April 12, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 7

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

food

Ten Second Noodles restaurant in Chinatown

Slurping south of the clouds: Shi Miaodao Ten Second Noodles comes to Chinatown

Photo courtesy of Ten Second Noodles As Chinatown begins reopening, we’ll visit restaurants who are shaping Chinatown’s future. This is the first installment. In a food-obsessed country, Yunnan is a destination. It is tucked in between enormous mountains, and many rivers flow through it. It’s home to a number of indigenous populations unknown to most Boston diners, possibly even to many people in China. Twenty-four distinct peoples live in Yunnan. The characters for Yunnan include the “South of the Clouds” […]

Tora Ramen croquette

Tora Ramen

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  Tora Ramen 99 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02111 857-233-4860 Last fall while in the pandemic, the team of Kenix Wong and Patrick Zhong who brought Tora Japanese Restaurant to Boston  bravely opened their second Chinatown restaurant called Tora Ramen. This new hole in the wall ramen joint sits on the corner of Harrison Avenue and Kneeland Street. COVID-19 protocols were observed but there was limited dine in seating. For starters we got the Tofu in Goma Shoyu $4 which […]

Noah's Kitchen serves beef noodle soup

Food for Thought: Noah’s Kitchen is a delightful find in Brookline Village for Sichuan Cuisine

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  Noah’s Kitchen 18 Harvard Street Brookline, MA 02445 (617) 383-5848 M-F 11:30-9pm Sa-Sun-12-9pm  Takeout and delivery/ Limited indoor dining and RSVP Noah’s Kitchen, with an emphasis on homey, Chinese, mainly Sichuan cuisine, quietly opened last year in the former ChoBee Hoy Realty space in Brookline Village. The restaurant has a mix of East meets West modern and simple décor.  Their use of thoughtful touches is seen from their table setting to their use of a traditional metal teapot and […]

Aeroporto is part of Chifa cuisine restaurant dish Peruvian Chinese fusion

Peruvian Taste & Chifa: Peruvian/Chinese fusion

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Have you ever tasted Chifa cuisine? In the Greater Boston region, there’s about ten Peruvian restaurants, many with a couple Chifa dishes on their menus, usually Lomo Saltado and Arroz Chaufa. However, Peruvian Taste Restaurant, located in Charlestown and having opened in September 2020, has the most extensive Chifa menu of all, with easily over a dozen dishes available. But what’s Chifa? Around the 1850s, many Cantonese Chinese left China for the U.S. while others traveled to Peru, commonly working on sugar and […]

wok charred beef tenderloin and wok tossed lobster at red8

Red8 introduces seafood on new spring menu

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  Last time Sampan spoke to executive chef Richard Chen at Red8, he shared with us his story and his vision towards food. This time, Chef Chen invited me to Red8 to try some of his new creations, available in their Spring menu.  In our last conversation, Chen mentioned that he prefers to incorporate ingredients based on their seasonal availability. In addition, he noticed that here in Boston, “people love seafood,” and mentioned that he was excited to bring in […]

Dim sum Chinese dumplings sold at blob joint restaurants

Blob Joints: a history of dim sum in the U.S.

The delights of dim sum! Numerous trolley carts of bamboo steamers with bao, dumplings, and other dishes are pushed around the room, and you simply point at the dishes you want. Sometimes you order off a menu, selecting from a long list of intriguing choices. You might have your own favorite dim sum spot in Chinatown, or maybe elsewhere.  When did dim sum first come to the U.S.? What was the first dim sum restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown? Its origins […]

Richard Chen executive chef Red 8

‘East meets West’: Red 8 executive chef Richard Chen’s vision and pride

“They think Chinese restaurants are supposed to be cheap,” said chef Richard Chen. “[It can be] even cheaper than McDonalds. And you get a nutritious meal that takes a lot of time and effort to prepare, and you get a whole entree coming out. I mean, I’d rather eat that everyday than McDonalds. But the point is, they think the price should be very cheap and low.” This is the impression Americans have about “Chinese food.” Alum of the Culinary […]

Jacqueline Church is the owner of Boston Chinatown Tours and a freelance writer

“Lucky at Home”: Lunar New Year 2021

Lunar New Year is typically a time for huge family banquets. Restaurants would see multi-generational tables, lai see or hong bao passed to children, auspicious foods ordered, and lots of laughter. Lots of food.  Like so many other aspects of life during this pandemic, we’re planning more isolated, home-based events. Here are 8 great ideas for making your Lunar New Year as festive and delicious as possible, while staying safe at home. Order takeaway from your favorite spots. All or […]

Chinese duck sauce

A Boston origin of… duck sauce?

If you dine at local Chinese restaurants, you’ve probably been served a container of duck sauce, a versatile sweet and sour sauce that is commonly used for dipping fried foods, from eggrolls to chicken fingers, fried wontons to crab rangoons. It has become such a familiar sauce that you can find it at non-Chinese restaurants too, especially with an order of chicken fingers.  What is the origin of this curious sauce? Theories abound about its origin, most believing it acquired its name […]

crab fried rice

Food for Thought: Mahaniyom (Thai Tapas Bar)

Mahaniyom, which in Thai stands for “beloved” or “very popular,” is a Thai Tapas Bar that opened up this past winter in Brookline Village, in the old El Centro space. Long time Shojo alum Chompon (Boong) Boonnak and Smuch (Top) Saikamthorn, along with Chef Suparerk (Pao) Thampitak and their team, wanted to bring a “taste of home.” They have introduced delicious and homey Thai foods, served along with creative, handcrafted cocktails. This team brings many years of restaurant experience from […]

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