In a cab in London years ago, we were heading to Jamie Oliver’s restaurant for dinner. My ever charming husband struck up a conversation with the cabdriver about how excited we were to be eating there. The “cabbie” made it clear that he wasn’t a fan of Jamie Oliver and when asked for recommendations for his thoughts on the best food in London, he told us that his favorite food was Chinese. Believing that cabdrivers know best, we cancelled our dinner reservations and headed to Chinatown. The restaurant was tiny, its storefront on a narrow, cobblestone road. The decor was typical with bright, vivid colors dominating the color scheme, red dragons and lanterns festooning the ceiling, scrolls and super sized lucky charms on the walls. The Fortune Cat or “Maneki Neko” with its waving paw was placed at the cash register area to attract good fortune and luck to the owners. It turned out that the cabdriver was right, this was definitely the best Chinese food ever, especially the Turnip Cakes.
Turnip Cakes “Lo Bak Go” are traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year when superstitions abound. Turnip cakes actually contain radishes not turnips but they are considered good luck to eat during the New Year. Luckily, turnip cakes are found at dim sum restaurants all year round. You won’t be disappointed If you find turnip cakes on the menu.
At the start of the twentieth century, the first area in London known as Chinatown was located in the East End. The Chinese population concentrated in that area setting up businesses to cater to the Chinese sailors. The area was damaged by aerial bombing during the Blitz in the Second World War. The present Chinatown off Shaftesbury Avenue was established in the 1970’s.
My beloved aunt, Rosemary, a New Yorker, having jury duty for a month, spent her lunch break sampling most of the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown in Manhattan. Chinatown is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan that is home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, it is also one of the oldest Chinese ethnic enclaves. Doyers Street, a one block stretch in Chinatown, established in the 1870’s, is one of the most historically rich streets in New York City.
On one of our visits to New York City, we spent an afternoon at my Aunt’s number one restaurant choice, eating dim sum. Looking around the restaurant, we noticed that our fellow diners weren’t tourists but Chinese businessmen and families, always a good sign that the food will be extraordinary. We were familiar with many of the bite-sized delights (dim sum translates to “touch of the heart”) but “threw caution to the wind” and sampled many unknown dumplings and buns. Our favorites, of course were the steamed pork buns, “Bao Buns”.
Chinatown in San Francisco is the oldest in North America, founded in 1849 during the Gold Rush. It became a safe haven to the first 300 Chinese immigrants who were welcomed by San Francisco’s first mayor, Mayor John Geary. The neighborhood was named “Chinatown” by the press. By 1870, there were 2,000 Chinese laundries in Chinatown. My husband, Matt and I spent an afternoon in Chinatown when visiting his Mom years ago. After passing under the iconic Dragon’s gate, we walked down a bustling maze of streets and alleys brimming with dim sum and traditional food. We really enjoyed the herbalist shops, bakeries, and the ornate temples. We bought a beautiful bamboo wind chime that we placed on our backyard Crepe Myrtle tree. That wind chime with its, mild clacking hung in that tree for twenty years, losing its reeds one at a time.
Chinatown’s location isn’t an accident, near Honolulu’s busy trading port, shops were established by Chinese sugar cane workers who had fulfilled their contracts. Chinatown is adjacent to downtown Honolulu’s business district with a rich history and multicultural heritage.
My daughter, Jenny’s Kindergarten class visited Chinatown just before the Chinese New Year when we were living in Hawaii. The field trip was one of the most memorable that I’ve ever been on. When walking down the street we stopped at a fresh food market, the children were fascinated and appalled at the row of pigs’ heads holding a prominent place in the display window. We learned that the pig’s head (Lechon Ulo) is actually a delicacy that when roasted, its meat is very tender and the skin is a crispy treat. There were many giggles from the kids when our tour guide told us that the pig’s head must be shaved before cooking. Whole steamed fish symbolizes prosperity, long noodles represent long life, sweet rice balls signify family reunion, and chicken for good luck, all foods that are eaten during the Lunar New Year. Dumplings, everyone’s favorite, are considered “pockets of prosperity.”
We learned the significance of the ornate arch at the entrance to most Chinatowns. A Paifang or Pailou is a traditional style of Chinese architecture often used in gateway structures. The arch serves as a symbolic gateway, representing the entrance to the community. The archway may be built to commemorate a sister city relationship between a Chinese city and the city where Chinatown is located.
The herbalist’s shop was my favorite with its earthy aroma, as if we had walked into a forest of dehydrated trees. Along every wall were tiny drawers and neatly arranged shelves of jars, all labeled in red script. With over 4,000 remedies available, I regret not taking the fifteen minutes to visit the Acupuncturist on site to have a special tea made.
After our tour, which included a small parade with a dragon, we enjoyed a snack of almond cookies which symbolize coins and bring good luck.
Honolulu was a great place for Chinese food, clay roasted duck, dim sum, whole fish, and noodles were always available and cooked to perfection. Looking back, I realize how lucky I have been to enjoy such amazing food in so many great cities.
Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year.
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