Spring Break
Chinese grocer yields perfect food to compliment beer
Aaron Sakulich
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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I'm an adventurous person. Not so much physically since years of my sedentary lifestyle have left me brittle and sluggish. Bungee jumping and parachuting are definitely out of the question for me. When it comes to food, however, I am much more adventurous. That is why I was absolutely elated when I was introduced to the Chung May supermarket in Chinatown. They have parts of animals no westerner would ever consider eating not to mention several animals I've never heard of. There's an entire aisle for tea, one for dried snacks, one for various sauces and gravies, one for noodles, and one freezer case where you can get such things as tofu sausage. You can get a lot of normal things there; I recommend getting a package of noodles and a jar of some sort of sauce (I recommend minced prawns) and making it just like you would spaghetti. If you don't like their sauces, try the canned fish.
It would be a disservice to you if I reviewed normal food like this, however. So bear in mind that they sell perfectly normal food as I go over some of the more exotic delights:
Wasabi Peanuts
$2.50 6 oz. package
These things are cheaper than potato chips and far tastier. The first time I ate one, my initial thought was "these aren't that spicy." Following the initial mild taste however, was the mouth-searing, soul-melting heat of wasabi. There are a few moments of unbearable heat, but as soon as you bite into the peanut, it seems to quench your heated palette a little bit. Overall, these things are delicious, though they may make your eyes water and nose run. I really recommend them with a cold, plain pilsner beer.
"Crispy Snack"
$2.50 8 oz. package
There are two kinds of this snack. One comes with a green label and has sesame seeds, and the other is red-labeled. I wasn't really sure what they were at first: each one is sort of like a thin, brown cracker. Biting into them, I started to think that I'd gone totally mad; they tasted like anchovies that had been fried in hot sauce. Examining the package more closely, I realized that this is exactly what these "crispy snacks" are. I love anchovies (I eat them in my breakfast omelets), so I think that these things are great. However, my co-workers claim that the smell unleashed when opening the jar is potent enough to kill a whale. I find these things fantastic, but it all depends on how much you love dried hot sauce fish.
It would be a disservice to you if I reviewed normal food like this, however. So bear in mind that they sell perfectly normal food as I go over some of the more exotic delights:
Wasabi Peanuts
$2.50 6 oz. package
These things are cheaper than potato chips and far tastier. The first time I ate one, my initial thought was "these aren't that spicy." Following the initial mild taste however, was the mouth-searing, soul-melting heat of wasabi. There are a few moments of unbearable heat, but as soon as you bite into the peanut, it seems to quench your heated palette a little bit. Overall, these things are delicious, though they may make your eyes water and nose run. I really recommend them with a cold, plain pilsner beer.
"Crispy Snack"
$2.50 8 oz. package
There are two kinds of this snack. One comes with a green label and has sesame seeds, and the other is red-labeled. I wasn't really sure what they were at first: each one is sort of like a thin, brown cracker. Biting into them, I started to think that I'd gone totally mad; they tasted like anchovies that had been fried in hot sauce. Examining the package more closely, I realized that this is exactly what these "crispy snacks" are. I love anchovies (I eat them in my breakfast omelets), so I think that these things are great. However, my co-workers claim that the smell unleashed when opening the jar is potent enough to kill a whale. I find these things fantastic, but it all depends on how much you love dried hot sauce fish.
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