HG has been enamored with Asian food since he was nine years old (yes, that was 83 years ago). HG’s late beloved sister, Beulah Naomi Katz, always was generous in providing little HG with sweet treats (Mr. Goodbar was a favorite). But, on HG’s ninth birthday, there was a special culinary adventure. Beulah and HG boarded the Third Avenue El at Fordham Road in The Bronx for a trip to Chatham Square in Chinatown (a long trip made exciting by peering into the tenements that lined Third Avenue). Don’t remember the restaurant but the meal remains fresh in HG’s memory. Starter of egg drop soup enhanced by a bit of soy sauce, Then, a huge bowl of chow mein (heavy on the corn starch). HG was cautioned about not adding much of the tongue burning (but tasty) Chinese mustard. Dessert was an almond cookie washed down with one of the endless cups of fragrant hot tea. HG was transported. The meal was the best HG had ever had. HG daydreamed about living in Chinatown and eating food like that every day. HG’s love affair with Chinese food remains passionate but HG’s tastes have expanded to encompass most of Asia. In New York, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Paris etc, HG has been immersed in the glories of the cuisines of Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Ceylon, Indonesia and more. BSK and gifted daughter, Lesley R., are adroit cooks of Asian food. Last night. Lesley tickled taste buds with a Vietnamese starter and a Thai main dish. Starter was the Vietnamese staple:Salad rolls. Lesley moistened rice sheets, and before rolling them up, filled them with rice noodles and an array of fresh vegetables. Served them with a mix of fish sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, chopped herbs and chopped peanuts. Sublime dish. Main was Thai—a fragrant stew of ground pork, rice, coconut milk and an abundance of spices and herbs. Fabulous. The family champion of Asian food is son Jeremy. He and his wife, Maiko (a dazzling cook of Japanese food) live in Tokyo with their family and own and run Freeman Shokudo, an izakaya specializing in barbecue. Yes, there are Japanese dishes on the menu but the big favorite is pastrami, lovingly seasoned and smoked. Informed New Yorkers and Los Angelenos say it’s better than Manhattan Katz’s or L.A.’s Langer’s. Go figure.
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