January 29, 2008 by willng24.

That is right.  The once popular Saugus Chinese Buffet restaurant has added the hot pot cuisine to their menu.  I was there last night and was actually impressed by the number of people dining on a Monday night.  My group of 4 had to wait 30 minutes for a table.  During this time I got a drink at the bar.  However, it was so dark I could hardly see what I had ordered.  A Bud Light and a red wine ran $11.50.  Rather high for a Chinese Restaurant, but about right for a buffet joint.

Once seated the feasting began.  The hot pot set up at Jin isn’t as nice as Shabu Zen.  Actually, it is the exact cookware I use at home (portable burners).  However, everyone is here for the food, not the cookware.  It is still buffet style as you had to go to each station to get the items you’d like to cook.  This was a bit of a hassle, but allowed me to move around as you wait for things to cook.  The variety of ingredients were great.  Everything from Prime Rib Eye to Sushi to that great Sesame Oil sauce.  Jin definitely did a great job on the variety.

The only downside to this dining experience was the lack of sweet treats.  Usually Jin has a whole section of cookies and pastries to ease your meal.  However, this time there were only a few preserved fruits and some cookies.  Additionally, the lack of the fishing net spoons made it difficult for me to scoop out the scallops I had cooking for much too long.

All in all the hot pot experience at Jin was great.  A little too far of a drive for my taste, but for $19 and all you can eat..it is surely a winner.  Ohh I forgot to mention, this has become so popular that Jin is raising their prices from $19 to $23.  I recommend you call ahead so you aren’t surprised.

The Chinatown Blogger had mentioned labor disputes in a past entry, but I surely didn’t see a hint of it while I was at Jin.  This location has always had trouble surviving because of the massive size of the restaurant, but I hope Jin is around for a little longer.

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January 23, 2008 by Chinatown Blogger.

Barron’s (pay subscription needed) reported that the buyout by Lehman Brothers and Tishman Speyer Group for Archstone Smith may be in jeopardy. The Barron’s article was summarized here in Seeking Alpha.  Partly due to declining real estate prices and banking losses, investors have only bought $500 million of the $4.6 billion needed to close the deal. SA Editor Judy Weil wrote: “Archstone has more than $16B of debt, keeping interest expense at $1B-plus annually. That’s more than its Q2′07 annual cash flow rate of $700M.” Archstone Smith has a high-rise building at 660 Washington Street in Chinatown.

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January 23, 2008 by Chinatown Blogger.

The MA Asian American Commission is interested in learning about issues and concerns in Boston’s Chinatown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Please join us in an open meeting to introduce yourselves and to share your ideas and thoughts.

Where: Metropolitan Community Room, 38 Oak St, Chinatown, MA 02111
When: Thursday, January 24, 2008, 6:00PM - 8:30PM

Sponsored by the Asian American Commission of Massachusetts. Email AAC@tre.state.ma.us;
www.mass.gov/treasury/aac/index.htm

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January 22, 2008 by willng24.

I just realized that the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, so to prepare myself for the festivities I began cleaning my apartment. You may think I have some time before February 7th, but you haven’t seen my apartment. This got me thinking of my childhood during the New Year. We use to see tons of family and friends and just feast wherever with whomever. What a great holiday! However, this also got me thinking of the superstitions that my family use to follow. I remember that I couldn’t shower or cut my hair on Chinese New Year. Additionally, all house cleaning had to be done before the that day.

Ever since I moved out of the nest, I don’t follow those traditions anymore. However, I know my family still does.

So what superstitions did your family believe in? Do you still follow them? There are surely odder ones than just the washing of the hair.

Below is a list of superstitions I found on about.com.

1. Dirty Doings

Put your feet up and relax. Certainly the most enjoyable of the Chinese New Year superstitions, sweeping and cleaning is strictly forbidden. The Chinese believe cleaning means you’ll sweep all of your good luck out the front door.

2. Time to Come Clean

Before you can enjoy number two, you need to give the house a full spring clean, before putting cleaning tools in the cupboard on New Year’s Eve.

3. Read Between the Lines

Be sure to stock up on reading materials before Chinese New Year, as Hong Kong’s bookshops will be padlocked tight. In Cantonese, book is a homonym for ‘lose’.

4. Choppy Waters

Make sure you avoid rough seas in the new year by not buying shoes over the holiday period. In Cantonese, shoes are a homonym for ‘rough’.

5. Balance the Books

If you’re in debt, it’s time to dip into your pockets and pay people off. The Chinese believe that if you start the new year in the red, you’ll finish it the same way.

6. Ghostly Conversations

Caught round a campfire over the holiday period? No ghost stories. Tales of death, dying and ghosts is considered supremely inauspicious, especially during Chinese New Year.

7. Lady in Red

Chinese New Year is packed with colors, and while all the colors of the rainbow bring good luck, it’s the color red that is considered the ultimate luck bringer.

8. Sweet Year

Hong Kongers have a sweet touch at the best of times, but Chinese New Year offers the perfect chance to raid the sweet shop, as eating candies is said to deliver a sweeter year.

9. Feel the Breeze

Welcome in the New Year with a blast of fresh air, opening your windows is said to let in good luck.

10. Get to the Point

Sharp objects are said to be harbingers of bad luck, as their sharp points cut out your good luck, pack them away.You should also avoid the hairdressers or you’ll have your good luck chopped off.

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January 14, 2008 by willng24.

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