Features

April 12, 2022 0

The Air That We Breathe: Testimonies From the Frontlines of Chinatown’s Air Pollution Battle

Chinatown continues to be one of Boston’s more vibrant communities. However, behind that curtain, the residents, workers, and businesses breathe the dirtiest air in Massachusetts. Joan didn’t know that Chinatown had the dirtiest air in Massachusetts when she moved here eight years ago. But when her two twin girls were diagnosed with asthma two years ago, she was shocked. She couldn’t understand why. No one in her own family had asthma and no one smoked at home. Then her children’s […]

April 12, 2022 0

Haruki Murakami’s “Drive My Car”- a road trip through the stages of grief

by Christopher John Stephens

The film version of Murakami’s 2020 short story “Drive My Car” is a three hour meditation on grief, forgiveness, and redemption. A stage actor and director named Yusuke Kafuku travels from Tokyo to Horshima to mount a performance of the Anton Chekhov play Uncle Vanya. As written by Murakami and interpreted for film by director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kafuku comes off as stubborn, stoic, hiding his true self. Kafuku is a prototypical Murakami make. He curates a classical music collection on […]

April 12, 2022 0

Origins Of The St. Paul Sandwich: A Missouri Invention?

by Richard Auffrey

“The St. Paul Sandwich — comprising an egg foo young patty, slice of tomato, pickle and iceberg lettuce sandwiched between two slices of mayonnaise-laden white bread..”—Riverfront Times, November 15, 2006 If you’ve visited Chinese-American restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri, or some other Missouri cities, you might’ve eaten a St. Paul Sandwich. The origins of this sandwich are murky, but the most commonly shared legend is that it was invented by Steven Yuen at Park Chop Suey in St. Louis, possibly in the 1970s. It’s […]

April 12, 2022 0

Check Out CGK!

by AdenM

There are times in this life when your craving for a burger and fries goes beyond the usual fare; when raw, guttural primal instinct leads you to seek out food that is big, indulgent, and fun to an almost ostentatious degree. For those times, there is CGK (Crazy Good Kitchen). Boasting titanic-sized sandwiches that assertively and deliciously demand your attention, shakes, topping-heavy fries, and even acai bowls, CGK recently opened its second location on Newbury St., expanding from its original […]

December 17, 2021 0

Omicron Variant Updates

by Sampan Staff

According to the CDC’s Omicron tracker, the variant has so far caused infections in 23 states, including Massachusetts. The quick emergence has health officials urging residents yet again to get fully vaccinated.

December 17, 2021 0

“Chosen Family” Speaks on Identity

by Moninisha Yadav

“I really want this story to find anyone who’s never felt ‘enough’ of something,” said Pelletier, “or anyone who had a kind of weird time growing up, figuring out who they are in different contexts, and having to look for the context they feel the most comfortable in.”

Advertisement from Los Angeles Evening Citizen, December 10, 1949

December 17, 2021 0

The Origins of the Chinese Buffet

by Richard Auffrey

At least as early as 1837, you could find all-you-can-eat dinners, which were, initially, primarily for American cuisine. During the latter part of the 19th century, the “smörgåsbord” made its appearance.

December 17, 2021 0

Beef, Seafood and Donuts ⁠— Oh My!

by Anna Ing

Time Out started in 1968 as a magazine in London to expand and share cultural and culinary events in 358 cities across 58 countries around the world.

December 3, 2021 0

Japanese Favorites at Futago

by Anna Ing

I was happy to see Futago restaurant (Japanese for “twins”) still open during a recent lunch time visit. Its owners also run the izakaya and soba house, Sugidama. They have been dishing up solid udon dishes at Futago since opening almost three years ago. The open and minimally decorated dining space has two beautiful paintings featuring steaming udon bowls ready to be enjoyed by a hovering hand with chopsticks. I started with a favorite, takoyaki, a dish of grilled octopus […]

December 3, 2021 0

The Origins of the PuPu Platter

by Richard Auffrey

In an advertisement in the Boston Globe, October 14, 1982, Bob Lee’s restaurant, Islander, posted the claim, “We invented The Pupu Platter.” Did they invent it? If not, what is the truth behind the origins of the Pu-Pu Platter? There is no question that the term “Pu-Pu” derives from the Hawaiian word, “pū-pū”, which refers to “appetizers.” Originally, pū-pū only referred to shellfish, but was eventually expanded to include a variety of other foods as well. During the 1950s, a number of Hawaiian newspapers mentioned pu-pu. The Honolulu […]

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