Lost in Translation: Asian Restaurant and Store Names

 

Japanese grocery store in SmyrnaDSCN2306

Great little Japanese grocery store, tucked away in Smyrna


Some good eateries and grocery stores remain a mystery to newcomers, including several along Buford Highway, because they sometimes have different Asian and English names or no English names at all on signs. What you call it often depends on if you can read the Asian characters, the English name (if given) or like most of us, guess at the phoenetics, usually a mangled Americanized pronounciation.


Glimpse of Restaurant Research “Process”


When I ask my Chinese relatives or their friends to give me their restaurant recommendations, we go through this “a.k.a.” or also-known-as ritual:


1) They give me the Chinese name (or translation). I write it down in pinyin with the tone marks- Yi Tiao Long.


2) I clarify the Chinese name – One Dragon? (Yes) What is the English name? (We only know it as Yi Tiao Long. We’ll take you there to eat.) What road is it on? (Don’t know. It’s near Gwinnet Place Mall.)


3) Eventually, we eat there together and I take a look at the English on the sign and menu. Nothing says One Dragon, but it does say Sydney’s Buffet!?


4)  I tell my non-Asian-speaking friends about the Chinese and Japanese buffet at Yi Tiao Long, a.k.a. Sydney’s Buffet in Pleasant Hill!


The photo above is the storefront of a great little Japanese grocery, Tomato, in Smyrna (Windy Hill Rd/Cobb Pkwy).  It’s next to one of my favorite Japanese restaurants for lunch, Umezono’s. You can find good quality soy sauce, my niece’s favorite candy (Hi-Chews), oodles of noodles, refrigerated/frozen food, plus non-food items, like Asian herbal medicines.


I will do my best to dig out favorites in the community then “translate,” locate and share them with you here…


For more on restaurants, the Sweet & Sour of Eating Out and other tips…










Thanksgiving Tips: Asian Turkey Twist, Fusion Favorites

A few ideas to give your holiday dishes a little CSB fusion touch!


  • Give your turkey a little Asian 5-spice rub while it’s roasting (or add 1/2 tsp to brine)


  • Wasabi Butter Mashed Potatoes – YUM!


  • Color your stuffing: mix in 1/2 cup of Wild Sweet Black or Red Rice


  • Glazed, Gingered Sweet Potato or Ginger Pumpkin Pie  (just grate in 1/2 tsp fresh ginger)


  • Curried Collard Greens!  (Add 1/2 tsp curry powder or 1 tsp paste)


  • 5-Spice Rutabaga, Parsnip and Carrot Stew (soy sauce, garlic, onion, water, 5-spice powder)


A toast to homecooking, fall vegetables and family gatherings!









The Magic 3G’s!

Familiar to our cooking class regulars, the secret to many of our homestyle dishes is….


The 3 G’s!


  • Green onions
  • Garlic
  • Ginger


Fresh is a must, especially garlic and ginger. Powder or canned won’t do. Depending on the dish, the 3 G’s may be chopped, minced, sliced or in strips.  Stir fry them first in oil and mix in meat or veggies for instant “smells great in here” exclamations!


Tip:  Freeze your ginger in a ziplock for longer storage then grate it into your dishes!





2010 Halloween: Candy Revolution!

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The  Halloween candy I collected in my plastic pumpkin bucket twenty years ago seems to have gone virtually unchanged? No offense to SweetTarts and Snickers, but I don’t eat much traditional candy these days.  The super-sugary, artificially flavored/colored–cherry, orange, lemon, grape  -  doesn’t appeal much anymore.  I indulge in gourmet chocolate bars now, but they cost a lot more than an “allowance.”


I have my nostalgic favorites, of course,–remember Mary Jane’s,  Zots and Sugar Babies? And the traditional ritual of bargaining to get your favorites from siblings or friends afterwards when we inventoried our stash at the end of the night? Goldman Sachs would have been impressed by some of the negotiations and calculated trades that ensued for coveted Blow Pops!


What I have discovered are Asian candies that come in real tropical and zingy flavors, like mango, guava, melon, plum, lychee, yogurt, milk, starfruit, ginger, sesame, dark molasses, even durian! There are gummies, taffies, hard candy, crisps, brittles and nuts.  Most of the ones I’ve had from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines have natural flavoring so the cantaloupe taffy tastes just like the fruit! Some of them even have medicinal properties (ginger candy for indigestion, motion sickness, morning sickness). They seem to be “less bad” as candy goes, really tasty and a fun way to learn about different cultures.  I give them away as gifts and the parents and kids will vie and hide their favorites!


We cover them (with samples)  in our Asian Market Tours and I will regularly share my favorites.


I’m officially kicking off the CANDY REVOLUTION !   Halloween won’t ever be the same! :)






A Rice Cooker Rocks!


Whether it uses fancy “fuzzy” technology or is a simple one-button type like mine, a rice cooker will rock your world! Say goodbye to burnt on the bottom, dry or undercooked rice. No more watching the pot or stove!  The rice cooker is to Asians as the microwave is to Americans -  a must-have in the kitchen.  Most Chinese families use it daily.  I use it every week.


There are many different brands and dozens of models out there now. Traditional favorites are Datung, Zojirushi, National. Zojirushi is a quality brand and on the high end. Several Korean companies have come out with fashionable and affordable models.  I have not tested them all (and don’t plan to) so I can only tell you based on information from myself, friends and family.


I had an old Oster one that cooked fine but sputtered hot, messy steam from the lid’s edges.  Friends have complained about Sunbeam and one raved about her 10 year-old Panasonic model (even though the non-stick inner pot has started peeling). Some of the smaller sizes may not perform as well or may be designed differently than the medium and larger sizes, especially if it’s a loose fitting lid versus the click-close type. Even if you are cooking for one, I recommend getting a size larger for more versatility in cooking volume and quantity.


Please share your experience and recommendations with rice cookers here! It would be a helpful shoppers forum…





Born Again: Fusion Leftover Makeovers!


  • Leftover rice metamorphoses into great fried rice, burrito stuffing, Mexican stuffed peppers or chicken rice soup! Also good fodder for veggie burgers
  • Leftover pasta/noodles can be turned into Asian noodle soup, Lo Mein, pesto pasta, chili spaghetti, Chinese spaghetti, sesame noodles…
  • Leftover stir-fry is great with a little hoisin sauce and flour tortillas for express Moo Shu or Asian wraps at home!
  • Learn how to make weeknight veggie sushi, fast pan-fried spring rolls, 2-step fresh Thai basil rolls at our demos!
  • Lonely block of plain tofu or tempeh? Add salsa/tomato sauce, garlic, onions and make fast soy sloppy joes on multi-grain buns – you’ll never miss the meat!
  • Sushi doesn’t do well in the fridge overnight. I turned mine into a Sushi casserole –heated it up, topped it with soy sauce and creamy wasabi–not bad!
  • Take home that leftover curry sauce or soup base when dining! I add vegetables, tofu, noodles, etc the next day for a wonderful lunch or dinner. Less waste and stretches the sauce and dollars!


Come to my free Saturday Express Demos for fun tips, tasting and shopping list…





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