October 29, 2007 by willng24.

Going Green is a huge movement that has been getting a lot of attention. So where does Chinatown stand on the subject? Sadly, to say the Green movement has yet to gain traction in our neighborhood. It was rather difficult for me to find individuals who were even willing to speak to me about this subject. The few locals that I did talk to about going Green do care about the environment, but must justify the cost of changing their operations. The main reason for the lack of following is the cost. Many of these locals feel that going Green would not improve their business. They don’t believe their customers are environmentally conscious. How can we change this?

So until the transition over to a more environmentally friendly operation is cost effective, it will be up to the consumers to encourage our local business owner that we care about the environment. Chinatown has always had a bad reputation about cleanliness but with everyone’s help, we can change this.

Posted in AROUND C-TOWN | Print | 4 Comments »

October 23, 2007 by Chinatown Blogger.

Last Thursday Oct. 18, Chinatown was cordoned off to allow filmmakers to shoot scenes at the corner of Tyler and Beach Street. The Chinatown Blogger just happened to be walking by. Maybe the Chinatown Blogger will make it on to the big screen and his secret identity finally revealed! Look for the Keanu Reeves lookalike.

Posted in WORD ON THE STREET | Print | 1 Comment »

October 21, 2007 by willng24.

Sunday afternoon, yours truly and my group of hungry taste testers ventured into Chinatown to determine which bakery serves up the best pork bun.

Who are the judges? (sorry, no real names, but these are real people)

Yours truly – I’ve been eating buns my entire life. Even though I love pork buns, my favorite has to be the hot dog bun. I use to eat buns every week, but a turn for a healthier lifestyle has cut my bun consumption…until now

Boo Boo Woo – She’s not much of a bun eater, but she’s been with me on adventures for almost 7 years.

TByrd – She has to be the queen of buns. Her love for the tasty treat is what led me to do this test.

Eater X – Just like me, Eater X has been eating buns his entire life, but a healthier diet has lead him away from the bun scene. I don’t know how he does it since he lives and breaths Chinatown.

Before the judging. These buns were divide up for each of our judges to sample.

The Judging

We hit all 9 bakeries and judged their pork buns on the following metrics:

1) Bread – Softness and sweetness of the bread

2) Pork – Flavor, texture

3) Pork to Bread Ratio – Equal amount of bread and pork for every bite

4) Appearance – Browning, glazing and shape

5) Wax Paper – Ease of paper removal

6) Size – Does it matter?

7) Price – Not a huge factor, but a factor nonetheless

The Results

Bronze Medal: Crown Royal Bakery, 68 Beach St.

Their buns scored above average in almost all of the 7 categories with an approval rating of 67.5%. However the size was the only category where Crown Royal lost points. It was one of the smallest buns we tested. Crown Royal was one of the tastiest with the best balance of flavor, but the size left some of us wanting more.

Silver Medal: May’s Cake House, 223 Harrison Ave.

I probably go to this location more often than any of the others. The golden brown color and the great flavor of the pork just barely beat out Crown Royal for the #2 spot. Having an equal approval rating of 67.5%, it was a difficult decision to determine the runner up. The only place May’s lost points was in price. It is the most expensive at $0.90 per bun.

Gold Medal: Hing Shing Pastry Inc., 67 Beach St.

Without a doubt, Hing Shing bakery was clearly the best bun in town. With an approval rating of 85% it blew its completion out of the water. It was also the only bakery to receive a perfect score from one of our judges. The only downfall of this bakery is that it doesn’t open as early as the others. So, you early risers will have to wait a little longer before sinking your teeth into the tastiest bun in town.

Some of the buns just didn’t make the cut.

Final Note:

Stomach aches and food comas were felt by all judges. Do not try this at home without the supervision of the Around C-Town blogger.

Posted in AROUND C-TOWN | Print | 2 Comments »

October 19, 2007 by Chinatown Blogger.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT NOMINATION PAPERS:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007 @ 5:00PM at
65 Harrison Ave. Suite 203, Boston MA 02111

ELECTION DATE:
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2007 9AM-5PM
Sovereign Bank - Harrison Ave. and Beach St.

Nomination papers can be picked up at the following locations:
- Chinatown Cafe, 262 Harrison Ave. Boston
- St. James Church, 135 Harrison Ave. Boston
- Harrison Cafe, 177 Harrison Ave. Boston

Seven seats are open for election this year for 3 year terms in the following categories:

Resident category - 2 Open Seats
Must be resident of the neighborhood defined as the area bounded by a line running down the center of the following streets: (from East Berkeley St, Tremont St, Charle St, Boylston St, West St, Washington St, Bedford St, Kingston St, Surface Artery, and to East Berkeley St.)

Agency category - 1 Open Seat
Must be legally recognized to provide services i.e. economic, health, educational, recreational, religious, cultural and/or social, located in the Chinatown/South Cove area with a letter of nomination from their agency.

Organization category - 2 Open Seats
Candidate must be Asian and belonging to a recognized, functioning, community entry in existence for more than three years and providing membership to Asians for fraternal, social, recreational, and/or cultural advantages for Asians.

Business category - 1 Open Seat (note: 1 Year Term)
Must be a business owner or shareholder (at least 10%)
of a legitimate business with proper verification located in the Chinatown/South Cove neighborhood.

Others category - 1 Open seat
Must be of Asian ethnicity who has shown great interest and participation in the Chinatown/South Cove neighborhood affairs but live elsewhere in the State of the Commonwealth.

• Non-Asians may only run for office in the CNC if they are residents of the neighborhood as defined in the resident category.

• All candidates must comply with the definition of their stated category, maintain such status at the time of the Public Election and throughout their terms if elected.

Posted in CHINATOWN CALENDAR | Print | No Comments »

October 19, 2007 by willng24.

Around C-Town and his gang of hungry taste testers will be hitting the streets of Chinatown to determine the best “Bao” in town. So if you see us, Cheer us on!!! A full review will be published after the testing.

So where do you think has the best Pork Bun? Eldo? May’s? Drop me a line with your take.

Only one bakery will win….

Posted in AROUND C-TOWN | Print | 2 Comments »