) and my favorite vegetable pork dumplings. But there were some new and unusual flavors we’d never seen before.

Black truffle and pork soup dumplings? Goose liver dumplings?

Well, we both love truffles and Bryan loves fois gras, so we went with one of each. Hairy crabs were also in season, so we decided to get the famous crab dumplings as well.

My opinions still hold.

Din Tai Fung is still one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Everything was executed perfectly. The black truffle dumplings were to-die-for: a perfect bite of heaven filled with black truffle earthiness and the savory, juicy umami of pork. At 88 RMB ($13 US for 5 pieces), they weren't cheap. In fact, they cost just about 23 times more than the pork dumplings at Jia Jia Tang Bao.

Hairy Crab Dumplings

Bryan enjoyed his goose liver dumplings very much (68 RMB for 5 pieces), and we both though the hairy crab dumplings were better than any other crab dumpling we’d ever had. It’s hard to describe it . . . the crab flavor was just really sweet, rich, and . . . incredibly flavorful.

Perhaps it's because they were in season at the time.

I even told Bryan, “this crab dumpling might replace the pork-vegetable dumpling as my favorite dumpling at Din Tai Fung.”

Pork Vegetable Dumplings (58 RMB for 10)

Ha ha, that was before I tried the black truffle one.

Now I have no idea which one is my favorite, they are all so good!

Mini Pork Xiao Long Bao (78 RMB for 20 pieces)

We also tried the mini-soup pork xiao long baos. Though these are cute and fun, they don’t compare in flavor to the crab, black truffle, or even the pork xiao long baos at Jia Jia Tang Bao.

Stir Fried Pea Shoots (45 RMB)

We also got some non-dumpling dishes, all of which are excellent. In general, I love how stir-fried vegetables at Din Tai Fung are crispy, not over-cooked, and not that greasy at all. Portion sizes are on the small side, but I don’t mind that.

Everything is well executed at this restaurant. If you only had one day in China, I would pick this place just because you can try such a variety of dishes and be pretty confident that they will all be executed very, very well.

Yes, I know it's bit weird to be trying out a Taiwanese chain in China, but I truly do think they still make the best dumplings.

Shanghai
The closest Din Tai Fung to us in Shanghai was the one at Xintiandi, a popular upscale shopping area not too far from People's Square. Din Tai Fung is on the second floor of the indoor mall in the Xintiandi area.

Din Tai Fung in Shanghai

We came here almost every evening after coming back from the World Expo. This location also had the delicious black truffle dumplings, which we gladly ordered. We found the crab dumplings to be very good, but they did not have the same mind-blowing, out-of-this-world flavor compared to those in Beijing. Again, we're not sure why that's the case.

Nevertheless, everything was still excellent and we gladly ate here multiple nights.

Sauteed Morning Glory with Garlic (35 RMB, Hollow heart, Chinese watercress, kong xin tsai)

Don't forget the dessert xiao long baos! We tried both red bean and taro. Bryan preferred the red bean, but I much prefer the taro, which I find a little less sweet. It's the perfect way to finish off a wonderful meal! We also tried the black sesame rice balls, which were good as well.

Red Bean Xiao Long Bao (19 RMB for 5)

Taro Xiao Long Bao (19 RMB for 5)

Black Sesame Rice Ball Soup (30 RMB a bowl)

I clearly love this restaurant and highly recommend it for anyone who is visiting China, Taiwan, or even Los Angeles! I heard they just opened one up in Bellevue, Washington!!! (sooo jealous!!!)

Din Tai Fung (Beijing)
6/F Shin Kong Place, China Central Place
87 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District
Beijing
朝阳区, 建国路87号, 新光天地6楼

Din Tai Fung (Shanghai)
South Block Xintiandi Ln
123 Xingye Lu
House 6 (Huangpi Lu)
Shanghai, China 200031
上海市卢湾区兴业路123弄

This is part 9 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai.

Other posts in this series:

part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing

part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (handmade dumplings)

part 3: Made in China (Peking duck)

part 4: Noodle Bar (hand pulled noodles)

part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling (handmade dumplings)

part 6: Da Dong (Peking duck)

part 7: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Soup dumplings / xiao long bao)

part 8: Yang's Fry Dumpling (Pan fried steamed buns / shen jian bao)

China: Lost in Translation

Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks

Jia Jia Tang Bao {Shanghai, China}

December 27, 2010 by Jennifer Che

Who has the best dumplings in Shanghai?

As you might know, dumplings, especially soup dumplings (xiao long bao), are a Shanghai specialty.

Bryan and I visited Shanghai for the first time this past September. Naturally, we eagerly sought out the best dumpling places in the city.

I soon found out that this is a highly contested issue (at least on English language forums), with the die hard Din Tai Fung fans on one side and loyal Jia Jia Tang Bao supporters on the other side.

Jia Jia Tang Bao fans usually deride Din Tai Fung for its obscenely priced dumplings (especially by China standards) and chi chi westernized atmosphere. Din Tai Fung fans maintain that the dumplings at Din Tai Fung are more sophisticated, better tasting, and overall higher quality.

Anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile will know that I am a HUGE fan of Din Tai Fung, a dumpling shop that originated from Taiwan. When I found out that Jia Jia Tang Bao was only a 10 minute walk from my hotel room, I knew I had to check it out.

Jia Jia Tang Bao is truly your classic hole-in-the-wall (not-so-hidden) gem. It’s small, crowded, and packed with people slurping down piping hot soup dumplings. The décor is spartan, with decades-old formica tables and simple metal chairs.

A middle-aged lady, probably the owner, stands at a tiny counter at the front of the restaurant taking orders. You basically line up outside the restaurant and wait for a spot at the ever-popular place.

The menu is simple, posted on tiny red plastic placards on the wall. If you ask for an English menu, you'll be handed a tattered notebook with the menu items hand-written in ball-point pen.

Thankfully at 8AM there is no wait for a table. The counter lady immediately shuttles us to a table of four already occupied by two other people. I glance briefly at the couple across from us, not sure whether to exchange pleasantries or just to ignore them.

Luckily, a table for two opens up before we receive our food, and she motions for us to move again.

We order two “steamer baskets” of xiao long baos (soup dumplings): regular pork (9 RM / $1.36 USD) and pork & crab (22.5 RMB / $3.40 USD). Because they make your dumplings to order, you have to wait about 10-15 minutes before you get your food.

Meanwhile, you can marvel at the dumpling making action, visible right up front. Four young ladies work in concert, churning out xiao long baos at expert speeds. This fascinating operation involves a carefully orchestrated flow of moving parts: one woman rolls out perfectly formed skins while another painstakingly wraps them, each dumpling receiving its 10 or so characteristic folds.

If the dumpling dough begins running out, another woman starts kneading more dough and cutting out more dough chunks. Meanwhile, people are running back and forth between the steamers and the pile of ever growing dumplings. Throughout, the ladies chat and laugh with each other, making the job actually look fun.

Before we knew it, our steaming dumplings arrived straight from the kitchen. Though you may question the cleanliness of the place, we were pleased to see our tiny sauce plates inside the steamer as well, nicely sanitized from the super hot steam.

And then, the anticipated first bite.

Cue fireworks.

Wow.

People were not kidding when they raved about this place! These dumplings are truly a piece of art. The skins are nice and thin, yet strong enough to hold the soup in place. We easily picked up the dumplings with our chopsticks without breaking a single one. I also loved the smaller size, something that was typical throughout Shanghai. I don't know why the ones on the US are so big and, more often than not, wrapped with a skin that is way to thick AND fragile at the same time.

I absolutely loved the flavor of the pork dumplings. I actually liked them better than the ones at Din Tai Fung, which cost 4-5 (?) times as much. The pork and crab dumplings exploded with a deliciously strong crab flavor. We both agreed that these were better than the more subtle-flavored crab dumplings at Din Tai Fung Shanghai, though they did not beat our ethereal crab dumpling experience at Din Tai Fung Beijing (yes, we went to both multiple times – more on those to come!).

We loved Jia Jia Tang Bao so much, we ended up walking there for breakfast every morning for the rest of our trip. Where else can you have such a transcendent dumpling experience for less than $5 USD?

Highly highly recommended.

So wait, how does it compare to Din Tai Fung?
In some ways, it’s so hard to do a true head to head comparison of these two restaurants because they are so different on so many levels.

When it comes to your pure basic pork flavored xiao long bao, I prefer the flavor of the ones at Jia Jia Tang Bao. As for crab, we had different experiences at the different Din Tai Fungs, so that one is harder to judge. The Jia Jia Tang Bao ones are excellent and sit somewhere between the Beijing ones and the Shanghai ones (more on that later). As for pure dumpling construction skills, Din Tai Fung hands down makes a prettier and more sophisticated dumpling, complete with all those perfect folds in their full glory.

Finally, Din Tai Fung has a much more beautiful ambiance, diverse menu, and full service. Of course, it also costs much much more.

It’s really hard to compare the two head to head. I love the variety of dishes at Din Tai Fung, and some of their more exotic xiao long bao flavors are out of this world (more on THAT later too!).

However, I would never pass up an opportunity to stop by Jia Jai Tang Bao for that real, authentic street experience. You just can’t beat that sometimes.

Jia Jia Tang Bao is located on Huang He street (黄河路) right near People Square (which is where our hotel was located). It is a short walk from the People’s Square subway stop.

Come early. They only make a certain amount per day and will close once they sell out of everything. They have been known to run out as early as 1PM on really good days, though typically they are open until late afternoon/early evening.

As a plus, you can visit Yang’s Fry Dumpling (best shen jian bao I’ve ever had), which is conveniently right across the street.

Jia Jia Tang Bao
90 Huanghe Lu
Shanghai, China
021-63276878

This is part 7 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai.
Other posts in this series:
part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing
part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (Dumplings)
part 3: Made in China (Peking Duck)
part 4: Noodle Bar
part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling
part 6: Da Dong (Peking Duck)
China: Lost in Translation
Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks

Made in China [Grand Hyatt Hotel]

October 22, 2010 by Jennifer Che

This is part 3 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. Other posts in this series include part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing, part 2: Xian'r Lao Man and some other preview posts: China: Lost in Translation, and Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks.

Welcome to one of the most beautiful dining rooms I visited while in Beijing.

Even before we left for China, we had already heard about "Made In China," the elegant Chinese restaurant inside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Beijing. People raved about the Peking duck, conceding that while the prices were high, the quality of the duck was definitely worth it.

After first having a minor taxi snafu where we ended up at the wrong Hyatt and had to pay our driver more than twice [grrrr - he reset the meter], we finally arrived at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Hotel (backpack, sneakers, and all) to get a taste of what the imperial palace would have enjoyed over a century ago.

Just a tiny bit of background first - Peking duck was something that only those in the imperial palace enjoyed. It was not until the late 1800's during the Qing Dynasty that Yang Renquan brought Peking duck to the masses by opening the first Quanjude (now a popular chain in China).

Made In China is a beautiful venue in which to enjoy this Beijing specialty. There are multiple open kitchens, many of which are surrounded by glass. It's fascinating just to watch the chefs expertly prepare handmade buns, dumplings, hot wok dishes, and (of course) duck.

I took the liberty to wander around the restaurant with my big fat camera. 🙂

* * *

In one corner you'll see huge steamers cooking dim sum dishes.

In another corner, you'll find the dumpling guy meticulously rolling out dumpling skins, one by one.

Arguably the best seats in the house face the Peking duck station, complete with a roaring fire inside a massive brick oven.

It's fascinating to watch the chefs prepare the ducks, roast them, and then carve them.

In Beijing, the ritual seems to always be the same. First, they cut off slices of the crispy skin, which you're supposed to eat on its own dipped in sugar. Though it sounds a bit strange, it's surprisingly good.

Then you get slices that have both meat and skin. This is typically the leg meat, and maybe some other parts of the duck. Finally, you get leaner meat without skin, which is usually the breast meat. Of course, they also provide these wonderfully fresh, moist pancakes which you use to make your duck wraps!

Using chopsticks, pick up a few cucumbers / scallions and dip them in the sweet brown sauce (like Hoisin sauce). Add some duck meat and then wrap it up.

Enjoy! Smile while savoring the perfect, heavenly bite. Repeat until the duck is all gone.

At a traditional Peking duck place, they typically saute any remaining meat into a stir fry dish and/or bring out a huge pot of soup. We saw this in Taiwan at (what I still think is) one of the best Peking duck places in the world. Here at this fancier restaurant, they merely brought out a little bamboo cup of soup.

Though tiny, this soup was mind-blowingly good. It had an intense, fragrant "ducky" flavor (for lack of a better word). It had tons of umami, yet was not overbearingly salty at all. I slowly sipped it, deliberately savoring each satisfying taste. I silently wished for more, wondering why they gave me such a puny little cup when most restaurants give you a huge bowl.

As a side note, we actually went back to this restaurant our last day in Beijing (since Bryan decided it was his favorite one). Sadly, the soup the second time around was not as transcendent as the first one. It was still good, but more on par with other places.

Made In China serves a lot of other food aside from Peking duck. Between our two visits there, we tried several. All noodles are homemade (yay!). The za jiang mian (noodles with meat sauce) was very good, as was the tomato and egg noodles. I thought the dry fried green beans were only average (a bit too oily for my tastes), but the tong hao salad was refreshingly interesting. Tong hao is a vegetable that I associate with Chinese hot pots, so it was novel for me to eat it raw.

This spicy stir fried cabbage had the perfect crunchy texture. It was quite spicy, though, and I needed to take breaks from it!

These beautiful "snowflake" pan-fried dumplings had a delicate, intricate "crust" that resembled snowflakes.

This black sesame pancake was interesting, though I think at the end of the day I still prefer scallion pancakes!

Overall, the duck here is one of the best in Beijing. We tried three very reputable duck places in Beijing, and this one was definitely the best. On top of the excellent duck, you have unbeatable ambiance, excellent service, and solid dishes in general. Prices are considered high - a duck costs 198 RMB (close to $30 US). Compare that to a typical duck at a normal place, around 60 RMB ($9 US).

You have to call ahead to reserve a duck (or half duck - $140 RMB). I believe they accept reservations but only up to 6PM. Credit cards are accepted, and they have English menus and English speaking staff.

Made in China
Grant Hyatt Hotel
1 East Chang An Avenue
Beijing, 100738
Tel: +86 10 8518 1234 ext. 3608
Within China: 010-8518-1234 ext. 3608

Myers + Chang (and an unexpected surprise)

August 2, 2010 by Jennifer Che

Totally unsuspecting. Completely oblivious. Little did we know what was actually going on.

Oh little did we know.

We had been invited to a lovely dinner at Myers + Chang hosted by My Blog Spark, a blog network I had recently joined. I was so excited. I have always wanted to try out this Asian restaurant by Joanne Chang (of sticky-bun fame) and her husband, Christopher Myers (founder/owner of various well known restaurants in Boston including Rialto, Great Bay, Radius, and Via Matta).

Joanne and Christopher, who met while working at Rialto back in the late nineties, are an interesting couple. Both studied at Harvard, yet left their original careers to pursue their passions for food. Joanne became a pastry chef, training in several prestigious places before finally opening up Flour Bakery in 2000. Chris has never had formal restaurant training, yet has successfully opened multiple restaurants throughout Boston.

Joanne and Chris felt that Boston really needed a fun, hip Asian restaurant that would serve the foods Joanne grew up eating and have a trendy and stylish atmosphere characteristic of Chris's other restaurants.

Would it deliver?

The decor was definitely very inviting. I loved the Asian accents all over the place, such as the beautiful paper lanterns strung in a line against the wall. The space was big, bright, with lots of light coming from the dragon-decorated windows.

Plus, the bar menu looked interesting. Nice drink choices, great, hip vibe. We were off to a great start.

Bryan and I settled into our cozy table and started off with some drinks. I liked how the dining space was an interesting mix of casual and upscale modern. One the one hand, they kept disposable chopsticks bundled up at the table reminiscent of casual noodle joints and used cut up Chinese newspapers as place mats. On the other hand, the surrounding decor was trendy and modern, and the food selection was definitely creative and unique.

Crispy Spring Rolls - garlic chives, bamboo, shitake mushrooms
We started out with these crispy spring rolls. Instead of the usual cabbage filling, these spring rolls were chock full of garlic chives. I personally loved the abundance of fresh vegetables in this spring roll, and I liked how the garlic chives gave the spring roll a unique flavor.

Mama Chang's Pork and Chive Potstickers
I'm a little biased when it comes to potstickers or dumplings because I prefer dumplings that have quite a bit of vegetables. These potstickers were more reminiscent of your typical dumpling, which is mostly pork with a few bits of chives. The flavors were solid and they were fried perfectly. Of course, no comparion to my favorite dumpling places in the world or the US, but it was still enjoyable and definitely could compete with the best dumplings in Boston.

Wok Roasted Mussels - lemongrass, grilled garlic toast
Bryan though these mussels were really good. The sauce had a beautiful fragrant flavor that tasted great when dipped with bread. I personally thought it was borderline too salty, but again, I tend to think that a lot. Bryan thought it was fine.

Chilled Dan Dan Noodles with Fresh Peanuts and Chili Sambal
This was our least favorite dish out of all the appetizers. The sauce was very thick and rich, yet still managed to taste undersalted and a little bland. The noodle texture was alright, but overall I found the dish to be bit to thick and heavy for my tastes.

And then things started to get weird. After our appetizers, we just sat there and waited a long long time. The waitress came out and apologized using the the ever-so-famous-and-overused phrase, "the kitchen is experiencing some technical difficulties."

Technical difficulties? What kind of machines or tools are they using to cook our food???

She offers us another drink, which we gladly accept.
Shrimp Chips

Another 15-20 minutes go by. The waitress comes back again and apologizes some more.

"Would you like some shrimp chips?"

Sure. We looked anxiously at our watches. It had been well over an hour already. What was wrong?

Then finally . .finally . . the food arrived. Two large bowls, served family style. Sweet & Spicy shrimp and Szechuan-style chicken.

I remember remarking to Bryan, "these dishes are really Americanized." Earlier we had struggled to pick entrees that actually looked appetizing to us. After quickly picking out the appetizers, we had to choose between dishes like General Gau's chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Beef and Broccoli . . . you get the idea.

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp

Szechuan Style Chicken

The Truth Revealed
And then just as we were about to take our first bite they sprung the surprise on us. Guess what? Our main entrees were actually frozen dinners! Could we tell? Did we think it was from Myers + Chang? In fact, it was not! This dinner was actually sponsored by General Mills, who owns the Wang Chai Ferry Brand. We were eating Wang Chai Ferry Frozen Dinners!They had set up this special dinner to see whether people would be able to tell the difference.

The people around us gasped in surprise. Some were amazed, thinking that this food was really good and "they had no idea." Even Bryan remarked, " you couldn't tell that it was frozen."

OK, I guess he's right. And I'll concede that the texture of the noodles were decent. In all honesty, the food didn't taste all that bad. It's not a bad weeknight meal, especially if your other choice is to get greasy Chinese takeout anyway. It definitely tasted healthier than Chinese take-out, and it's probably cheaper and reasonably easy to prepare. Out of the two we tried, I definitely liked the Szechuan-style chicken better. I thought the sweet & spicy shrimp was way too sweet and totally reminded me of that saucy Americanized Chinese food you get at take-out restaurants. The Szechuan-style chicken was better. Like I said earlier, the texture of the noodles was decent, and it was reasonably enjoyable.

Having said all that, these dishes just did not taste like something Myers + Chang would make, which is why I wasn't that surprised. It totally explains why the menu seemed so weird when we got it. I still remember looking at other tables (who had received their main entrees well before we did) and thinking that the food just didn't look that appetizing. It was just too different from the rest of the food at Myers + Chang, which is presented in a much more delicate, artful way.

Chocolate and Cocoa Nib Terrine with Vietnamese Coffee Sauce

"Technical Difficulties"
And why did the kitchen have so much trouble? Turns out that (surprise!) the Myers + Chang staff was not used to cooking frozen dinners in bulk. In fact, MyBlogSpark had to purchase a microwave for the event. Unfortunately, that was not enough to solve all the problems. The commercial stoves were way too hot for your typical frozen dinner. The result? The cooks kept burning the food and having to start over.

Thankfully, they gave us dessert afterwards. These are two desserts off of the regular Myers + Chang menu. Both were fine, though neither really wow-ed me.

Coconut Cream Pie with Lime Whipped Cream

Epilogue
I thought the idea was really clever and it would have been really interesting to see how it would work if executed properly. Unfortunately for us, the experiment was fractured in many ways, starting from the kitchen "technical difficulties" to the fact that they gave away the surprise before we had a chance to really taste and evaluate the food objectively.

I still think the food at Myers + Chang is reasonably solid (everything else except for the entrees are actual dishes at the restaurant). Nothing is mind-blowingly amazing, but the restaurant does achieve what Joanne and Christopher wanted to achieve: a hip, trendy place in the South End that serves good Chinese food at relatively reasonable prices.

I'd be willing to go back and try an actual real meal there!

And the frozen dinners?
Don't worry. Myers + Chang is not serving frozen dinners on a regular basis. This was a one time promotional event sponsored by General Mills and MyBlogSpark.

You can get these frozen dinners (sold under the Wang Chai Ferry brand) at most supermarkets. They have several different types of Americanized Chinese dishes such as orange chicken, kung pao chicken, beef & broccoli, sweet & sour chicken, and shrimp lo mien. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, and everything is included (the rice, the meat, and the veggies). It's cheaper and healthier than ordering Chinese takeout, and it tastes decent.

MyBlogSpark was kind enough to give me five coupons for a free package of Wang Chai Ferry frozen dinner. If you're interested in trying one, just comment below letting me know you would like one. I will mail a coupon to the first five commenters who express interest.

Myers + Chang
1145 Washington St
Boston, MA 02118

Disclaimer: Time to time I receive products, meals, etc. for free. I do not receive any payment for these posts/reviews. The views expressed in the posts are completely my own. This meal, the giveaway coupons, and a $50 gift card to cover the cost of parking and other incidentals, was provided by
MyBlogSpark.

Leaving On a Jet Plane . . .

March 5, 2010 by Jennifer Che

I'm packing for Napa Valley as we speak, and soon I will step onto a plane to San Francisco en route to Yountville (home of all those Thomas Keller restaurants!) to attend the 8th Annual S. Pellegrino "Almost Famous" Chef FINALS Competition in Napa Valley.

I wonder how those chefs are feeling right now? They must be really nervous, and excited at the same time, I'm sure!

I really hope I do the event justice. I hope I'll be able to capture some great moments and also effectively describe the event to you all. 🙂 This is really my first time as a "journalist." Luckily, Bryan is coming with me to help out, and he's bringing an entire bag of camera equipment (yay for husbands who love photography).

I will be tweeting and updating my facebook fan page throughout the day, and will try to update the blog as much as possible, but most likely it will be once a day.

Click here if you want to follow my tweets!

Here's a recap of the events. You can also follow along LIVE on the internet.

Saturday: The Mystery Basket Competition
Each competitor must transform a set of mystery ingredients into a delicious entrée in two hours or less. The winner receives $3,000. This competition will be streamed live here on March 6, 2010 at 2PM EST (11 AM PST).

Sunday: The Signature Dish Competition
Competitors will prepare their signature dishes, with the help of an appointed sous chef, for 200 VIP guests at a gala dinner. The winner receives $3,000. Gala participants will also vote on their favorite chef. This winner will also receive $3000. This competition will be streamed live here on March 7, 2010 at 8pm EST (5PM PST).

Fan Favorite Award.
YOU can get involved! All online viewers can vote to choose one culinary student to receive the Fan Favorite Award. This recipient will also receive $3000.

FINALLY . . . based on the activities of the entire weekend, an over all winner will be crowned. This winner will receive $10,000 along with a coveted one-year paid internship with one of the judges.

I will be staying in Napa Valley one extra day to check out some vineyards and restaurants. Any one have suggestions for favorites? This will be my first time there.

Other stuff
Oh, and guess what? I was attending a concert at Club Passim in Harvard Square earlier this week when I noticed my phone buzzing. When I glanced at the caller ID during the break and noticed that it said YOUNTVILLE, I almost fell out of my chair. I leaped out of my chair and ran outside - yeah, in a T-shirt with the snow falling on me as I desperately tried to call back The French Laundry.

That's right! I scored reservations at the French Laundry!!!!! I've been on the waiting list for a month (since I found out I was going to Napa), and they just called me this week! Woo hoo! I'll totally be sharing that meal with you guys as well.

Stay tuned!

Thank you so much, Foodbuzz and S. Pellegrino for this amazing opportunity.

©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
All Rights Reserved

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: A Culinary Tour of Hot Pots Throughout Asia

December 20, 2009 by Jennifer Che

Oh the weather outside is frightful . . .

We just experienced our first major snowstorm of the season! Snow has been falling outside continuously for the past 15 hours. It’s times like these when I just want to stay indoors and enjoy a nice, warm hot pot with family and friends.

Although I've grown up eating hot pots Taiwanese-style, this past year I had the opportunity to enjoy hot pots from a variety of cultures and venues. Join me as I take you on a culinary tour throughout Asia, exploring various renditions of the hot pot.

What is a hot pot?
Well, most simply, it’s a hot communal pot in the middle of a table filled with a flavored broth. Diners cook their own food by briefly dipping raw ingredients into the hot broth. Ingredients can vary widely, but typically include thinly sliced meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, fish cakes, and the like.

Culinary Tour Stop 1: Sichuan, China
It's hard to pinpoint exactly when the hot pot style of eating first appeared in China, although Chinese scholars have found evidence of people cooking and eating around a boiling pot of broth as far back as the fifth century B.C. However, it was not until the Ming and Qing periods (1368-1911), that the hot pot actually gain popularity. In fact, the imperial court of the Qing dynasty served hot pots both on the emperor's winter menu and also at the feast celebrating the new emperor, Jia Qing in 1796.*

What sets the Sichuan hot pot apart from typical Chinese hot pots is its classic spicy broth. This wonderfully flavorful, numbingly spicy broth gets its characteristic flavors from Sichuan chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. The chilies give the soup a fiery burn, while the peppercorns have an unusual numbing effect on the tongue. The Sichuan hot pot originated from the city of Chongqing, where street peddlers would sell "beef trip hot pot," a hot, spicy soup consisting of chopped up water buffalo innards cooked in a spicy broth filled with chilies and Sichuan peppers. In the 1930's, the hot pot became elevated to restaurant status with the opening of the first hot pot restaurant in Chongqing. It has been popular since.*

Dining Out at a Classic Chinese Hot Pot Chain

Because I can't just hop over to China for this post, I am taking you to the next best thing. Little Q is a well known hot pot chain in China and (lucky for me) migrated over to Boston a few years ago. It is the best example of Sichuan Hot Pot here in Boston. The mala (literally "numbing and spicy") broth is my favorite, and I like to order that one in conjunction with a non-spicy broth in a "ying-yang" pot (pictured above), thus allowing a balance of flavors. Little Q offers a variety of meat, vegetables, and all sorts of other hot pot sides, including exotic ones like tripe, intestines, beef tongue, and pig's blood. It's most fun to visit with a large group, as you will be able to enjoy a much larger variety of things. For more details on Little Q, please check out my previous post on this restaurant here.

Cooking@home

I also recently tried a home-version of the mala broth based on a recipe by Fuchsia Dunlop from her highly regarded book, Land of Plenty. Fuchsia Dunlop was the first foreigner to study Sichuanese cooking at the acclaimed Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu, China. ~~Stay tuned this week as I share~~ Update! Here is the recipe and a photographic tutorial on how to make your own spicy mala broth!

Culinary Tour Stop 2: Tokyo, Japan
The Japanese version of hot pot is called "shabu-shabu" and was invented after WWII in 1952 by Tadakazu Miyake, owner of a restaurant called Suehiro in Osaka, Japan. The story goes something like this. During WWII when Japan occupied Manchuria, Japanese soldiers had the opportunity to try “Syu Wan Yan Row,” a Chinese dish where lamb is eaten with sauces made from sesame seeds or soy sauce. Combining that with the traditional Chinese hot pot, Miyake perfected these ideas to open his first shabu restaurant in 1952. He named this new cuisine "shabu-shabu" because, one day, as he was watching his assistant wash towels in a large basin, he thought the swishing sound of towels in the basin sounded like the sound of raw meat being dipped and "swished" in the broth. His restaurant became so popular that he eventually trademarked the term "shabu-shabu".

Japanese shabu differs from traditional Chinese hot pot in a lot of ways. First, the broth is simple - a light dashi based broth made from kombu (Japanese seaweed). Unlike the Sichuan Hot Pot, which arguably does not need a broth because the soup itself is so flavorful, Japanese shabu-shabu usually comes with a few dipping sauces, such as ponzu, sesame seed sauce, and spicy sauce.

When Bryan and I went to Tokyo this past spring, we decided to treat ourselves to the most decadent shabu-shabu imaginable - Kobe beef shabu-shabu, truly the pinnacle of this once humble dish made with water-buffalo innards on a riverside! After doing some research, we found out that Seryna was the best known shabu-restaurant in Japan.

I must say, that the Kobe beef was incredibly decadent, buttery soft, and utterly delicious. Check out the fine marbling in the picture! It's insanely expensive (the meat is literally $1/gram) but totally worth it - at least once! An interesting difference we found between traditional Chinese hot pot and Japanese hot pot is that the Japanese are pretty meticulous about keeping the broth clear. A waiter would come by periodically and scoop out any stray bits that were floating in our soup. I find this greatly amusing because Chinese people couldn't care less about that. We think that the more stuff that's in there, the better tasting the rich broth!

~~Later on this week I will post a~~ Update! Here is the detailed description of our meal at this most fabulous and decadent shabu-shabu restuarant.

Culinary Tour Stop 3: Taiwan
I have enjoyed hot pots at home for as long as I can remember. In lieu of the traditional turkey dinner during Thanksgiving or the goose served during Christmas, my family has always enjoyed a hot pot. Here I will share with you how my Taiwanese family typically enjoys the hot pot. This past Saturday, as part of Foodbuzz's 24, 24, 24 event, I enjoyed a Taiwanese-style hot pot at my home with 9 other guests.

The Taiwanese version of hot pot involves various forms of thinly sliced meat, fresh seafood, and fresh vegetables.

You can typically buy thinly sliced beef, lamb, and pork at Asian grocery stores. These are perfect for hot pot because they cook quickly. Plus, it's hard to slice meat so thinly at home. Various forms of tofu are also very popular. The deep-fried tofu square are especially popular because they absorb the flavors of the soup very well. Various types of fish-cake type balls (fish balls, beef balls, shrimp balls) are also popular. Chinese fish balls are similar to imitation crab meat, which is also made from a similar type of fish product.

I recently discovered, thanks to my brother-in-law, that sliced filet mignon tastes absolutely fantastic in hot pot! You can pick up filet mignon for about $11/lb at Costco. This was definitely the hit of the night, and my guests could not stop eating it! ~~Later on this week, I will post a~~ Here is the tutorial on how to prepare filet mignon for hot pot!

Hot pot is typically pretty healthy because of the vegetables that you eat. You can use whatever you like. The most classic vegetable used in a hot pot is called "Tong Hao" (a green leafy vegetable, also known as edible chrysanthemum). Other common vegetables include watercress (upper left), enoki mushrooms (upper right), sliced lotus room (lower left - my favorite!), and shitake mushrooms (lower right). Napa cabbage (already in the broth) is also a classic - the sweetness of this vegetable flavors the broth really nicely.

The broth is typically made of a light stock, such as seafood stock or chicken stock. You can heat up chicken stock and just add some aromatic vegetables, like some Shitake mushrooms and napa cabbage, like I did in this case. For a Taiwanese hot pot, the broth flavor does not matter as much because the meat and vegetables added later will continue to flavor the broth.

Also, similar to the Japanese, the Taiwanese use a dipping sauce. The most popular dipping sauce contains a mixture of Satsa (Chinese BBQ Sauce), a raw egg, and soy sauce. The theory is that the boiling hot food from the hot pot will "cook" the egg briefly as you dip it into the sauce, thus preventing any risk of diseases from eating the raw egg. At our dinner party, almost everyone used the raw egg, although typically there are some that are squeamish (like me!) who choose to forgo the egg and cook it separately in the hot pot instead!

Interestingly, one of our guests' family was from Southern Taiwan. He mentioned that his family typically adds peanut butter to this mixture of Satsa, raw egg, and soy sauce. Several of our guests tried this concoction and reported that they liked it very much.

When it's time to eat, everyone can just starting throwing whatever they want into the pot! The hardest part is being famished and waiting for the water to boil again so you can eat!!

At the end of the meal, we add rice vermicelli noodles to the pot and end the evening with a nice bowl of noodle soup. At this point, people are typically stuffed, although it's hard to avoid hunting the pot to see if there are any treasures that were left unearthed!

Trying Your own Hot Pot
If you ever want to try your own hot pot, it's pretty easy. I usually use an electric skillet which I just plug into the wall. It keeps the broth boiling, and is wide and flat enough so that everyone can access the food relatively easily. Furthermore, they are inexpensive and work quite well.

There are also dedicated hot pots that are sold in Asian grocery stores. These are more convenient because the inner part of the pot can be removed for washing. With an electric skillet, you have to make sure that you don't get water on the electric outlet part!

Closing words . .
So our tour has finally come to an end. From a classic Chinese Hot Pot chain in Boston, to a high-end shabu restaurant in Tokyo, and then finally to a Taiwanese hot pot party in my humble home in Cambridge. I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Bon appetit!

*Land of Plenty by Fuschia Dunlop, pages 344-347

Spreading the Blog Love

October 12, 2009 by Jennifer Che

Thank you, The Hungry Dog, for awarding Tiny Urban Kitchen the "One Lovely Blog" Award. This is the first blog award I have ever received! Thank you for your kind words.

This is what Hungry dog, from San Francisco, wrote: "I like the way Jen writes about Boston; it really makes me want to go there."

In the spirit of continually spreading the blog love, I've listed below some blogs I enjoy reading. Here are the rules for the "One Lovely Blog" award:

Link to the person from whom you’ve received the award.
Nominate blogs you really like, preferably ones you have recently discovered
Leave a message on the nominees’ blogs telling them of their award!

Here are some blogs I really enjoy reading:

AnnaTheRed's Bento Factory
Anna is an amazing artist and makes the most intricate bentos for her boyfriend. If you love Japanese anime and Japanese food, you will love Anna's blog. She's was totally my inspiration for my "Kyaraben On Steroids" post.

Wasabi Prime
Denise of Wasabi Prime is an incredible cook, and I am always amazed at how skilled she is at coming up with creative recipes using random stuff in her fridge. She also takes gorgeous photos, and writes great reviews of Seattle restaurants. She's got a great, witty writing style that will really keep you entertained.

Take Thou Food
Sean of Take Thou Food is a 2nd year pharmacy student studying in Atlanta. He offers an interesting perspective of what it's like to live as a student and be a food enthusiast at the same time. He's really impressive! Who else prepares bone marrow at home for himself for his birthday? Or tries Thomas Keller's version of the BLT and writes it Gordon Ramsey style? I love it. His blog offers an interesting mix of Asian home cooking, recipe experiments from famous chefs, and reviews of local restaurants. His tone is funny, friendly, and totally approachable.

Candice Cooks
Candice from Candice Cooks is a Boston local, just like me! I love reading her impressions of the local Boston food scene, especially all her photos of the farmers markets that she visits. Her posts are funny, warm, and personal. I love the little stories that she interweaves into her food posts.

Ravenous Couple: Cooking Up Life
Hong and Kim from Ravenous Couple have an absolutely gorgeous blog complete with amazing pictures and really cool recipes. Their focus is Southeast Asian, which I love because that's an aspect of Asian cooking with which I am not as familiar.

Taste As You Go
Michelle from Taste As You Go has an interesting background. She studied music history in graduate school, currently lives in New York City, and is an avid runner. Her blog highlights interesting restaurants and events around New York City. She also shares about her cooking experiments and she often features guest bloggers. Michelle is an avid tweeter, and her tweets are personal, fun, and interesting to follow.

Just Bento
Maki from Just Bento writes a very informative and comprehensive blog about bento making. I also relied on her blog a lot when working on my Kyaraben On Steroids post. She posts useful tips for bento making, pictures of bentos she makes, countless recipes, and book reviews. This is one the main go-to blogs if you have any questions about bento making.

La Prochaine Fois
Cathy from La Prochaine Fois is originally from Texas but currently is living in France. Her blog has a ton of beautiful photography laid out in a creative, artistic fashion. I really just love scrolling through her photos and admiring the incredible pictures of food, landscapes, tiny details, and people. She finds art in day-to-day life and is able to bring out the beauty in anything she photographs.

The Cooking of Joy
Joy is a witty writer, and she chooses cool and interesting recipes to share. Being Taiwanese, a lot of Joy's recipes have an Asian twist, but by no means do they all. Some interesting things she's made include moffles (mochi waffles), red bean and black sesame ice cream, bulgolgi dumplings, and French macarons. Her photos are really nice and her instructions are detailed, clear, and really helpful! She hasn't posted in awhile, but I really hope she continues to post, because I love reading her blog posts!

Hope you enjoy reading all of these new blogs!

Aoba (Chin Yeh)

May 24, 2009 by Jennifer Che

My mom told me that Aoba ("Chinyeh" in Chinese) was better than Shin Yeh, which everyone on the web seems to rave about. Shin Yeh is a large chain, and recently opened a nice classy outpost on the top of Taipei 101. Since my relatives all said Aoba was better, we went there instead.

The food was definitely solid, but we were not blown away. The 3 cup chicken (pictured above) was tasty, and better than any version we'd ever had in Boston.

The Taiwanese lumpia (pictured below) was interesting, but not that yummy. I think I liked the one I had at a Singapore food stall better.

I loved the rice noodle soup (only $3!). It was tasty with strong umami without being too salty, and it was satisfying to eat.

It reminded Bryan of those rice noodle ramen packages that they sell.

Finally, we ordered the special, sauteed livers. I'm not a fan of liver, so I didn't like it that much. Bryan only thought it was OK.

All in all, it's a nice place to try some traditional Taiwanese food, but if you think your stomach can handle it, you can probably get just as good food on the street for a lot less money.