Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Due to weeks of cold and snow, we hadn’t been out of lonely little Broad Brook for over a month. We were craving dim sum and it was the weekend before Valentine’s Day. Off to Boston we went for a quiet day of good food, casual shopping and a relaxing stroll. Little did we know what awaited us.

We had forgotten that Chinese New Year celebrations were still going on. Arriving into Boston’s Chinatown felt like arriving at an outdoor rock festival halfway through the second day: crowds milling about aimlessly, smoke filling the air, groups of performers competing noisily for attention. It was frightening at first, and we knew our quiet day would be anything but. However, the enthusiasm was infectious and soon we were rushing to park the car and get in on the action.

Hard to believe, but I had never seen the lion dance at Chinese New Year, when the lion goes from door to door, accepting gifts of lettuce and oranges, tossing them to the crowd. Then the fireworks are lit to scare off evil spirits and the lion moves on. It is a spectacle of color, movement, rhythm and smoke. And it is not to be missed.

The performances are put on by different martial arts groups. In some cases, the lion is doing very athletic turns and jumps. In others, you get to see actual martial arts moves, like the gentleman above. I remember thinking as I watched him jump, kick and punch, "I can only hope to move as well as he when I am his age." Then I remembered that I was hungry, and it was time for dim sum.

For those who don’t know, dim sum is like a Chinese Brunch, best eaten at leisure on a weekend with family or friends. Women push carts loaded with delectable morsels through the dining room. They stop by your table and you pick what you would like to eat from them.

The morsels might be dumplings filled with shrimp or pork (or both), or they might be fried seafood or steamed clams. There are countless variations. But if you are lucky, you might get chicken feet. Trust me when I say this: if you have not eaten chicken feet during dim sum at a good Chinese restaurant, you still have something to look forward to in life. The combination of skin, fat, cartilage and sauce creates one of the most delectable delicacies I’ve ever known.

Sure they look funny, they are chicken feet. Everything about a chicken is funny. But don’t let that get in your way. You owe yourself that much. If it helps, look at it this way: You don't know what is in a hot dog and you damn sure don't know what is in a Taco Bell taco. At least with this, you know what you are getting, and once you've had one you will wonder why you hadn't been eating them all your life. 

After a painfully long wait (apparently everyone in Chinatown wanted to eat at the same restaurant), we had our leisurely meal, washing it down with a pot of strong, hot tea. And after that we walked along Newbury Street, did a little shopping, bought some bubble tea and finally made the drive back to lonely little Broad Brook (but not before picking up a to-go box of cha siu, roast chicken and roast duck for the next day's lunch).

It was an unexpectedly fine little trip - a day filled with interesting people, fascinating rituals, pyrotechnics, pork, Kung-Fu, chicken feet and sunny weather. It was a great way to begin the Year of the Rabbit. Gung hay fat choy!