Chinatown

I previously posted about Empress Pavilion, the Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown, but didn't really touch on all there is to do in the LA Chinatown. 

The area that encompasses Chinatown was originally Los Angeles' Little Italy.  In the 1920s and 30s, Italians began moving out of Little Italy to elsewhere in the city. When the Italians moved out, the Chinese began moving in.  In the 1930s, under the efforts of Chinese American community leader Peter Soo Hoo Sr., the design and operational concepts for the Chinatown evolved through the collective community process, resulting in a blend of both Chinese and American architecture. The Los Angeles Chinatown saw major development, especially as a tourist attraction, throughout the 1930s with the development of the "Central Plaza", a Hollywoodized version of Shanghai, containing names such as Bamboo Lane, Gin Ling Way and Chung King Road. Chinatown was designed by Hollywood film set designers and a "Chinese" movie prop was subsequently donated by the legendary film director Cecil B. DeMille to give Chinatown an exotic atmosphere. Today, this section of Chinatown is less frequented by ethnic Chinese residents and dayshoppers, though it is where several benevolent associations are located.



This neighborhood is very convenient to the Metro Gold line, if you so choose to venture out on LA's booming public transportation system.  There is a page dedicated to the adventure through Experience LA - Chinatown.





We decided to drive there on a Sunday afternoon.  It was hard to find parking, the streets were crowded, and there were a lot of people out.  We walked the streets looking in the shops for deals on knick knacks, got lunch, and had a drink.  We didn't get a chance to go into the museums, however I recommend if you go to Chinatown, try to check out some of the historical monuments and attractions.  Every 1st Saturday on the month there is a walking tour of Chinatown for $20.

Art galleries are also becoming a big attraction on Chung King Road.  On art opening nights, which occur on Saturdays every few weeks, throngs of LA art enthusiasts come to check out the latest in a the new galleries.  It’s a strange and somewhat romantic scene, with the alley’s lanterns and worn-out gallery facades, as if pulled from some derelict 1950s movie set. Yet, it’s a scene that has become a new center for art in Los Angeles. Some describe it as a displaced Westside arts district — hip, edgy and young. And while the art is breaking boundaries, the galleries are still paying tribute to the culture of Chinatown; many have kept the original storefront names.

All in all, Chinatown is a definite must stop on a tour of LA. There is plenty to do and see, it will keep you busy for quite awhile.

Hop Louie - Scorpion Bowl

Hop Louie is an old school Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. We went during the day and the purpose was to get a scorpion bowl. A scorpion bowl is an alcoholic concoction mainly served in Chinese restaurants. It contains fruit juice (typically orange and lemon juice), rum (usually a dark rum like Myers, or a Jamaican Gold rum), and brandy. Gin is frequently added to increase the strength of the drink. While the above ingredients can be pre-mixed together, a champagne "floater" is best added last.  Generally it is served in a large bowl with an umbrella, fruit and straws.

It was a Sunday and the actual bar did not open until evening so we sat at a table in the restaurant and had a the Scorpion Bowl. The waitress made the drink in the upstairs small bar area.  We ordered one because I expected it to be big.  The drink tasted like I imagined it would however was missing the grandeur I was looking for.  For this place to be known for its scorpion bowls something was missing.  Perhaps if we'd gone when the actual bar was open the experience would have been different but as it stands I was not impressed.

The atmosphere was laid back, with a few families eating Sunday afternoon meals.  It's definitely 60's style and from what I hear the food isn't that good.  I would only recommend going to this place if you go when the bar is actual open.  Maybe they will have actual scorpion bowls.

Empress Pavilion - Dim Sum

Believe it or not I had never had Dim Sum before going to Empress Pavilion last week.  I've had my share of Chinese food but I've never sat down for the Dim Sum experience. I had no idea what to expect.  I knew it would be small plates but that's about it!

The Chinese call the little delicacies served as snacks during tea time “dim sum”, which translates into "touching your heart." Dim sum is usually linked with the older tradition from yum cha (tea tasting). Rural farmers, exhausted after working hard in the fields, would go to teahouses for a relaxing afternoon of tea. At first, it was considered inappropriate to combine tea with food, because people believed it would lead to excessive weight gain. People later discovered that tea can aid in digestion, so teahouse owners began adding various snacks. 

 

The unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the Cantonese in southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience. Consistent with this tradition, dim sum restaurants typically only serve dim sum until mid-afternoon and serve other kinds of Cantonese cuisine in the evening. 

We went for Dim Sum on a Sunday afternoon to Empress Pavilion.  It was hot out in Chinatown so the air conditioning of the restaurant was refreshing.  We sat at a big round table (just the two of us) and waited for the first cart to come around.  The restaurant was pretty crowded and noisy. Not really knowing what to expect I passed on the first offerings.  Besides, she had a lot of dessert, but I wanted to see the other plates.  We started with fried dumplings, which were dense, sweet, and quite filling.  We then had some BBQ baked pork buns, and fried shrimp.  Lastly, we got an order of seaweed salad.  That was more than enough food than we were able to finish so we took leftovers.  The bill was fairly cheap, $18 for everything.  The most expensive thing we got was the tea at $5 for the pot and I don't think we even had a option to have the tea or not. We were stuffed by the time we left but everything was delicious.

My best adivce is to go for dim sum in a big group; otherwise you'll fill up on a few items and miss the opportunity to sample everything. On the other hand, like us, you can always take home the leftovers! For the novice, the noisy atmosphere in a dim sum restaurant can take a bit of getting used to. But it's a great way to sample a variety of intriguing tastes and flavors.