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

February 5, 2021 0

“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 […]

February 5, 2021 0

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

by Carey Lin

“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 […]

February 5, 2021 0

Sampan Interview with Iron Chef Morimoto: Asian Hall of Fame 2020 Inductee

by Carey Lin

1. How did you decide on becoming a chef? (I learned about your baseball injury. You could have done anything in the world, but why a chef?) When I was growing up, I wanted to either be a professional baseball player or a sushi chef. When I injured my shoulder early on in my baseball career, I turned to sushi, which was always a very special food memory early in my life. I trained in the art of being a […]

China Pearl resturant in Chinatown will face challenges

February 5, 2021 0

Restaurants foresee business challenges for Chinese New Year

by Shira Laucharoen

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 […]

January 22, 2021 0

A Boston origin of… duck sauce?

by Richard Auffrey

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 […]

Councilor Ed Flynn addresses concerns in Boston Public Schools panel

January 22, 2021 0

BPS Panel on concerns of the AAPI community

by Mandy Sun

Councilor Ed Flynn hosted a panel discussion with Superintendent Brenda Cassellius to address the concerns with the immigrant Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in regards to Boston Public Schools (BPS). This discussion provided a long-awaited platform for AAPI educators to express their concerns while sharing their vision for an inclusive and anti-racist education structure. Given the Boston AAPI community’s long history of being silenced and unheard within the system, Ed Flynn, District 2 councilor, reasserted that, “our Asian community […]

A purple train, like the commuter rail trains that will experience MBTA service cuts

January 22, 2021 0

First of MBTA service cuts, reduced weekend train service, to start Jan. 23

by Christine Mui

Weekend train service will be slashed for all but five commuter rail lines as part of the first MBTA service cuts to go into effect next week. Beginning Jan. 23, the commuter rail will only offer weekend service on the Newburyport/Rockport, Framingham/Worcester, Fairmount, Providence, and Middleborough lines. Trains will be added to the Middleborough, Fairmount, and Newburyport/Rockport lines to fill in previous service gaps and maintain more consistent train intervals. The service cuts were approved last month by the MBTA’s […]

Ralliers came together outside the JFK building to protest against deportations

January 22, 2021 0

Advocates respond to potential ban on work permits for immigrants under Orders of Supervision

by Shira Laucharoen

The Trump administration proposed a new potential rule on November 17 to ban work permits and limit jobs for people who are under Orders of Supervision (OSUP). To be classified as being under OSUP means that a person has been ordered to be deported but is not physically able to return to their country of origin. The rule has not yet gone into practice, but local organizations and groups across the Northeast have united to challenge the ban. Before it […]

January 6 rioters at Capitol building incited by Donald Trump

January 22, 2021 0

From Capitol violence to impeachment: Trump’s final days in office

by Carey Lin

Note: This article was written before Wednesday, January 20, 2021, inauguration day of President Joe Biden. Updates to this article may be made and can be found on sampan.org. (Print) Note: This article was originally written before January 20, 2021, inauguration day of President Joe Biden. It has since been updated (see below) to include the latest events up until our scheduled publishing date, January 22, 2021. (Online) On Jan. 6, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building and disrupted the […]

January 8, 2021 0

Food for Thought: Mahaniyom (Thai Tapas Bar)

by Anna Ing

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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