Baiye's Profile
Where to find Shichimi Togarashi in Boston?
I have bottles from Sun Sun and Reliable Market. By the way, Nanami Tougarashi is the same thing, "seven flavor chili pepper".
Black garlic in Boston?
What exactly does one do with it? And how long does it last?
I must confess we bought a package of black garlic at H-Mart, probably about a year ago, but never quite got up the nerve to open it.
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H-Mart
3 Old Concord Rd, Burlington, MA 01803
Premium quality tofu in Greater Boston?
I think the 21st Century (which I get at Russo's) is worth seeking out. Beautiful creamy flavor.
All forms of Chang Shing (widely available) are very good. The blocks in the tubs are fresh, though even the firm breaks easily. We also like their soy milk.
Nasoya Extra Firm tastes decent and is easy to cook with.
House brand Tofu cutlets are among the things that get us to go to H-Mart.
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H-Mart
3 Old Concord Rd, Burlington, MA 01803
Where be Cask Ales?
To this list, I would add Cambridge Brewing Company. In the last year, they've expanded from their Tuesday cask nights, and generally have a cask on. You can also find maps of cask in Boston on the nerax.org website.
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Cambridge Brewing Company
1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02139
Need Dim Sum tutorial so don't make an idiot of myself w/ new stepson
I like the carts, so my two favorites are Hei La Moon and China Pearl.
For time of day, I suggest 11am on Saturdays, and 10:30 on Sundays.
Since you're adventurous, and dim sum is cheap, I'd say don't worry about avoiding things. Ask the cart ladies to lift the lids and order anything that looks interesting. If it tastes good, great! If not, you learned something.
By the way, most places will serve you jasmine tea by default. You can get black tea or chrysanthemum tea if you ask.
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Hei La Moon
88 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111
China Pearl Restaurant
288 Mishawum Rd, Woburn, MA 01801
where to buy a whole Goose?
We just picked up a frozen goose at the Stop & Shop in Watertown. They range from 10-12 lb @ 4.29 lb.
Help Me Find an Alternative to Gourmet Dumpling House
Second for Great Taste. We also like Vinh Sun.
Where to find good meaty short ribs
I believe if you call ahead and speak to the meat department, you ought be able to arrange a pickup of flanken cut short ribs. Not all locations of WF will have someone who knows what that means, so call. As I recall, we've had the best luck at the Newton location.
NERAX (NE Real Ale Exhibition) Tix on Sale
Tickets are available at the door. Check the NERAX website for details.
NERAX North will probably be in November again, but a date hasn't been set.
Chinese plateware
Most of the grocery stores in Chinatown have a plateware aisle. We've been getting our ceramic spoons and bowls and suchlike at Sun Sun for years. We've managed to find bigger items like sandy pots at Cheng Kwong/Super 88 and Cmart. Reliable also has nice things.
It's a pity the RS place went under, isn't it?
Bao Bao Bakery
I like their red bean buns. They also do a soft loaf of bread filled with red bean paste. Yum!
40% food tax increase?
I think it would be very entertaining to watch which cities and towns choose to tack on the extra 1% for themselves. Obviously, the city of Boston will. What about other towns with great food cultures? Will towns with boring food leave out the 1% and try to be cheaper places to eat? Will there be more beer & wine licenses to raise the total bill for that extra 1%?
Pampas is Delicious, Props to Itaunas, Wicked Bargain
Are they related to the late lamented Pampas of Cambridge?
Shiki report (embarrassingly long)
That all sounds wonderful. We've only been once, and I can confirm that chawanmushi is delightful. We also liked the tsukemono and vegetable tempura. On the downside was some chicken that was quite pink and something neba-neba with yamaimo.
When you say "negative sticker shock", does that mean it was less than you expected? Because it's still more that we usually care to spend for dinner.
Why is Thai food in boston so bad?
Just another vote for Rod Dee, here. We tried Dok Bua once, and it's okay, but we won't likely stray from Rod Dee again when in Brookline. Further out, we are also fond of Lanna Thai Diner and Green Papaya.
Having been subjected to a fair amount of overpriced, bland, glooey sweet "Thai" food in places that shall not be named, I can understand the OP's attitude. Don't give up!
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Lanna Thai Diner
901 Main St, Woburn, MA 01801
Green Papaya
475 Winter St # 1, Waltham, MA
Best authentic chinese food in the area?
Great, if you stick to the Suan Lo Char Shou.
Best authentic chinese food in the area?
I second Sichuan Gourmet (Billerica and Framingham) and Chilli Garden in Medford. Both make a lovely tendon in chili sauce appetizer.
I can't think of a place that has garlicky tendon, though.
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Chilli Garden
41 Riverside Ave, Medford, MA 02155
Sichuan Gourmet
502 Boston Rd, Billerica, MA 01821
Where can I find some bizarre foods resturants in Boston?
A common combination for rice congee in dimsum places is shredded pork and preserved egg.
Where can I find some bizarre foods resturants in Boston?
We're on the right track.
I think I've most often seen congealed blood as a tray of liver-like cubes in the steam tables (is that a fair term?) off to the side.
The bowl I'm thinking of has turnip, honeycomb tripe, and (maybe) liver. I last recall ordering it at Emperor's Garden, and we saw it recently at China Pearl. I don't think it's quite as offal-y as this "bowl of guts:"
http://www.deependdining.com/2005/04/dim-sum-bowl-of-guts-enter-deep-end.html
Where can I find some bizarre foods resturants in Boston?
Does dim sum count? Tripe, both honeycomb and book. Jellyfish. Chicken feet. Chicken rolls with fish maw and taro. I'm not even sure what the liver-like substance is that is sometimes heaped in a bowl with turnips.
Another Shabu place in Harvard Square
Shabu-Ya has appeared in the spot where the Malaysian place used to be, across from India Club. The menu seems more focused than Shabu Square, basically shabu-shabu and sushi. I haven't tried it yet.
Shabu-shabu is great cold-weather food, but does Harvard Square really need two of them?
Local Fresh Turkey
I'm just now finishing off the leftover from the Misty Knoll turkey we reserved a at our local Star/Shaw's. Best turkey we've ever had. 14 lb.
The Fish Lady looking to go year-round
Maybe she should talk to the New Amsterdam Project about delivery services.
Farmer's Mkts, CSAs, & Farm Stands September
I went to the City Hall market for the first time yesterday. I saw Noquochoke Orchards and Stillman's. I got some carrots from Keown Orchards and a colorful mix of cute little potatoes at Silverbrook.
Good, Cheap Ethnic Food in Watertown?
Shangri-La is my number one pick.
For Thai food, Tantawan is passable.
For Mexican, I prefer a taco fix from Felipe's in Harvard Square.
For Indian, you'll do better going to Moody Street in Waltham. Search the boards for names.
I hope you enjoy discovering the Armenian and Persian food in Watertown!
Back in Billerica -- Sichuan Gourmet, hoo boy!
Where to begin? Beef tendon in chili sauce. Chengdu noodles. Dan dan noodles. Mapodofu. Smoky chicken with hot chili. Beef with green chili. If you need to cool down, Rainbow chicken.
However, I have not had any soups I liked at Sichuan gourmet.
Best place to shop for pantry staples and storage containers?
I'm a cheapskate, so my favored storage container is an old peanut butter jar.
For larger containers, you could inquire at places that sell bulk, like the Harvest co-op or Whole Foods, and ask if they have any empty containers. 5 gallon buckets are very durable.
I believe you can get a case discount at WF, but you have to ask.
Time for Farmers' Market reports
Stillman's was at Charles Square last Sunday.
Siena at Copley last Tuesday had lots of neat veggies, including bags of stinging nettles.
