Antoine's: Dining in the Presence of History

Menu

Some places become such important institutions that they take on a life of their own.  Antoine's is certainly one of those places.  The oldest family owned restaurant in the United States, almost anyone who is anyone has dined at Antoine's including Pope John Paul II, several presidents, and fictional magazine personality Alfred E. Neuman. 

One of the "krewe rooms"

Located in the hustle and bustle of the city's French Quarter, Antoine's features dining rooms themed after several of the city's most prominent Mardi Gras parade krewes.  The rooms feature memorabilia from their respective krewe and ornate chandeliers.       

Depiction of Rex Parade floats

One of the restaurant's best kept secrets is its lunch special.  You get three courses for around $20.  We weren't able to find this menu online.  Possibly, they don't advertise it.  The best part of the lunch special is the cocktail deal.  You can get a featured cocktail for 25 cents each (limit three).  Make sure to ask which cocktail is the featured cocktail, because they will not stop you if you order the wrong cocktail.  We ran up a bill doing this.  The novelty of getting three cocktails that cheap makes it worth the cost of admission.    

Oyster sampler. Oysters
Rockefeller in the top center

Softshell Crab

Ramos Gin Fizz

Antoine's is the birthplace of the legendary Oysters Rockefeller.  Named after Rockefeller because its so rich, the dish's green color represents the color of money. Oysters Rockefeller has been a mainstay of Antoine's menu since its creation.  Our waiter allowed us to get a sampler of Antoine's oyster dishes as an appetizers.  It was a great way to introduce ourselves to the menu.  Not only did I order oysters as an appetizer, I also got oysters as the first course of my 3 course meal deal.  I had the charbroiled oysters, soft shell crab, and ice cream sunday.  

Delicious

Our dinning room

Enjoying the finer things

Corridors with history

Wine cellar

Early Times...good choice

After eating we checked out the restaurant's different rooms.  The place is sort of a quasi-museum and features amazing photos of the restaurant's famous patrons.  Antoine's also has a legendary wine seller with a window facing out onto Royal Street.  As amazing as the food was, getting to look around the restaurant cemented Antoine's position in the pantheon of the city's best restaurants.  

Make sure to reserve your table at Antoine's during your next trip to the Crescent City. 

Dapper like the Harry S. Truman, Mad Magazine's own
Alfred E. Neuman

  

Charlie's Steakhouse: One-of-a-Kind Fine Dining

The neon sign lights the way to
deliciousness

Charlie's Steakhouse doesn't have a menu.  That's the first thing separating this place from the rest of the crowded steakhouse market.  Walking into the bar is like taking a step back in time to a time before every strip mall in America had a Longhorn steakhouse.  And this place has class to spare.  The first thing you'll notice is the neon sign on the building.  Charlie's is on a mostly residential street just off Napoleon Avenue.  Put simply, this place is an institution. 

The bar has that "classic" look

You enter in the bar.  It's got that classic old-school wood paneling, letting you know you've come to the right place.  It even has the old style pre-digital cash register.  The bar looks like it hasn't changed since the 1960's, but if it ain't broke don't fix it.  I recommend the old fashioned.  You'll certainly get your moneys worth out of it, because it is strong and well worth the price tag.  Even if you're not in the mood for a steak, stop by the bar for a great cocktail.  The only downside is that they don't have a beer on tap.  However, the does a TV.  They showed the MLB playoffs the night I went.  Starting a steak dinner off with a cocktail is always a good choice.        

Old Fashioned with a side
of class

Steaks ready to eat

As I said earlier Charlie's doesn't have a printed menu.  The night we were there, they had four different cuts of steak.  The waiter should be able to recite the list of sides and steaks by memory for you.  However, if you don't know what you'll be eating when you go, you might have come to the wrong place.  Everyone knows that steak is the main attraction.  The salads are huge and the dressings have that homemade taste, so you know you aren't eating anything too healthy.  I recommend the au gratin potatoes.  They are smothered in cheese.  Everything on the "potatoes end" of the steak and potatoes is awesome.  

Make sure to put your
napkin up

Steaks come out of the kitchen still sizzling.  Make sure to put your napkin over your shirt so you don't get delicious grease on your shirt.    

The "spread"

The steaks are amazing just as you'd expect.  Do yourself a favor and order yours medium-rare the way God intended.  If you order it well done or medium-well you'll likely receive a puzzled look from the waiter.  I ordered the second smallest steak at 14 oz.  It was almost too much food for me.  I almost can't believe anyone could finish one of the larger steaks. 

Next time you're in the Crescent City and looking for a steak, take the streetcar uptown to Charlie's          

Blue Girl Beer: Hong Kong's Iconic Brew

No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without heading to Club 7-11 for a can of Blue Girl beer.  The stuff is ubiquitous in Hong Kong.  It's sold in every convenience

 store and some restaurants even feature the logo on their signs.  For me, the beer has become a sort of representation of Hong Kong, especially considering that I have never seen it anywhere else.  According to the always reliable source of Wikipedia, the beer is brewed by a South Korean company.  However, the story of how it became such an ingrained part of Hong Kong culture is beyond me.

Blue Girl stacked in a
restaurant window

Most Chinese restaurants in the city carry the beer.  In the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island you can see boxes of Blue Girl stacked to the ceiling in some places.  I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the beer is more prevalent than bottled water in some parts of the city.  Blue Girl has that wonderful, easy-to-drink flavor that makes these kind of beers perfect for drinking with food.  No trip for dim sum in Hong Kong would be complete without having at least 1 (or a few) Blue Girl beers.  

Advertisements abound

It's interesting to think about how a brand can represent a specific place and/or time.  As I wonder around New Orleans, I constantly find old Dixie Beer advertisements plastered on the sides of buildings or on bar signs.  For those unfamiliar with Dixie Beer, it used to be the New Orleans equivalent of Budweiser or Miller Lite before the brewery was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.  Following the closure of the Jax and Falstaff breweries, Dixie had a large portion of the local beer market until 2005.  The beer is still available, but it is now contract-brewed in Wisconsin.  Also, the price now places it in the "craft beer" category.  No longer the cheap, local option, Dixie has slipped from its place in the psyche of the city.  However, it's brand identity still remains strong.  Even today, despite its relatively hefty price tag, you'll still see people at restaurants chowing down on crawfish with a Dixie Beer in hand.  

So the next time you're in Hong Kong, head over to Club 7-11 and pick yourself up a Blue Girl beer.  Your trip isn't complete without one!  

Please post in the comments section if you have any information on this Blue Girl beer's history.  

Dining on a Budget: World's Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant

Outside Facade

On my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I made a stop at the world famous Tim Ho Wan.  The restaurant currently holds the wonderful title as the world's cheapest restaurant with a Michelin Star.  This oxymoron instantly got the restaurant put on my list of "must see" attractions in a city know for its amazing restaurants.  Since I have little to no money to my name, I try to never miss anything with the words "cheapest" in the title.  Believe me the restaurant did not disappoint and delivered on its promise of being both cheap and amazing.

The location of the restaurant I ate at has the unfortunate address of 9 Fuk Wing Street.  That's right.  That is seriously the address.  Even if the food wasn't good, the address alone might have gotten me to go.  The restaurant sits on the northern edge of the Mong Kok neighborhood in Kowloon, just a short walk from Prince Edward Station.  It's fantastically easy to get to, so you have no excuse for not going.    

Menu

The outside of the restaurant is completely unassuming.  In fact, I nearly walked past the place.  Had I not seen the restaurant on an Anthony Bourdain special, I most certainly would have walked right past it without a second thought.  Luckily, I didn't have to wait in line to get a seat, which might be a problem on weekends.  I recommend going at an off-peak time, just in case of a rush.  

The restaurant has many specialties including BBQ pork buns.  These pork buns are amazing and should not be missed under any circumstances. Because of the sweetness of the buns, they could be eaten as a main dish or a dessert.  These buns more than lived up to the hype.  Our waitress didn't speak very much English.  However when I asked about the restaurant's specialties, she didn't point me to the most expensive items on the menu.  This is always a really good sign at any restaurant.  She also suggested a  rice dish pictured below which I really enjoyed.  Be warned though, the rice dish had cilantro.  I avoid cilantro at all costs because I think it tastes terrible and overpowers anything it's in.  However, I didn't mind it that much in the rice.  But it still packs a punch.  

Our Meal

Tim Ho Wan also does dumplings with a mixture of shrimp and pork.  These also come deep fried.  Like everything else on the menu, these are amazing.  Overall, shrimp and pork are the main staples of this place, and the restaurant does them extremely well.  So well in fact that I will definitely stop by the next time I am in Hong Kong.

The bill came out surprisingly cheap, even considering its title as the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant.  Three of us ate for around $20 USD.  Not bad in one of the world's most expensive cities.  Plus, the ability to tell your friends you ate at the world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant is priceless.  

Pascal Manale's: Local Institution

It's not often that I write a post that has nothing to do with the Middle Kingdom.  However, I felt the need to highlight one of the places that make my new home of New Orleans such a special city.  On the upriver side of Napoleon Avenue sits a true local institution.  Pascal Manale's restaurant is the kind of place with wood paneled walls and a well worn bar.  One of the few establishments that is equally as welcoming to someone wearing gym shorts as someone in a three piece suit.

New Orleans memorabilia decorates the walls.  Several of the posters are from the Super Bowls held at the old Tulane Stadium just a few blocks upriver.  Pictures of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant also adorn the walls.  Let's just say it's an eclectic group of patrons.  Walking around the barroom and seeing on the photos and memorabilia is certainly part of the experience.  

Photo courtesy of the restaurant's website

The bar does an insane happy hour.  Drinks are half price and a dozen oysters will run you around $8.  The oyster bar is one of the main attractions of this place.  Opposite the real bar is the standing only oyster bar where a shucker stands shucking oysters for the customers.  The oyster bar will accommodate about five people, and even that is a squeeze.  Make sure the ask the person working the oyster bar where the oysters came from.  The bar tender will tell you a number that corresponds to a section on a map of south Louisiana.  It's cool to know exactly where the oysters come from, and this adds a cool novelty to the experience.

I would like to recommend something from the menu but I can't.  I've never eaten off the menu.  According to the internet they have great barbecue shrimp.  However, every time I go to this place, the happy hour deal calls my name like a siren, and I end up eating a dozen oysters.  If you're ever in New Orleans and looking to eat at a local institution, avoid the hipsters on Magazine Street checkout Pascal Manale's.            

Chinese New Year or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Lunar Calender

Chinese New Year, CNY for the texters out there, is approaching fast.  Often referred to as Spring Festival, Lunar New Year, or Chunjie, this holiday has more names than Larry King has had wives.  It serves as the paramount holiday throughout most of East Asia, and many people around the world take the opportunity to light off a few roman candles.  I am in the process of getting hyped up for traveling, fireworks, and Chinese food, while mentally preparing myself for the 8 hours in front of the TV for this year's Spring Festival Gala.   Some good and not so good things make this holiday unique.  Luckily I plan to walk you through them and guide you to all the wonderful Spring Festival events, while steering clear of the pitfalls.

The Good

Temple Fairs - Temple Fairs are like giant garage sales that occur at temples during Spring Festival.  Usually they offer tacky souvenirs and fireworks at cut rate prices.  They also provide great opportunities to visit some of Beijing's lesser known temples.  Make sure to take the opportunity to practice your Chinese bargaining skills.

Boiled Dumplings

Food - The traditional meal for Chinese New Year is of course dumplings.  The boiled variety to be exact.  Making them with the family makes for a wonderful experience and cooks up a few precious memories.  However, eating them certainly is the highlight of the holiday's culinary adventures.  Fish is also a traditional meal around the holiday season, but I advise sticking with the dumplings.  They usually don't have bones like the fish.

Spring Festival Gala - Okay, Okay.  I know I made a joke about this earlier, but the Spring Festival Gala is an important part of any CNY celebration in Mainland China.  The world's most watched yearly TV program (take that Super Bowl), the Gala boasts an array of comedians, performers, and musicians.  Many of China's very important and recognizable celebrities make appearances.  The program is also notable for the first appearance of Canadian, Mandarin speaking sensation DaShan 大山.  I certainly enjoyed last year's Gala for the ironic performance of a dancing troop performing an interpretive dance about punishing land owners for China's elite and well-connected.

Canadian superstar Da Shan running with what appears to
be the Olympic Torch

Hongbao - Children receive red, money-filled envelopes for CNY from their relatives.  Called a Hong Bao, these envelopes contain money.  Now, I am a little old for Hong Baos, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that I might receive a Hongbao or two this holiday season.   

The Bad

Fireworks - I know setting off fireworks is fun, and the novelty of lighting off fireworks in their homeland is an opportunity not to be missed, but the fireworks really go overboard.  Expect a 6 a.m. wake up call consisting of cherry bombs and bottle rockets.  Also, be prepared for minimum regard for human health and safety.  Be careful out there people.  It's like a warzone.  

The Ugly

Recent incidents have made flying in China
unappealing.  Why not take the bus instead?

Travel - Traveling in China during Spring Festival is an absolute nightmare.  The government estimates that over 2 billion journeys will be undertaken during this year's season, so prepare for long waits, delays, and traffic jams.  On the upside, staying put has its advantages.  Beijing is largely deserted during Chinese New Year, giving the whole city the feeling of an episode of Life After People.  Last I even got a seat on Line 10 during the holiday season.  A feat unlikely to ever be repeated.

Chinese New Year represents the cultural Holy Grail for sinophiles looking to immerse themselves in Chinese culture.  A word of advice; make sure to set goals for yourself during the holiday season, so you don't spend everyday on the couch watching reruns.  This year I am hoping to step up my Mahjong game and become a serious contender.    

Tourist in Your Own Country

Roughing it seaside

Someone smart once said that you should never become a tour guide in your hometown.  Truer words were never spoken.  The tired, old places and things that have long sensed blended into the background of memory might make wonderful and exciting sights for a first time visitor.  By that logic, I probably wasn't the best tour guide for my girlfriend's first trip to the United States.  I made sure to mitigate her expectations before the trip.  She watches a lot of American TV shows, and I felt the need to prepare her for visiting the midwest.  She seemed disappointed when we had "the talk" about a week before we left for America.  Basically I told her Rachel and Ross lived in New York, which is tall, and we were going to Indiana which is very spread out.  I also made sure to stress the fact that unlike the entire cast of Friends, not all Americans are white and look alike (sometimes I get Ross and Joey and Phoebe and Rachel confused).  

Please don't feed the birds

At Naval Air Museum 

Classic jumping photo

The trip went well for a few reasons.  Most women like to shop.  It's sexist but true, and Indiana has some great outlet malls.  I owe my aunt a debt of gratitude for taking Tang Qi to the outlet mall so I didn't have to do it.  Tang Qi enjoyed meeting my family and learning the local dialect of English.  This was great for me.  It lessoned the financial burden on my wallet, and we didn't need to make expensive excursions to New York or Chicago.  However, I did reach a point during my family vacation to Florida when I priced airfare for an early return to China.  This feeling eventually lessened though never really passed, but Tang Qi had so much fun that I couldn't really have left even if I wanted to.  Our two day trip to visit New Orleans let us spend some time with the laid back part of the family and greatly reduced my stress levels.                

Everyone thinks they're a DJ

At Deanie's 

Pacer's Game

Classic Rosie

Another great tourist attraction was of course the food.  Despite my failed attempts at hyping American-Chinese food, she seemed to really like American food.  It was nice to finally lay the myth of homogenous American cuisine to bed.  While living in China, I have been constantly bombarded with Chinese culinary propaganda about the diversity of the food here.  Really it's about half true, but it's made me realize just how diverse the food in the United States is compared to other countries.  Tang Qi had a great time exploring the restaurants.  Her favorite was the oyster bar, imaginatively named Oyster Bar, we ate at in Pensacola, FL.  

Classic couple photo

French Quarter Highlight

Where are all the people?

America made for a great vacation destination, letting Tang Qi meet my family, explore somewhere new, and enjoy a slower pace of life.  I got my "freedom fix" by reading news that wasn't government propaganda, and I enjoyed the "American Renaissance" that I've missed out on while living in China.  Catching up with old friends was a great end to my trip to America.  Though my liver didn't really like the affordability of American bars.  

Getting on the right track

I always tell others that it's the people in a place that actually make it worth visiting.  The Grand Canyon is just a hole in the ground, the really interesting part is the Native Americans and others who call the area home.  New Orleans would just be a swamp below sea level if it didn't have the amazing Creole, French, Spanish, African, Cajun, and American culture that make it such a unique and vibrant melting pot.  And Indiana would just be a bunch of emptiness without the people who call it home.

     

     

For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls

The Bride on the big day

I attended a Chinese wedding over the October 1st holiday, and I must say, I found it interesting, surprising, and enjoyable.  Thoughts about the Chinese wedding traditions I might see during the wedding ceremony dominated my thoughts the day before the event.  I hoped for crazy and unique traditions that might perk up the tired formula of the old "here comes the bride" style wedding that I am used to back in Indiana.  The pre-wedding festivities certainly delivered the goods.  I tagged along with my girlfriend to the bride's hotel room at the terribly early time of 7 in the balmy Beijing morning.

Tang Qi having a bit of fun

We arrived to discover the bride sitting on her bed dressed in a western-style wedding dress.  In one hand rested her cell phone, in the other sat an apple.  After a volley of photos and congratulations, the door of the hotel room slammed shut and things became quieter.....though still loud by most standards.  The groom and his groomsmen showed up at the hotel room to claim the bride.  A symbolic bargaining session transpired with the groomsmen slipping "hongbaos", or traditional monetary gifts in red envelopes, under the door.  Eventually the goodnatured negotiations broke-down, and the groom and his groomsmen politely forced their way into the hotel room, handing out hongbaos to the bride's entourage with complementary smiles thrown in for good measure.

Getting ready for the reception

The groom carried the bride to the elevator and out to a waiting car, because the bride's feet aren't supposed to touch the ground before the wedding ceremony.  Both entourages filed to the ground floor where a fleet of black Audi's waited.  Note: A black Audi is the official car of party cadres and symbolizes power and status in China, so it was little surprise what kind of cars were waiting for us.

The Bride and Groom meeting in the aisle

Friends and family greeted our arrival at the groom's apartment at 8:30 in the morning.  Another wave of pictures followed after we made landfall at the groom's apartment, and the atmosphere was smoky as a honky-tonk, but very amicable and excited.  Again the bride sat cross-legged on a bed, clutching an apple.  Next we moved the party to the venue at the Hepingli Hotel.  Here is where the traditional Chinese wedding stopped being so traditional, and became more "western", or at least what passes for "western" in mainland China.  If you can't tell by my condescending tone, the way the term "western" is applied to everything in mainland China as a substitute for "new", "foreign", and "popular" has started to wear on my nerves.  The ceremony resembled an abbreviated version of an American wedding reception.  Speeches were made, food was eaten, toasts were made, and an MC (I don't know who the guy was) presided over the event.  The only traditional part was the food, and it was worth the price of admission.  I was a little worried by the cold, meat appetizers.  They are very common in China.  Despite a year here, I haven't adapted to them.  I just find it difficult to eat cold meat, but my fear were silenced by the great shichime and squirrel fish.  The menu boasted some great gastronomic surprises.  I didn't know the country of Georgia produced wine, but do yourself a favor and go pick up a bottle.

By western standards, Chinese weddings are short affairs, and this was no exception.  The entire thing, ceremony and reception, lasted about an hour and a half.  On a personal note, I had a great time, and it was interesting to see the melding of Chinese wedding traditions and western television weddings.  The bride and groom looked happy, and there isn't much else you can ask for.



          

            

Average "Jiu": Navigating the Complicated World of Chinese Baijiu

Moutai Baijiu on the shelves

Chinese baijiu doesn't have the fame of its close cousins Japanese sake and Korean soju.  This is probably due in large part to the fact that it is usually unpalatable.  You might ask why I'd chose to write an article about it then.  The simple answers are that its the world's most consumed spirit and a huge part of Chinese culture.  No trip to China would be complete without sampling some of this crazy liquor that the locals love.

The Chinese relationship with baijiu and foreigners goes hand-in-hand.  As a foreigner they will constantly pressure you to drink it, while simultaneously telling you how terrible it tastes.  After you drink it, they will usually think both less and more of you as a person.  The love affair with the spirit means you'll likely be forced to drink it at some point during a dinner.  While I wouldn't say any baijiu is good, even the expensive Maotai brand, some brands are worse than others.  I recommend putting your bottle of baijiu in the fridge before you drink it.  This will make it more drinkable.

Baijiu making an appearance in the contemporary
classic Cocktail

People often drink the spirit out of tiny baijiu goblets that have the added bonus of making me feel like a giant when I drink from them.  A round of drinking includes lots of people saying"Ganbei".  Ganbei is the Chinese word of cheers, and no meal is complete until it is said at least 50 times.  The Chinese love their baijiu, so make learning about it a priority.  Tucked away in one of Beijing's quickly disappearing hutongs sits a entire museum dedicated to the liquid.  Make sure to check it out before it gets "restored" in a few weeks.  

Bad baijiu usually exudes a smell like finger nail polish remover.  The statement you just read is not a joke....finger nail polish remover.  It is very distinct to put it lightly

.  So maybe baijiu deserves its bad reputation, but I still strongly recommend you try it.  Just warn others about it before they pop their bottles of souvenir "Chinese sake".           

Burger Counter

I just finished my first week of Chinese classes, and I am enjoying the mooncakes from Mid-Autumn Festival probably a little too much.  The classes are pretty much exactly what I expected them to be.  You sit in a room with a teacher and some other students and repeat after the teacher while writing notes.  It's standard stuff.

The classes have started to affect my ability to operate in everyday life here in Beijing for the better.  Although I am still reluctant to let the locals knows that I speak Chinese.  Contrary to popular belief, not knowing the language will usually get you farther here in China.  My newest endeavor to adapt to Chinese culture has shifted my dietary tastes.  After class Tuesday, I couldn't stop myself from visiting Beijing's best kept secret for western cuisine.  Burger Counter is exactly what the name implies, a counter where you eat burgers.  As opposed to what it explicitly states....a counter made of burgers.  The tiny one-room establishment probably couldn't hold 10 people on a rainy day, but what he place lacks in size, it makes up for with great burgers at reasonable prices.


You might be wondering why I have chosen to highlight Burger Counter instead of one of Beijing's great Chinese restaurants or one of the super-deluxe western places that continue to proliferate like rabbits.  Burger Counter deserves notice because the lady behind the counter fixing the burgers doesn't speak English, making this place a welcome addition to my restaurant rotation.  At a time when every American place in town is owned by some overly charismatic 40-something expat, Burger Counter cuts through the blandness with original burger creations.  Do yourself a favor and try the Chili Con Carne Burger.

Visiting Burger Counter is always a pleasure, and its great selections of beers and sodas makes it a must stop for anyone homesick and visiting Beijing.  Just make sure you don't invite too many people to eat with you, because they won't be able to fit in the restaurant.