Chinese New Year Special – ‘The Fortune Cookie Chronicles’ Review (USA)
Posted: February 3, 2012 Filed under: Books | Tags: America, book, Chinese, Chronicles, food, Fortune Cookie, Jennifer 8 Lee, review, travel Leave a commentAUTHOR: Jennifer 8. Lee
PUBLISHER: Twelve
YEAR: 2008 (Reprint 2009)
WEBSITE: www.fortunecookiechronicles.com
HOW MANY TOBIES WOULD CURL UP WITH THIS BOOK (out of 5)
Warning: it will get you hungry. Very hungry...
MY STORY: The problem with doing a degree in English, for me at least, is that I have now become allergic to most books. I apologise to those of you whose feelings just got hurt by my confession – I know, it’s like being stabbed in the heart by a blunt pencil. I used to get that too, but after almost three years of analysing many very depressing texts, it’s like a part of me has died. That is, until Jennifer 8. Lee’s amazing neon-orange-covered book resurrected my soul.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, which is about Chinese food in America and beyond, was destined to be a book after my own heart as it combines three of my favourite things – good food, good travels and good writing. Having lived in England for most of my life, I am intrinsically fascinated by anything American, but at the same time I was intrigued that there was so much I didn’t know about my own Chinese culture. I never knew that fortune cookies have such a fascinating non-Chinese story behind it, or considered where takeaway menus originated, or thought about how large a part Chinese cuisine plays within the Jewish community. I therefore felt very enlightened by the time I reluctantly reached the back cover, as if I had just discovered a whole new world of possibilities.
Delightful and genuine, this book’s brilliance lies in the way that Lee managed to capture historical facts accurately with a quirky sense of humour, but without losing the human touch. It’s funny, sensitive and informative in all the right places. Her talents as a previous journalist for the New York Times shone through in her ability to translate thorough research into insightful and captivating prose. The language she used is profoundly simple in an almost Orwellian way (never, he said, use a long word when a simple one will do), and yet no meaning or intention seems to have been lost.
Chronicles is simply the best and most delicious thing I’ve read in a very long time. I got so into it, actually, that the book even came with me to class, to dinner, and to bed. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has a strong sense of curiosity, who loves food, or just needs a quick pick-me-up. Dear University of Leeds, please consider adding this to your syllabus.
My interview with Jennifer will be coming soon so be sure to keep an eye out!
Chinese New Year Special – Red Chilli Review (LEEDS, UK)
Posted: January 31, 2012 Filed under: Food | Tags: Beijing, Chinese, food, leeds, Red Chilli, restaurant, Sichuan Leave a commentAs promised, here is Part 2 of 3 of a series of Chinese New Year related article. Just a little review to tingle your taste buds…
WHAT: Restaurant (Chinese)
ADDRESS: 6 Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3DW
PHONE: 0113 242 9688
WEBSITE: redchillirestaurant.co.uk
HOW MANY TOBIES WOULD EAT HERE (out of 5)
MY STORY: Apart from family and friends, the thing that I missed most when I left China was without a doubt the food. Those of you who have been or lived there would know how much joy there is to be found in each glistening bite. I had largely given up hope on being able to find any proper zhongguo cai (Chinese food) in Leeds when I first got here, seeing as the city’s Chinese population is not as prominent as that of London or Manchester, and my own cooking is by no means ‘proper’. I have tried a few places around the Vicar Lane area, which were passable but nothing special.
But Red Chilli belongs in an entire different league altogether. It is, out of all the Chinese restaurants I’ve tried in England, by far the most authentic in taste, and impressive in menu choices. I’m yet to find a place outside China that does better ‘poached belly pork with garlic and chilli sauce’ than here. Plus you know a place is really good when a lot of Chinese people go dine there. It’s the perfect place to go if you want to impress your date, your friend from out of town, or even – as in my case – your mother. (I may not be able to cook amazing Chinese food, Ma, but I do know where to find it. And that’s got to count for something.)
Your eyes will get as much of a feast as your stomach with Red Chilli's almost psychedelic interior.
Specialising in Beijingese and Sichuanese food, their dishes are quite expensive if you were to compare it to the diddlysquat you’ll have to pay in Beijing or Sichuan, but of course, this is England. The portions are very generous, however, and everything is delicious. Expect to spend around £15 per person and walk out feeling like you need a few more pairs of legs to support your bloated stomach. Most of the waiters here speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin, which is a comfort when the occasional bout of homesickness attacks.
Do make sure you get there early though, as there is almost always a queue crowding round the door. Aside from that, it’s thumbs up all the way!
The City I See 