Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當

In search of the most delicious, traditionally made, regional Chinese cookery in Portland, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Richmond BC, and Auckland NZ.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@eaterpdx PDX ramen has come a long way since Boxer Ramen ca. 2015.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@chandavkl Many airports here in New Zealand do absolutely no security screenings at all.

Just walk up to the gate.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@chandavkl Depends where you are.

Taichung's sidewalks are higgledy-piggledy, but Taipei has lots of nice, even footpaths.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jhoffman Suggested slogan:

"Replenish your qi... with donkey"

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

This is either a hilariously unintentional bit of Engrish, or a very clever way to get white people to order 狗不理.

What do you think, @jacksonglidden @lizzzyacker @tdmrussell @karenbrookspdx ? :)

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@TheSporkful is Acme Smoked Fish in Brooklyn the keeper of the last recipe for traditional Jewish belly lox? ie The salty, unsmoked, luxuriously silky stuff that you can't find outside NYC?

(Internet recipes lie; please don't call it belly lox when it's a dry cure like gravlox)

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@lizzzyacker @jacksonglidden @tdmrussell @karenbrookspdx

Interesting through-the-looking-glass story on NZ ice cream in America, as seen by Kiwis

https://t.co/OgSOFaHmBc

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jacksonglidden This is such lovely news to read, @jacksonglidden. I'm so happy for you. When you make it to Taranaki, we can have that summer bbq over Christmas :) (I shipped my Weber pro from the USA!)

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@LotusOfSiam first ate your cooking at Renu Nakorn in the 90s & suddenly find myself dreaming about your crispy oyster omelette here in New Zealand. Please open a restaurant here :)

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jhoffman @jonathansfrakes The person doing the closed captioning was obviously not a fellow m.o.t.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jacksonglidden @francesdumlao @aemccarthy @AnnieAHarrigan Here in New Zealand we have a copycat Kettle brand that makes this amazing flavor

https://t.co/4wyT1KWusi

Oh, and the Kettle Chips they sell at Auckland Costco are just called "Crisps" (so as not to compete with the copycat) and they cost $25 NZD a bag.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jacksonglidden I remember when @DanweiCanting opened, they made a big thing about using halal lamb (even though they cooked other dishes with pork).

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@lizzzyacker Yeah the author of this is, ahem, "off balance", but their frustration resonates.

The spike in crime and gun violence is a big reason why we migrated to New Zealand. (Also: COVID, healthcare, real investment in infrastructure, free high quality public preschool, etc.)

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@lizzzyacker Welcome to middle age.

Wait until your doctors start becoming younger than you. That's a trip.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@adamewood The trompo he has was gas. You will only find charcoal ones in large markets like LA (or in Mexico), and even then it's rare in LA. That's one big reason why al pastor in situ will generally taste better.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@adamewood I researched this during my time in PDX. To be great, AP has to be roasted on a trompo, the vertical spit, and ideally with charcoal which is a very labor intensive process. I found one vendor who had a broken trompo but couldn't easily get parts in Oregon to fix it.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jacksonglidden Played Baby Pac-Man once in the early 90s and couldn't find it again for 25 years.

Arrived PDX 2015. Chronological order of discovery: -PRGE -GK -Quarterworld.

Time to share the Baby Pacs, PDX!

BTW PDX ramen, how far youve come since 2015 when Boxer & its raw egg was de rigeur

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@NamazakePaul @lizzzyacker Can't argue there.

To be fair to NZ, there are bright spots. Standard dairy is grass fed; I can buy raw milk from a vending machine shed in a pasture. Some really good bakers and food festivals. PDX-style brewpubs. Indian & Chinese diaspora always bring the goods.

[Adam Levbarg 鍾亞當 @MisterTaster]

@jacksonglidden Here in New Zealand, the housing authority provides motel rooms to houseless people. The practice is controversial since most cheap hotels have a large houseless contingent.

But when I describe to Kiwis the American practice of tent/RV cities, they acknowledge that's much worse.