Portland is many things. It is beautiful in summer and it is rainy when not. It is one of America’s – if not the world’s – microbrew capitals. It has made an art form of political correctness in all its glory and much of that which is not glorious. It is … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Tasty Pot makes “stinky” sound tasty
It’s probably a bad idea to be the first to adopt that brand new operating system. Sure, early adopters get that shiny system first—and the invaluable bragging rights that go with it—but the folks waiting for Version x.3 or x.4 are likely to own a more stable system; one that … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Great hotpot at Sister Ma’s Kitchen (or whatever it’s called)
There is an elemental and sensual pleasure in cooking meat tabletop in a bubbling cauldron of broth. And when that broth is of the Sichuan variety there’s a bit of adventure to go along with it. Anthony Bourdain discovered that in the Chengdu episode of his CNN program Parts … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Hot pot’s ‘drier’ cousin at Sizzling Pot King
Hot pot is having its moment. It's a moment that was, perhaps, crowned when Anthony Bourdain sang its praises and wielded it like a weapon in Eric Ripert's direction on the Sichuan episode of Bourdain's Parts Unknown CNN show. But the brothy, dip-it-yourself stuff depicted in … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Inconsistencies plague FuAn Garden
The history of Chinese food in this country is rife with mislabeling. The first "Chinese" food to gain popularity on these shores was "chop suey" which, of course, was never truly Chinese. Next came "Mandarin" cuisine that had little to do with the food actually served in the … [Read more...]