We eat WEIRD THINGS...its okay, I'm Asian

[yuiyoshida]

<3 love the Fung Brothers <3

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Years ago Joe Chen owned the Mei Lin restaurant...

in Southold, Long Island. best Chinese restaurant I've ever been to outside of Mott St, and he had some nasty looking stuff in bottles hanging on the wall behind the bar.

"What's that?"

"Don't ask. You have to be raised on it or it will kill you."

I had the crispy fish. It was great.

Joe went back home to Taiwan and the Mei Lin is now a pizzeria.

So it goes...

[yuiyoshida]

2. A lot of Restaurants come and go in San Francisco

seems like the Asian restaurants hang around the longest, and I am so glad, the other day I discovered a new Vietnamese restaurant I want to try, I can never get enough Vietnamese food sometimes!

[TreasonousBastard]

3. A restaurant is one of the toughest businesses...

to succeed in. Too many people open one not understanding what it takes to make it a success.

I suspect Asian restaurants last longer partly because they have lower costs and partly because the owners and staff just plain work harder than glassy-eyed Americans who think it will be easy. The places I know of are all open 7 days, 10+ hours and no one complains.

And, Yes, I miss Vietnamese food out here in the sticks.

[snooper2]

6. So the people who start Asian restaurants aren't Americans?

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Don't start.

[yuiyoshida]

9. They are Asian Americans

which is probably what they meant, and they are right, they bust their asses day in and day out to bring great Asian food to the table. I had a wonton soup the other day to die for. I asked there be no pork in it, and they made it with Chicken, just for me, it was awesome! I asked for more to go so I could freeze it and have it for later in the month!

[hifiguy]

134. That looks dee-lish.

[yuiyoshida]

140. It is..having some for dinner tonight

waiting for the delivery guy!

[dembotoz]

15. opening a restaurant is about the fastest way to lose a life savings there is....

failure rate it thru the roof. which is one big reason we have big chains like Mc Donalds and Taco Bell.
the right chain can allow you to own and restaurant AND not go bk

[yuiyoshida]

25. You can't chain Asian food...

even Panda Express is horrid compared to most Real Asian Restaurants and hey, Chinese Restaurants were the first Asian places to open in the midwest and most are still doing well.

[littlewolf]

4. there is a Vietnamese place in Virginia Beach I want to try.

Saigon #1 …
any recommendations … I like pretty much anything,
except Balut. that is a no go for me.

[yuiyoshida]

10. Balut is a Philippine dish and you won't normally find it in a

Vietnamese restaurant. If you like chicken, may I suggest the glass noodles with Chicken or maybe try Pho, which is a soup.

[littlewolf]

17. I understand Balut being Philippine dish .. I was using that as an example

fertilized duck eggs would be a non starter.
glass noodles with chicken sounds good
so does Pho seeing how it is starting to get cold.
when I was in Japan (military) I use to love to go
to the noodle houses at the train stations and eat.
man was it good ….

[yuiyoshida]

20. I always have a hard time choosing between

soba noodles and Udon, which are both equally good. I love Miso soup but it has far too much sodium in it, and I can't eat that as much anymore.

[hifiguy]

58. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING

is more wonderful and satisfying on a cold winter day - or pretty much any other time - than a really good bowl of pho. Best Soup Ever.

[yuiyoshida]

61. MOST ASIAN CULTURES have a great soup!!

crab meat and Corn soup

[hifiguy]

70. I make a killer Hot and Sour

i love to cook, especially Hunan/Sichuan Chinese, but great pho requires making the broth from scratch and that means getting and roasting bones and monitoring the cooking process like a hawk for a couple of hours. The broth is where the magic of great pho is. Too much work and you can't get it out if a can or pre- packaged spice mix.

[pangaia]

76. Sichuan Ah HA !!

Do you know Fuschia Dunlop's books?

[hifiguy]

93. Oh yes! Irene Kuo's out of print

but wonderful "Key to Chinese Cooking" too! And Henry Chung's Hunan cookbook.

[pangaia]

98. Of my 6 trips to China,

I spent 2 weeks in Chengdu..twice !! OHHH Myyyy


I have just started cooking Sichuan...
I have heard about irene Kuo's book

I'll check Henry Chung, although maybe I should stick to one cuisine first. They are quite different and I have not been to Hunan......yet.. :&gt )


Eat well.

[hifiguy]

103. The Kuo book is the Chinese equivalent

of Julia's Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Nothing else like it.

[pangaia]

108. Thanks a bunch.

BTW, I also have a thorens turntable, marantz amp and McIntosh pre-amp... oh .. and 2 Klipschorns.

[littlewolf]

131. LOVE hot and sour … love it …

wife is sick and is losing her voice (teaches 1st grade)
so I will pick up some wonton soup for her tomorrow.

[elljay]

8. San Jose

You need to head to SJ if you want the best VN food. You can start at the malls on Story and Tully (Grand Century, Vietnam Town, Lion Plaza)- lots of restaurants and food courts. Getting hungry thinking about it!

[yuiyoshida]

13. San Francisco has a large Vietnamese population

Last edited Fri Feb 5, 2016, 01:23 PM - Edit history (1)

and there is a Viet Restaurant not more then three blocks from my house. Lots in the area, but I will tell you, we sure could use more Korean BBQ places...I love Chicken skewers with that tangy Korean BBQ sauce!! Its Yummy!

[elljay]

101. It does

But nothing like SJ. I lived on Lower Nob Hill in the 80's when the Tenderloin had thousands of VN, Hmong and Cambodians, but they've largely moves up and out and the restaurants shut. The VN food I've eaten recently in SF is Chinese VN food, which is differently seasoned. If you see any Chinese writing on the signage or menus, it is likely a Chinese VN restaurant. Seriously, try SJ. VN restaurants tend to be specialized and you will find duck restaurants, Hue style, broken rice, excellent vegetarian, dessert shops. SF does have a good Northern restaurant- Turtle Tower.

[yuiyoshida]

122. You know there is a little hanoi in San Francisco

and many Vietnamese live in the Sunset and Richmond district. Where do you think they go to eat? Here's a hint: to quite a few Real Viet Restaurants!

[KamaAina]

151. That's the one I was talking about downthread!

At 6th and Brannan. Apparently there's another one on Larkin in the Tenderloin, closer to yui.

[elljay]

175. There are three now

Another one out in the avenues- glad to see they are doing so well. Northern food is nice- more subtle seasoning than the more common southern style. I don't know of any Hue style restaurants in SF but that is a really different style of VN food, well worth trying if you are in the South Bay or down in Westminster in Orange County.

[KamaAina]

179. True, but the Outer Richmond is halfway to Hanoi.

For most San Franciscans, anyway.

[elljay]

181. There's probably better parking in Hanoi!

[hifiguy]

135. We have a Little Saigon in So. Mpls.

There was a big Vietnamese influx in the late 1970s and thank the FSM for it. You can eat like a king or queen in any of a dozen-plus places for fifteen bucks and barely waddle out of the restaurant. Quang is my favorite.

[yuiyoshida]

141. Awesome..

I hope you get to try Korean BBQ someday, its awesome.

[hifiguy]

145. I was introduced to that by a Korean-American friend

back in the 1990s. I was the only non-Korean in the place. And I really liked the pickled veggies and the homemade kimchi the place served on the side.

When I was in my second year of law school there was a Korean-American guy on my dorm floor. His old-school Korean mom sent him care packages, and when he cracked open her kimchi you could smell it halfway down the hall and he'd pass out samples. Hot pepper, cabbage and garlic - what more do you want? Yum! Being of German heritage I was no stranger to fermented cabbage.

[yuiyoshida]

148. all the little dishes they serve you is called

Last edited Sat Feb 6, 2016, 05:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Banchan. I remember that cause that's VAN TOMIKO's nick name.. and I love her singing!

[bullwinkle428]

11. I live in the suburbs of a city in Iowa, and have a GREAT Vietnamese

restaurant literally around the block from my house. Picked up amazing pho last weekend for dinner!

Immigration rocks!

[yuiyoshida]

42. Immigration not only rocks, it tastes like PHO!

bon appetit!!

[KamaAina]

12. Well, then, come down to San Jose!

We have the largest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam (two of ten city councilmembers are named Nguyen! ), and pho to match. Closer to home, a friend and I found a Hanoi-style place in SoMa at 6th and Brannan.

[yuiyoshida]

16. Isn't it Yummy??

There is a place not more than three blocks from my house, I love Chicken Pho...its yummers!

[KamaAina]

18. I did not get the chicken pho.

Is that a good enough excuse to come all the way up to The City?

[yuiyoshida]

23. well think of lovely chicken broth...than think of pho...

[hifiguy]

136. If there's a Vietnamese grandma behind the front desk/counter

or walking around the place, you will get the Real Deal, foodwise. Nobody messes with grandma and her food in any culture.

[yuiyoshida]

173. I know a few grandmas that use this

Madrass curry powder!

[Odin2005]

119. We have a great Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Fargo.

Their pho is amazing!

*drools*

[yuiyoshida]

121. Its very yummy

Hungry yet?

[Odin2005]

123. Very hungry!

[yuiyoshida]

126. Tonight I am having Wonton soup...

[AgadorSparticus]

178. You're killing me! I LOVE soups. My favorite is a tossup between pho & bun bo hue.

[hifiguy]

133. A friend's roommate once went to China

and brought home a bottle of some kind of rocket fuel called "mao tai" IIRC. "180 proof rice whisky" was all the English on the bottle/crock. Tasted like kerosene and smelled highly explosive. Terrifying, and the first booze that ever scared me.

I did not seek it out when I was in the Hangzhou area back in July '13, but I did discover some very quaffable and dirt-cheap local lagers.

[madokie]

5. I like that

I've never heard of them. I like the music and I absolutely love the Vietnamese people. People I was sent to kill but wound up loving instead. It took me all of a few days to realize what we were doing in that war was as Wrong as WRONG can be.
When I seen the Momma-san throw the towel in the floor then use her feet to clean up the mess my heart melted right on the spot. Yeah I'm not the average Vietnam Vet by anyones imagination. Vietnamese by ethnic group are the most successful immigrants to this country.

Here's a little something for you. If a person sings with perfect pitch they are more likely to be a Vietnamese person.

This is not where I first read this and I don't remember where I first read it, it's been too many years ago. Probably in Discover magazine though as I used to read it like mad

Have a great day yuiyoshida

[KamaAina]

14. You might be surprised how many vets feel the same way

one tipoff is the large number of Amerasian children.

[madokie]

21. My hope is it's most of us

They saved my life on a couple occasions and I will forever be indebted for that but thats no where the main reason I simply love them.

[yuiyoshida]

43. Hey thanks, and as for perfect pitch, Japan has an answer to that....

[Rex]

52. I can almost top that with BabyMetal.

GIMMIE CHOCOLATE!

[yuiyoshida]

54. love BabyMetal

we talked about food, and there is so many great bands and singers coming out of Asia... may have to start a new thread for that alone!

[Rex]

59. Found them around 4am one night on youtube.

Months ago and I still cannot get their insanely catchy music scores out of my head. I think one of their videos has HALF A BILLION views! It is like finding long lost treasure...they are so insanely skilled as musicians it leaves me dazed.

[yuiyoshida]

63. I can never get enough great Asian music

especially my sisters from JinnyOops!

[madokie]

65. Awesome

thanks

[Xyzse]

19. Weird Things, are weird for now.

They will learn to like it one day.

[yuiyoshida]

64. yeah but some things...I will pass on.

[Xyzse]

71. That's an amazing Fish Filet...

WOW...

To tell the truth, the things I pass on tend to be Western food though.

-Rocky Mountain Oysters (Bull Testicles? Yuck.)
-Escargot (Due to my mother, deciding to have a snail farm at some point in my childhood)

Things like that.

[yuiyoshida]

72. Maybe...

I was trying to find a photo of a pork head dish, cause I Know I would never eat it!!

[Xyzse]

73. Been there, done that. :)

Though, I could definitely see where you're coming from.

I will never eat dog or cat.

[yuiyoshida]

120. But Frog is popular in Chinese cuisine

I have had frog, it tastes like chicken. Why eat frog when you can have chicken.

[Xyzse]

180. I've had frog.

Well, as for having frog instead of chicken... Let's say... anti-biotics, and ummm, they are generally free range?
Hehe.

[mainer]

22. The only thing that weirds me out is balut

The idea of those embryonic chicken feathers. Shudder.

But everything else -- yeah, baby!

[yuiyoshida]

26. Its duck actually

if you have ever had Peking Duck, you will know why its a popular Filipino dish!

[mainer]

45. I love Peking Duck. Does balut actually taste like it?

And thanks for explaining it's a duck, not a chicken embryo. Still makes me shudder though!

[yuiyoshida]

48. if you have duck you know

its far different in taste than chicken. In California its illegal to eat duck liver, simply because of the way its processed. But the stuff is like crack ..you can never get enough of it!

[spinbaby]

24. I love weird Asian things!

Except natto. I don't eat natto.

[yuiyoshida]

27. I L O V E Natto...

the best way to eat it is with rice with a runny cooked egg. Omg... I love it!

[mainer]

46. Natto doesn't seem to have much taste to me

just slimy beans with no flavor. I guess if you add stuff to it, it would be OK.

[yuiyoshida]

49. Next time have it with

Rice, egg and a good blend of Soy Sauce, makes a huge difference!

[pangaia]

28. Oh, thanks for this. Makes my day.. !!

for a Hungarian from NY...
ummmmmm....
seeing that grocery store reminds me.. gotta go shopping this weekend..

I've eaten in China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand-- ..back to Japan in May and Singapore and HK.... and will add Korea in August...

chicken feet, pigs blood soup, tripe, pig intestine, yamakake, uni to ika no temaki,


Szechuan place tonight.. the real deal.. or very very close... mapo dofu and... something.... we'll see..

[yuiyoshida]

29. I grew up in a Chinese Neighborhood

so most of the Restaurants were all Cantonese and Mandarin. Now we have Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Singaporean, and Filipino Restaurants all around my neighborhood. I love there is such a huge variety of Asian food to choose from... and as far as Asian shops go, there are a ton of Asian Food places here. Of course the same can be said for Chinatown and Nihonmachi... but I love all the Asian food I can get here!!


Koren BBQ Chicken will make your mouth water!!

[pangaia]

32. Oh , man. kiree desu

I live near Rochester, NY, the cuisine armpit of upstate.

NO good sushi. NO good Thai, well, bearable..
One fairly new Szechuan place that is super, couple of good Pho places ,,,
bummer..
So I go to toronto. :&gt )))

[yuiyoshida]

33. Toronto is cool, been there

But if you want great Asian dishes, than the west coast and San Fran is the place to be!

Especially for great Asian foods Like Nasi Lemak!

[pangaia]

35. I know I know I know. been there SF, LA.. mostly LA, LGB etc

I have some good friends from Bali. oooohhh..

please stop posting all those photos..

[yuiyoshida]

37. how about a little Peking duck??

[pangaia]

75. ooohhh.. yes....

If I knew how to post my photos I would post a couple..

[panader0]

113. Visit the Arts and Humanities group under topics

It'll tell you how to post pictures.

[merrily]

159. Agree on Toronto and it's Asian food.

Of Manhattan, people have often said, "It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there."

My sense of Toronto was, "I bet this is a neat place to live." Then again, I've always lived in cities.

And, yes, the Asian food was to drool for.

[SkyDaddy7]

30. YES! I really would love to visit Japan!

I've watched many of those "Begin Japanology" YouTube shows & the food is something that seems so interesting! I'll try anything!

[yuiyoshida]

34. Why go to Japan to try great Asian food?

Come to The city by the bay!

San Francisco Nihon machi!

[SkyDaddy7]

91. Very true!!

[yuiyoshida]

92. Not to discourage you going to Japan...I would jump there in a heartbeat

But if you are not set up for a major trip, than San Francisco is a great place to come for a decent meal of any kind!

[HassleCat]

31. When my sister in law entered the family

We went to a sushi restaurant and she said, "You guys might not want to order the same thing I'm getting."

[yuiyoshida]

36. Hah!

I can just imagine.. When I was in high school, my Chinese girl friends grabbed me and took me downtown to Chinatown for some authentic tasting dishes...and it was a feast...the food never stopped coming and we ate like pigs that day... Its not something you do every day but it was well worth the experience...trying all kinds of things, like Thousand Year old Eggs, and things I was not sure what they were... it was an amazing day for the taste buds! NO HOT DOGS SERVED HERE, I will tell ya!!

[Odin2005]

124. Heh, when I had sushi for the first time I went all out.

There is a nice sushi joint in downtown Fargo called Wasabi and one of the things I had was octopus nigiri sushi, it was actually prettu good!

[Rex]

38. Look, if people want to eat octopi then that is their right...but while it is still alive and squirm

off the plate? Sorry, I just won't. Make it dead and deep fried so my guilt has a few layers to work through.

[yuiyoshida]

39. HERE YA GO REX, from my favorite sis...SCIENCE BUNNY

[Rex]

40. THAT POOR OCTOPUS!

See! She had to go into mortal combat mode just to get a chance to eat it! When you have to 'fight your food' then it is really too much imo. That poor second octopus...when the pan to the bowl he is just sitting there like...DAMMMM did she just eat Howard?

[yuiyoshida]

41. I don't know if I could do that, if I visited South Korea ...but

You know the old saying, "When in Rome....do as the Romans do.." HEY ROMANS GOT PASTA from CHINA!!

[Rex]

44. True, I say this here at home...but abroad I might do it, because everyone else is.

I know I ate things in South Korea that were of questionable meat content...but the really surprising thing is...it was ALL Delicious! Every Deep Fried I Don't Know What That Is, to just being told it is Bulgogi and not asking anymore questions. I've had dead Octopus and it was very salty and rubbery...leave the alive stuff to people like your friend! I noticed she reached for the Soju pretty darn fast.

[yuiyoshida]

47. well hey even if she didn't eat it...

I have heard SoJu is always the go-to thing to drink in South Korea!

[Rex]

50. Largest selling alcohol in the world! Still one of my favorites.

Jinro soju...but a warning to newbies...it ain't like drinking a few lite beers. This stuff will put you on YOUR ASS.

[yuiyoshida]

51. I found that out about a little greek drink called

Ouzo!

[Rex]

55. Ohhh...I've heard about Ouzo but never had any! That looks good!

Hmmm...better go get something to drink that pic makes my throat feel parched.

[hifiguy]

137. Decent soju is on my booze bucket list.

Worked for a while with a guy who lived in Korea for years during and after his time in the Air Force, then went back after law school to work for Asiana Air. He told me his rather petite Korean wife could drink him under the table because she learned how to drink soju from her two older brothers. And he could hold his liquor pretty damn well.

[yuiyoshida]

142. I have had it once...

I still prefer a milky sake...there is also a warm alcoholic drink served at some Chinese restaurants down town in Chinatown, that is some pretty potentate stuff!

[hifiguy]

53. I'd never heard of the Fung Bros

before you linked them here. They are hysterical. Better than most of what's on the teevee machine for sure.

[yuiyoshida]

56. HIFUY Guy you need to get A BOBALIFE!!

[hifiguy]

60. Will check out when I'm in my laptop

Instead of my phone!

[yuiyoshida]

62. alrighty than!

Last edited Fri Feb 5, 2016, 07:56 PM - Edit history (2)

[hifiguy]

139. That was a hoot. Not a bad tune either.

All those astonishingly gorgeous young women in Fung Bros videos make me wish I was in my long-gone twenties again.

[nadinbrzezinski]

57. Chicken feet (where the hell can I fiind them?) are great to make soup

for example.

And were central in Shtetl cuisine as well. I suspect for the same reason as well.

But serious, the best chicken soup has to have chicken feet... with plenty of scallions.

[yuiyoshida]

66. Nadin you are in San Diego right?

I can't believe you can't find them there! I bet there are some great Asian food stores down there.. If not for sure in Los Angeles county... lots of great Asian food shops there!

[nadinbrzezinski]

68. I am sure they do exist.

the one market near my house has the best fish selection you could find, alas no chicken feet.

[yuiyoshida]

69. lets see...

99 Ranch Market (84) · $$ · Asian Grocery Store
Pan-Asian groceries, bakery items & more
7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd · [phone]
Open until 9:30 PM

Hing Long Oriental Food Market
1 review · Asian Grocery Store
Snug store for Asian groceries
4644 El Cajon Blvd # 104 · [phone]


Zion Market
4.5
(77) · Asian Grocery Store
Korean supermarket with produce & meats
7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd · [phone]
Open until 9:00 PM

Thuan Phat Supermarket
4.0
(15) · Supermarket
Spacious retailer with a wide selection of fresh seafood, produce, meat & Asian groceries.
Linda Vista Health Care Center
6935 Linda Vista Rd
[phone]
Open until 9:00 PM

Mitsuwa Marketplace
4.6
(71) · $$ · Supermarket
Supermarket chain offering a range of Japanese groceries, plus cosmetics, appliances & other goods.
Hawthorne Center
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd
[phone]
Open until 9:00 PM


Nijiya Market
4.5
(23) · $$ · Japanese Grocery Store
Japanese supermarket with vegetables, meat, fish & sushi, dry goods & a bakery.
3860 Convoy St #109
[phone]
Open until 10:00 PM

[nadinbrzezinski]

74. As I said the one near my home, (linda vista)

has the best selection of fish you could ever find. But I went there specifically looking for chicken feet. They had duck (ralphs had it cheaper, I like to make that for thanksgiving, more flavor, two people and two parrots, a turkey is too big) alas no chicken feet.

Zion is not truly asian, but Hallal, though they do have a hell of a spice section. So if you are looking for spices... try them.

(I like to cook, so I have been to some of these places already)

The one on Kearny Mesa is a hoot to visit, and when I could still eat gluten, the yaki soba made on site is to die for. And Ranch 99, have not been there in a while. Hmm, might have to try that one again. (And they do have some restaurants on the side where they have extremely good Chinese, again, cannot have it anymore, soy sauce normally has wheat), but damn, some of that food was to die for.

I suspect that part of the reason for this is... Americans in general really do not want to eat "weird things." So even the stores don't sell these as much, since the second and third generation are americanizing fast.

[yuiyoshida]

79. You may have to go to LA Chinatown then

for sure the markets there have them!

[nadinbrzezinski]

80. I could try the back country

as well.

I find it amazing, since yes, they are central to some cuisines here,

I mean between the Pilipino, Chinsese, Vietnamese and now influx of thai (and Jewish, we are having a resurgence of things like Tongue now)

[yuiyoshida]

82. I just had a thought

In the video they mention the 626 Market
http://www.626nightmarket.com/

[nadinbrzezinski]

83. That might be a cool place to go with a camera

and a recorder, and a press pass

[yuiyoshida]

86. for sure but probably already done

[elljay]

106. Kosher Markets

I don't know where you are in LA, but if near Fairfax or the Valley, some of the kosher markets might have chicken feet. I have found them in kosher markets in NY, Denver, and Florida.

[nadinbrzezinski]

107. way south of you, in San Diego

[elljay]

176. Then Westminster

I actually live in the Bay Area, but always go to Westminster when I'm in SoCal because I love Vietnamese food. I know it is a drive for you, but if you're up in OC anyway, you might check it out. Good chance here will be chicken and duck feet in the markets.

[elljay]

102. Chicken Feet!

I remember the first time I had dim sum, back in the early 80s. They tried to push the chicken feet cart away from me, thinking that a white person wouldn't eat it. I insisted and told them that I grew up eating them in chicken soup. Whenever I travel outside the Bay Area I hit the kosher butcher and look for chicken feet (we have a kosher home, so the local Asian market won't work...)

[yuiyoshida]

117. mmmm

[TreasonousBastard]

160. Any Mexican markets around you? Chicken feet are big around here...

and are in pretty much any supermarket with a big Hispanic trade. I think I even saw them in the Stop&Shop.

[nadinbrzezinski]

162. Yeah you would think so

I might have to go to the local tiendas to see if they have them.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

67. What we eat is what is available locally

The flora and fauna of our home region.

Cooking is the way we apply heat to the above. Plus the spices close at hand to add some variety and flavor.

Durian doesn't grow in Minnesota, shall we say.

My hobby is cooking, and I look like it. You'd expect that I live on chicken fried steak and hamburgers, but my favorite cuisines are Thai and Middle Eastern. I make a mean tom kha and a great babaghanouj. I'm also known for my angel food cake and my paella, though.

And this weekend, my family is hoping that I'll get that batch of runzas done they've been begging me to do.

Yeah, I'm weird. A good cook, but weird. And always looking for something new.

[yuiyoshida]

77. Can't argue with Thai food but don't limit yourself there

Try Japanese, try South Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Singaporean. I found some special dishes that are well known and loved in Taiwan! And...if these kinds of dishes are not available to you where you live, visit San Francisco some time soon and try our ethnic dishes!

I tried Ethiopian cuisine once, amazing stuff!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_cuisine

[Nac Mac Feegle]

110. Oh, I don't limit myself to only Thai

I just have a bit of an attachment to it, since it was my first exposure to an 'exotic' cuisine. Another guy in the apartment when I had my first exposure to 'college' was Thai, so that was my first thing that was different. Now, I'll pretty much eat anything that's dead, and a few things that aren't.

One of the chef instructors in culinary school was the only non-native Certified Master Chinese Chef for quite a while. (He was Korean.)

I'm the only one in my family that like sushi, and I have a friend that has the same problem. Every once in a while we get together, ditch the wives, and go hit a sushi bar.

[yuiyoshida]

112. aww there must be something the wives might like

at a sushi bar... Tempura is one..its delicious!

[jberryhill]

78. Meh... I would say "a wider variety of things" than "weird things"

But it appeared to me that even the locals were amused and entertained by such "I dare you" street food as scorpion, seahorse and starfish on a stick, at the street stalls in Beijing.

[jberryhill]

81. ...and "Asian" is such a broad term

Even ignoring the huge differences between "whats for lunch" in, say Korea or Thailand, even within Japan, each village has its own "local dish" which can be unknown and unheard of outside of a range of 20 miles.

[yuiyoshida]

84. Really! From what I have head about Japan

each area has their own form of miso soup! And kind of Udon... from town to town its totally different. But for those of us stuck on the mainland of the United States we can only eat what our friends provide for us with their restaurants... believe me, its tastes far, far better than eating out of can of chungking (bleh! do they even still make that crap any more???)






YEAH LOVE the stereotypical Chinese guy they use as their company symbol! (not!) You know, not one real Asian person runs ChungKing...and no, its not Cantonese food.

[jberryhill]

87. Have you seen "The Search For General Tso"?

Fantastic movie on the question of "Where did General Tso's Chicken come from?"

The best scene is where they take pictures of General Tso's Chicken to the General Tso homestead museum in the area where he is a local hero, and have people look at the pictures like, "WTF is that?"

http://www.thesearchforgeneraltso.com/

It's a fantastic documentary on the origins of American "Chinese Food".

[yuiyoshida]

89. Saw the movie yes

and we have a few places around here that makes General Tso's chicken, which came from a chef from Taiwan... and it wasn't bad. You know in the US most Chinese could not work for people after the Railroads were built, so they started their own Chinese Restaurants.. which they could start anywhere... most on the West Coast went to the Midwest to start their own Chinese kitchens and Restaurants... it was amazing how many Hong Kong Chinese branched out though out this country, bringing their unique flavors with them!

[hifiguy]

143. Chun King was a Minnesota company back in the day.

It was owned by a guy with the ancient and storied Chinese name of Jeno Paulucci.

I remember that stuff - saw it in grocery stores when I was a wee lad. When I got old enough I demanded real chow mein from David Fong's, which is still open and owned by the third generation of the Fong family in Bloomington MN.

[yuiyoshida]

144. Yeah the can stuff would make you gag...

and Most Chinese I know would never eat it... That reminds me of a funny thing, this guy I met from the Midwest thought that "Rice A Roni" was a Chinese dish, cause he saw it on a MUNI Bus in China town. I had to explain that, no...its not even close to Asian!

[hifiguy]

146. OMG. LOL.

He thought it was CHINESE?

[yuiyoshida]

149. Yeah, he was from Kansas... rural

Thought Rice A Roni was Asian food... I was, um not quite.

[AgingAmerican]

85. My mother in law is from Croatia

SHE eats weird things. She makes this spaghetti like dish, except in lieu of spaghetti noodles, she uses shredded tripe.

I would take a deep fried scorpion on a stick (which I tried in Thailand) any day!

[jberryhill]

88. That sounds really good

There are a lot of good Eastern European tripe dishes.

[yuiyoshida]

90. When I visited Napoli Italy I tried their pizza

well it was nothing like American Pizza, they used a lot boiled tomatoes and olive oil on their dough...and no, no pizza sauce. Squid was a common topping.

[Odin2005]

127. My family comes from Norway...

...and we eat lutefisk (dried cod marinated in lye), blodpolsa (blood sausage) and pickled herring, so I have no right to bitch about strange food!

[hifiguy]

171. Years ago I heard a hysterical story about how lutefisk was supposedly "invented"

by the Irish. The Irish people, suffering endless misery at the hands of Viking invaders, noted that the Norsemen ate a lot of fish. So the enterprising and inventive Irish figured if they poisoned the fish with lye it would kill off said Nordic barbarians. To the surprise and dismay of the Irish, the lye-soaked fish only seemed to make the Norsemen grow bigger and stronger, and they LOVED the stuff.

I think I might have heard this on the old Boone and Erickson show on WCCO radio.

[alarimer]

94. I always wonder why people started eating the things they do.

I look at an oyster, for instance, and wonder who one earth decided there was even anything TO eat inside this rock-looking thing? To say nothing of the slimy contents once they opened it. I love oysters, but I still wonder who was the first human to try it.

Or lobster, shrimp, or any number of sea creatures that don't even look like they should be edible. I guess humans learned by watching animals first. If it didn't kill the birds to eat it, I must be able to eat it too.

And most especially any sort of fermented or preserved fish. Like lutefisk. Fish preserved in lye, which is very caustic and turns it into a sort of fish jello. But I guess in Norway at one time there were few options for preservation. Still, I have to wonder who was the first to eat it and decide it was good, or at least that it wouldn't kill you.

[yuiyoshida]

95. Look at the mushroom...

now imagine it cooked with garlic and butter, than added to pasta with Parmesan cheese! Gosh, I just made myself hungry!!!

[alarimer]

152. Yes, since some mushrooms can kill you and look just like ones that won't

I guess a lot of people died before people figured out which ones were safe.

[Odin2005]

129. I remember reading about paleoanthropologists finding 120,000 year old piles of clamshells...

...at a site in South Africa, so we have been eating shellfish for a LONG time.

[hfojvt]

96. like grits are normal

[yuiyoshida]

97. Not sure why but I suddenly thought of the DIM SUM girl

[hfojvt]

104. no comprendo

at first I thought Dim Sum meant girls who are dim and cannot do sums because all they care about is the way they look.

He seems to be making some inside jokes and I am on the outside.

[yuiyoshida]

105. wow i guess not, no...DIM SUM is a tray of Chinese steamed finger foods...

Next time you visited a Chinese restaurant maybe they will bring you a cart of dim sum to choose from!



Maybe this is why Non Asian people think we eat Weird things...

[hfojvt]

109. being poor and cheap

I usually do not eat out.

When I was a board member, the meetings were held at the New China Inn. First I had some soup, didn't like that. Then I had chow chow chicken. Didn't like that. It wasn't on the menu, but somebody suggested a bowl of rice. I like rice, but sorta thought it was too expensive. Finally I just got that famous Chinese dish - a bottle of Mt. Dew.

The waitress there is pretty amazing though. Remembers everybody's orders. I guess we are very predictable too. I have not been on the board for over a year. If I went to a board meeting though I am quite sure she would look at me and say "Mt. Dew?" They have never offered any dim sum.

They did remember me, though, at the Godfather's pizza in Iowa. I would walk in the door and the guy would say "large, with beef?" I like being able to go to a place and say "give me the usual" but it has been 15 years since I lived in Iowa.

[yuiyoshida]

111. The cool thing about Chinese food is that it IS CHEAP

compared to say, JAPANESE food. Chicken fried rice on a menu I have is $4.50


and no, they won't make you eat them with chopsticks!

[KamaAina]

115. Japanese food in Hawai'i is not as expensive as it is on the mainland

then again, it tends toward Japanese comfort food, like curry or chicken teriyaki or katsu.

[Egnever]

99. Lol that was hilarious

I am much to big a wus to ever try half that stuff but the vid was awesome just the same.

[yuiyoshida]

100. You know eating new food can be an adventure...

True some stuff might be gross, but most stuff is worth tasting once... for example eating
sea urchin, scrapped from a shell and put on to your plate...what an experience!

[panader0]

114. This post made my mouth water!

[yuiyoshida]

116. ii yo! (good!)

Itadakimasu! (thanks for the grub!)

[Odin2005]

118. To East Asians we Northern Europeans drinking milk and eating cheese is weird.

[yuiyoshida]

125. Koreans have had milk for a long time, and in China but it came

from Goats!

[guillaumeb]

128. Lutefisk

Scandinavian dish prepared by soaking dried cod in lye to tenderize it, then skinning, boning, and boiling the fish to a gelatinous consistency.

Fish soaked in lye.

[yuiyoshida]

130. sounds dangerous...

but hey we have FUGU in Japan...

[cemaphonic]

132. This thread is distinctly lacking in the best Asian culinary tradition.

Also, I wish that Malaysian food was more widely known and available. Roti Canai served with potato curry is an amazing appetizer.

[yuiyoshida]

154. up thread I mentioned Nasi Lemak

my favorite Malaysian dish! Malaysian Curry is yummy too!

[Generic Other]

138. No natto

Not now. Not never.

[yuiyoshida]

155. Disagree...

I love Natto over rice, and runny Egg!!

[Generic Other]

161. My mom loves it that way too

Rice with runny egg is very good though. I will have mochi instead of natto however.

[BainsBane]

147. I got in trouble one time

when I commented on something like this my sister-in-law had soaking in the sink.



Now I don't say anything about any Asian food being weird.

[hifiguy]

150. That looks a lot like a dish full of dried mo-er Chinese mushrooms

that have rehydrated and expanded. I'm scared to ask what it is.

[yuiyoshida]

156. HuM BUHGER!!!!!

FLENCH FLY!!!! MILKU SHAKU!!

Yeah my Japanese friends used to make fun of my American food

[merrily]

153. As long as I can get miso soup, tempura and the occasional glass of plum wine, I'm good.

Have you seen http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772925/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiro_Dreams_of_Sushi

I'm guessing someone else has already posted about it, but I am not up for reading all the replies to make sure I'm not being repetitive about this.

Sushi is not my thing, but a dear friend who loves it wanted to see the film. Even though I am not much for sushi, I LOVED the film so much I offered to send my friend to see Jiro. To my relief, my friend refused. (What in hell was I thinking?)

[yuiyoshida]

157. I have seen it... its kinda sad really

but that's all I will say

[merrily]

158. Awww, I'm so sorry I brought it up then.

[parkia00]

163. When I was a student in SF...

I lived off Pho and the many Chinese (Cantonese) deli around Clement and 6th Ave. There were so many varieties. Great value for your money. Half a steam chicken with ginger scallion sauce, a pound of fried rice and half a pound of some other side. My favorite by far was the soy sauce braised large and small intestines that you buy by the coil. They were delicious. There was one particular deli I always went to to get it. They do it just right. Over cook them and they become somewhat rubbery. But that shop cooked theirs to just that point of not under or overcooked. Do them right and they are actually crunchy like a well done Polish sausage.

[FrodosPet]

164. How to Eat Ramen

[yuiyoshida]

165. That's obviously from some comedy ..

very funny! Its almost like applying Zen to eating Ramen...I am sure people laughed a lot while watching this in Japan!!

Reminds me of this...

[FrodosPet]

167. The movie is "Tampopo"

It is hilarious. One of my favorites.

[lancer78]

166. I love Korean food

Could eat kimchi and bulgogi and chop suet (sp) and bimibob (sp) all day. I have even had dried whole squid and fishy soup. Lol, I can say the names but can't spell them. I am not a big fan of japanese except for Sashimi. Oh, and I grew up in Eastern South Dakota, as white as they come

[yuiyoshida]

168. The great thing about living in SF is that you can get all kinds of

Asian food here. Vietnamese food is my latest love but I really enjoyed Malaysian. Of course we have Korean, Japanese and Chinese Restaurants here but there is also Thai, Indian, Indonesian, and of course Burmese food. Cambodian style is similar to Vietnamese. Singaporean is yummy as well! I love that I have a huge choice for eating out (or in, many of them deliver!)

[Snow Leopard]

169. Should be ok to say

Even if you are not Asian. That said I always loved the line Chow yun fat said in The replacement killers "if you want to be Asian you have to eat the nasty stuff". Cracked me up

[yuiyoshida]

170. He's such a great actor...

[hifiguy]

172. LOVED that movie.

And he is one hell of a fine actor.

[yuiyoshida]

174. Five academy awards ain't

shabby!

[Adrahil]

177. This is great....

Every culture has its weird foods. My mom was German, and some of the stuff she liked to eat.... <shudder>

We have an authentic dumpling house that opened near me. They serve some of the usual American "Chinese" food, but their real attraction is serving authentic Chinese food. I've really gotten to know my way around some of the those dishes, though I admit to being squeamish about anything with tripe in it. It's the kind of place that is packed with Chinese students from the local university. They are there for the tastes of home. But My middle-aged Anglo-German-American self still feels very welcome there, and we always enjoy the visit.

[bluedigger]

182. I attended a wedding reception at a Chinese restaurant in the DC suburbs years ago.

The groom's mother was a British "war bride", and the bride was the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, so there was a diverse group of people at the event. The couple began by planning for separate menus for the Eastern and Western crowds, but got frustrated at the complications, and decided on a "traditional" menu. It was pretty awesome, even if some of the food on the table was staring back at me.