My heart sank at baby squid.
1
@Zaldid Sorn Have you had calamari? Calamari means squid in Italian and Spanish...
1
@ Tim New Orleans
Thnak you, your idea of Dry Scallops carbonara leads to a Dry Scallops Pie or, in French, "noix de Saint-Jacques en croûte".
Checking menu on their website, I saw at least a few vegetarian choices.
Would appreciate if Times critics could report on these sometimes. Otherwise, a panoply of dead animals...
7
I wonder whether the crossed chopsticks in the photo is a right way to hold them.
1
Sigh. Thanks for making me go to bed hungry again. I live in CO, and we just do not have the yummy Sichuan I got in CA.
Guess I'll eat some crackers.
5
Much appreciate highlighting this restaurant. I find Cafe China to consistently serve some of the best Sichuan food in the city, but I agree that they don’t experiment much. Seems like a trip to Brooklyn is in order.
2
I had long since given up on this place after multiple disappointments, including some fish that was long past anything resembling fresh. After hearing this backstory I guess it is time revisit...
2
@Boris Brooklyn
Hope springs eternal. Good luck!
1
I love the picture No. 7, baby squid and dried scallops, but am not sure, what do "dry scallops" mean exactly.
From slide No. 1, a video could be made, to teach people how to eat a crunchy soft-shell crab with chopsticks.
3
@Tuvw Xyz Dried scallops are literally scallops that have been harvested and dried. They are then reconstituted in dishes as needed, and gives a briny undertone to soups and casseroles. the more you use the more umami you get.
12
@ TNT NYC
Thank you for your advice. I love scallops and shall look for the dried version. Then I shall try to restore them to near-natural state by soaking them in water, frying them in butter, and putting on them a thin layer of red caviar (salmon eggs). The latter gives them the taste of a salty sea that they lack.
2
@Tuvw Xyz Unfortunately I don't think they work like that. It would be like trying to rehydrate Country Ham back into fresh pork. The benefit of dried scallops is precisely that they are super salty, funky, and mineral like the salty sea. I think you could probably do something great with butter and carbs if you wanted to incorporate them into a more traditionally western preparation. Dried Scallop carbonara?
9