March 15, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 5

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

food

Lard in Chinese cooking

For the love of lard

Generations of cooks, prior to 1960, cooked with lard, which is basically pork fat that has been rendered down to a liquid. It used to be a common ingredient in many households until it was demonized, labeled as unhealthy. Nowadays, it is starting to make a comeback, albeit slowly and more education is still necessary. Science has helped to rehabilitate lard in the United States, having shown that lard contains less saturated fat than butter, and thus, when used in […]

Black pepper lamb chops

Double Chin Brings Double the Flavor

Double Chin, owned by sisters Emily and Gloria Chin, is a staple restaurant located in the heart of Boston’s Chinatown. Happy to see that it was still a thriving business post-Pandemic, I revisited them to check out their extensive menu, which now features new additions for tasting. Double Chin’s kitchen offers modern Hong Kong cuisine with a twist. The generously huge plate of Surf N’ Turf, which goes for $26, was a great Chinese appetizer to start with (popular in […]

Baijiu cocktails

Ganbei! Baijiu Cocktails are Here

As I’ve said often, Baijiu, the famed Chinese spirit, is the Durian fruit of the spirits world —  both having a reputation, primarily with non-Asians, of possessing a foul aroma and taste. However, both are misunderstood, and Baijiu itself comes in a variety of flavor profiles, including plenty which would appeal to almost any American consumer.  It is the most popular spirit in the world, with the top five most valuable spirit brands in the world all being Baijiu distilleries. The sixth spot […]

Truffle crab cream udon

Sounds of udon at Tsurutontan

Tsurutontan is a Japanese udon restaurant chain where the founder opened his first restaurant in Osaka, Japan in 1979. Then, in 1989, the first TsuruTonTan-Noodle Craftsman’s Hospitality restaurant opened up after the founder did extensive research on various styles of udon noodles. Their first international location outside of Japan was opened in 2016 in New York City. Now, they have expanded their locations to include Boston, another Manhattan location, and one in Hawaii. According to their website, the restaurant name […]

Cavendish Game Birds

Balut brings business to Cavendish Game Birds

On a recent journey to southern Vermont, I visited Cavendish Game Birds to tour the facility and learn more about their captivating success story during this pandemic. Cavendish was established in 1988 by Bill Thompson, a chef who initially started raising pheasants, selling them to local restaurants. His brother, Rick, was convinced to join his brother’s endeavor, and in 1998, they purchased a 75-acre farm in Springfield, Vermont.  They started selling other game birds as well, from quail to ducks. Over the […]

Special Bootleg Benedict

Cajun comfort comes to South End: Bootleg Special

High School friends and co-owners Chris Young and Stephen Chan opened their South End eatery Bootleg Special, a southern crawfish joint with a nod to the French Quarter. We went there to check out their dine-in only weekend brunch, available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 2:30pm. Located at the edge of South End by Mass Pike, upon entry you see a large, deep dining room. The setup transports you into a New Orleans-like space with chandeliers and a […]

Chinese restaurants in Cambridge

The first Chinese restaurants in Cambridge

The first Chinese restaurants in Boston’s Chinatown appeared during the 1880s, but when did the first Chinese restaurant appear across the river, in Cambridge? It appears their first Chinese restaurant was not established until June 1902, with the opening of the Harvard Chinese Restaurant. It was located at 527 Massachusetts Avenue, on the second floor of the building, and employed only three people: a Chinese cook and two Chinese waiters. The Cambridge Chronicle, June 28, 1902, noted that it possessed two dining […]

Crepe at Cafe Phinista

Café Phinista review

Owners Yeanie Bach and Phi Pham started out with a dream: to share the beauty of Vietnamese coffee with Boston by doing a few area pop ups, before finding their dream home in Fenway last summer to open Café Phinista. A month earlier they also opened a bánh mì shop, Bánh mì oi, in West Roxbury. At Café Phinista, they only use coffee beans in their Vietnamese Coffee from a farm in Vietnam (they are the world’s second largest grower […]

Underdog Hot Chicken drumstick and wing

Underdog Hot Chicken

Underdog Hot Chicken (first location with another in Fort Lee, New Jersey) is a recent entry in the former Kim Tofu’s space located in Allston to serve hot chicken. They have a simple menu of three kinds of combos: Hot Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders and the 3 wings and 3 drumsticks all come with one side and a drink. They do have a simple array of sides. They take inspiration from the Nashville Hot chicken which gets their spicy heat […]

wakuwaku food

Tradition meets Innovation at WakuWaku Ramen + Saké

A phoenix is rising from the dust of the old Suishaya restaurant in Chinatown. Closing in March due to the pandemic, Suishaya was in many locals’ Chinatown rotation for Korean staples and sushi. Henry Wong, owner of Hong Kong Eatery, took the opportunity to reimagine what this space could be.  The new ramen and sake restaurant is in its “soft opening” phase, giving the manager, Dixon Leung, the opportunity to hire and train staff to run the sleek new concept. […]

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