Archives for the 'olympics' tag
Why I Love Globalization: Reason #752
For what seems like centuries, Jews have found solace in Chinese restaurants, which were once the only eateries in small towns across America that were open on major Christian holidays. Chinese restaurants gave hundreds of thousands of American Jews like my mom the wished-for excuse to scarf down non-kosher, Americanized platefuls of pu-pu platter and other exotic-sounding dishes.
Now, with the Olympics approaching, and the eyes of the world focused on Beijing, Jews visiting the city will have literally millions of Chinese culinary options. Included amongst those options will be exactly one kosher restaurant: Dini’s Kosher Restaurant. YNet News reports:
This diner is not just the only place in China that offers its guests matzo ball soup, kugel, and Moroccan cigars eaten with chopsticks, it’s also the only place where a mitzvah-keeping tourist can sample local delicacies such as dim-sum and Sichuan chicken made with all-kosher ingredients, while listening to the head rabbi’s daughter answer questions about the Torah’s Portion of the Week every Friday evening.
[...]
“The days in which Jews had to wander through China with suitcases full of preserved food are over,” said Rabbi Shimon Freundlich, Chabad’s envoy to Beijing.
According to the restaurant’s manager, Ohad Tiktinski, locals have also begun to frequent Dini’s, due to their belief that kosher food is healthier and cleaner. However even the Chinese people, who are rumored to consume everything that has four legs other than the kitchen table, have their limits. They refuse to touch the gefilte fish.
Who could blame them? Dini’s extensive tri-lingual menu (English, Mandarin, and Hebrew) here (PDF).
