Shanghai, China — Prior to living and traveling China, I’d never cooked a whole fish. My mother always bought whole fish then fried, baked, broiled, or boiled it for our family, but much to her dismay, I’ve been the sort who buys the fillet of salmon or halibut to grill on a pan. I’ve just always found the idea quite [...]
Continue Reading →
Beijing, China — Four years ago, I joined a group of 10+ for a dinner at Bei restaurant. The Japanese minimalist chic and maximist price didn’t justify the experience I had so I never returned except for a tofu soup three years later that made me wonder ‘Should I give this place [...]
Continue Reading →
Beijing, China — While ShowShanti collaborator Juling He experienced making and eating sushi for the first time at Hatsune’s ‘Become a Sushi Samurai’ class, I stepped into Beijing’s own Nobu restaurant located nearby on the first floor of the JW Marriott.
With fish flown in from Japan [...]
Continue Reading →
在北京时，来自湖南的美食博主小周曾邀请我参加一场美食艺术秀。记得在那场艺术秀上，几个美食名博把切好的面包片艺术地堆在一起，拍下照片，再上传到自己的博客上。她还告诉过我她很喜欢的菜是腊味合蒸。后来，我来到她的老家，从她父亲-周师傅那里学到了更多他们家人喜欢的家常菜。
Continue Reading →
“While cooking, we don’t measure ingredients. We cook with our heart.“ ~Yáng Hóngyǐng 杨宏影
Chengdu, Sichuan, China — In 2007, a visit to Chengdu with my nephews barely hinted at the flavors and character I had yet to discover three years later. The difference between traveling guided by a Continue Reading →
Méixiàn 梅县, Guangdong, China — I am fascinated by the diaspora of any people. Given the ease of mobility, we find ourselves in every country of the world and even on the moon. The family I met today is Chinese, of the Hakka minority group. They migrated from China to Indonesia and descendants dispersed from there; some moved to the United States while some like my host, Wēn Pó (age 82), “returned” to China. Chinese who have lived abroad and return to live in China are called huáqiáo (华侨).
Continue Reading →
Fóshān, Guǎngdōng, CHINA — After a thrilling market experience , Qiūfán brings me to her apartment. Her apartment is a stark contrast to most homes I’ve visited; complete with a car parking lot, security gate and balconies. Compared to most homes I’ve visited, her apartment is palatial. Qiūfán [...]
Continue Reading →
Gāomíng, CHINA — Leaving Beijing at sub-zero temperatures, I thought surely I could pack for warmer weather in Guǎngdōng; I was wrong. I greet our new friend Xiǎoēn, hoping that despite government provided heating reserved for homes north of the Yangtze, her home might thaw out my toes. On [...]
Continue Reading →
中国，高明——在零下的温度中离开北京，我确信到了广州后我会被温暖的天气包裹，但事实上我错了。在车站见到了来接我们的新朋友小恩，寒暄过后，我 希望虽然政府只给北方地区供暖，但是她家也足够温暖使我冻僵的脚趾舒缓过来。在听了我对馄饨面的情有独钟之后，小恩决定在她们全家都很喜欢的一家小餐馆中 稍作停留，一边给我推荐一种佛山的特色小吃——濑粉。
Continue Reading →
Lijiang, Yunnan, China — After eight hours on a bus from Kūnmíng, we are met at the Lìjiāng bus stop by our smiling host Lǐ Shīfu. He drives us into Old Lìjiāng where we walk through cobblestone passageways to his family-run guest house. [...]
Continue Reading →
Tōngzhōu 通州, CHINA — One of the best things that led me to my Āyí‘s home was her cooking. Āyí, Mandarin for aunt, is my mom away from home. When I’m sick, she cares for me. When she cooks [...]
Continue Reading →
Beijing, China — I’m in the middle of writing about my visit to Lìjiāng. Lunch time hits so I decide to eat some inspiration at a favorite spot, In & Out (一坐一忘丽江主题餐厅). I’ve written about a few dishes from In & [...]
Continue Reading →
