Do you know about the ChinDian Cafe? The Asian fusion cafe at 1500 E. Hennepin is owned by the husband and wife team of Thomas Gnanapragasam and Nina Wong. Thomas is an ethnic Tamil who grew up in Malaysia, while Nina is ethnically Chinese but grew up in Vietnam, so their menu is a rich blend of Asian flavors, ranging from Vietnamese spring rolls and Indian hot and sour soup to … [Read more...]
Happy Year of the Monkey! Celebrate with a Chinese banquet.
Gong Hay Fat Choy! Happy Year of the Monkey! Local Asian restaurants are featuring special menus, lion dancers and more. Here's my list - let me know if you know of others: Tonight only, Rainbow Chinese Restaurant's chef Tammy Wong is partnering with Jeremy Pryes of Pryes Brewing to offer creative Chinese dishes paired with selections of sake, wine and beers. Sample fare … [Read more...]
Keefer Court Bakery & Cafe in Minneapolis: What the mahjong ladies order
I try to be discreet about it, but I have this really bad habit of wandering around in Chinese restaurants to see what the other diners are eating—especially if the other diners are Chinese. I always have this suspicion that I am missing out, and that the Chinese customers know about dishes on the menu that I don't know about—or dishes that aren't even on the … [Read more...]
Super Moon: the mother of all Chinese buffets
It was a major oversight. When Carol and I were drafting our wedding vows, I didn't think to insert a clause about Chinese buffets. As a result, Carol steadfastly refuses to accompany me on my all-you-can-eat expeditions, and there is not much I can do about it. The evolution of the Chinese buffet is a fascinating restaurant industry phenomenon. First came the basic … [Read more...]