She describes the food as “not-quite-Chinese” and lamented that “unfortunately, Mr. Ruth Reichl panned it when it opened in 1998-her central critique was about the restaurant’s authenticity. Near the front entrance, there were glass cases of chopsticks inscribed in red with the names of celebrities and politicians who frequented the restaurant. The Peking duck came out prerolled in flour pancakes painted with hoisin sauce and scallion ribbons. They served sorbet in between courses and kept a tea candle lit beneath the entrées, which were mostly plated versions of classic take-out fare: hot and sour soup, sweet and sour pork, eggplant in garlic sauce. Its interior was all baby pink and Art Deco with high-backed plush seats and gold flatware, gold chopsticks, and gold soup bowls with little clawed feet. There used to be a restaurant at Fifty-First and Lexington, a relic of white-glove Chinese fine dining, called Mr.

4) Danny Bowien.From “Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy,” an exhibition at the Museum of Chinese in America. Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York , NY 10013, , “This exhibition is really an elaborate dinner table conversation with some of our most exciting chefs about how we define Chinese food and how Chinese food defines us.” “Food is at the heart of Chinese culture, and in America the very definition of Chinese food is constantly contested in home and restaurant kitchens across the country” said Herb Tam, Curator and Director of Exhibitions at MOCA. The tapestry of tales that emerge is rich with immigration experiences, food memories, favorite dishes, and cooking inspirations that define the culinary-and personal-identities of these chefs, drawing visitors into a conversation about how food defines Chinese in America and themselves individually. In Chinese, the saying Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy (酸甜苦辣) refers simultaneously to the delicate balance of flavors that define Chinese cooking and the vicissitudes of life. Through these interpretative pieces, the visitor absorbs each chef’s cooking style and experience through their narratives, inspirations, and memories. Emails are serviced by Constant ContactĮach chef and 18 different regional cooking styles are represented through unique ceramic sculptures presented on a monumental dining room table. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. The exhibit weaves together the complex stories through a dynamic video installation featuring pioneering chefs such as Cecilia Chiang, Ken Hom, Anita Lo, Ming Tsai, and Martin Yan new restaurateurs like Peter Chang, Eddie Huang, Jason Wang, and Danny Bowien and persevering home cooks like Ni Biying.īy submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Harlem World Magazine, 2521 1/2 west 42nd street, Los Angeles, CA, 90008. Following on the success of MOCA’s 2004 exhibit Have You Eaten Yet?, this new exhibit Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy dives deep into individual journeys, exploring how food represents a cultural form of expression and identity heavily influenced by life experiences and geographical landscapes. Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy invites the audience into a conversation about the meaning of Chinese food as a platform for experimentation, a test of authenticity, a means of immigrant survival, and a microcosm of Chinese culture. This ground-breaking exhibit presents all the complexity of Chinese cuisines and Chinese life in America,” shared MOCA President, Nancy Yao Maasbach. By opening the door to their kitchens, Chinese people became integral parts of their communities.

Since the beginning of Chinese immigration to the U.S., Chinese eateries have served as the foundation of a new life in a new place. “Chinese food is a cornerstone of American culture, and it has brought so many different generations and ethnicities together. The show challenges how Chinese food is defined and interpreted through the personal stories of over 30 revered Chinese and Asian American chefs-from Michelin ranked to generational home cooks. We know where we’re heading this fall, to the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)’s Fall 2016 exhibition, Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America, on view from Octothrough March 26, 2017.

Moca museum restaurant