Atasca

I am currently in China right now and will be there for one more week. This is the third of several posts that I had prepared beforehand for when I was away. Please understand that during this time my response to comments / e-mails / etc. will be slower than normal. Finally, if you are so inclined, you can vote for me here for Project Food Blog round 2.


It seems like virtually the entire staff at my building is Portuguese. The head concierge,
other security staff, the live-in superintendent . . . . It's one of those family things.  One refers another, and pretty soon they are all working at my building.

I absolutely love it. During our annual holiday party, one of them always makes this fantastic Portuguese dessert. They will also cater all sorts of cool Portuguese dishes, such as linguica, salt cod potatoes, and my all time favorite, pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts - sooo good!).

Not only that, since I live in Cambridge, I happen to live steps away from one of the densest Portuguese areas in the city. Towards Inman Square and East Cambridge, there are countless Portuguese restaurants (Casa Portugal, Sunset Cafe, Portugalia, just to name a few) and markets as well (Courthouse Seafood, Casal Bakery). There's even a Portuguese Credit Union, and the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers in the area.

I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to exploring this section of town.

However, there is one place that we frequent regularly, a place that even our Portuguese staff will acknowledge is one of the best.


I'm always surprised how easy it is to get a seat at Atasca on a weeknight. It's almost like our "back up" place if we don't feel like waiting for a seat at some of our other favorite ethnic restaurants in East Cambridge. One of my favorite things there is actually the bread. For some reason, I am severely addicted to this dense, Portuguese bread (I've seen it in Spanish restaurants too!). I absolutely cannot get enough of it!

Fresh Grilled Sardines with Chimichurri Sauce

We decided to be adventurous and order the whole fresh grilled sardines. Apparently it's one of their more popular dishes (at least for those who aren't grossed out by eating a whole fish!). We ordered it and agreed that it was quite fragrant and well prepared, although we couldn't get past the strong smell of the sardines themselves. It's really strong, and you have to like sardines to enjoy this dish.

We ate one fish and brought the rest back to one of Bryan's friends who LOVES both sardines and Chimichurri sauce. He absolutely loved the dish.

Arroz de Marisco
Seafood risotto with mussels, clams and squid

Bryan loves getting the "paella" here, which is very generously sized and priced. In fact, it's meant to be shared by two, and is definitely plenty of food as it is filled with all sorts of seafood.

Roasted peppers stuffed with dry salt cod

I love salt cod, which is such a classic ingredient in Portuguese food. In this rendition, roasted peppers are stuffed with a mixture of salt cod and other aromatic vegetables. I really enjoyed this dish.

Lobster ravioli

Although at $9 this felt slightly expensive, after one bite we realized it was totally worth it. The texture of the uniquely striped pasta was absolutely perfect (nice and al dente with the perfect chewiness). Furthermore, the lobster filling was fragrant, juicy, and all-around delicious. Everything worked perfectly with the lobster cream sauce.

We had hesitated to order this initially because it seemed to be too Italian, but the waiter actually recommended this as a great dish, and we wholehearted agree.

And how could I forget my favorite?

Pasteis de nata! (Portuguese egg custards) - YUM! They dress up the traditional  pasteis de nata by adding blueberries, a dash of cinnamon, and an orange liqueur sauce. We both love this dessert so much we usually order one for each of us!

Bryan tried a Portuguese rum-spiked coffee, which was interesting. I personally preferred my perfectly brewed cappuccino.

I really like this place. It has nice ambiance, good service, and excellent food. It's easy to get a table on a weeknight. Surprisingly, I don't think I've ever had to wait to get a table at this place. Although this newer larger location lacks a bit of the charm of the original Broadway location (they moved here several years ago), the food is still just as good, and the extra seating is definitely not a bad thing!

Atasca
50 Hampshire St
Cambridge, MA 02139

Project Food Blog - Round 2 Voting is Open!

Just wanted to announce that voting is open for Project Food Blog! My entry is here.

Project Food Blog is a contest held by Foodbuzz seeking out the next "Food Blog Star." Over 1800 contestants have entered for a chance to blog their way through a series of challenges. With each round, about half of the contestants get eliminated. We are now in round two, where 400 contestants are narrowed down to 200!

Anyways, if you have a chance, please vote for me by clicking here.

In other news, I've spent a little over a week in China and have one more week to go. I am having a great time here. So much amazing food and culture! I can't wait to share it with you all. We've taken tons of photos and have seems some pretty incredible stuff!

Off to the World Expo . . .

Project Food Blog:The Classics - Kaddo Bourani

“Are you more Chinese or American?”

My American friends in Beijing and I laughed as we reminisced about this all-too-familiar phrase my dad loved to ask while we were growing up. Every time he stumbled upon an “ABC” (American-born Chinese), that question would invariably emerge in some form or another.

I never knew exactly how to answer. I grew up with immigrant Taiwanese parents who cooked Asian food, held Asian values, and spoke Chinese at home. On the other hand, I went to American schools my entire life and I’ve never lived outside the U.S.

I’m in China right now on a whirlwind two week trip that Bryan and I had planned months and months ago. It’s my first time here, and the experience has been nothing short of fascinating.

People look at us and assume we speak perfect Chinese (we don’t) and then they are tickled when they find out that we are actually Americans. One taxi driver was impressed that I spoke decent Chinese yet thought it was funny that Bryan was basically mute in China. The woman at the spa even dared ask me who I would support if the two countries went to war (I quickly steered the conversation away from that topic!!)

Not only am I culturally Chinese/Taiwanese and American, I also studied French and Japanese in school, spending time in both countries as part of school exchange programs. Furthermore, my sister married a Korean, and I had many Indian friends in high school.

Having been exposed to such a wide variety of cultures, I found this next Project Food Blog challenge (create a classic dish outside your comfort zone) a bit more challenging.

What culture and cuisine is totally foreign to me? What would be outside my comfort zone?

And then it hit me.

I know absolutely nothing about Afghanistan.

Well, there is that one restaurant in Cambridge that I love. A wonderful Afghan restaurant that churns of absolutely fantastic food. My all-time favorite dish there is kaddo bourani (also kadu bouranee), a baked pumpkin dish with transcendent flavor combinations that are truly out of this world.

Sheepishly, I realized that even though I loved the food at The Helmand, I knew absolutely nothing about Afghanistan or its cuisine.

As I began doing research on this fascinating country's cuisine, I realized that kaddo bourani embodies many classic aspects of Afghan cooking.

First, kaddo bourani uses many classic Afghan spices. Afghan cuisine incorporates ideas from Persia, India, and Mongolia. Why such a wide influence? Afghan kings in Kabul commissioned chefs from all over the empire to create dishes for the royal kingdom. Afghan dishes often use Indian spices in particular, such as garam masala, coriander, cloves, cardamon, mint, and tumeric. Here for kaddo bourani, we use coriander, mint, and tumeric.

Second, kaddo bourani incorporates several other classic Afghan ingredients such as yogurt, onions, and tomatoes, all of which are very important in Afghan cooking. Yogurt sauces are ubiquitous in Afghan cuisine. This fragrant yet simple yogurt sauce consists of plain yogurt, minced garlic, salt, and mint.

Finally, kaddo bourani embodies what I think is one Afghan cuisines' greatest strengths: well balanced but wonderfully contrasting flavors. Kaddo bourani is an absolutely beautiful dish because its three contrasting components (candied sugar pumpkin, savory meat sauce, and a garlic mint yogurt sauce) come together so perfectly. The pumpkin is too sweet on its own. Similarly, the yogurt is sort of sour and garlicky but not that tasty by itself. Yet, when you pair the sweet pumpkin with the savory meat sauce and the cool, refreshing yogurt, you create a simply extraordinary dish.

I tackled this dish the evening before I left for China. Between packing my suitcase and tying up loose ends at home, I prepared the meat and yogurt sauces while caramelizing the sugar pumpkins in the oven.

And right before I hopped on that plane to China, I enjoyed this as my last meal before heading to the airport.

Oh YUM.

Seriously, heaven on a plate.

The magical combination of flavors was totally there - sweet & savory & cool and minty all at the same time. Absolutely amazing.

I've come to appreciate Afghan cuisine so much more as a result of this mini-food journey. This is probably my first time tackling a dish from the Middle East this region and it's been an enriching experience. In general, I still feel like I know so little about Afghanistan. Its culture is so rich and diverse, and I have really only tapped the surface by recreating one of their dishes.

At the end of the day, I'm still mostly American and Chinese/Taiwanese, with bits of European culture thrown in there for good measure. I'm still woefully ignorant when it comes to really understanding the cuisine and culture of Afghanistan. However, this little project has given me a greater appreciation for this amazing country, its rich history, and its fantastic food.

Thank you so much for those of you who voted for me last round. This blog entry is my submission for The Next Food Blog Star’s second challenge: The Classics. If you are so inclined, please vote for this blog. Round 2 is over, but you can still vote in Round 4. I figured out how to access Blogger through VPN in China (yay!) so I am still able to participate. Thanks so much for your support!

Kaddo Bourani
adapted from The Helmand as published in SF Gate

For the pumpkin
2 Sugar Pie pumpkins, each about 3 pounds
¼ cup + 2 T corn oil
3 C sugar

For the Yogurt Sauce
2 C plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried mint
½tsp salt

For the Meat Sauce
¼ C corn oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/3 C water

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Cut pumpkins in half and scrape out the insides (seeds + stringy bits). Cut each half into 3-4 inch pieces. Using a peeler, remove the rind. Place the pumpkin slices hollow side up in a single layer in a baking dish and cover with the oil. Pour the sugar on top (yes, all three cups!). Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 3 hours and 15 minutes (or until the pumpkin has caramelized into a deep, orange color). Note: after 2 1/2 hours into baking, baste the pumpkin pieces with the juices below and then continue baking for another 45 minutes or so.

While the pumpkin is baking, prepare the yogurt and meat sauce. For the yogurt sauce, combine all the ingredients and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

For the meat sauce, saute onions over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed skillet until golden brown (about 18 minutes). Add beef and saute, breaking up the pieces until the meat is no longer pink (5 minutes). Add remaining ingredients (except tomato paste and water). Blend in tomato paste. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce, and simmer for 15 minutes.

To serve, place the pumpkin on the bottom. Add yogurt sauce and then top with meat sauce. Serve!

Easy Homemade Basil Pesto (Tomato Pesto Papardelle)

I am currently in China right now and will be there for the next two weeks. This is the second of several posts that I had prepared beforehand for when I was away. Please understand that during this time my response to comments / e-mails / etc. will be slower than normal. Finally, if you are so inclined, you can vote for me here for Project Food Blog.


What does everyone do when they have too much basil? Make pesto, of course.

For some reason, I never did this, and instead always (sadly) let my basil rot before I could finish using it.

This summer I learned an awesome trick from the weekly newsletter that I get from my farm share. The best way to preserve basil is to keep it in a glass of water at room temperature. It will last for a week or two like this! Granted, the basil we get still have their roots on, so they are still alive and thus can live easily like this. I doubt this would work for supermarket packaged or cut basil.

Despite being able to save the basil, I still accumulated TONS of basil that I could not use, so finally I decided it was time for me to learn how to make pesto.

This is probably review for most of you, but I'm willing to bet there's at least some of you out there who have still not tried this. I mean, I've been cooking for over a decade, and it wasn't until this summer that I finally sat down and tried making my own pesto.

And you know what? It really is just as easy as it sounds.



Homemade Basil Pesto
adapted from Simply Recipes

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup sharp dry cheese*
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic

*preferably Pecorino, but Parmesan-Romano works too

Combine pine nuts, garlic, and basil in a food processor. Pulse until shredded and combined. In a slow stream, add the extra virgin olive oil while running the food processor. Finally, stir in the cheese and serve.

Note: the cheese does not freeze well. If you want to make basil to freeze, omit the cheese and stir it back in when thawed.

You can do all sorts of stuff with this pesto. Use it as a sauce for chicken, toss it with the carbohydrate of your choice. I just simply tossed it with pasta and fresh tomatoes from the farm share for a beautiful, refreshing meal.

Lord Hobo

I am currently in China right now and will be there for the next two weeks. This is the first of several posts that I had prepared beforehand for when I was away. Please understand that during this time my response to comments / e-mails / etc. will be slower than normal. Finally, if you are so inclined, you can vote for me here for Project Food Blog.

40 microbrews? Hard to find beers from around the world?

Owner Daniel Lanigan is no stranger to this beer business, having run two "cult beer bars" in Amherst and Northampton. The last time I had encountered such a diversity of craft beers was probably at Granville Moore's in Washington D.C.

Bryan and I finally got a chance to check out Lord Hobo (which took over the old B-side Lounge in East Cambridge) this past weekend. I had heard great things about it, so I was anxious to see if it lived up to the hype.

The ambiance inside is dark yet hip, with tall wooden stools and chairs spread through a wide open space. The center bar, which boasts all those interesting drafts, clearly steals the show as it is prominently displayed in the center of the restaurant. I found the room to be uncomfortably cold, to the point where I was almost shivering.

Of course, the focus is on the beer, and the drink menu literally takes up over three quarters of the menu. There's one page of food and about 4-5 pages of drinks. It's mind boggling and overwhelming, to say the least. Thankfully, the server is happy to bring you little "tastes" of their brews free of charge. I tried three different ones before deciding on the St. Bernardus (shown on the left). The servers are very knowledgeable about the beers (I'm sure they are used to having guests come in who have no idea what to order), and can certainly guide you along in a mini-tasting, which is quite fun.

The food was surprisingly good! We're talking nice, gastropub food. Bryan likened it to the style of Garden at the Cellar, one of our favorite restaurants. We started with a lovely crab and avocado salad, which was very nice - fresh ingredients, lightly seasoned, it was the perfect start of a pretty good dinner.

I got the seared halibut, which came with a nice succotash of corn and peas that tasted very fresh. The fish was nicely seared, although just a tad on the dry side. I guess sous vide cooking has really made me kind of picky when it comes to meat textures!

Bryan got the steak which was seasoned with chimichurri sauce and came with a side of fries. We requested that the fries be served with the truffle aoili, which was actually really intense and truffly (yum!). Bryan thought the steak was cooked a perfect medium rare, and he liked the chimichurri sauce, so he was quite pleased.

We were surprisingly impressed with the food at Lord Hobo. The prices are reasonable, although you can quickly spend a lot if you each get a few craft beers. Although Cambridge boasts a lot of gastropubs that serve very good food, Lord Hobo shines when it comes to beer. You really can't get this many hard-to-find beers anywhere else close by.

If you like trying all sorts of interesting beers in a fun environment with good food, definitely check out Lord Hobo. Just don't forget to bring an extra sweater.

Lord Hobo
92 Hampshire St.
Cambridge, MA 02139

Project Food Blog Voting is Open!

Just wanted to announce that voting is open for Project Food Blog! My entry is here.

In a nutshell, Project Food Blog is a contest held by Foodbuzz seeking out the next "Food Blog Star." Over 1800 contestants have entered for a chance to blog their way through a series of challenges. With each round, about half of the contestants get eliminated. The first round is pretty brutal though, as these 1800 are cut down to 400!

Anyways, if you have a chance, please vote for me by clicking here.

In other exciting news, I am about to leave for China (I will have arrived by the time this publishes!)! I'm sitting in the airport lounge at O'Hare right now (yay for husbands who are million milers and can get me access to these fancy flagship lounges complete with free internet, free food, and a free cocktail bar!)

Unfortunately, China chose to ban Blogger access not too long ago, which is what I use to run Tiny Urban Kitchen. Accordingly, you will likely not see too much response from me when you comment. I'm not even sure if I will be able to follow anything that's going on here!

Anyway, I think I'll still be able to find ways to update the blog, but it may not be as refined as normal!

So, I've prepared a few posts for you guys to enjoy while I am gone. Other than that, I'll "see" you when I get back from China!

Saucy Mama Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Biz from My Bizzy Kitchen who wins the 6-pack of sauces from Saucy Mama.

Biz said,

"Have a safe trip! Oh my gosh, I bet the food in China is amazing - any noodle soup dish would work for me - as long as its spicy!

Oh, and I want that lime chipotle sauce, so pick me! :D"

Guess what Biz? You're going to get the lime chipotle sauce plus 5 other bottles!

Thanks for playing, everyone!

Biz, please e-mail me at jen[at]tinyurbankitchen[dot]com and send me your address so I can ship you the sauces! I'll be in China the next two weeks so I won't be able to send you the sauces until early October - but I promise you will get them!

Project Food Blog: Ready, Set, Blog!

I am restless by nature. I love trying new things, I love learning, and I’m always looking to see what to do next. As a child, I never stuck with one activity for too long – one week watercolors, the next week writing and recording 80’s style pop songs.

I think at the core, I am still very much the same person today.

After graduating from law school in 2007 (a grueling 3 ½ years in which I worked all day, went to school at night, and didn’t have time for much else), I felt free! Free to finally try tons of different things!

My list of things to try was predictably ambitious, with activities ranging from “taking an art class” to “running a 10k.” Buried in the middle of that list somewhere was “start a food blog.”

Consistent with my personality, I didn’t stick with anything for a long time. I dabbled in an acting class before switching to oil painting. I learned Brazilian capoeira and stuck with it for about 6 months. Most recently, I became obsessed with sewing, churning out handbag after handbag. Alas, that only lasted 3 months before a trip to Japan cut that momentum short.

In the background during this whole time, my tiny little personal food blog, “jglee’s food musings,” silently hummed along. Unlike all those other activities, this one stuck.

I registered tinyurbankitchen.com in September of 2009 when I decided to “go public” with the blog (happy 1-year birthday!) . I signed on with Foodbuzz and began interacting with other food bloggers on the blogosphere. I recently renewed my URL for another 5 years. Clearly, Tiny Urban Kitchen isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Why do I have the passion and stamina to passionately pursue this "hobby" while I inevitably lose interest in most other things? What makes this blog so unique? What defines this blog?

After some soul searching, here’s what I came up with . . .



Fearless Pursuit of Crazy, Ambitious, and Fun Ideas
To say I’m overly ambitious is probably an understatement. Sometimes, it’s tough because I set myself up for failure. Usually, however, I think it pushes me so much further than I ever would have gone without the crazy ideas and goals I set in place. I’ve tried all sorts of crazy things on this blog, like making an entire meal look like Japanese anime characters, preparing a multi-course meal from Michelin-starred chefs’ recipes using sous vide, and bravely experiencing a “tasting of offal” which involved things like lambs brains and duck testicles. Heck, I even made a bento that looked like my husband. I’m not afraid to try most things at least once, and I love a good challenge. This past March, I entered and shockingly won the coveted spot to attended the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition in Napa Valley on behalf of Foodbuzz. Life is an adventure, and there are so many amazing things to experience. Seize the day and make most out of each meal. In short, this blog is defined by my personality - creative, ambitious, slightly crazy, and never the same thing twice.


A Deep Commitment and Passion for the Local Community
I have lived in Cambridge for over 15 years and I absolutely love the city. It has a wealth of restaurants that belie its small geographical area. I especially love the wonderful diversity and concentration of ethnic restaurants – Brazilian, Afghan, Tunisian, Eritrean, the list goes on and on.

I am highly committed to supporting these local businesses and partnering with them in various things. I take my camera with me wherever I go, and I blog about almost every restaurant I visit (complete with many photos and a detailed review). I strongly support events that promote fair trade, sustainability, and helping out those who are in need. Furthermore, I really enjoy the relationships I have developed with chefs, restaurant owners, and marketing people in the local food industry.



A Love of Food, Photography, and Friendship
Bryan’s mom is really observant and wise, and had some keen insights about why she thought food blogging was so perfect for me.

“You are relational, you really like people, and you like to share with others.”

I’m not the most introspective person by any means, so her comment actually surprised me. It seemed to be so true yet was something I had never realized.

Now don’t get me wrong. I do love food. Heck, I’m willing to travel anywhere for good food, and I center my trips around the interesting meals I want to enjoy.

And I also love photography. Instead of watching TV to relax, I actually like to process my pictures. It’s oddly calming for me to adjust exposure and white balance all while munching on a snack (yes, I'm nuts).

But most importantly, beyond all that, it’s the people that really motivate me to keep this blog going. This food blog would be NOTHING without its readers. Seriously, at the end of the day, why do I keep on blogging? Why haven’t I abandoned this “hobby” unlike most things I try?

Because it’s not just about cataloguing cooking experiments. It’s not just about writing down restaurant impressions or taking pretty pictures. In fact, if it were just about those things, I probably would have abandoned this a long time ago. Instead, I’ve kept on writing because of the people. I love sharing my ideas with others. I am relational at the core, and I love the interactions, conversations, and support I receive from my readers.

I could have all the passion in the world about cooking, eating and photography. Yet without readers, I would have no motivation to write.

So thank you. Thank you all for interacting with me, encouraging me, and pushing me to try my absolute best to make this blog as good as it can be. I sincerely appreciate it and I will try my hardest to fulfill that goal.

Folks, Tiny Urban Kitchen is here to stay.

This blog entry is my submission for The Next Food Blog Star’s first challenge: what defines your blog? If you are so inclined, please vote for this blog. I will be in China the next two weeks, (no access to Blogger.  Grrr . . Chinese government censorship)  so in many ways, this contest is sort of a blind ride for me. By the time I come back, the contest will be well into Round 3!

Spicy Potato Bacon Bites + Giveaway

It's been a long week.

I an in the midst of preparing for my trip to China this Friday (!!). I've never been to China, so I'm super excited about the trip. However, that also means that things have been absolutely crazy around here as I wrap up stuff for work, church, and Tiny Urban Kitchen.

So here I am, past midnight, finally writing the post about this giveaway that I've been planning on hosting for awhile. I really should go to bed, as the cough is still lingering. Thankfully, the doctor gave me some cough medicine with codeine, so I think I'll have no trouble sleeping tonight. ;)


A few weeks ago I was contacted by Saucy Mama about a recipe contest they were holding. Of course, the contest involves developing a recipe using one of their sauces. The best part about the contest? They sent the contestants six bottles of their most popular sauces to try! Better yet, they sent me another six bottles for me to give away.

After being inspired by the most amazing hash browns I've ever had, I decided to do my own twist on it. This version is much simpler, and is really easy to make. The hot wing sauce adds the kick to the bacon & potatoes, while the added mayonnaise adds a bit of creaminess and moisture. I added a small amount of sugar just to temper the saltiness of the potatoes and the hot sauce. The amount is really personal preference - some people (like me) like sweet sauces while others (like Bryan) hate it.

Spicy Potato Bacon Bites
12 small Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/5 inch slices
6 strips of bacon
1 stalk of scallions, finely chopped
1 T Saucy Mama's Hot Wing Sauce
3 T mayonnaise
Sugar to taste

Cook bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy (about 10 minutes). Remove bacon and set aside on paper towels. Pan fry the potatoes in the bacon fat for about 10 minutes, flipping occasionally until they are browned on both sides.

In a separate bowl, combine Saucy Mama's Hot Wing Sauce, mayonnaise, and sugar to taste. To assemble, layer the potato with the bacon and a dab of sauce. Sprinkle scallions on top for garnish. You can stack the potatoes and bacon to make them as tall as you wish.

Enjoy!

Giveaway
I have 6 bottles of Saucy Mama sauce to give away to one lucky winner. The flavors are:

Sweet Onion Marmalade
Lime Chipotle Marinade
Hot Wing Sauce
Jalapeno Stuffed Olives
Cracked Pepper Marinade
Chipotle Mustard

To enter the contest, please leave a comment below telling me what you think I should eat when I go to China. Giveaway ends this Friday at noon. Good luck!

Golden Garden

If you were to take a random person off the street in the U.S. and ask him what Chinese food was, you'd be lucky if he knew the difference between Cantonese and Sichuan food. I would be even more impressed if he knew what Taiwanese food was, or Hunan food.

And then, what if you asked him about Dongbei food?

Dong what???

Donbei literally means "East North" in Chinese, and refers to the area of China that was once Manchuria. A region surrounded by Mongolia to the west, Russia to the north, and Korea to the east, Donbei is far from famous when it comes to food. In fact, many Chinese southerners actually look down upon Dongbei cuisine, regarding it as more simplistic - less refined, if you will.

Defining characteristics of this cuisine would include dumplings, steamed buns of all sorts, potatoes (often stir-fried with vinegar), and lamb. They eat all parts of an animal, and it's not rare to see various types of offal on the menu. Cumin is heavily featured. Surprisingly, rice is rare, a luxury only enjoyed during the holidays. This is partly due to the poverty in the region - most rice is exported to richer areas of China. Instead, the staple is typically a combination of steamed bread (mantou), noodles, and potatoes.

I was thrilled to stumble upon an authentic Dongbei restaurant in Belmont (less than a mile from Cambridge) this past weekend. This place is the real deal. The owners ran a restaurant in China for 10 years before moving to the U.S. The food is decidedly authentic, and very tasty. Here's what we got.

Roast Beef Tendon and Tripe with Chili Sauce ($7.50)
Admittedly, this is actually a Sichuan dish, but they do it really well. The spicy mala sauce has tons of flavor, and overall the dish was really enjoyable.

Cucumber with Fresh Garlic ($5.95)
This dish was cool, refreshing, and tasted fine. I probably wouldn't order it again, though, since I can just make it myself pretty easily. If I am going to eat out I might as well order stuff I can't make, right?

Green Bean Noodle with Sesame Sauce ($4.95)
Mung bean noodle would be a more appropriate name for this dish, which is not made with American green beans (it's confusing because mung beans are called "green-colored" beans in Chinese). These delicate, soft blocks are made from mung bean flour and tossed with a savory sesame sauce. I found this cold dish to be refreshingly light yet nutty and fragrant at the same time. I really liked it!

Sauteed Shredded Potato with Sour Sauce ($7.95)
I had never had anything like this before! After one bite, I was pleasantly surprised. This dish is very classic Dongbei cuisine. Potatoes are thinly shredded and stir fried with vinegar. The potato still maintains a slight "bite" to it - it's not mushy at all. In fact, it tastes more like you are eating a vegetable than a tuber. The acidity of the vinegar adds a nice brightness that I really enjoyed.

Lamb with Dry Chili Sauce ($12.95)
This dish had solid flavors, and wasn't too spicy. The texture of the meat was not the most tender in the world, but the super thin slices made up for that and the dish was overall pretty enjoyable.

Pork with Chinese Cabbage / Pork with Leek (12 pieces for $6.95)
The handmade dumplings are decent - similar to those you would find at Qingdao, though I think I like Qingdao's dumplings slightly better. Some compare their dumplings to the dumplings at Wang's, though I've never been to Wang's so I can't really do a direct comparison.

General Thoughts
I was really pleasantly surprised with this restaurant. Seriously, you would NEVER have guessed it from looking at the front of the restaurant. That tacky red and yellow sign does not scream "authentic Dongbei cuisine!" by any stretch of the imagination.

I have to say though - it's in a tough spot. It's in sort of a dead area in Belmont. At least it's close to Cambridge - about a mile from Fresh Pond towards Belmont. And I think Cambridge sort of has a dearth of decent Chinese restaurants, so this is really a breath of fresh air.

Overall, the food is solid and authentic. I've only been there once, but I was reasonably pleased with my dining experience. The service is good, the owners are really friendly, and the food was refreshingly unique yet enjoyable at the same time. The menu has some really unique items, such as Sauteed Snails with Cilantro, Pork Intestines with Spicy Sauce, Pork Kidney with Spicy Chili Sauce, and Steamed Beef Tripe. Of course, at the other extreme, they also have all your classic Americanized Chinese dishes such as Crab Rangoons, Chicken Wings, General Gau's chicken (although they call it General Tso's - a nod to Mandarin Chinese), and Kung Pao Chicken.

So, if you're in the neighborhood, or even if you're not, head out to Golden Garden in Belmont to get a unique taste of Northeastern Chinese food. Golden Garden has only been open for a month, so not that many people know about them yet. Definitely check them out and support them if you like their food. Let's try to keep some good Chinese restaurants close to Cambridge. :)