It was time to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and 2014 was the Year of the Rat. I picked up my 15-year-old son Colin from Herndon, VA, and drove him straight to Chinatown. Parking was a premium, but we were lucky to find a spot in front of the St Patrick’s Catholic Church, the giant bell announcing the hour of noon. A stone’s throw away, the red lantern fireworks dazzled on H Street along with confetti canons and poppers.
On this special holiday, we could stroll directly under the Friendship Archway and admire the golden color of the tile roof and the golden dragons prancing. Completed on November 20th, 1986, the monument is meant to celebrate the friendship between D.C. and Beijing, as well as reinforce the neighborhood’s Chinese character
There were no street vendors hawking steamed buns or peddling knock-off Gucci bags. On the corner of H and 6th, a front window is lined with light bulbs like a Hollywood vanity mirror. Passerby gawk while an esteemed noodle master stuffed dumplings and hand pulled noodles from scratch just like they did centuries ago.
Having skipped breakfast, my stomach rumbled with hunger pangs, so Colin suggested we visit Ming’s next to Tony Cheng’s, the mainstay of Chinatown. Tony Cheng has ties to local officials and has served as an ambassador between the government and the city’s Asian American community. He once was invited to prepare a Chinese banquet for President Jimmy Carter in the White House and is a longtime booster of the neighborhood.
Ming’s which opened a couple of years back has co-existed under the shadows of Tony Cheng. While Cheng offers a wide selection of AYCE Mongolian BBQ, Ming’s has focused on smaller, exotic dishes focusing on Szechaun sauces and sauté.
As we entered the ornate restaurant with traditional wood carvings, we were lucky to secure a seat by the window as thousands of people were crammed tightly along the sidewalk.
We watched in awe as the parade of floats came to life along with high school bands, dancing dragons, and of course, the omnipresent politicians waving election signs and Taiwanese flags.
“Yeah, this is a political event thinly veiled as a festive parade,” said a patron who was seated at a table across from us. “There’s not much of Chinese culture in Chinatown anymore. Our beloved village has turned into a lifeless tourist trap.”
“Chinese businesses are closing up shop, and we’re left with a bunch of chain restaurants and Irish pubs that have meaningless signs written in Chinese,” his wife added. “There’s no authenticity — it’s like Chinatown in Disneyland.”
“Good point,” I added. “Every Chinese restaurant here is something to appreciate and treasure before they slowly die off.
“We love Chinese food, but It’s challenging to order here sometimes, the husband said. “There’s no pictures in the menu and no website to guide us.”
“No worries,” their server Emily reassured. “If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.” But on this hectic holiday, Emily was busier than a cocktail waitress at Mardi Gras and had no time to explain each fancy dish in excruciating detail.
The proprietor, Michelle Tam then swung by our table. “We have a lot of regular customers who order the same thing every time, which makes it easy for us. And then we have the late night crowd who can get rowdy and are happy to order drinks when most bars have closed their doors.”
“I guess when they’re liquored up, they aren’t too picky,” I said.
Colin and I ordered the chicken Lo Mein, scallop fried rice, and the congee with minced pork and century-old egg. Well, the hatching is not exactly as old as the hills. It’s actually a duck egg that has been submerged in a mixture of water, salt, coal, and calcium oxide for 100 days. The yolk turns dark green to gray and tastes rich like mature cheese. The combination provides it with a strong, flavorful, silky taste.
After our meal, I asked Michelle if we could chat for a few minutes.
“Yes, after the parade and festivities are over. Right now I’m swamped.”
I knew Colin was eager to get home and cheer for the Seahawks over the Broncos in the Super Bowl, so I drove him home and handed him his traditional red Ang-Pau envelope with a crisp $100 bill inside.
“Kung Hei Fat Choy. Hope the Year of the Dragon will bring you success in your studies.”
When I returned to Chinatown, I glanced over at the ubiquitous shops that attracted tourists but still catered to the ethnic Chinese enclave. I couldn’t help but think about the old men sitting in Full Kee Restaurant, drinking hot tea and playing mahjong as if this was just another day in Chinatown.
I arrived at Ming’s just in time to see Nian, the Dragon, and drummers dancing and sparring, wishing the proprietor, peace, a good harvest, and bountiful prosperity.
I was glad that the crowds had finally departed, and Michelle was able to take time to chat.
“Michelle, I just adore your cooking, but I heard that customers are confused by the names.”
“Really, gimme an example.”
“Well, what in the world is sea cucumber intestine with XO sauce, pork intestine w/ sour cabbage or braised pork balls in gravy?”
“Yeah Chinese dish names can be quite mysterious sometimes. But you know, I’ve got over 50 entree dishes and a ton of appetizers.”
“What do you say, I photograph all your major dishes and post them on our site, so people can choose their favorite ingredients, spices and taste preferences and save them on their food profile?”
“You’re welcome to take pictures, but it’s too expensive for us to prepare the dishes just so you can photograph them. You would have to eat it — all of it.”
The following week, I contacted my event wrangler friend, Jackie Woodbury.
“Bookalokal will be launching in D.C. this spring, and I’ll be the D.C. Coordinator. Let’s wait until then and host an event together,” she said.
So in May 2014, we planned a dinner party for the following week and invited a dozen of our friends. Each person would pay $25, and Michelle would serve all her favorite dishes for us to photograph before we served them to the party. Michelle also allowed us to purchase two cases of Tsing Tao beer at wholesale as long as we promised to not leave any remaining.
The guest list included Evelyn White, the CEO and founder of Bookalokal, Kanita Williams, my attorney roommate, John Tinpe restauranteur and activist who spurred the whole idea at Burma, Jason Morenz, the roving photographer, Orlando, my running buddy, and trainer, Jeff Tong who coached me at Startup Weekend Baltimore, Sarah Berghoff, an ER physician, Joey Garcia, a critical care physician, Khoi Tran an Air Force officer and food connoisseur, Rim Rivera, a defense contractor, and Kim “dancing queen”, an artist and marketing consultant.
“Chito, love how you turned this marketing event into a personal night out with friends, just like we did with Burma,” John said.
“Well, thanks for sparking the idea. How are things with Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs?”
“Everything is going well. Marion Barry (former Mayor and current Councilmember) hasn’t embarrassed himself lately, knock on wood.”
“Perfect, so what do you think of the cuisine here?” I asked
“Wonderful. Burmese food has deep roots in Chinese cooking, ” John replied.
“Delicious Szechuan cooking. Great presentation. Too bad more Chinese restaurants don’t get Michelin stars,” Khoi added.
By day, Khoi Tran works for the government, but by night and on weekends, he is either eating food, thinking about it, or planning his next culinary trip, even if he has to cross state lines (or international borders). From roadside stalls to fine dining, Khoi is open to trying new things as long as there are people to meet and share a meal with.
“The Foodie Docs approve – compliments to the chef,” Joey added as Sarah nodded in affirmation.
“Filipinos have always had a preference for Chinese cuisine,” Rim Rivera said. “It’s been part of our culture for hundreds of years.”
“Dunno about you, but mine is full and there’s no more room inside,” Kanita added. “Plus I have to file a motion first thing in the morning.”
“Yes, you guys have been a delight and have been overfilling with fabulous ideas. It was no coincidence that you all were personally invited. Here’s another wonderful idea — after we polish off this delicious feast, let’s roll across the street for some pints. The roasted malts at the Irish pub will help digest all this chow fun.”
