"What we didn't expect was the response - customers were coming by, messaging us, and sharing stories about what the restaurant meant to them. It made us realize this wasn't just a place to eat - it had become part of people's routines and memories."
Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings is known for its handmade soup dumplings, made in an open kitchen where diners can observe the preparation process. The menu features traditional dim sum and noodle dishes, including Shanghai Siu Mai and pan-fried crispy noodles.
Bones give the broth body, and dark meat adds richness. While white meat chicken, say from the breast of leftover rotisserie chicken, may be easy to add to your soup, it won't give you great depth of flavor like a drumstick would. She prefers to keep the skin on and the bones in as the meat cooks in the soup, noting that any excess fat can be skimmed off prior to serving.
Lately, I've been craving malatang, the individual hot pot restaurant concept with roots in Sichuan, and have thus tried almost every version in the city recently. Growl Growl (which also has a location in Boston) is my favorite so far. The inclusions here are pretty straightforward, but I liked the accouterments the most. The broth options are varied, including "global inspirations" like Japanese sukiyaki broth and Thai tom yum broth.
It is a side dish that has main-character energy. Think about it. You put bacon in ice-cream and it is the bacon that sings. You use candied bacon as a cocktail garnish, and suddenly that is all anyone's talking about. But, while all bacon is great, some bacon is just greater than others. If you disagree, try some Chinese-style bacon called Lap Yuk or La Rou.
Clear counter or table space for everyone to cook together, and be sure to get enough ingredients for each person to eat at least a dozen dumplings. Then, set up your assembly line in a circle: Place a bowl of filling in the middle of every three to five cooks, along with wrappers and a floured sheet tray or plate. (Cooks can chat more easily if they face one another when wrapping dumplings.)
Growing up in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, Tenzin Yeshi loved the buzz of excitement as Losar, the New Year celebration, approached in her Tibetan community. Ms. Yeshi recalls how nomadic traders, clad in heavy wool coats, would start gathering around one of the city's largest stupas, or Buddhist monuments, to sell yak meat. It was one of those little signs that made you know Losar was coming, she said.
Christmas is lovely, but my kids think Chinese new year is by far the best holiday. I might be biased, but, unusually, I am inclined to agree with them. As my eldest puts it, New clothes, cash, booze and food what's not to love? There's the added bonus that cash is absolutely more than acceptable in fact, it's de rigueur, so there's no shopping for mundane socks and smelly candles. Chinese new year is full of rituals and, just as at Christmas, every family has its own, but they are all variations on a theme. Symbolism looms large in Chinese culture, and at new year it centres around messages of prosperity, luck and family.
This spicy wonton soup recipe, developed with Michelle McGlinn, uses just five ingredients you likely have lying around already, especially if you frequently make Asian-inspired cuisines. Inspired by the spicy, silky wontons at Chinese dim sum restaurants, this soup is the perfect combination of fiery heat and meaty savoriness, complete with crunchy green scallions. A warming soup that is even better (and cheaper) than takeout, this wonton soup makes even the busiest weeknights feel like a breeze.
Stir-frying is all about wok hei, or wok's air' in English, which you can think of as the height of fire', or the level of heat. It's said that Chinese cooks have good wok hei if they have a true understanding of the heat of their wok and how to handle it in all situations, and a stir-fry's success is based on the quality of the cook's wok hei.
The smell hits you before you even open the door. That rich, warm aroma of garlic and herbs mixing with something deeper, something that makes your stomach growl even if you just ate lunch. It's the same smell that filled our house every single Sunday growing up, and now, years later, it still has the power to bring us all back to my mother's kitchen table.
Flushing doesn't need another restaurant to prove it's a food destination-but it just got one anyway. Nong Geng Ji, a Hunan cuisine group that built its name in China, will open its first New York City location in Queens on January 18, bringing unique countryside-rooted flavors to 37th Avenue. Founded in 2017, the brand has quickly expanded to more than 100 directly operated restaurants across China, Southeast Asia and Canada.
Steamed fish makes for a light and bright dinner that can be prepared in 30 minutes. This recipe takes inspiration from Cantonese-style steamed fish (which is often prepared whole) and is garnished with ginger and scallions. It's a clean preparation that highlights the delicate flavor of the fish without overpowering it. Thick halibut fillets replace the whole fish in this recipe and stand up beautifully to the steaming process.
