If the landlord won’t let them change the sign/awning, maybe they should keep the name on it and then just do a long running, well advertised series of “pop-ups” under the name they really want to be known by (for whichever folks want to take over the space next)? That’s all I’ve got.
Yes I’ve suggested pop ups, I’m working on it lol
I was at Wusong Road and thought that would be perfect venue if anyone knows anyone there LMK
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That sounds like the landlord doesn’t want them there. I never heard such a thing anywhere.
They told me Waltham city government held it up for months I dunno. This place is a dump the landlord is lucky to have tenants
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I mean you are right a sign shouldn’t be a big deal but some towns are stringent. Concord require all signage to be wood and not illuminated. There’s one guy who has a monopoly on CNC cut wooden signage in the city. They approve or disapprove every single one and no one is grandfathered in.
ARGH! Is this a common thing in Waltham? What was the deal with that Indian place on Moody next to the dry cleaner that was empty-and-in-progress for MONTHS even before the pandemic - same sort of problem? I am BEREFT that this deliciousness will no longer be local to me.
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It was there for years with the sign up just an abandoned project I guess
Don’t worry I will be the first to let you know where and when Tao and his team resurface
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Thank you for this. I am far off distance-wise but I will hit up my brother who is in Medford (especially when I visit!).
How was the mapo tofu? I know a lot of people complain that Szechuan food is too oily. It is true, but, well, you either eat it or don’t. No dan-dan noodles?..
I’ve been delving in a lot deeper into cooking more authentic stuff. Fuschia Dunlop’s, The Food of Sichuan is awesome. She’s a total bridge and I find the stories behind the recipes entertaining.
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I’m partying with you next time. Love getting loads of dishes to test.
Still, no dan-dan noodles by anyone?
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Often Chinese restaurants in the US don’t break up the chilis for fear of delicate palates that can’t handle it. It’s a waste of money (on the restaurant’s side) if it gets sent back.
I don’t know how to flag an Administrator or Moderator, but could we consider starting an “authentic” Chinese Restaurant sub? The reason is, I find it really interesting to track these special places, and it’s so exciting to discover new restaurants that pop up… and some that, when they get too popular, disappear. I liken it to a moving treasure hunt. I don’t know… maybe there’s a sub, then a sub/sub so that when a restaurant is gone, we shut that sub down?
Anyway. Just an idea. I don’t know where I was (Internet-wise) when I started coming across these unicorn chefs that were opening in random places…
Hi @sowmowchow I tried Ma Po Tofu on my second visit, it’s pictured way up in this thread. It was excellent, I cook it myself quite often. Fuschia Dunlop is often quoted by westerners and it’s very good no doubt, but in China and today on social media, the most prolific content maker and most famous Sichuan chef is Wang Gang on Xigua, a kind of Chinese YouTube. But he’s also very popular on YouTube, Billibilli, Weibo, etc. He has over 5 million followers. I’ve learned a lot from him, but of course you have to adapt when you don’t have a 40 million BTU stove. He’s perhaps most infamous for his Bamboo Rat video, because he held up the cute furry woodchuck looking rodent and then promptly butchered him off-screen. However, he always cheerfully hoists up every main ingredient on his pre-rolls and thumbnails, and the bamboo rat was no exception. I really enjoyed his CNY video employing all his friends to cook. Just look up Wang Gang on Youtube, you will sit there for hours, I guarantee.
Tao has a similar background, starting early and formally trained, but I do not yet know the depths of his skills. His english is pretty limited so I’m gathering information somewhat slowly.
Dan dan is pretty easily found but I can’t say who makes the best one or even a really good one. I would suggest Sichuan Cuisine in Watertown, they are in my top 5 for Sichuan in Boston area and it was very “hot” on WeChat when it opened a few years back. Very solid.
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It’s actually not bok choi. It’s “Celtuce”, aka stem lettuce, aka Chinese lettuce, etc, etc. It’s very interesting and as far as lettuces go, might be the best one to cook. The stem is very broccoli like.
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I believe you and have had celtuce and loved it. I was going by what @JulyLikethemonth reported. Whatever it was, I am positive I would have devoured it, given the chance.
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It was a great dish. The fried dace component is a black bean flavored, with other ingredients, canned fish in oil, not unlike sardines in oil. It is a river fish indigenous to Pearl River Delta area. It looks like this in supermarkets:
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I love this stuff - too much in fact, as one key difference between it and typical canned sardines is that the the latter are actually good for you. With this I have to eat in small quantities or avoid reading the nutritional information to enjoy it.
I like it too, but I was puzzled by the dangers you seem to feel it poses. I just looked at one of my cans and it says it has dace, salted black beans, soy and so forth but no long list of chemicals. It’s certainly a salty product (is that what gives you pause?), and is excellent mixed with plain rice, but, I agree, not so good if you want a heaping portion on toast, or simply forked straight in, as I do with Güeyu Mar sardines when I’m flush (those cans just say sardines, olive oil, vinegar and spices). Still, I see no huge harm from canned dace.
Sometime ago malachite green was found in canned fish from China including dace. Malachite green is a potentially carcinogen (and prohibited in the US) but sometimes still used as an antimicrobial in aquafarming in China
