#528 - Happy Chinese New Year

It's the Year of the Horse (hopefully means a better year on the punt) so went down to Chinatown on the Lower East Side for a feed last night. There were lots of enticing restaurants with crazy names like Big Wong, Amazing 66 and 28 Delight, so it was hard to choose but in the end went for Shanghai Gourmet. I had the wonton soup, shredded pork in garlic sauce, a Tsingtao beer, and complimentary pot of Chinese tea, all for $23 (+tax+tip). The parade and fireworks were all over by time I arrived, but they were still selling the oversize exploding bonbons. NY's Chinatown is the largest in the country. Most of them are from the one province, Fujian, a poor rural area. It's still pretty "authentic" and not really a tourist spot like the one in LA, but Sunday afternoon is supposed to be a good time to go, when the markets are on. Oscars trivia question: 150 years ago, this area used to be a poor Irish neighborhood. Name the 2002 movie, starring Leonardo diCaprio and Daniel Day lewis, that told their story? Answer at bottom.

Answer: Gangs of New York