While Full Moon Restaurant in downtown Monterey is clearly aimed at laowai customers, I notice that they now have a chef specials menu consisting of authentic Sichuan style dishes, such as Sichuan cold noodles, cold shredded potatoes, boiled fish, cumin lamb, Chongqing spicy chicken --over a couple dozen items in all. Of course when a Chinese restaurant has items like this there have to be Chinese customers around. What I can’t figure out is who are these customers? Local population? Tourists? Foreign students? Any ideas out there?
Chandavaki , Good question . One who would know is Sandy Lydon . A master of history here in the Monterey bay . Here’s his link. http://www.sandylydon.com/bio.html Maybe ask him this question . I would like to know . Anyway did you eat at Full Moon ?
I grew up in the area- and my family is still there. Actually my dad’s office is just a few blocks away. Although i’m not sure he would appreciate authentic sichuan dishes…
I suspect the students at the Defense Language Institute as well as tourists are the ones ordering more traditional sichuan dishes and that the majority of their business is from common popular offerings.
My family has always gone to great wall which isn’t far, but their favorites are really those americanized chinese dishes
Had eaten at Full Moon on my last trip to Monterey, when I noticed they had replaced Tsing Tao. This was before they added the Sichuan dishes, and was nearly repulsed by that meal. The only reason I know about the Sichuan menu is that when I checked out of my hotel I noticed a stack of their menus on the counter so I grabbed one.
Thanks , I’ll steer clear .
Well, the Sichuan stuff might be good. There are a number of dual menu Chinese restaurants throughout the US where the Americanized side is awful and the Chinese side is OK.
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I’m guessing it’s a combo of Chinese tourists (by bus), students from CSUMB, UCSC and Army Language School, and guilaos with sophisticated palates.
I think such anomalies are sometimes chef-initiated, to maintain their self respect and keep themselves from getting bored.
Thanks for the lead on Sandy Lydon. I wrote him and he responded that Chinese tourists are visiting Monterey by the busload, and there is also Chinese interest in the local real estate market.
Thanks for the info Chandavkl . Sandy Lydon is fantastic .
There are also lots and lots of Chinese students attending MIIS - the Middlebury Institute of International Studies - a few blocks away. I imagine they are also trying to serve food-saavy locals as there’s not many offerings beyond the Americanized menu in the general area.
