Thursday, March 29, 2012

You Think They Have Good Chinese Food Here?

There was what I can only imagine was a take out menu on the table this afternoon for a Chinese restaurant in town.  Being curious by nature I took a gander at it and decided that it was not Chinese food, more Asian food with variety of menu items from around Asia...so not Chinese food as advertised.  Okay no problem, I would find good Chinese food. 

So what's good Chinese food? For me, it's a warm taibaozi on a cold day with plenty of vegetable and a bit of pork to give it a little more than rice flour sustenance.  For me, it's spicy Sichuan from Pin Chuan and delicious herby ribs from Di Shui Dong or fantastic handmade noodles. 

As ran out for a magazine this evening and on my way to the shop I noticed an awning that celebrated it's "gourmet" Chinese food which to me suggests Din Tai Fung or something fabulous from the Waldorf Astoria on The Bund but my feeling is that it is none of those and probably more like fancy plated street food (which has it's merits after too many Tsingtao's). I have never seen a fab Yunnan or Xinjiang place...never mind a Chinese-Muslim joint that's what we all want on a cold New England evening.

Boston does have a Chinatown but it's not dongbei food it's Canto-food and probably involves ingredients that are not quite what are bellies are looking for and Dim Sum that doesn't offer the quantity of a place like Xibo.

My heart is missing the place I call home despite Boston being my home and I'm left wondering if authentic food will take me back when I need it although the friends I shared memories and meals with will not be sitting at the table with me to laugh about all things hysterical and disgusting from the day passed.  Food may take my brain back to bustling Shanghai but my heart will take longer to re-create home, here.

Let's hope it doesn't take forever.

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