April 12, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 7

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

restaurants

The China Pavilion Remembered

Empty lots often attract the interest of passersby, as does the one on Hudson street in Boston’s Chinatown.  Except for a 2019 project carried out by the Chinese Historical Society of New England and sponsored by the Boston City Archeological Program, its history may have been lost. It had been the site of the famed Ruby Foo’s Den, bordered by the 16 Hudson Street home of the Ginza restaurant. On that exterior wall, still rests a sign advertising the China Pavilion (pictured […]

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 […]

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” […]

Larb at Laos Thai Kitchen restaurant

Food for Thought: authentic Lao and Thai gem in Lowell

While visiting Lowell, we went to the cozy and casual dining spot Laos Thai Kitchen in downtown Lowell. They do take out and have six tables available for dine in service.  We started out with Thai Iced Tea ($3), the classic  black tea drink made with sugar, condensed and evaporated milks. Then came the Beef Jerky  (Lao marinated beef strips, $8.95) a popular snack and food with refrigeration not widely available in Laos. This sweet and savory jerky version came […]

Social Access Equity Fund: a new philanthropic model in Chinatown

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  When tragedy strikes on a large scale, we think of large sources of support. For example when an epic weather event strikes, FEMA responds.  When the Coronavirus pandemic hit, little help was available for Chinatown or was accessible to business owners here. The government was slow to respond and much of the aid available was hard for this immigrant community to access. Language was only part of the problem. Private benefactors and innovative community partners stepped in to fill […]

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 […]

roasted BBQ pork bahn mi

Soall Viet Kitchen: a bright & tasty spot in Beverly

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  Beverly continues to become a compelling culinary destination, and one of my new favorite spots is Soall Viet Kitchen, a Vietnamese restaurant which opened in October 2020. This is actually their second location, the first being the Soall Bistro in Marblehead, which opened in March 2012.  The owners are Sa Nguyen and Mia Lunt, close friends who desired to offer authentic Vietnamese cuisine, to highlight the culinary delights of their homeland. The name Soall is actually a combination of Sa’s mother’s name, Soa, and the first letters […]

Douzo owner Jack Huang on persevering through the pandemic

Boston Chinatown restaurants are some of the worst-hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several places have closed down without knowing if they will reopen again. What many businesses had thought would be a temporary closure a year ago still remains today. Douzo Sushi Owner Jack Huang said, “Asian restaurants actually took a big hit. In general, the hospitality industry has been destroyed.” Despite that, Huang’s business has persevered, and he shared in an interview with Sampan how they managed to […]

China Pearl resturant in Chinatown will face challenges

Restaurants foresee business challenges for Chinese New Year

Restaurants in Chinatown and beyond anticipate that this year’s Chinese New Year will be different from past celebrations. While business owners said they believe people will still find ways to keep the spirit alive, many spaces whose banquets bring in a significant amount of revenue will be cutting back on the festivities. The holiday will mostly be honored at home, owners said. “We haven’t been prepping in the sense that we have in the past, because of COVID and the […]

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 […]

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