my dadi's adventures in chinatown
many of my very first memories from my childhood are related to dadi taking me to chinatown. it's funny that i've come full circle, as after his passing, i've moved very close to chinatown and revisit many places that he used to take me to:
Wonton Garden - his favorite spot for beef tendon and turnips over rice. i remember always stopping here late at night after picking up or dropping off someone at JFK, so he could pick up a steaming hot bowl of his favoite dish. i just ate it for lunch today, in honor of him (and it also tastes great too!)
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - he always took me here after a meal in chinatown, and when i tried to order chocolate or vanilla, he would say "this is a chinese ice cream store, you should order mango or sesame or something chinese!" i think i would listen to him half the time. nowadays, when i go here, i always order something unusual. in fact, where ever i eat, i always try to order their specialty (is this a leftover trait from him?)
Ho-Chen Chatham Sqaure Dim Sum - i just recently re-discovered this place after my mom came to visit me and told me about it again. i remember many, many times of sitting in the back of our double-parked car, while dadi or momi would run in and get dim sum to go. and then we would all eat it together in the car. and then we would drive through the holland tunnel after filling our tummies with shrimp dumplings (momi's favorite), pork buns (my favorite), and turnip cake (one of dadi's favorites). i don't know how much it cost back then, but to this day their dim sum is only 60 cents to $1.80!!
Maria's Bakery - this place isn't around anymore, now it is a different bakery, but i distinctly remember not liking this place because they would charge 50 cents for water in a paper cup. i guess other people didn't like them either, maybe that's why they closed down. but i think dadi used to get me egg custards from here (those i liked!)... now the new bakery has yummy mango sponge cakes.
Foley Square - this is where i take my dog for walks every day, as it is right across the street from my apartment, and this is also where dadi parked the car once, and someone stole some stuff from it. and then i saw some poor bum carrying one of our bags with my sticker on it, told my dad. he followed him around and the bum said "go back to china!" so my dad called the police and they searched the bum, but found nothing except for my ballerina tutu or something. so i think the bum just found the bag in the trash and the real culprit got away.
i am sure my dad is laughing at how funny it is that i ended up right back where i started. and it's nice to feel so many memories about him walking around my neighborhood. no matter how many things change here, i think he will always come back and visit here. i think it will always be one of his favorite places to go.
thanks, dadi, for showing me how cool chinatown is - even back in the 80s! i love you.
Wonton Garden - his favorite spot for beef tendon and turnips over rice. i remember always stopping here late at night after picking up or dropping off someone at JFK, so he could pick up a steaming hot bowl of his favoite dish. i just ate it for lunch today, in honor of him (and it also tastes great too!)
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory - he always took me here after a meal in chinatown, and when i tried to order chocolate or vanilla, he would say "this is a chinese ice cream store, you should order mango or sesame or something chinese!" i think i would listen to him half the time. nowadays, when i go here, i always order something unusual. in fact, where ever i eat, i always try to order their specialty (is this a leftover trait from him?)
Ho-Chen Chatham Sqaure Dim Sum - i just recently re-discovered this place after my mom came to visit me and told me about it again. i remember many, many times of sitting in the back of our double-parked car, while dadi or momi would run in and get dim sum to go. and then we would all eat it together in the car. and then we would drive through the holland tunnel after filling our tummies with shrimp dumplings (momi's favorite), pork buns (my favorite), and turnip cake (one of dadi's favorites). i don't know how much it cost back then, but to this day their dim sum is only 60 cents to $1.80!!
Maria's Bakery - this place isn't around anymore, now it is a different bakery, but i distinctly remember not liking this place because they would charge 50 cents for water in a paper cup. i guess other people didn't like them either, maybe that's why they closed down. but i think dadi used to get me egg custards from here (those i liked!)... now the new bakery has yummy mango sponge cakes.
Foley Square - this is where i take my dog for walks every day, as it is right across the street from my apartment, and this is also where dadi parked the car once, and someone stole some stuff from it. and then i saw some poor bum carrying one of our bags with my sticker on it, told my dad. he followed him around and the bum said "go back to china!" so my dad called the police and they searched the bum, but found nothing except for my ballerina tutu or something. so i think the bum just found the bag in the trash and the real culprit got away.
i am sure my dad is laughing at how funny it is that i ended up right back where i started. and it's nice to feel so many memories about him walking around my neighborhood. no matter how many things change here, i think he will always come back and visit here. i think it will always be one of his favorite places to go.
thanks, dadi, for showing me how cool chinatown is - even back in the 80s! i love you.
posted by abusygirl | 6:00 PM
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